Hi
My ears started ringing after a really REALLY strange incident where my ear drums filled up with air. There was no fluid, but a LOT of pain and vertigo. My ear doc punctured my drums to release the pressure and ever since, they've been ringing.
As time has gone on, I've learned that I have TMJ, which very well may have caused all the problems to begin with. I am now seeing a neuromuscular dentist who is doing a LOT of work re-aligning my jaw. It was completely out of place from years of pounding on an old injury that probably never really healed properly. (I was hit in the face in college and my mouth never really was the same again.)
Since he has moved my jaw around, my ear pain is GONE, my neck pain is GONE, my back pain is GONE, the ringing has gone down (although, the volume went down a good bit with time PRIOR to seeing him... I think as my stress levels went down ((from taking anxiety meds)), my ears got quieter) THey have, however, only gotten even QUIETER with treatment. (No one can relate unless they've had it, but you truly can get LOWER and LOWER and LOWER without it actually being gone. I feel like I've told my boyfriend 200 times "it's lower now than it was last month..." and it really was! It just keeps getting better.)
Mornings are always lower for me, as well, but there was a time where they weren't... There was a time where I lived in a 24/7 Hell. I couldn't sleep at night. Drank a LOT of wine, cried a LOT and seriously thought about how much I wanted to leave this earth. I am SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOO far from those thoughts right now. I'm more worried about my cat who keeps peeing on the floor LOL.. I barely think about my ears. You really will be okay.
Some things that helped at night were sound machines - Particularly ones with cricket noises in it. Those kinda cancel out the ringing. Also, old tv's truly are the WORST, as they have an almost unnoticeable hiss to them... People with normal ears aren't bothered by it, but it drives me absolutely insane. I can NOT be in the same room as an old TV. Thankfully I bought a new one 2 years ago and The Golden Girls lull me to sleep every night and wake me every morning.
It's hard, but do NOT focus on "will it go away??" because it might. It might not! If it doesn't, there's nothing you can do except accept it and get used to it and learn to not even notice it.
You will do it naturally. Days and nights will seem SO long, but you will prevail!! I PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't get caught up in "i'll never be able to do this again... or that again" - DON'T!!!!!! Because, you WILL be able to. You will.
Lots n lots of love... and ear plugs! Protect the sensitive ear at concerts, etc... OK OK! BYE NOW!
Jody
