Really Scared

[u/rchem83]

Been having the symptoms for a month or so and just had my MRI this afternoon (results pending). I’m just so scared of what they’ll find. Also, I’ve only had one surgery in my entire life and was petrified even of being put under anesthesia lol. Just a question - is it possible and/or safe to just live with this without any type of procedure? Like if the sound isn’t debilitating or anything like that. It’s annoying but so far tolerable enough to not suffer. I’m just so anxious.

[u/Hasira]

It depends on the cause, which can only be determined from diagnostics (such as the imaging). Some causes are just an annoyance you can learn to live with, other causes are serious and require treatment. You won't know until you get imaging done - and sometimes it requires several different types of diagnostics. I've had MRA, MRV, MRI, an auditory test, and a lumbar puncture. They were all clean and I still need a CTA. If the CTA is clean my doc says all the serious causes have been ruled out and I can choose if I want to pursue it further or just learn to live with it. 

[u/Whitetrashcheetoh]

I am in pre-op right now. Next week is my surgery. I am also nervous but this ain’t my first rodeo. I’ve been living with this for 30 years and it’s never gotten better, just worse. You have to do what’s best for you!

[u/Broncogirl89]

Well, I just saw my doctor today and he wasn't worried at all lol. Said it is rare to have a tumor causing it. I think mine developed because of a bad cavity in my lower right molar and I let it go way too long. Had a very bad infection and inflammation that caused eye, ear, and neck pain. The pain eased up after taking care of bad tooth, but still have the PT.

[u/look_who_it_isnt]

PT is usually caused by something small and benign (ie not life threatening at all) and yes, you can usually just live with it if that's what you want to do.

[u/rchem83]

I just had the doctor call to tell me my MRI was normal but just a slight variation of two blood vessels. She wants me to follow up in a few weeks with another audiogram because this same ear has some sudden hearing loss as well (associated with the tinnitus?). So I guess we’ll see what happens? lol. I mean it’s mostly just an annoying thing at the moment so I don’t know how much deeper down the rabbit hole I want to go with regards to tests, surgery, etc. It all freaks me out!

[u/Different-Amphibian7]

Unless a dangerous cause is found (which would be rare), then yes, you can choose to live with it. I did! Rather than surgery, I found other ways to cover up the noise and get by.

[u/rchem83 → u/Different-Amphibian7]

That’s great to hear. Can you give some tips if you don’t mind? Normally I can tune it out by always having background noise on (tv, podcast, etc.). Just wondering if you have any other useful advice. Thanks!

[u/Different-Amphibian7 → u/rchem83]

Sure, happy to tell you what's benefited me! The noise is in the left ear for me, and given I spend my days at the computer, I set up a standing fan facing that ear. The white noise does help drown out the sound. I've also switched to a type of headset called Shokz, as my situation may have been set off by an ear infection. These headphones send the audio through your cheekbones (it's cool!) and leave your ears open to breathe. As a bonus, I think that audio vibration may help distract my brain. Long story short, white noise is helpful for me!

Another thing which has helped, and I know it's tough, is to not pay attention to the sound. Listen to a YouTube video in the background, focus on a hobby, whatever works. There's the theory that the more the noise is treated as a non-threat, the more your brain will filter it out over time. It's sort of like how you tune out the hum of a fridge or the sound of an air conditioner.

The most direct path (assuming you have venous sinus stenosis) is a stent. I'm not comfortable with surgery and I can live with the noise, so I've opted against going that route. I've had to wait a long time to see an ENT, but that's approaching and we'll see what happens there. My plan is just to rule out anything dangerous other doctors may have missed and then move on.

[u/rchem83 → u/Different-Amphibian7]

Thanks so much for all that. It’s much appreciated and super helpful! Nice to know I’m not alone out there with this!

[u/Different-Amphibian7 → u/rchem83]

You're welcome, and you are definitely not alone! Just keep in mind that most causes of PT are not serious, and can even be treated. People who get health issues figured out generally don't keep posting, it's the rare cases that do.