To be worried about a brain tumour? (Tinnitus related).

[Moveandlonsters]

I have tinnitus, it’s really loud, only in 1 ear and constant. I also have anxiety and after Googling I’ve convinced myself I have a brain tumour. I’m waiting for a ENT referral to come through, and waiting for CBT for the anxiety.

But in the meantime has anyone had tinnitus in just 1 ear at a constant noise level for months and it not been anything bad?

Bump

Try vitamin b12

Mine was caused by low iron levels. Went as soon as I got them up a bit.

It's extremely unlikely to be a brain tumor. Iirc the most common cause is an ear infection.

Sorry, sounds like a fairly rare condition ? I'd never even heard of it (english not my first language though).

I'd suggest that most symptoms can be caused by so many ailments, this is why diagnosing illnesses is so hard ! So, it's probably easier said than done, try not to worry until you actually have a proper diagnosis.

Hi,
I'm a CBT therapist and would say that if you Google literally any symptom ever, you'll find you have something catastrophic and terrifying. If you've been referred to ENT already, I'd recommend avoiding googling or speculating until you see them.

Also, my boyfriend has the type of brain tumour that causes tinnitus in one ear, and actually, it doesn't affect his life that much. It's a benign tumour and he just has a brain scan every so often to check if it's changed at all.
I was really shocked when he first told me about it, but since then I've heard of friends of friends etc who've also had the same thing for years and it also doesn't affect their lives much.

People with health anxiety tend to assume whenever they notice a change or symptom that the cause is the most catastrophic, scary thing, (even though it's often the most rare cause) and also that the problem won't be treatable and they won't cope.

I reckon there could easily still be a less dramatic explanation (eg if one ear was exposed to more noise or something). But even if it is something bad, changes are it'll be treatable or you WILL cope much better than you're imagining.

Have a look at the Health Anxiety leaflet here while you're waiting for CBT
web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/

I lost some of my hearing loss and got tinnitus in one year several years ago. I have sensorineural hearing loss. I had an MRI to check for any tumours on the auditory nerve, which came back normal, and given a hearing aid. I was told that it was likely that a virus had attacked my inner ear and caused damage resulting in the hearing loss with this then causing the tinnitus.

I had it in one ear at a constant level. I had the ear syringed and it cleared up. Nurse said it was a build up of wax deep in the ear canal.

My dh had a vestibular schwannoma. He was alerted to it by tinnitus on one side.

It is very unusual, and he is quite fine.

My tinnitus started in one ear, a year or so later if was in two ears.. Had it for 5 years now.

I've had all the usual tests, ENT appointments and a MRI scan and they have found nothing. Sometimes there isn't a treatable cause.

I had it for months, and lost some hearing in one ear. I then had a bout of labrynthitis and it all seemed to go away although I was tested for the sort of benign tumour a PP referred to but it was clear. I think it may be have been a combination of an ongoing very stressful situation (since resolved) and the menopause. I occasionally get a "quieter" version now which I can easily block out.

I found distracting myself - TV, radio, book, work etc. really helped.

(It was so loud I was always surprised no one else could hear it!)

I've been through the referral. Saw an audiologist and my hearing was pretty good. I had an mri which was all clear. Apparently only 2% will have a tumour. As a pp said, the tumours are harmless and will be monitored. The best thing I got referred for was an hour's tinnitus counselling session which went through everything to do with the condition. It was brilliant!

I've had tinnitus since I was three years old. Some times one ear, then suddenly in both. Measles damage.

Thank you. Does anyone know if it is only the benign brain tumours that cause tinnitus in one ear? Or can some of the nasty ones cause it too?

It’s reassuring that some people have had tests for the same thing and it been nothing anyway.

Thank you everyone. It’s been a really tough few months so I don’t think stress is helping either.

After being checked out at the ENT clinic, I had my first tinnitus counselling session earlier this week. What I learned is that stress is a huge factor in tinnitus, so hopefully you'll check out fine at ENT and the CBT sessions will help.

I have pulsatile tinnitus in one ear, have had it for a couple of years. It comes and goes, no pattern to it. I’ve had a CT scan of my brain and neck and an MRI scan of my neck and they couldn’t find any cause for it.

I've had tinnitus in my left ear for years, have reprogrammed my brain to block it out most of the time (unless I'm reminded of it!). They scanned me due to the possibility of having a tumour called an Acoustic neuroma, which causes asymmetric tinnitus. These tumours are almost always benign and can be treated surgically. Anyway I didn't have one - it's just one of these things.

I’ve had tinnitus in one ear since 2007, when I was first diagnosed with Meniere’s disease (an inner ear disorder). I had an MRI to rule out an acoustic neuroma which came back clear. Stress seems to make no difference to the level - it’s just bloody loud ALL THE TIME and then sometimes it’s deafening ...

Personally I find it incredibly irritating and patronising to be told that it’s nothing serious (I know that) and that I will habituate to it (12 years on and it still hasn’t happened), but there are many worse problems to have

@Everley I had pulsatile tinnitus one summer. It came and went and that was that. It was most annoying - I kept elbowing dh in bed as on waking I thought he’d put the washing machine on at 6am with the whoosh whoosh rhythmic sound. I had an mri of the inner ear (and years later had a full brain mri) both of which showed nothing.

I have had tinnitus for years in both ears. Nobody has ever referred me for a CT or MRI scan.

Should this have happened or is it only done if you have tinnitus in one ear?

Ditto Missangrypants i ve had it for 6 months, went to the doctors and she said it could be a viral infection. Ive had bouts of 'dizziness and nausea with it.

@Missangrypants one sided Tinnitus can be caused by an acoustic neuroma which is why they do the MRI
OP I have it only on the left side, have had it for a few years now, had an MRI and nothing sinister found. I was told an acoustic neuroma is quite rare.
The noise never goes away but I am able to manage it

@Mascarponeandwine Annoying isn’t it! I was convinced I could hear a dog barking for three days straight, kept going into the garden to listen as was concerned a dog had been without food or something for days. Nah, was my ear. Also practically dismantled the dishwasher as I thought something was rattling around. My ear, again!

Have you had a full blood panel for vitamins, thyroid etc?

I have meniere's disease that causes tinnitus, but mostly only when my thyroid is too underactive (historically poor thyroid management by crap GPs), when I have enough thyroxine the tinnitus rarely starts up. So I don't bother with meniere's medication any more just thyroxine. It can affect one ear or both.

It’s awful and getting louder and just constantly there. I can hear it above everything else. It’s actually driving me mad. And impossible to forget my worries about it when I can’t escape it.

@Malyshek it's pretty common actually - a loud ringing or whistle in the ear. Caused by loads of things and v irritating.