Hi,
I've had intermittent tinnitus in my left ear for about 5 years. It started at a time when I was receiving physical therapy for neck and back issues (primarily tense muscles), so I attributed it to those problems.
In the past two years, the neck and back have improved dramatically but the tinnitus has gotten worse. Sometime in the spring, I realized that the tinnitus has become constant.
I am embarrassed to admit how long it has taken me to seek a medical opinion on this issue. I finally saw my pcp in the summer and she referred me to an ENT. The ENT's office wanted me to have a full hearing screening with their audiologist before seeing the ENT. I had the screening a couple of weeks ago. My hearing is excellent in both ears, thought not quite as good on the left (the ear with the tinnitus) side in the high frequency range.
The audiologist said that the tinnitus on one side was cause for further investigation and I see the ENT at the end of this month. She told me not to get too worried, but this is a red flag for an acoustic neuroma.
Has anyone had tinnitus as their only symptom of an AN? The ringing sounds like beeping...It sounds a lot like the high frequency tones of a hearing test. Sometimes it is louder and sometimes it is quieter, but it has been constant for at least 6 months now.
I am 41, female, and in good health. The only other possible symptom is a couple of sudden bouts of vertigo in the past month or so. Both were very brief and I would have forgotten about them by now if I weren't worried about having an AN.
