Tinnitus

faceman · 11-02-2007 6:29pm #1

Curious to see if other boards users have tinnitus and to what degree. Funny i never thought of posting about this until now.

I have tinnitus 13 years now. Anyone else suffer? Want to share your stories on how you cope?

mike65 · 11-02-2007 6:37pm

My mother has it, and no she was'nt ever at a Maiden show. Its not severe and she says she is able to "screen" it out. My own ringing-in-the-ears experience was limited to 24 hours after a gig in the mid 80s.

Mike.

nesf · 11-02-2007 9:38pm

I've had ringing in my ears on and off for years, but it usually isn't something that I notice unless I'm in a quiet area. Sometimes when it gets bad it gets hard to sleep but I just try and ignore it usually. That or accept I won't be sleeping until it stops.

Schlemm · 11-02-2007 11:04pm

I have it in one ear...it's not too bad but it defo gets a lot worse if I'm stressed! So de-stressing is how I cope with it I guess.

Nightwish · 12-02-2007 8:15pm

I have it, and sometimes it really bothers me to the point that I can't sleep. I have a number of ear-related problems anyway, and the tinnitus was what I was left with after an operation on my eardrum. I have found that foam earplugs can help with the ringing and any physical discomfort I have in my ears.

madds · 12-02-2007 8:22pm

My father has it quite bad. Hasn't had more than 4 hours sleep in 1 night for 10 years now. He puts it down to ear damage he suffered due to noise pollution in work environment he worked in for close on 40 years.

Have tried to seek medical advice but there's very little that can be done save for the masking process.

He's tried everything - head massage, Chinese medicine, acupuncture. Finds that few pints of vitamin G is the only thing that will get him to sleep some nights.

faceman · 13-02-2007 8:29pm

i have it a long time and had periods in my life were i was severely depressed. Doctors couldnt help but one man did. A doctor in the USA call dr. stephen nagler who is a sufferer himself. He was a regular poster to a support site that has since closed down.

He has a clinic in the states where he does TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy) where you retrain your brain to interpret tinnitus as the buzzing of the fridge. i.e. you dont notice it as much. I can now sleep at nite and all that.

his website is www.tinn.com

mike65 · 14-02-2007 12:01am

My mum sleeps with the radio on as I guess the low volume sounds of bbc 4 or five live masks the sound.

Mike.

nesf · 15-02-2007 2:37am

faceman wrote:

i have it a long time and had periods in my life were i was severely depressed. Doctors couldnt help but one man did. A doctor in the USA call dr. stephen nagler who is a sufferer himself. He was a regular poster to a support site that has since closed down.

He has a clinic in the states where he does TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy) where you retrain your brain to interpret tinnitus as the buzzing of the fridge. i.e. you dont notice it as much. I can now sleep at nite and all that.

his website is www.tinn.com

There have been links found between low serotonin levels and tinnitus (or so I've read). It's an epiphenomenon, if the depression is treated/alleviated then the tinnitus tends to go as well. Or so has been my experience any way.

DadaKopf · 01-03-2007 2:15am

I've had Tinnitus since I was 13. I had my ears checked years ago, and they were fine. So it seems that no long-term damage was done. But after that concert, I've been to many, many more, and been in loads of bands.

It definitely bothers me at night. Usually I would leave the radio on, but the wan can't sleep with it on. So I've got used to getting to sleep without it.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not severe, but gets worse when I'm stressed.

I've heard that the root ginko relieves the symptoms, but I think that my tinnitus is caused by some part of my brain that suddenly got very bad at screening the natural noise in the auditory nerve out.

Then I got glue ear this Christmas. A virus. Horrible. And my tinnitus was maddening. It's gone again, thank Christ.

DadaKopf · 01-03-2007 2:16am

nesf wrote:

There have been links found between low serotonin levels and tinnitus (or so I've read). It's an epiphenomenon, if the depression is treated/alleviated then the tinnitus tends to go as well. Or so has been my experience any way.

Yeah, that makes sense to me.

AnnaStezia · 07-03-2007 8:09pm

This is NOT being offered as medical advice.

Persistent tinnitus should always be checked out by your doctor.

In particular, if you have tinnitus on one side only that might need an ENT opinion to exclude something suspicious like an acoustic neuroma.

Schlemm · 27-03-2007 9:55pm

Some people find that changes in diet can help, especially low salt and low cholesterol diets. I find that if I cut down on carbohydrates it gets worse...anyone else find that diet can affect tinnitus?

On a different note (ha ha) my tinnitus actually stopped for a few minutes last night! But then it came back. Has anyone else experienced this?

Spyral · 22-04-2007 2:09pm

I just get it the odd time. Quite randomly though I dont mind it it goes rather quickly

faceman · 22-04-2007 6:59pm

Schlemm wrote:

On a different note (ha ha) my tinnitus actually stopped for a few minutes last night! But then it came back. Has anyone else experienced this?

it could be for a variety of reasons. Change in ear pressure reducing your ability to hear sound in that ear or the sound was "phased" out. (Simliar to what maskers do)

The_Daddy_H · 29-04-2007 12:44am

Anybody suffering with tinnitus also sometimes noticed a stuffed up feeling in your ears or strange delocalised pain or muscle fatigue around the jaw joint, neck or shoulders? I'm convinced many cases of tinnius, especially amongst the young are caused by TMJ disorder and/or bruxism. Does you tinnitus get worse when you clench your jaw?

Kell · 11-05-2007 4:31pm

I have had it for the last couple of years. Its permanent in my right ear courtesy of drumming at loud volumes. Mostly it quite indescernable, but lately it flared up (loud music again).

Daft as it may sound, but when going asleep I blank it out by replaying a favourite song in my head. Works for me.

K-

Headshot · 05-04-2009 2:13pm

sorry for digging up this thread

my father is a big sufferer of TINNITUS

he has a radio and mp3 player but none of them really help

any recommendations

iv read up that acupuncture might help has anyone tried it ?

Dizzyblonde · 05-04-2009 2:17pm

I'm in touch with quite a few people who suffer with tinnitus, and as far as I know there's no cure for it.
The Irish Tinnitus Association might be of more help.

Headshot · 05-04-2009 2:23pm

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I'm in touch with quite a few people who suffer with tinnitus, and as far as I know there's no cure for it.
The Irish Tinnitus Association might be of more help.

thank you Dizzyblonde

my father will get in touch with the Irish Tinnitus Association

redshoulder · 05-04-2009 2:33pm

I have it since September '08 after an ear infection. Went to my gp and said he would refer me to a ENT specialist, still waiting.

faceman · 05-04-2009 4:36pm

redshoulder wrote: »

I have it since September '08 after an ear infection. Went to my gp and said he would refer me to a ENT specialist, still waiting.

Sorry to hear that. Your ENT is more than likely to just confirm you have nothing more serious wrong. He/she probably wont be able to offer much in emotional support or resources for you. If you are stuck drop me a PM.

Alun · 05-04-2009 4:56pm

I suffered from what I'd call tinnitus like symptoms for a while a number of years ago and had numerous visits to the hospital for tests but nothing specific was ever found. I still have problems when I'm in surroundings with a high level of grey/white background noise, like noisy pubs or at parties, but in general my problem has more or less subsided and only appears again when I'm in the 'wrong' environment. Possibly I've subconsciously avoided situations in which it's aggravated, I don't know.

There is also, I believe, a certain psychological aspect to it all ... the more you worry and stress about it, the worse it gets. It may sound a bit trite, but deliberately trying to not focus on the problem and putting it to the back of your mind as much as possible (however difficult that is, I know!) does help.

redshoulder · 05-04-2009 7:17pm

It's in my right ear. The first two weeks it was pretty loud. I would hear it all the time, now it is not so bad. I only hear it now when going to sleep, maybe I've just got used to it.
The reason I'm waiting for the ENT is that I want a definitive answer. Even if it's permanent, I would like to prevent it from getting worse or getting it in both ears.
I got it from ear infection which seems unusual, when I get a cold it gets louder.

faceman · 06-04-2009 10:12am

Alun wrote: »

There is also, I believe, a certain psychological aspect to it all ... the more you worry and stress about it, the worse it gets. It may sound a bit trite, but deliberately trying to not focus on the problem and putting it to the back of your mind as much as possible (however difficult that is, I know!) does help.

Very true. Its also what TRT tries to teach you.

Barname · 13-04-2009 10:48pm

AnnaStezia wrote: »

This is NOT being offered as medical advice.

Persistent tinnitus should always be checked out by your doctor.

In particular, if you have tinnitus on one side only that might need an ENT opinion to exclude something suspicious like an acoustic neuroma.

OMG:eek::eek::eek:

thanks for scaring the bejaysus out of me

scurrying to the surgery.... :eek:

GTE · 17-05-2010 12:08am

Im a Sound Engineer, at least Im training to be one but one day I was on stage jamming away on drums with some friends and for some stupid reason I played without earplugs for a while and I shattered my left ear to bits. I can remember how the cymbals cut through me like a knife.

EDIT: Though now that I think of it I did have a bad ear infecting the month previous that was treated by a doctor that made the infection a bit worse and for months and months I was certain it was caused by that. Though the jamming with no earplugs did not help in the slightest.

Ever since, I suppose 1 and a half years, my God, so long, I have had a loud ringing in my left ear. Its driven me into bad places when general things get me down. Like the straw that broke the camels back type of thing.

In my opinion, since I work with sound, you can almost block the sound of the ringing out. Because Im thinking of it it seems louder then it did before I came across this thread. When Im mixing a song and I want to hear the bass or the drums my mind can almost put the other sounds being played aside and focus on the thing I want to listen to. When I go about my normal day I dont really hear it but if I think about it or notice it it immediately becomes louder. We can all do it in everyday life too in case you think me working with sound has anything to do with it. Picking out a sound of a bird over traffic noise for example.

As far as I know its caused by these tiny bones in the ear constantly vibrating so the sound level in a physical sense never changes, but its amazing how the mind can focus on sound the way it does, or indeed un-focus on it. With that said I do also believe loud environments do make it worse but thats sort of seperate to what I was talking about.

I know that I will never be able to hear silence again and that saddens me. It could be worse though but the bad thought is, if it does get close to worse with other things in life the tinnitus immediately cranks it up a notch on the scale of bad things.

The biggest problem is my damage to my acute hearing. This is the type of hearing that lets you pick a voice out in a pub. Thats been a bit damaged and its the most disheartening thing when I go out and I cant make out what people say sometimes.

Mars Bar · 05-01-2011 2:35pm

Sorry for dragging up an old thread!

I suffer from this fairly bad.

I remember when I was about 7 or 8, having the mother of all ear infections in my right ear. I was literally hugging my medicine (no joke, I actually was!).

We had hearing tests done in primary school before we went into secondary school and they asked me to go back to the clinic as they thought something wasn't right with my hearing. After tests done, I was told I had lost 30% hearing in my right ear.

Got the hearing aid, wouldn't wear it. Self conscious 13 year old. Had been going years with no problems so why change that?

When I was 15, I started playing the drums. Didn't wear hearing protection. Started going to concerts and I found I had ringing in my ears for days after wards. Eventually, it was one concert too many and I noticed a sharp increase in the ringing in my ears.

At this stage, the damage had been done to my left ear too.

I'm 21 now and it's driving me bananas as I am studying to be a sound engineer.
I notice my ears get tired quickly and I get a sore head. Also, sometimes there does be a sharp increase in the volume of the ringing and a decrease in my hearing which will last for about 30 seconds. It's incredibly uncomfortable when that happens.

I sleep with white noise between radio frequencies on my alarm clock!

faceman · 05-01-2011 4:11pm

mars bar wrote: »

Sorry for dragging up an old thread!

I suffer from this fairly bad.

I remember when I was about 7 or 8, having the mother of all ear infections in my right ear. I was literally hugging my medicine (no joke, I actually was!).

We had hearing tests done in primary school before we went into secondary school and they asked me to go back to the clinic as they thought something wasn't right with my hearing. After tests done, I was told I had lost 30% hearing in my right ear.

Got the hearing aid, wouldn't wear it. Self conscious 13 year old. Had been going years with no problems so why change that?

When I was 15, I started playing the drums. Didn't wear hearing protection. Started going to concerts and I found I had ringing in my ears for days after wards. Eventually, it was one concert too many and I noticed a sharp increase in the ringing in my ears.

At this stage, the damage had been done to my left ear too.

I'm 21 now and it's driving me bananas as I am studying to be a sound engineer.
I notice my ears get tired quickly and I get a sore head. Also, sometimes there does be a sharp increase in the volume of the ringing and a decrease in my hearing which will last for about 30 seconds. It's incredibly uncomfortable when that happens.

I sleep with white noise between radio frequencies on my alarm clock!

Have you visited your GP/ENT about it? You're not alone with your afflication, I was your age when I was at my worst with the condition.

There is an Irish Tinnitus Association and the British Tinnitus Association is also very good.

Headshot · 05-01-2011 4:20pm

Is there still no cure for it or anything that may help it

I heard about this thing called MuteButton but I dont know much about it

Dave! · 05-01-2011 4:33pm

Wow, I never considered that tinnitus could be so debilitating or upsetting. I've had perferated eardrums for most (all?) of my life, and now I've recently discovered that I have pretty much no eardrums at all :eek: I get a bit of ringing in the ears intermittently, but it's not a constant thing, and it's only of limited discomfort, so I'm quite lucky I guess. In general my ears aren't giving me problems nowadays, except that I can't submerge my head in water, so have to be careful when swimming, etc.

Hopefully there'll be something coming down the line to give you guys some respite, I can imagine it's very upsetting having serious tinnitus

Tinnitus

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