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Tinnitus

(10 Posts)
Charleygirl5 Sat 01-Dec-18 13:36:16

I have a friend who is not a member of GN who has tinnitus which has escalated rather badly so that it now interferes with a normal conversation with one or more people. She did have a minor cold about 6 weeks ago but the tinnitus which she has had for 20+ years has never been as bad as this.

As anybody got any ideas please? I have never experienced it so cannot begin to think what she is suffering.

Katyj Sat 01-Dec-18 15:30:40

Hi, sorry to hear about your friend.I have tinnitus and it is awful, you sound like a really good friend she's very blessed to have you, just listening to her will help.Is she going through a stress full time at the moment, because I know mine becomes worse when I'm worried.You said she has suffered a cold, maybe she could try some decongestants, they some times help.

Charleygirl5 Sat 01-Dec-18 20:30:51

I am bumping this to see if anybody else has any bright ideas.

LullyDully Sat 01-Dec-18 20:38:41

My husband had tinnitus some years ago, it made him very introvert and he discovered jigsaws to help to focus.

I remember it hit him on the way to work. He had to crawl into the doctors on his hands and knees. The reception said he couldn't see a doctor as he was too late. So he told her he wasn't moving from the floor until she did something. Luckily common sense took over. A very hard time, finally it just went away.jigsaw

I hope your friend can get good medical help soon.

NanKate Sat 01-Dec-18 20:56:54

After 15 years I have become acclimatised to the incessant din

I initially bought a machine that had all different sounds such as a steam train or raining, which I plugged into at night with an earphone. I could drift off to sleep. I have radios or Alexa in every room so there is always background noise. I wear ear plugs at the cinema as I find it too noisy.

The sensible advice I was given by the audiologist was never to try and drown out the tinnitus as it will only get louder to compensate.

Finally because at times the sound was so loud I could do nothing else I was given tablets called Betahistimine which did help reduce the sound.

Lynne59 Sun 02-Dec-18 16:31:05

I've had Tinnitus for about 12 years, following a car crash. I have got used to the constant hissing, whistling and whooshing sounds, and only really notice them when everywhere is quiet - when I'm trying to get to sleep, mainly. I sometimes wear headphones and listen to music until I get to sleep.

mrsmopp Sun 02-Dec-18 16:51:21

I know someone who had this - he insisted on calling it
Tittynus ! It is a tricky problem as there are no pills for it, but it's best to try and not be stressed by it as it only makes it worse. Relax, distract yourself, listen to music etc there is a good website offering advice tinnitus.org
Good luck I know it's an awful condition to suffer from.

NfkDumpling Sun 02-Dec-18 18:48:10

I’ve had tinnitus for as long as I can remember and a year or two back it suddenly switched on much more loudly, mostly in my left ear. I went to the doctor and he sent me straight to hospital for an MRI head scan. Apparently it can be a symptom of a tumour. It was fascinating to see my brain on the scan! Luckily there was no tumour, and the tinnitus evened out into both ears. I now wear hearing aids to restore the upper range of hearing which I had apparently lost and it has helped mask the tinnitus.

I don’t want to scare but I think Charleygirl your friend would be advised to see her doctor, if only to see if hearing aids can help.

luluaugust Sun 02-Dec-18 19:05:52

I have had it for about 7 years, I suspect the cold may have made it worse possibly blockage of the Eustacian tube, your friend could try antihistamines or decongestants to see if that helps.

mrsmopp Wed 05-Dec-18 23:33:14

www.tinnitus.org.uk
Try that. xx