Tinnitus

[OSW]

Just wondering if anyone else here has persistent tinnitus problems? For anyone who doesn't know, it is a persistent ringing in the ears http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

I've had the condition for about a year now, beginning after a single night out in a very noisy (loud music) pub/bar (sadly, It's not somewhere I usually go.. makes one envious of those who regularly are exposed but do not suffer the same effects).

I don't think it's particularly severe, as for most of my day it's unnoticeable (usually only can hear it if i focus, cover my ears, or when I'm going to sleep), however it is a little mentally bothersome at times, and I am now extremely cautious of loud places/music so I don't further damage my hearing.

I've talked to some GPs and a hearing specialist, who did a hearing test, confirming that my hearing is still within normal range (fortunately! so i guess I don't have any significant hearing loss) but all advice given to me has been very vague and uneffective as a long term solution...

It seems like this is one of those things for which we have no cure... but still I live in hope that one day my ears will be as perfect as they once were, and I just thought, maybe on the off chance there are some sufferers here who may be able to share their experience?

OSW

 

[SylvWolf]

I've had this, or at least I think I have, for a few years now. I only hear the ringing when it's completely silent (i.e. no fan, A/C, nothing) and it doesn't hurt or anything. It used to bug the shit out of me, but like everything, I became used to it eventually. I'm not 100% sure if what I have is tinnitus as I never went to any doctors or anything, but it's what it seemed like.

 

[scrtmstr]

i've had this all my life. pretty anoying sometimes, but I've gotten used to it. After a big party with loud music, I usually have it a bit more then normal, but the next day it's normal again. But i've had it very bad once, 'cause both my Eustachian tubes were blocked, so I had a very hard peep in my ears and couldn't understand anyone.
Just don't think about it, you'll get used to it and you won't even notice it's there.

 

[OSW]

Yes... i think a large part of it is in my mind... sometimes I go days without thinking about it... as if it wasn't there, but I find it very difficult not to remember it at times... like it is very difficult to "not think about something" lol.

Anyways, thanks for sharing guys, from what I've read this issue affects a large portion of the population...

 

[Issac]

i only get temporary tinnitus after loud conserts... it holds on for a week, but then it dissapears... but yeah, sometimes it comes back very softly, nothing that bothers me though.

But the only thing I've heard is something to help it is: ORANGES! eat lots and lots of them. and kiwis and stuff.. c vitamins are good to reproduce / repair the hair straws in the ear, when broken causes the tinnitus. I don't know if it is 100% proved, but scientists have said that atleast, that c vitamins are good.

 

[xist]

I've had Tinnitus since February last year (so about a year and a half now) after a plastic bottle exploded by my right ear. Whilst my hearing is supposedly fine i'm aware that the sensitivity of that ear is down and i get on and off sensations of ear fullness all the time. The tinnitus itself is an extremely high pitched tone that varies in intensity with background noise, and due to blood flow (so after eating i notice it more, same with caffeine). Of course sleeping is a pain too....not so bad now though but lie in's are a major failure...

When it initially happened i was distraught. I'd always been uber protective of my ears/hearing, listening to music was always done at sensible volume levels, always went to gigs with amazing ear plugs so to have a permanent condition which i'd always dreaded was a living nightmare for me. I didn't listen to music for about a year and lost interest in many things....perhaps i even went a little suicidal, who knows. I even paid nigh on £1000 for Hyperbaric Oxygen sessions in a diving chamber to try and fix things.....

Support for Tinnitus is woeful...everyone with it on specific forums are miserable and since it's permanent and untreatable we get put in the deal with it and move on box. After a while you get more used to it but it never leaves you.

Now i'm listening to music again and even using headphones too...i'm still a bit prone to bouts of misery but essentially i get by everyday by hating life and all it's unfairness as much as i possibly can.

 

[scrtmstr]

Yes... i think a large part of it is in my mind... sometimes I go days without thinking about it... as if it wasn't there, but I find it very difficult not to remember it at times... like it is very difficult to "not think about something" lol.

Anyways, thanks for sharing guys, from what I've read this issue affects a large portion of the population...

find something to do, play some music in the background while you're doing office work. If you've got some sort of sound around you, you won't notice it. And once you go off and do something else, you won't notice it's there. Just keep your mind occupied with something else.

 

[antwill]

While not having the constant ringing I do get the occasional ringing, just not very often. Also i feel I should mention hearing degrades over time it doesn't improve, so don't get your hopes up too high.

 

[FAST6191]

I have similar stuff to antwill (once every two weeks if not longer, never been able to induce it), I have always had lousy hearing though (background noise happens and I might as well be deaf). Was quite useful to pick up lipreading though.

As far as I am aware most of the time it is a bit like whiplash- people suffer from it but damned if there is a solid/consistent cause of or better cure for it.

 

[Cermage]

i have this permanently, had an hearing test my hearing is apparently better than most. i get the ringing when things are somewhat quiet. computer off or headphones on and no music playing or something.

 

[gameboy13]

This happens to me occasionally, especially when there is complete silence.

 

[Uzumakijl]

Interesting, I didn't knew how this was called but i have it too only when it's silent though, It's kinda annoying especially when trying to sleep, It's quite weird.

 

[Sephxus]

I've had this, or at least I think I have, for a few years now. I only hear the ringing when it's completely silent (i.e. no fan, A/C, nothing) and it doesn't hurt or anything. It used to bug the shit out of me, but like everything, I became used to it eventually. I'm not 100% sure if what I have is tinnitus as I never went to any doctors or anything, but it's what it seemed like.

Me too. Only when it is completely silent. It does get annoying.

 

[Slyakin]

I do have it whenever it's quiet, but sometimes I get loud bursts of it that go away in 5 seconds. It's a little freaky, but I'm okay with it.

 

[WildWon]

Ahhh i didn't know the name of this. I've had it for about 20 years straight now. In fact, it's going on right now (...i suppose that "20 years straight" would include "right now" by default

).

It's worse yet because sometimes it gets louder in one ear, and when i have headphones on, at work, i pull the headphone away expecting it to be some electrical squeal or something from a computer behind me. And it doesn't change pitch, so i know it's my ear.

I suppose i should get this checked out at some point... though i've just learned to live with it.

 

[BobTheJoeBob]

I've actually just noticed today, I do in fact have it, I was blending something for about a minute, stopped the blender and started hearing a very faint ringing. It's not actually that a bothersome though and something that I can live with.

 

[redact]

my dad has a severe case of Meniere's disease and has lived with tinnitus all his life so when feels a meniere's attack coming on the squeal of the tinnitus agitates it and makes it worse leading to 1 full day bed ridden and even the slightest movement causes him to barf...

 

[OSW]

Damn mercluke, thats a bad combination

Hmm interesting guys. You can get it checked out, but i doubt they'll be able to help you much... they pretty much advised me some vague things like cutting down salt intake and de-stressing... nothing proven or curing...

 

[scrtmstr]

Damn mercluke, thats a bad combination

Hmm interesting guys. You can get it checked out, but i doubt they'll be able to help you much... they pretty much advised me some vague things like cutting down salt intake and de-stressing... nothing proven or curing...

It is incurable, because the 'sensor' for you're hearing deep in your inner ear is damaged. It's very complicated, but i've had this in biology classes. That's how I found out about it.

 

[jan777]

I can hear ringing when its totally silent like when, taking a crap.