The AudioNotch Tinnitus Treatment Blog

As a young person who developed tinnitus at 23, I had few people who could relate to my condition. That’s why I’m so glad that people are willing to share their stories of illness. I really enjoyed the following story on XoJane:

My life as I knew it ended with a slosh. Way back in 2003, when I was a junior in college, I noticed a sloshing sound in my right ear. I decided to ignore it. This is rather shocking given my predisposition for always assuming the worst, but telling my parents and going to the doctor seemed like the least desirable options. I decided to wait out the weird sloshing and assumed that it would most likely go away in a day or two. To be safe, I went to Target that evening and scoured the limited ear care section. Since it sounded like liquid, I bought some drying drops. I squeezed them in my ear and hoped for silence. The sloshing prevailed.

The writer has a good understanding that correlation isn’t causation, understanding that as a sample size of n=1, she can’t be sure why her tinnitus eventually receded:

I started taking Lipoflavonoid pills. You might be familiar with their commercials if you watch the Maury show. I have no idea if it helped, but I was obsessed with making sure that I took them. I changed my diet to avoid certain foods that could elevate blood pressure. I started eating meat again in case it was a vitamin deficiency. I listened to non-stop nature sounds. I had a series of pressure point massages, where I would get my butt kneaded in my living room while my dad sat on the couch chatting with the masseuse. Of course I did little to chart or organize my progress, so I have no idea which of these things was ultimately effective.