Have you ever heard a sound that wasn’t really there? For me, that sound was a constant, high-pitched ringing in my ears. It started faintly, barely noticeable, but soon it became impossible to ignore. My name is Shady Shahin, and this is the story of my journey with tinnitus.
Like many others, I struggled to understand what was happening and how to cope with it. Tinnitus disrupted my sleep, my focus, my work, and everything. But over time, I found ways to manage and refine my experience, turning what once felt like an overwhelming burden into something I could live with.
In this post, I’ll share the ups and downs of my tinnitus journey, the strategies that helped me regain control, and the lessons I learned along the way. Whether you’re looking for hope, advice, or just a sense of solidarity, I really hope my story resonates with you.
Introduction Link to heading
For the past six years, tinnitus has been a part of my life. Initially, it was something I could tolerate always there but never intrusive. It stayed in the background, letting me live my life without much interference. That all shifted in late 2022, when it suddenly took over and became impossible to ignore.
My tinnitus journey started in late 2018. One night, while everything around me was silent, I woke up suddenly and heard a strange sound in my left ear. I was confused and tried to ignore it, thinking it would go away by morning. But unfortunately, it didn’t.
Later, I visited an ENT doctor who ran some hearing tests and blood tests. When the results came back, he told me I had mild hearing loss in my left ear, but everything else was fine. However, he also said there was no cure for tinnitus. He mentioned it might go away over time but couldn’t guarantee it. Instead, he advised me to make some lifestyle changes and learn to get used to the sound. At that time, the tinnitus wasn’t too disruptive, it was mild, and I was able to handle it without much difficulty.
In late 2022, almost four years later, everything changed. I remember playing football that day, then going to sleep at night as usual. Suddenly, I woke up to an unbearable sound in my ears. It was far worse than before, 5x louder than the old sound. It was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even tell if it was coming from my left or right ear. I felt trapped, unable to sleep, drowning in frustration and anxiety. Life felt dark, almost unlivable.
The next morning, I tried to push through, I went out, tried to work, and forced myself to do anything to distract from the sound. But it was impossible. The noise was so intense that I couldn’t focus on anything. Desperate, I rushed to see an ENT doctor again. After another hearing test, the results were the same as before mild hearing loss. I told the doctor I couldn’t sleep, work, or function, and I begged for a solution. Unfortunately, he explained there was no cure and had no advice on managing it.
Instead, he suggested I undergo an MRI with contrast to check for any underlying issues. I did the MRI, but the results came back clear. Another doctor suggested I get a TMJ MRI, thinking it might be linked to jaw issues. I did the scan, but once again, the results showed nothing abnormal. The doctor couldn’t help me either. Still, my life felt like it was falling apart. I couldn’t do anything. I was consumed by hopelessness, wondering if this was the end. Desperate for answers, I started reading research papers, searching for the latest solutions, and consulting with doctors outside my country, but they also couldn’t arrive at any abnormal findings.
For months, I felt trapped in my own body, thinking, Is this the end? Is there no way out of this nightmare? I felt like I had hit a dead end, wandering through an endless void, completely lost. It was, without a doubt, the darkest period of my life.
The Turning Point Link to heading
I realized I had to accept reality. Living in constant despair wasn’t an option, I needed to find a way forward. I started researching stories from people like me: how they dealt with tinnitus and how they learned to habituate to it. I noticed that tinnitus can vary greatly from person to person. For some, it’s very loud and constant, making it hard to ignore. For others, it’s at a moderate level, noticeable but not overwhelming. And for some, it’s mild and barely noticeable, only affecting them occasionally.
I began to focus on habituation. I returned to work and tried to reclaim my life. I started experimenting with ways to distract myself from this noise, like chewing gum while working and using white noise or rain sounds to mask the tinnitus. I noticed something: when I used this rain sound, it somehow canceled out the tinnitus, or at least made it less noticeable. I also realized that when I was in a good mood or deeply focused on something, my brain seemed to ignore the noise more effectively. That gave me hope, I began to believe this could be the key to finding relief.
One of the first changes I made was to stop using in-ear headphones. Instead, I searched for headphones that wouldn’t block my ear canal, like bone conduction headphones. These allowed me to hear ambient sounds, preventing me from fixating on my tinnitus. I also reminded myself that there would be good days and bad days. On the good days, when my brain didn’t focus on the tinnitus, I started to believe that habituation was possible.
One important lesson I learned: never test the level of your tinnitus. Don’t say, “It’s quieter today; let me close my ears and check if it’s still there.” Testing it only brings frustration when you realize the sound is still present. It’s counterproductive and will set you back emotionally. The key is to forget about it completely. Trust me, this is crucial.
Our brain is an incredible organ, capable of adapting and learning. After two-three months of depression, I decided to accept my situation and trust in my brain’s ability to adjust. I began training my brain to tune out the noise. I relied on bone conduction headphones and avoided in-ear headphones entirely. With these, I could always have some background sound music, white noise, or anything soothing to help me focus and forget about the tinnitus.
While studying or working, I played soft music or white noise, which served as a masking sound for the tinnitus. Over time, I noticed an improvement. By consistently focusing on other things and refusing to check my tinnitus, I started to feel better. With patience and faith, my brain slowly learned to filter out the noise.
The toughest time was at night, in complete silence. The tinnitus was unbearable in those moments, and sleeping felt impossible. My solution was sound masking. I used rain sounds, which worked perfectly for me. I got pillow speakers and a tinnitus masker speaker that played calming sounds like rain or white noise. Every night, I placed the pillow speaker under my pillow, turned on the rain sounds, and focused on reading or watching a video on my phone. Gradually, I would fall asleep peacefully.
The combination of sound masking, distraction, and refusing to focus on the tinnitus was the game changer. It took weeks of consistency, but eventually, I noticed significant improvement. My brain adapted, and the tinnitus became less overwhelming. Habituation takes time and patience, but it works.
Habituation is possible. You need to trust your brain, find masking sounds that work for you, and most importantly, stop focusing on the noise. Over time, life can feel normal again, and you’ll be able to live with peace. For me, rain sounds and pillow speakers made all the difference. Hopefully, they’ll work for you too.
Lessons Learned Link to heading
Through this journey, I’ve learned a few invaluable lessons:
- Trust your brain: It’s a miraculous organ capable of adapting and habituating over time. With persistence and patience, your brain can learn to filter out the noise, but it won’t happen overnight. Give it the time it needs to adjust.
- Don’t test your tinnitus: Constantly checking its intensity will only make you more aware of it.
- Focus on the positives: There will be good days and bad days, but with faith and patience, the good days will start to outweigh the bad. Habituation is a slow process, but staying positive and persistent makes it achievable.
- Find your tools: Whether it’s sound masking, bone-conduction headphones, or distractions, find what works for you and stick with it. Consistency in using these tools is key, they are most effective when used persistently over time.
- Easier said than done: I completely understand how hard this journey can feel—it’s easier said than done. Trust the process and give your brain the time it needs to adapt. Frustration and anxiety won’t help. Instead, focus on finding tools and building habits that support habituation. If we’ve done it, so can you. Start now, stay patient, and believe in your brain’s ability to adjust.
Tinnitus taught me resilience. While the sound hasn’t disappeared, I’ve found ways to live with it and even thrive. By following the strategies I mentioned sound therapy, distraction, and avoiding fixation. I’ve reached a point where I rarely notice the tinnitus anymore. It’s no longer the center of my life but just a background noise I hardly pay attention to.
If you’re struggling, remember: you’re not alone. With time, patience, and the right strategies, you can habituate and take back control of your life. Trust yourself and your brain it’s more powerful than you think. There’s hope, and with persistence, you too can find peace. 😊