Ear issue: advice needed

[Kingdawson]

So generally I've been doing reasonably well with my health anxiety but last Thursday derailed me a bit.

So basically one of my 'issues' back mid 2017 was ever so slight tinnitus in my left ear which I think came after ear barotrauma issues after a flight. So this lasted a few weeks where I was testing my ears at every opportunity. The weird thing is I got a bit of reassurance one day and this sound that I thought I could hear in dead silence for weeks just vanished. I stopped being worried and it just went.

There was a few hiccups on the way in regards to random ear tests etc etc but December last year was when I eventually just forgot about it and heard absolutely nothing. Fast forward to this Thursday when I went to the bar and got kinda paranoid/worried at the location of speakers. The noise wasn't even that loud but just felt worried. Went home and slept fine that night (No sound) but the next day was the start of numerous tests on ear (going to dead silent rooms and seeing if I can hear something etc). Slept ok Friday night but kept waking up to see what I could hear ( I know dumb right).

Anyway I started panicking sometime Sunday night/morning when I thought i could hear this ever so slight sound from left ear. Thing is....i don't hear it if my ear is plugged or if my effected ear is down on the pillow (shouldn't both make me hear it more?)AND my other half can hear this same sound when I get her to tell me what she hears at night. Does that confirm it's an external sound? Or does that just mean she has tinnitus as Well?
I have a feeling anxiety maybe the culprit here again but would still like advice.

[Kingdawson]

Anyone?

[.Poppy.]

Can you tell me what scares you so much about tinnitus? It's something a lot of people have and it's not harmful - I can't even sleep in dead silent rooms because it's as if my ears are straining to hear *something* and that just ends up with a static-y sound.

It's likely that it's an external sound, but if it's only something you hear in silence it really doesn't sound like anything at all.

[Kingdawson]

Can you tell me what scares you so much about tinnitus? It's something a lot of people have and it's not harmful - I can't even sleep in dead silent rooms because it's as if my ears are straining to hear *something* and that just ends up with a static-y sound.

It's likely that it's an external sound, but if it's only something you hear in silence it really doesn't sound like anything at all.

It's just annoying because I focus in on it. I just find it extremely weird that I can't hear it if I wear ear plugs and didn't hear it for 5 or so months when I wasn't looking for it....but as soon as I start feeling panicky about that Thursday I test my hearing continuously I start hearing a slight sound (2 days later). It's as if my brain wants to find an issue ffs.

[.Poppy.]

It's as if my brain wants to find an issue ffs.

Yeah, that's the anxiety. :winks:

You probably don't really even have tinnitus, you're just hearing things because you think you're going to. It's crazy what the mind can do!

Whenever you feel yourself dwelling on it, move your mind onto something else. It will take a lot of practice but eventually should help.