Tinnitus

[Godfather]

So, as my girlfriend says, you guys always have good advice and I need to post this here because my random searches around the net haven't helped

For the past few months I've noticed more and more a noise in my ears that never goes away. It's worst when it's quiet and I'm trying to fall asleep and what it is is basically a very low, constant wavy sound. Think of the sound you get when you cringe or yawn or stretch - that wobbling wavy sound in your ears. I hear that constantly, mostly when it's quiet. It's enough to keep me up because of how terribly annoying it is.

It started bothering me when I had a cold around Christmas but now it seems the more I think about it, the worse it gets. So I'm sure some of it is in my imagination :wha:

I have excellent hearing, I notice that at night when it's driving me crazy and keeping me awake, I can still hear even the smallest noise. Although it seems extremely loud, it doesn't drown out sounds. It has gotten to the point where I listen to white noise to sleep because that seems to almost 'turn off' the tinnitus

Tinnitus is apparently quite loosely defined, and usually seems to be a high pitched sound - but is any ear sound not caused by an externality so that's what I'm calling this too. There doesn't seem to be much treatment or even explanation out there but I haven't been hard on my ears. Few concerts, I don't listen to much loud music on my iPod.

Anyways.. I don't understand why someone my age is getting this and it's driving me mental. Not sure if there's any advice out there, but any input would be greatly appreciate :)

SD please!

[DemonGeminiX]

If you plug your ears shut, do you still hear it?

[Foxdana]

Have you had your ears looked at by a doctor? Somethimes syringing them can help

[Loser]

If you plug your ears shut, do you still hear it?

This..

I have the same problem. I have very VERY sensitive hearing, and at night I hear what I can only describe as white noise. When I put in ear plugs, it goes away and I sleep like a brick.

-edit-

Another thing you may also want to check is your blood pressure. Ear canals are VERY sensitive to blood pressure and if its high, you can literally hear your heart beating in the dead of night.

[Joebob034]

I used to work at a pharmacy we carried a product called "ring away" I believe it was in a white box with red lettering, it seemed to work for people

[Godfather]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Interesting :-k I'm going to try plugging my ears... I tried plugging them with my finger but I felt like I could 'hear' my fingers if that makes any sense :lol: So I'll try tonight when it's quiet with real earplugs

I'll look for a product too... I was going to go to the doctor and get my ears syringed but I cleaned them with hydrogen peroxide and since it's both ears and has persisted this long it doesn't appear to be just wax

[DemonGeminiX]

If you plug your ears shut, do you still hear it?

Just so you know GF, I wasn't being a smartass. Sometimes electronics have a low hum that you don't know about until you really start paying attention. My last 3 tvs all had a low hum that drove me absolutely fucking nuts before I found out that it was them. That's when I learned to unplug shit for my piece of mind.

Now, if this noise you hear happens everywhere you go at any time of the day, ears plugged or unplugged, I'd say go to the doctor... now. But if it's just in your house in one particular room, check out your electronics in dead silence. Get close to each individual device and get far from the others and just listen. Check your vents, check your walls where wiring might be... you never know.

Another thing you might consider, although I'd say there's a pretty low probability since it's just noise you're hearing... look for black mold in the house close to vents or even in your room. Black mold can give off fumes that cause hallucinations. If you have it, take care of it now, it's very dangerous. Also, you may want to check the intake areas of the ventilation system just to see if there are any chemical bottles, paint cans, etc, near them. Those give off fumes as well and can also cause some minor hallucinations. If either of those two cases hold water, go see a doctor for your health to make sure nothing's wrong and have the home problem taken care of.

You really should be cleaning hard core in your place anyway, but sometimes crap can build up if you let it go and cause havoc with your health. Dust, dirt, etc. Especially in the bathroom. I'm making no accusations here and you don't have to admit to anything. Just take care of it if you need to, or if you've been putting it off. If nothing else, it'll do wonders for the way you feel in general.

If you're still in the apartment, just look around for the same things I described already. As for the vents, you're gonna have to ask management. Just tell them that you're covering all your bases if they look at you like you're nuts.

It could be other things as well, but we'll go from here right now.

[Godfather]

Oh I know you weren't being a smartass! I appreciate it bud

I hear ya... I'm not sure it's so urgent though to be honest... something like 60 million Americans are bothered by tinnitus... random noise in their ears at all times of day. It's extremely common and from what I read so far, there really isn't a fix.

It's not likely habitational given my living situation.... I move back and forth a fair bit. A month in Victoria and a month in Vancouver. My parent's house in Van is fairly new, and pristine. No chance of mold and I've been here for weeks now looking for a job. It's a problem that started in Victoria in the apartment so if it was mold, it would have likely calmed down a bit weeks later no?

As for electronics, the laptop is the only one in my room and it's right off at night when I hear it most. TV's have a very high-pitch noise that bugs me (I can still here those frequencies older people can't) but this is a very distinct, low wavy sound in my head :lol: It really is identical to the noise you hear when you yawn if you can imagine that. Hell, I remember a night not too long ago when the power was out and it bugger me then.. even though it couldn't be more silent and quiet.

But I may go to the doc soon whatever it is... it's driving me crazy. The plugging my ears thing you and Loser are talking about is intriguing though! I'll be trying that and going from there.

[redred]

i get lots of white noise as well , had lots of problems as a kid with hearing things and when i had my ears checked about 10 years ago it was noticed that i had a lot of scaring on both ear drums


oh and hal i do have ears :monkey:

[Sapphire]

It could be some kind of infection in your inner ear.

Go straight to the doc, at least he can rule out anything like that.

[Southern Belle]

Have you been shooting guns? That could cause it, but it sure wouldn't hurt to see a doctor since you say it started when you had a cold. Could be fluid.

[redred]

this noise , it's not your alarm clock is it ? :dance:

[Southern Belle]

:lol:

[Sapphire]

since you say it started when you had a cold. Could be fluid.

Certainly sounds like it, especially the way he describes the noise.


Unless of course he has a water bed... :lol:

[Arkady Renko]

GF, I think you should indeed consult a doctor ASAP because there may well be an innocent explanation for the noise which could be easily fixed. If it turns out to be a case of tinnitus after all, you would be in a bit of a pickle because until now there's no drug or treatment that can actually be said to improve symptoms leave alone cure it. Apparently the only method that can claim a reasonably solid scientific backing is working out a taylor-made meditation exercise that allows you to subconsciously ignore the noise most of the time. You should not aggree to any kind of treatment without carefully researching the method first because a lot of bullshit artists are out to rip patients off.

[Hal-9000]

I've had it since 2001 GF, it's quite severe in my case.I get the 'ringing' or tone changes from time to time...the worse, more constant symptom I get is the white noise sound, like an old cassette tape player in between songs.(hissing)

For me...it's part of having severe TMD, a jaw/muscle malfunction.The tinnitus started right when the TMD hit, so I know that they're intertwined.Simple teeth grinding can cause this.When I used to wear a splint at night I noticed that the tinnitus would be better or worse the next day.Talk to your dentist...if you have a slight overbite or an unusual occlusional process, the tinnitus can be part of this.

*I've also been in 6 car accidents and over 50 fights...both winning and losing.So lots of head trauma in my case :lol:


Also you may have damaged the tympanic (?) structure within your ear.In that event a doctor will have to take a look.

Like others here mention, I have very sensitive hearing too.Reading or being in a quiet environment always allows you to hear the sound...for the most part (if it's minor and not structural damage within your ear) it's only blood you're hearing moving through your head.

[Godfather]

Interesting Hal. thanks a lot mate.

Thanks everyone for taking the time, appreciate it!


I think I better drag my ass to the doctor :lol: I've probably been a total of once in the last five years.. both because I don't get sick much and because I hate it. But this is too annoying to ignore anymore so I'll do it...

[Hal-9000]

for me it's not a painful symptom...just annoying

don't meant to dissuade you GF but it's never gotten better in 10 years

[Godfather]

Yeah I'm expecting some news like that... Tinnitus sounds like something you just have to ignore and deal with


In a strange way, it'd be nice if it was just some long-running ear infection :lol:

[Hal-9000]

:lol: yes that would be nice....


I used to hang off the rails at concerts...literally right near the speakers, first row in front of the stage at concerts.I thought for sure my tinnitus was caused from that or a few years of playing my old electric guitar thru a particularly loud Fender amp.

Turns out a good TMD doctor proved to me that the tinnitus (in my case) was because of my jaw process dysfunction-thingy-shit.

[Binky]

...Go straight to the doc, at least he can rule out anything like that.


....see a doctor ....


... consult a doctor

:-k

sounds like a sinus infection, allergy medication can clear it up, and something mucinex, but, you should see a dr

[Arkady Renko]

*I've also been in 6 car accidents and over 50 fights...both winning and losing.So lots of head trauma in my case :lol:


how do you define win or loss in a car accident? :-k

[FBD]

was it his fault, did he get sued? win/loss :lol:

GF, there's a decent traditional chinese medicine explanation...I dont have time at the moment to hash it out but I will get to it later and at least give you some infos from that side of the spectrum.

I actually found a way to "unplug" most types of my own tinnitus, but its going to sound weird and it likely wont work for you guys, I kinda specifically trained myself for it. But if you recall my git in my belly thread from as, I posted a pic of the sword fingers there - but I basically point it vertically next to my head and "mentally unplug it" as I move the gesture across the front of my face, not touching...and the vast majorities of frequencies I can make them "just go away." I'm not sure why that mudra works but it makes the process ten times more efficient, I've been able to do a measure on it simply by focusing, but using only that method is harder. As I understand tinnitus is an excitation of nerve endings and they basically get a standing wave going in them, so its basically you have a cluster of nerves "singing."

[redred]

how do you define win or loss in a car accident? :-k


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zjgBbPlkAU

he got out winner :lol:

[Noilly Pratt]

I've had tinnitus for 25 years, GF. I'm lucky in that it's only in my left ear. I get the 'ringing' or tone changes from time to time just like Hal...and just like hal, the worse, more constant symptom I get is the white noise sound, like an old cassette tape player in between songs.(hissing)

For me, it happened when I was 19. I was at a club and that night, you know that ringing after you've been to a concert and you can't hear right after? Well, it didn't go away for 1 week. It did finally subside, but a little ringing was left thereafter. I've had my hearing checked and it's like every frequency they tried the volume is down in that 1 ear. The tympanic structure of my ear is damaged somewhat. Got retested a couple of years ago, and it's slightly worse than my last test when I was in my 20's.

I usually am OK unless I talk about it (I'm really hearing it now!) or I play very loud music with crappy headphones - it gets worse for a while. I bought some really nice Sony headphones, and no more problem that way. Or once I was in a hotel room and the sound of the air con's fan just seemed to "harmonize" with the frequency of the tinnitus, so I couldn't sleep all night.

When my daughter was born, when she'd scream it'd hurt me, too. Certain frequencies can set mine off too...a high C can make my ear sound, well, weird - it sounds like a "fluttering" sound. I think my daughter quickly figured out not to be a cryer because that's when Dad left the room!

But I've learned to ignore it for the most part and unless I'm just going to bed it usually doesn't bother me unless I'm in a crowd...ear fatigue can make me very tired at the end of a noisy day. Old CRT monitors set to a low frequency would bug me, but LCDs are fine.

[Hal-9000]

from Noilly's post "...Certain frequencies can set mine off too"

like rap, Snooki's voice, cats mating at night......

[Noilly Pratt]

from Noilly's post "...Certain frequencies can set mine off too"

like rap, Snooki's voice, cats mating at night......

Yeah, how did you know? :D

Actually, Runaway by Del Shannon hurts to listen to. That first note! Ow!

In crowd situations people assume I hear them, but sometimes I don't. My bro in law said "excuse me" when he wanted to get by me and I didn't hear him, so I didn't move. He spilt his coffee when we collided. It's annoying little stuff like that.

I've learnt to lip read over the tears, so I can usually guess at most things. But, especially in noisy situations, I may not hear.

Luckily, my wife has a hearing loss of her own, so she's very understanding

[Muddy]

Godfather, did you ever get to the bottom of this? I suffer from this as well.. I think I have just learned to somewhat ignore it...

[Hugh_Janus]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Noilly Pratt]

Yes, do tell GF.

Thanks, Hugh!!

*puts fingers on chalkboard* I'll fookin' do it!!!!!!!!