Tinnitus concerns

J

JSX

Guest
I've had tinnitus for a long time but at a very low level and was never a big deal. This last year it has gotten quite bad. I've seen two ENTs plus of course my PCP and my dentist and we have not been able to identify any physical cause for it. Tinnitus is overwhelmingly associated with hearing loss, yet my hearing is above average for my age (I get tested every year at work, and just got tested at the ENT). I'm currently working with the best docs I can find, and have an upcoming appt with specialist in treating tinnitus.

I'm wondering if I'm opening up a can of worms going down this path, regarding my medical. Tinnitus is also associated strongly with depression and anxiety, yet I don't feel I suffer from depression. I don't have many stressors in my life, but I have to admit the tinnitus itself is generating anxiety. Treating tinnitus with depression/anxiety drugs is one mode of therapy, but by means not the only one nor a necessary one. Taking these drugs would be the last resort for me, so I'm hoping I can find a way of managing this condition without them.

If I stay away from drugs on the no-fly list, I am still opening up myself to possible problems with maintaining my medical? This condition is not something I can ignore so I have no choice but to pursue what I can to help treat it. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
 
I've had tinnitus for decades and it was never an issue as long as I passed the ersatz hearing test (for the third it's just conversational voice). When I got my hearing aids finally, they added the rather nonsensical restriction "must use amplification" (and really, I suspect I could still pass the test without my aids on).

There are no depression or anxiety drugs that are on a "fly list." The best you can hope for is ones that would allow a special issuance when using, but that's a whole can of worms (and it matters NOT to the FAA that say you're only doing it for your hearing).
 
Good luck, I've been down that road before. I got very bad tinnitus without hearing loss literally over night. Along with it came a whole slew of other weird symptoms: light sensitivity, ocular migraines, rashes, hand tremors, etc. Numerous specialists/tests for months, and we never were able to figure out the cause. Symptoms seemed to fit for heavy metal poisoning (or even a viral infection), yet my blood results showed nothing. Fortunately for me, all the symptoms subsided, with the exception of the tinnitus.
The good thing for my third class medical is I just report the doctor/hospital visits/tests as "tinnitus issue". I still pass the hearing test, so no problem.
 
JSX said:
I've had tinnitus for a long time but at a very low level and was never a big deal. This last year it has gotten quite bad. I've seen two ENTs plus of course my PCP and my dentist and we have not been able to identify any physical cause for it. Tinnitus is overwhelmingly associated with hearing loss, yet my hearing is above average for my age (I get tested every year at work, and just got tested at the ENT). I'm currently working with the best docs I can find, and have an upcoming appt with specialist in treating tinnitus.

I'm wondering if I'm opening up a can of worms going down this path, regarding my medical. Tinnitus is also associated strongly with depression and anxiety, yet I don't feel I suffer from depression. I don't have many stressors in my life, but I have to admit the tinnitus itself is generating anxiety. Treating tinnitus with depression/anxiety drugs is one mode of therapy, but by means not the only one nor a necessary one. Taking these drugs would be the last resort for me, so I'm hoping I can find a way of managing this condition without them.

If I stay away from drugs on the no-fly list, I am still opening up myself to possible problems with maintaining my medical? This condition is not something I can ignore so I have no choice but to pursue what I can to help treat it. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
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Did you read about the tongue electrode treatment?

Paul
 
If the ENTs are not concerned, don’t obsess over it. I got mine from a bad case of viral labrynthritis 30+ years ago. My head is ringing loudly at the moment. Use hearing protection and noise-cancelling headphones around aircraft.
 
I have that. Diving incident started. Lifting incident exacerbated. I avoid silence. It can be maddening in silence. TV on at night with sleep timer and I don’t hear it. Lifting heavy and getting dehydrated will exacerbate it. I’d never make it in one of those sense depravation tanks.
 
I'll be interested to hear about any treatment and results you have. I had tinnitus come on suddenly a couple of years ago, from no discernable cause, but fortunately not debilitating, just annoying. I saw an audiologist, who said it was related to my (relatively mild) hearing loss, and told me to, essentially, "get over it." FWIW, I've never been depressed or anxious a day in my life (unless you count my annoyance with this f-ing noise in my head) ...
 
I’ve had it for many years along with progressive hearing loss. I worked around loud machinery when young, attended rock concerts and flew airplanes before we used headsets. Both my parents had severe hearing loss so I got a double dose of bad genes. Long ago I decided I couldn’t let it bother me. If I let it bother me I’d be suicidal. So I ignore it.
 
I have prescribed hydrochlorothiazide a few times to patients-never worked
Some people will use a benzodiazepine at night as needed but a pilot doesn’t want to go that route. Treats more the anxiety related to it at night.
There are hearing aides now that are custom tuned to your tinnitus frequency that then use a destructive interference wave that can negate some of it. Have had pts try-somewhat effective
 
kgruber said:
I have it. I remember the moment it started. Don't waste your money on cures are treatments. NONE work. Just learn to live with it.
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I totally agree with @kgruber...I have had mild tinnitus for quite some time as well. For me, the best thing to do when it becomes bothersome is mask it with other sounds. Playing rain or ocean sounds work well for me at night.

Tinnitus is definitely annoying, and it took me some time to get used to it to a point where I don't think about it until someone mentions it, or if it's really quiet. Caffeine does make it worse for me sometimes.

I think that antidepressants would be a treatment if you became depressed because of the tinnitus sound--the antidepressant won't stop the sound, but it may help you cope with it.

I found the short Ted Ed video (below) about tinnitus to be quite informative about what is happening that causes the tinnitus sounds. FWIW, the video confirms other tinnitus information I have gleaned in the past. That said, I am not a doctor.

 
I agree with jimbirk and kgruber, there’s nothing that will stop it, but there are things that make it worse. NSAIDS. Caffeine was mentioned. I say I ignore it but I would probably not be able to at night if I didn’t watch Netflix on my iPad to put me to sleep. I don’t do that because of the tinnitus, I do it because I have always put myself to sleep by reading or watching TV or listening to the radio, as long as I can remember, even as a kid.
 
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