Am I delusional to think this Tinnitus might go away?

[AFridgeHummingInMyEar]

About a month ago, during a time of extreme stress, I suddenly developed tinnitus: loud ringing in both ears (each with a different tone). I went to the GP, he couldn't see anything inside my ears due to wax buildup. Two private microsuction attempts, weeks apart with olive oil and bicarb drops in between, failed because it was so painful and the wax was so hard. So now the GP said they will refer me to ENT, but it will take months to be seen.

In the meantime the ringing in my ears screeched day and night and wouldn't let me sleep. About a week ago it suddenly changed to be less ring-y and more like a low fridge-like drone mostly localised in the more blocked ear (but sometimes it feels like it's in the middle of my head). This can be even more intrusive and annoying than the ringing.

Everything I read about Tinnitus says it's permanent, there's no cure etc. Am I delusional to think it may go away once the wax is dealt with, even if it's been here for a month already? Has anyone else had the same and got better? And what can I do to help the earwax problem myself if olive oil, bicarb and microsuction have failed?

I get it too and it is usually connected to wax in my ears. I can hear it now

I went for micro-suctioning and was left with tinnitus afterwards. I next went for micro-suctioning and syringing 18 months later and the practitioner told me that the tinnitus was caused by some leftover wax. She managed to remove it - tinnitus solved!

Feel for you, I’m going through my first proper bout of vertigo this week, horrible conditions. The pills I got from the gp say for tinnitus as well as vertigo, they are an antihistamine sounds weird but one of those drugs that works in mysterious ways (also schizophrenia even more weirdly). I’m five days in and still not right so feeling sorry for myself, thankfully it’s not actually serious in the scheme of things but like tinnitus a quality of life issue

Have you had any vertigo?

Oh dear, that sounds a lot more troublesome, I'm sorry. What is this medication called? I never heard of anything that could treat both schizophrenia and vertigo!

I’ve had bilateral tinnitus since 1993 not caused by wax.
I have bilateral hearing loss so have to wear aids, since 2003.

My tinnitus never goes away. The sounds vary but I’m never free of whooshing, rumbling, clanging, clicking, and so on.

It has quietened over the years but I think of
it as just another noise I’ve had to learn to live with. I don’t let it stress me but for sure I wish I didn’t have it!

What kind of noises do you hear? Does it go away when you get the wax cleared, usually?

That's what the audiologist said! It's very painful though, after I use them my ears feel in pain and they throb with pulsating sounds on top of it all (these go away when the irritation subsides). Am I putting in too many drops perhaps?

I actually had terrible lightheadedness which started at the same time which after testing ENT eventually diagnosed as bilateral vestibular hypofunction. This eventually resolved after three months of vestibular rehabilitation exercises but the tinnitus has remained. I’ve had typical vertigo twice many many years ago but this lightheadedness was very different. Couldn’t work, couldn’t drive. I haven’t thought about my tinnitus all day but it’s still there now I do, whoosh whoosh whoosh.

It's great that you manage to not be stressed by it! So in your case you noticed tinnitus first, and hearing loss much later?

I’ve had tinnitus for a few years now, which I think is menopausal. I’ve had a CT scan and that showed no problems. I bloody hate it. I’ve started HRT in the hope it alleviates it somewhat. I have found that a Snoozeband has been very beneficial at bedtime.

I have had tinnitus since the age of 4. If it doesn’t go away you will get used to it.

@AFridgeHummingInMyEar
Yes, tinnitus first burst into my head during a period of extreme stress in 1993. It was very loud. GP was at a loss to help and I was very anxious.

Hearing loss gradually crept up on me until in 2003 I was starting a new job and fortunately got my first hearing aid followed by second one about 12 months later.

Everything I hear has to get past the refrigerated lorry rumble and whooshing of a river passing over a weir!

I’ve learned to live with it but when I was working holding down various public facing and training roles across the UK, it was very stressful trying to cope with the travelling and be professional with the hidden cacophony going on in my head.

It has only recently become more apparent and did improve with suction

yes I have had vertigo a couple of times

Thank you for explaining! Did you get your hearing tested when you first started having T?

You get used to it and your brain zones it out

I got pulsatile Tinnitus about 20 years ago. Drove me nuts. Lasted years. Gradually it lessened and lessened and virtually disappeared. Then I had COVID vaccine and it morphed into the ringing type but it is fading now. Mine related to a burst eardrum I understand. I did get some type of therapy on NHS but don't think it did much good.

It sounds like the issue mostly resolved in both cases, so that's very encouraging and I'm glad to hear that! I've heard of other people getting ringing in their ears for a while after the COVID vaccine, it's a weird one.

I have trouble with compacted ear wax and that's when i get the ringing and whooshing, it goes away when I have them syringed, I'm certain mine comes down to the wax causing pressure in the ear... there's not much room in there!

I’ve had pulsatile tinnitus for probably 10 years, brain MRIs were clear for serious causes except for a vein/artery very near the auditory nerve or something like that , however it flagged other things and prompted me to lose a lot of weight and the tinnitus is more or less gone now I think it was caused by atherosclerosis in carotid artery

Have you had bloods done?

Anemia can contribute to tinnitus

This. It gets easier op

My post Covid tinnitus largely went away. But it took a long time.

Good to know! Yeah I always get compacted wax too, but I've never had sounds with it before. Did you ever have a drone/hum sound/electrical buzz sound with it?

Sometimes, but it was mainly whooshing/pulsating, they do say as you get older wax gets harder so that might contribue too