'The Hum'

theoldbreed

So I'm lying awake yet another night because of 'the hum'. At first I thought I was going mad, then I was sure there was side faulty electrical appliance in the house. We live in the countryside so thought it might be machinery idling until I realised it couldn't be at all hours in the morning.
The hum is low frequency but constant, like an engine ticking over. My husband can hear it but it doesn't seem to bother him.
I googled it and came across this phenomenon known as 'the hum'.
I'm relieved I'm not going mad but frustrated I can't do anything. It's only a recent thing...
Has anyone else experienced this?

verycool

Or it's medical term... tinnitus.

Purple Mountain

I thought you were talking about gym socks under your bed!

Hurrache

I hear it myself tonight, let the dog out and stepped outside to see if it's farm machinery too, can hear it through the open window.

you, sir, need a joint.

WoollyRedHat

Fun fact: The plural of hum is humus.

Carry

Maybe it's the fridge? Or the waterpump?

Or a bumble bee somewhere in the house. Though those critters sound more like helicopters.

Since you live in the countryside consider that some farmer in the vicinity got the idea to do something with whatever machinery in the middle of the night. They do that. I know for a fact.:mad:

The Backwards Man

There's a sewage treatment plant five miles from me and the pump is audible in certain conditions. All can be explained if you look far enough.

WoollyRedHat

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Fun fact: The plural of hum is humus.

Humus? Isn't that some kind of gooey sauce that tastes kinda odd/off from Arab countries?

sugarman

sugarman wrote: »

I have tinnitus and I'd never describe it as a "Hum" nor would anyone else ive met with it. Its more of a high pitch "ringing" thats always there.

A "hum" is low pitch. The fridge and ESB supply board in our house makes a "hum" that can only be heard at night when everything else is silent. Used to do my head in, still does on occasion.

Yup. definitely more of a persistent ringing noise, which you can almost feel inside your eardrums.

WoollyRedHat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Humus? Isn't that some kind of gooey sauce that tastes kinda odd/off from Arab countries?

Yes that's the sound two of more people make after trying it.

Charlie19

I had this but it turned out to be my next door neighbors gas boiler.

I thought I was going mad and at one stage I unplugged everything in our house trying to narrow it down.

Franz Von Peppercorn

verycool wrote: »

Or it's medical term... tinnitus.

That’s high pitched.

fineso.mom

I live in the country too and the same thing happens sometimes. I put on a podcast or music just loud enough to cover the sound of the hum and that usually does the trick.
I have bouts of tinnitus and it's definitely not the same.

pebbles21

Take the batteries out of your dildo after your finished with it !

Stigura

I can smell 'flu.

Badly Drunk Boy

verycool wrote: »

Or it's medical term... tinnitus.

No, it's not. I've experienced this, but usually at night. I live in a relatively small housing estate and can nearly pin-point where the sound 'comes from' even though it doesn't. For me, it's a car motor idling, 7 doors away. Yet there's no car idling there...

Your Face

Its obviously aliens.

Pwindedd

Embrace the hum, for when it stops - the silence will be deafening

Lemonposset

I've experienced this too, although I lived in the suburbs. It was like a car was parked outside and it felt like I was going to be driven mad by it. I also came across the phenomenon online one night and was relieved, especially by the stories of people who had walked miles trying to identify the source as more than once I'd thought about going out looking for it. My husband could never hear what seemed so loud to me. Eventually, eventually, I noticed it less and less.

AllForIt

sugarman wrote: »

I have tinnitus and I'd never describe it as a "Hum" nor would anyone else ive met with it. Its more of a high pitch "ringing" thats always there.

A "hum" is low pitch. The fridge and ESB supply board in our house makes a "hum" that can only be heard at night when everything else is silent. Used to do my head in, still does on occasion.

Tinnitus takes different forms. It's not the same for everyone. It all depends on the frequency of the part of the ear that has been damaged whether that damage has occurred naturally or not.

The point being it's ridiculous to compare tinnitus and it's also ridiculous to use a word to describe it, like hum.

ceadaoin.

AllForIt wrote: »

Tinnitus takes different forms. It's not the same for everyone. It all depends on the frequency of the part of the ear that has been damaged whether that damage has occurred naturally or not.

The point being it's ridiculous to compare tinnitus and it's also ridiculous to use a word to describe it, like hum.

OP says her husband can hear it too. Clearly not tinnitus

Also, I have tinnitus and describe it as a buzzing noise. How is that ridiculous? It's a pretty normal way of describing a sound

AllForIt

sugarman wrote: »

Thanks, i'll give my doctors and fellow sufferers at the clinic a heads up when im back :rolleyes:

Very curious why would take offence to what I said. What I said was absolutely true and whether or not you attend a clinic does not mean what I said was wrong.

Why dont you ask the doctors at your clinic about what they think of my comments...report back...I bet you wont.

AllForIt

ceadaoin. wrote: »

OP says her husband can hear it too. Clearly not tinnitus

Also, I have tinnitus and describe it as a buzzing noise. How is that ridiculous? It's a pretty normal way of describing a sound

I never said it was ridiculous to describe it as a buzzing noise, that's a good general description, I just meant that if someone describes it as hum as the OP did then it's a bit ridiculous to take the word to describe it so literally. A word doesn't have a direct correlation to a sound. If just gives an impression of what the sound sounds like. A 'hum' to one might be a 'buzz' to someone else. That's all I was getting at.

csallmighty

People have described tinnitus as like the high pitched ringing when someone gets a knock to the head on TV, so it's not that.

I went a few nights without sleep and when I finally got to bed I was in a restless sleep. I felt like I was being disturbed by a low humming noise that sounded like a lorry running outside but there was nothing there. Nobody else heard it that night so I put it down to exhaustion.

the_syco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r01sa2j26Fo

Canis Lupus

Get ear plugs

JupiterKid

Permanent tinnitus sufferer here too - it’s definitely not a hum. Could it be nearby power wires suspended on pylons?

Graces7

Not had this where I live now; the sheer silence is bliss and i know the intermittent sounds eg fridge makes

But at one remote house I used to hear what sounded like police radio. It would wake me often. Not clear enough to hear the words. And no one else within more than a mile.

Could maybe be the power cables?

Apparently those wind mill things out the country are a terror for this too..it can travel for miles..

Feckin green energy..

jamesbere

Maybe it's the neighbours vibrator

If you've a modern house there could be a hum coming from the actuators on the hot water tank which have gone faulty. I had to get one replaced this year.

mraie

Go to your fuse board and narrow your search by turning off different circulate breakers. If the house is older could be the transformer for door bell. This gives off a low electrical hum.

corks finest

sugarman wrote: »

I have tinnitus and I'd never describe it as a "Hum" nor would anyone else ive met with it. Its more of a high pitch "ringing" thats always there.

A "hum" is low pitch. The fridge and ESB supply board in our house makes a "hum" that can only be heard at night when everything else is silent. Used to do my head in, still does on occasion.

Hum is electronic

Graces7

Deleted User wrote: »

Apparently those wind mill things out the country are a terror for this too..it can travel for miles..

Feckin green energy..

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/wind-company-admits-nuisance-damage-to-neighbours-246465

coastwatch

It's probably coming from high voltage transmission lines in your area. It's more noticeable when the weather is misty and damp.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Tinnitus.

Good for a medical discharge.

corner of hells

It's just the "hum" of AH posters, constant low level warbling away in the background.

Sofiztikated

I saw Criminal Minds as well.

However, The Hum is a world wide phenomenon. The BBC reported on it in Bristol in the 70's. Latest best guesses as to what it is include microseismic waves on the sea floor, causing a drone that certain people can hear.

theoldbreed

Definitely not tinnitus, my husband can hear it too.
I can hear it in the mornings sometimes as well...drives me crazy. I don't think I'm going to locate it, went walking around the yard last night and couldn't pinpoint it. I'm exhausted from not sleeping properly so I may try headphones. Earplugs don't work as I can still feel the vibrations of the hum if that makes sense.
Glad to know I'm not alone!

Rubberlegs

Could it be sound travelling from the sea? I live very close to the sea and the hum off of it some nights can be very loud. Other nights there is no sound at all. As a child when staying with my grandparents who lived miles further inland the sound travelled and could still be heard in the middle of the night though a much lower humming.

Bob Harris

I have light bulbs that make a very faint ticking when turned off.I can hear it at night when it's very quiet.

corner of hells

OP , have you tried changing your tinfoil hat ?

iarann

Hi. I have tinnitus for nearly 15 years and my sounds have changed a number of times over the years, unfortunitially usually not for the better. My most constant sound is that usual typical tinnitus constant ringing high pitched sound that some get after a concert or night club.

There are also other types of tinnitus, and sounds, including pulsative tinnitus. That I also have in my left ear for the last 2 years and I find that worse than the constant ringing

Originally , possibly before the ringing started, i used to hear sounds similar to the op. I can remember trying to find its source, thinking the radiator pump was running or that a lorry was running out side the house etc. This was evident at night when other sounds are quieter. I asked my wife about the sound and if she listened she could hear it. But looking back I think that if any of us listen hard enough we will hear something. The more the op listens to the hum the more they hear it.

I blame a particularly loud Christmas party and having a head cold for my tinnitus. after the party my ears were ringing and it just never stopped. A LOT of musicians and people who work in noisey environments have tinnitus.

At one stage, 2 years ago, the hum changed from the low noise to an increasing kind of pulsating sound that eventually got so loud that I had significant loss of hearing in one ear. It was definitively aggravated by low sounds, the kettle, an air conditioner running and being in a room with a lot of voices was a no no so it was difficult to go anywhere. I went to the doctor and even though the ears looked clear he put me on a course of tablets in case it was an internal inflammation and after a few weeks it reduced dramatically. This was probably a type of ear infection.

I say all this so that you know that it could be a number of things (including tinnitus) some reasons could go away with treatment others may linger or change. I hope it is external and that you can just unplug it!

My suggestions.

It might be an external sound or internal reason for what you can hear.

Tonight, listen to the sounds then put in earplugs and listen again. if the sound reduces then it is more likely to be external to you.

If you are worried then talk to a doctor about it, there are things they can help with. But ask them about their experience in dealing with tinnitus. I'm not a doctor but if anybody tells you tinnitus is only one particular type of sound you might need to seek advise elsewhere.

Eliminate *all* caffeine (even chocolate) from your diet for a full month and see if that helps. That is a common issue.

Try to make friends with the sound, this is hard to do. See if you can accept it so that it doesn't do your head in. I was lucky in that I was eventually able to live with my sounds, others have to play music low to hide the sound just so they can sleep.

Even if you find that this is not an internal issue and you find and stop that real humming motor, you now have a bit of experience of what mild(?) hearing issues are like. Remember this feeling and protect your ears from loud sounds (especially Christmas parties) so that it stays just a question you once asked on boards.ie
If I had just gone out to the bar rather than staying near the dance floor .......

Sin City

The Hum is a phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people. Hums have been widely reported by national media in the UK and the United States. The Hum is sometimes prefixed with the name of a locality where the problem has been particularly publicized: e.g., the "Bristol Hum" or the "Taos Hum". It is unclear whether it is a single phenomenon; different causes have been attributed. In some cases, it may be a manifestation of tinnitus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum

Harry Palmr

Some vibrations are at a very low frequency and are not so much heard as felt and could come from miles away or underground.

Graces7

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Some vibrations are at a very low frequency and are not so much heard as felt and could come from miles away or underground.

Sound carries many miles near or on the ocean. I hear things happening on the mainland eg dogs barking, engines, and the varying sounds of the ocean. M.E makes my hearing ultra sensitive, painfully so and on rare visits to the towns,the traffic.. Small wonder folk get problems
I had one or two issues with tinnitus with infections; thankfully they went. It is a terrible problem to have

Dame Margery Kempe, a mddle ages mystic, contemptorary with Julian of Norwich, wrote that God had sent her a bird to sing in her ear...One way of describing it

riffmongous

I had a hum in my living room that I only noticed very late at night with everything turned off, turned out it was a speaker that was switched off but still emitted a hum unless it was actually plugged out

Sofiztikated

riffmongous wrote: »

I had a hum in my living room that I only noticed very late at night with everything turned off, turned out it was a speaker that was switched off but still emitted a hum unless it was actually plugged out

I can tell the second my wifes phone is fully charged. And can generally "hear" if a TV is on standby or off.

mad muffin

Op is a Cylon…

eviltwin

Interesting podcast on the Hum

http://thinkingsidewayspodcast.com/the-hum/