Hacker News Reader

Comment by hfkeysrdhf | Hacker News Reader

I'd like to point out that, sadly, not all tinnitus is caused by hearing loss.

My tinnitus started despite being young and having subjected myself to far fewer loud noises, including concerts, than the average person. My doctor believes that mine is likely due to a neurological issue, but that we will never know the true cause. To satisfy our own curiosity (and determine if we could attempt to treat it with steroids, which is possible during the few weeks after the onset of tinnitus induced by hearing loss), we had my hearing tested. As expected, absolutely no hearing loss.

As others have said, I felt suicidal during those first few weeks. Thankfully, I've since learned to live with it.

View on HN

> As others have said, I felt suicidal during those first few weeks. Thankfully, I've since learned to live with it.

An incredibly common feeling among those who have recently got tinnitus. I felt this way to and unfortunately no matter how many times I read that people learnt to live with it, I never really took it on board.

For anyone reading who has got it, it really does get better. Eventually (6 months min from what I have read) your brain starts to tune it out. Only a very, very small number of people are unfortunate enough to have it persist without some dulling. Try not to despair or panic, it almost certainly will significantly dull and fade into the background after a few months. At some point, it not being present will be normal again.

Nowadays I notice a mild shadow of what it once was, maybe 4 times a year for an hour after a severe initial case.

Mine was came after attempting to pop my ears during a very bad ear infection. I was trying to relieve the pressure, as I have done a lot, but because of the bad ear infection it was actually making it worse. The pain was so bad and it felt like my ear was never going to pop. Eventually, the pain subsided but at that exact same time, in place of the pain, was a ringing.

My ENT said the tinnitus was most likely caused by the bad ear infection and tried to assure me that me trying to pop my ears didn't have anything to do with it, but I can't help but feel like that wasn't the case, as I made the pain so much worse.

Anyways, agreed with others here that the first few months were the worst, and now it's mostly unnoticeable unless I actively think about it, drink a lot, or leave a loud environment.

"pop ears" = equalise pressure, like you do on an aeroplane flight.

Just in case people aren't familiar with the idiom.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com