1. Hi, tell us a bit about your condition. How long have you had tinnitus? What symptoms have you been getting? Is the sound you hear there all the time, or is it intermittent?

I have had tinnitus since May 2015, ringing and buzzing in both ears and bad headaches, both and some days it does it worse for me.

2. How did you actually develop tinnitus in the first place? Has anything in particular triggered it? Can you tell (or guess) what the underlying cause is?

I went to the doctors about my ears are being very painful and I had infection in both and it took weeks to get them better as I’ve had a lot problems with my ears since I was child. Having ear problems when l was young Child. When having ear problems as a young child and my Mother never got me seen by a doctor. Another thing I find that’s triggers it of when my depression and anxiety is worse.

3. How did it use to affect your day-to-day life when it started? What impact has it had on you in the past?

All the time ringing in the right ear first then the left ear in the last 7 weeks or so. Some days the tinnitus gets me down and I feel like giving up. Unable to hear what people was saying to me. Since May this year I was finding very hard to cope with my studies because of the ringing and buzzing in my ears and I was able to hear what the teacher was saying and I was so scared to ask them to speak up.

4. Have you had somebody to diagnose it? Have you been to see a GP, audiologist, or any traditional health care providers about it? What treatment did they offer?

Yes an Ear Doctor in Albury, NSW, Australia where l live with my husband. Have seen Ear. Nose Throat (ENT) also seen someone about my balance also I have been fitted with hearing aids in both ears.

5. Have you tried any alternative treatments, dietary/lifestyle changes, or treatments not offered by traditional health care providers? Have you had any success with of them?

It would be great to know if there was any kind dietary/lifestyle changes that can help with my tinnitus. If there was I well for sure try it out. Have no other treatment.

6. Have you sought counseling or therapy? In particular, have you looked into sound therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy? Did any of them help?

No. As I have never thought of getting some for my tinnitus as I’m trying so hard to cope myself. I find that listening to some kind of classic music does help and if there was any kind of other therapy I would seek it out to make me understand how to cope better.

I find be listening to music does help to take the ringing and buzzing away as it takes your mind of it.

7. How did you eventually start to cope with it? Do you manage it better now than when it first started? What impact does tinnitus have on you today?

I’m trying to start coping with it but at times it does get me down. Just to cope with sometimes I would go outside and listen to the birds or get my camera and take photos and if all that does help I have a nap. If nothing else work just say to myself “build and bridge and get over it princess”.
Starting too manage it but still have some days which are worse than other days. I find that my photography helps me a lot as it relaxes me and takes my mind of the noise or as I call “PARTY TIME.”
With the day to day trying to considerate. By wearing hearing aids it has got me down a lot as I feel that I’m no good to anyone and I scared that people are going to tease me about wearing them and I’m very scared of losing my hearing in both ears and that I’m able to speak again.

8. These days, what do you do to manage your tinnitus? What do you do when it gets particularly bad?

To manage my tinnitus these days is to read online stuff and get some ideas from other people. If that’s does not work I well pray. Pray that it well stop, if nothing else work, have a nap.

9. Do you believe there’s a single “silver bullet” cure for tinnitus? Do you believe there will ever be one?

No l don’t. I hope there will be one in the future.

Thank you