Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group
This group is for those coping with Tinnitus (ringing ears or ear noise), hearing loss, and all ear issues. Join to find support and get advice from others.
So I went to see the ENT today. My third different ENT visit in about as many years. He found nothing physically wrong with my ears. My hearing is normal. I can hear OK through this shrill. It is weird. He said tinnitus is a brain short circuit but I may have some sinus issues that are exacerbating the ringing. I have the sensation of fluid in my middle ears much of the time but he did not see any at the time of the visit, surprise surprise... Therefore he did not recommend ear tubes as he saw no need for them. He did recommend lipflavonoid vitamins and melatonin. I swear my family and friends think I am neurotic but I do hear this dam ringing. I am not crazy!
Anybody ever try the Lip-Flovonoid vitamins? I have seen them at Walgreens and they're fairly expensive. Seems to me to be another jar of snake oil.
Anybody ever try the Lip-Flovonoid vitamins? I have seen them at Walgreens and they're fairly expensive. Seems to me to be another jar of snake oil.
So, no tubes were recommeded, that is good that your ENT did not suggest them, if they truly are not needed.
Sorry about your views on what folks think about your ringing ears.
I am such an "anxious" person to begin with, that I am sure my friends, family and possibly even my doctors assume my ringing ears as a neurotic symptom...Who knows, maybe they are right? But regardless if the ringing in my ears is "real or not real, I ear it, and it affects my life, so in that sense it is very real, to me anyway. (chuckle)
I too saw an ENT two weeks ago with the same outcome as you, normal exam, with no hearing loss. I suppose that should be good news right?
I also saw my neurologist, she repeated the words I keep hearing, that tinnitus is not easy to pin point the cause, if not noise or medication induced. She ehcoed the commentes that T it is quit common, usually not from a life threatening disease, and that the ear often is not even malfuntioning, infected, and so on.
By the way, both my ENT, and Neuro have tinnitus, and seem to just brush it off to a easy to live with disorder????
So, I am left with ringing ears, with no known cause of what triggered it and not sure how to treat it as yet, but learing ways to cope with it from members here.
Sorry, I am not able to give you any advice on "natural" or "pharmaceutical" treatments, to reduce T, but many folks here I am sure can be helpful and possibly have more information on lipflavonoid vitamins and melatonin.
Remember that some natural medications are not always FDA approved.
Also "natural" medications can still cause side effects and can react differently if taken with other medications for other health issues. So, do your research, as you are, and check with your pharmacy. Often the pharmacy knows more than a doctor.
However in your case your doctor did suggest this treatment, so if you trust your ENT, he knows your medical history and feels the treatment safe, maybe its worth a try.
It is my opinion that "natural" medications and "alternative" treatments should be applied with the same causions and respect as "pharmaceutical" medications and "traditional" treatments.
With that being said, what works for one, may or may not work for a nother, trial and error can tell.
I do feel that alternative and traditional treatments and medications can both be effective to aide in ones well being if taken properly, after educated on their pros and cons.
Best to you.
Pattylyn
Pattylyn, Are you taking your blood pressure medication yet?
I went to the ENT so long ago and was told that my hearing was normal and was told just listen over the buzz while walking under the power lines even though my t was a shrill not a buzz. Even so, I can hear over the shrill.
I later went to an audiologist that has a specialty in tinnitus and in the high frequency range I have about a 60db drop (mid and low ranges normal). This may be wrong but I think that the ENT's test mainly in the normal hearing ranges and this is why most t people are told "your hearing is very very good". I may be very wrong but this has been my personal experience.
Long story at medium lengthy...I was told by the ENT that hearing aides were not necessary. The hearing specialist said they would be a good benefit. After wearing the hearing aides for a proper amount of time I'd rather say 'what' twice in a conversation than have too much amplification especially in louder places.
Maybe my hearing aides (with white noise maskers) are not top of the line, but my tinnitus is top of the scale and the eeeeeeee matters less and less (though still a factor) and it's not so different than a half blocked nose after a lengthy head cold.
It lipo flavanoids 600 mg for 2 pills. It always has other vitamins, ginko, and some hompatics to quiet your tinnitus
It'sa safe, and it will help you, Melatonin, also works very well.
are good for helping tinnitus.
All you have to do is tell EVERY doctor who treats you is that 30% of soldiers returning from Iraq/Afghanistan who don't receive any meaningful treatment for severe tinnitus ATTEMPT SUICIDE. In my experience, veterans don't have much trouble figuring out how to blow their brains out. That statistic was on the front page of the American Tinnitus Association monthly publication last year. It's also a very high statistic for any group of people with a disability. Most doctors don't know anything about tinnitus (I've had it 5 years and only 1 doctor actually knew what I was talking about and referred me to the UC San Francisco ENT tinnitus treatment program). Because there's no cure for tinnitus, no time is spent by doctors educating themselves about options.
There's some very good research coming out of the UK re: Mindfulness and tinnitus. I tried everything (medications, seminars, supplements, etc.) and finally began practicing Buddhism 4 years ago. I also take Xanax and 25mg of Seroquel at night, and I think the Seroquel is helpingIm having more quiet days (5-7/month vs. 2/month before). You can also try MBSR by Jon Kabot Zinn (Full Catastrophe Living), an 8 week program based on Buddhist principles (Mindfulness and Equanimity), but presented in an occidental context so it makes sense.
Finally, I use the I-Pod a lot and listen to the spoken word (audio-books) to distract my brain from the sound of screeching jet engines in my head. In other words, I throw everything I can at this horrible conditionhorrible because (a) its tortuous and (b) other people just dont get itthey cant imagine what it feels like to be the equivalent of being water-boarded 24/7. I tell people to imagine what it would feel like if someone jammed a red hot ice pick in one of their eyes and then try to just go about their day as if nothing were happening. That generally gets their attention.
Little T