I joined this group a couple of years ago but then did not visit very often. My tinnitus history is long because I am "up in years" as they say. I had a low intensity tinnitus in my right ear for many years that I attributed to having a eustachian tube that did not function properly. I took some audiology classes when getting my graduate degree and had some tests run on my ear and that was the conclusion. Well, that was fine, I could deal with that. Then a few years ago I had a very brief noise trauma to my ear which made the ringing worsen and this past year I experienced a dreadful episode of having my security alarm malfunction and being subjected to a high piercing noise while trying to disarm it before the police were called! I was not using my head, obviously, or I would have
at least put in ear plugs before messing with it. Now I have tinnitus in both ears and the left is louder than the right. It sounds like I am in a room with lots of noisy fluorescent lights buzzing!
In addition, my poorly functioning eustachian tube has resulted in my right ear stopping up with fluid which resulted in having to take steroid drops and pills. That now seems to be an ongoing problem with high pollen counts where I live.
Anyway, I am back and hope to get some support and advice. In my family I don't talk much about tinnitus because people don't understand when they cannot see a physical problem. I have a grown daughter who recently experienced it and was diagnosed with otosclerosis. She does not have continual tinnitus but she does have a hearing loss. Now she has to decide if she wants surgery or not. Do any of you have any experience with this?

Sometimes I long for silence in my life....but I know that there are worse things to suffer from. Thanks for listening!