Tinnitus

[Tangnefedd]

I would be interested to hear from other tinnitus sufferers. I have had it for the last 30 years, normally I can tune it out, but recently during a very stressful period in my life, it has gort very noticeable. I can even hear it above the noise of traffic when I am driving. How do others cope?

 

[DJBelieves]

Hi Tangnefedd,

I too have Tinnitus. I'm 30 yrs old, and have had it ever since I can remember. When I was about 10 years old, I asked my mother, "Do you hear that high pitched ringing sound?" She said no... I told her, "I hear it all the time." My aunt has it, and I was told it was hereditary...

I've noticed at night it gets louder. I've learned to "tune" it out, but sometimes it does cause my migraine headaches a lot. It's hard to cope with, but there's nothing that can be done about it I guess... The more I try to listen for it, the louder it gets. Most times I don't hear it... unless there's not much sound around me.

God bless...

 

[Sweetbriar]

I've got it too. Constant ringing, buzzing which like both of you I manage to tune it out. Certain foods can make it worse for me as does periods of stress. I tried acupuncture for this once for six weeks. The doctor didn't offer me much hope as far as complete healing but said it might help which it did do. I could hear the "frequency" change. Maybe that's not the word but it would change like that sound you get just before a normal ear ringing would stop. I also use homeopathy but no success with the tinnitis with that so far anyways. Sometimes I wish I could remember what it was like to have absolute silence in my ears.

 

[ShetlandRose]

Oh yes, I have had Tinnitus all my life, as long as I can remember. You can read posts from others who suffer with it on the Tinnitus ezboard (if you haven't gone there, I can send you to it--link below), but frankly there are no miracle cures--however, you will find out that you are not alone. Even Spock and Captain Kirk (Leonard Nemoy and William Shatner) are sufferers like us (due to an explosion on the set of Star Trek). The Tinnitus ezboard will keep you up to date on new treatments (which don't seem to work) and it's a place to vent your frustrations.

Because I have had it so long plus hearing loss in both ears, I have adjusted fine. I notice it of course, but it doesn't bother me. I rely on a hearing aid and lipreading to understand conversations, a telephone amplifier, and closed captioning on television, etc. to keep me performing well. My dog serves as a hearing dog sometimes too. And, I need to play a radio (on sleep mode) to fall asleep usually. Spikes can be irritating. I have never noticed any particular cause of spikes for me except the vacuum cleaner.

I would be interested to know if those who have Tinnitus know how it began for them. Mine was caused because of an accidental firearms discharge in a small, closed room when I was a child. Probably also I inherited my dear deaf grandfather's ears.

Tinnitus ezboard

ShetlandRose

 

[Sweetbriar]

Hi Shetland.

There's only two things that might have caused mine which actually came on gradually. I think it was either b/c I spent so much time around loud bands in my twenties or b/c I took a lot of drugs for allergies over the years until I wised up. Maybe it was both.

 

[DJBelieves]

I have no idea how mine started ShetlandRose. I heard tinnitus is hereditary, and my aunt on my father's side has it, so maybe that's why I have it too? I don't recall any times when I was younger of especially loud noises or instances, so I don't know. I just know I've always had it... I can hear better in my right ear, compared to my left, and I do have a hard time hearing on the phone, unless I turn the volume on high.

 

[Tangnefedd]

My tinnitus started after a bad ear infection about 30 years ago, but it was only in one ear then, now it is in both.

 

[satman]

I've had tinnitus now for about 7 years. Originally it started out as occasional and slight annoiance. After about 2 years,it errupted to continuous and debilitating. There were actually periods where it was so bad I would nearly curl up like a ball, with my hands over my ears, in tears. I had been to a miriad of "specialists" with a full armada of tests with the usaul outcome being..."tests are negative, nothing we can do, learn to live with it, have a nice life, pay the receptionist on the way out". Although in the meantime, we did learn that I was epileptic, and I was put on trileptal, an anti-siezure med, and almost immediately after beginning this prescription, I noticed the tinnitus reduce by nearly half as much. I still have it, but at least it is bearable now. If I should happen to forget a dose of my siezure med, the tinnitus will rear it's ugly head with a vengence, then subside once I take it. Kind of a built in alarm I guess you might say. With what tinnitus I do still deal with, I try to mask it with soothing music. Stress is a major no-no for it. A great source of information would be the Tinnitus Association at www.ata.org Here's praying for a "silent night", I looong for it.
God Bless....In HIS Service....Dan

 

[JC4uNme]

I was going to start a thread on Tinnitus tonight, am glad I found this one!

Up until a few months ago I thought this ringing or buzzing in my ears was a normal thing. I've been doing a little research on the internet about it and finally... I am learning a little about it.

The ringing has always been in my ears ~ for as long as I can remember. The past month or so it has been worse, i've been under a lot of stress, so that may be why. I sometimes wish that the ringing would stop for five minutes so I could know what it's like to NOT have that sound constantly bugging me!! That would be so nice.

As for the cause... I had bad ear infections as a child, so I think that is where I get mine from. Not sure, but it sure can be annoying!!

 

[UplandBoy]

I'm not sure how I got my tinnitus. Perhaps antibiotics, a hunting trip without ear protection, who knows. You asked how I cope... 1. Pray for the power to cope. 2. Avoid total silence and loud noises (wear ear protection) 3. Somehow avoid stress 4. I stopped caffeine and I don't drink or smoke. 5. Exercise 6. Pray again. God may or may not cure disease, but he will undoubtedly comfort you through it.

 

[HumbleBee]

Laser therapy, possible cure at this link...
http://search.msn.com/pass/results.aspx?q=laser+therapy+for+tinnitus&FORM=SMCRT

These links...loads of info, especially buyer beware as to cures...
http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search/ca?vc=&p=cures+for+tinnitus

http://www.google.ca/search?q=cures+for+tinnitus&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=

http://search.msn.com/pass/results.asp?RS=CHECKED&FORM=MSNH&v=1&q=&q=cures+for+tinnitus&cp=1252

 

[goldengirl]

I've been having this problem, for over 20 years.
I keep praying for a healing. I am tired of hearing this all the time,plus it makes it that much harder for me to hear people talk.
I've had ear problems almost my whole life. I had a bunch of ear infections as a kid, that I figure were due to food allergies.
They advertise this stuff here called Lipoflavanoid,that you can get at a drug store,its suppost to help, I haven't gotten any yet to see if it works.

 

[ShetlandRose]

I've been having this problem, for over 20 years.
I keep praying for a healing. I am tired of hearing this all the time,plus it makes it that much harder for me to hear people talk.
I've had ear problems almost my whole life.

Just curious... Do you use a hearing aid? You sound a little like me--I have hearing loss in both ears plus Tinnitus. Makes for difficulty understanding consonants in conversation. But I've had it all so long I'm pretty used to it. I figure there is a reason for everything God allows and trials are necessary for our spiritual growth.

What Tinnitus sounds do you hear? Mine is the ever-present buzzing/hissing with occasional high-pitched spikes.

 

[Ben_Hur]

I also have tinnitus. I've had it at least since I was 9 and I think it was due to antibiotics (tetrocyclene?). It doesn't seem to have a particular tone that can be matched. It is more like it is several high-pitched tones all at once. I've used a "sound machine" to get to sleep for probably 20 years now. It emits white-noise like a radio off-channel.

It has been worse lately. I'm not sure why. It has been a long time since I looked into it and it sounds like there hasn't been much progress judging by these posts.

 

[traingosorry]

Hello all tinnitus-tolerant friends!
It's amazing how many people actually suffer from this annoying thing!
I am hard of hearing ( half hearing in both hears) and wear two hearing aids. I took an ASL( American Sign Language)/Deaf studies course because I thought I should prepare myself in case I do go completely deaf one day and I learned a bit about tinnitus. What I learned is that it is very characteristic for deaf and hard of hearing people to have it, and in some cases, though not as common, hearing people get it. One of my instructors who is deaf was born a hearing child but became deaf after having meningitis. She says that she can remember the sound of the television when it would become all snowy and static-y and she says often this is what she hears instead of the ringing like many people.

I am thankful that my case is not as serious as some stories I have heard where people have to deal with constant ringing in their ears, the kind that simply cannot be ignored!! That would drive me insane!

Anyone else here HH ( hard of hearing ) besides Shetland Rose and myself?

Cheers
Heather

 

[Etharia]

I'm glad I noticed this thread.
I've had intermittent ringing in my ears for as long as I can remember and I always thought it was normal so I never mentioned it to anyone. It wasn't until 2 days ago I began thinking otherwise when a friend mentioned that she thought she was going deaf because she had ringing in her ears. This amazed me because I assumed ringing was a normal thing.
I had ear infections when I was 2 and when I was 7 I had partial hearing loss, so that could explain it. Most of the time I only notice when it's quiet, but sometimes I've hear it while I'm watching tv or listening to music.
Thanks for the topic, it's made me aware of something I've never even heard of before and it answers a lot of questions.

 

[HumbleSiPilot77]

Ok folks, hypochondriac Bushmaster speaking here,

I got a habit of cracking (popping actually) my neck, (I started doing it after a few visits to chiroprator last year) oh it feels good but I don't think it is doing any good, now recently, maybe for the last 5 days, whenever I lean my head to the left (like trying to touch my left shoulder with my ear) I am hearing a slight ringing in my left ear, same thing doesn't happen for the right one. Did I mess something up in my neck or ear? I noticed that it depends on certain muscle positions of my neck, like tilting it or trying to look behind etc. What might be the possible cause?

 

[ej]

There are loads of causes of tinnitus.

If it comes on suddenly, or on one side only, you should be checked out urgently.

If you have had it for a long time, it might be (like many people) that a cause is never found. Retraining devices can help (get referred to an audiologist for these).

More commonly, people are presenting with tinnitus as a side-effect of medications, especially anti-depressants.

As always - if in doubt, get checked out

 

[mibashful]

i to suffer from tinnitis it drove me crazy before i got diagnosed with it it almost cost me my job getting hired at the local hospital. they do hearing test and i do have a mild hearing loss in my left ear which is the ear my tinitis is in. i go bunkers some times when im out side i sometimes i hear a really hi pitched sound aand it makes me nuaseated sometimes too. im glad to know there are other suffers out there with the same problem as me love to all.

 

[ShetlandRose]

i to suffer from tinnitis it drove me crazy before i got diagnosed with it it almost cost me my job getting hired at the local hospital. they do hearing test and i do have a mild hearing loss in my left ear which is the ear my tinitis is in. i go bunkers some times when im out side i sometimes i hear a really hi pitched sound aand it makes me nuaseated sometimes too. im glad to know there are other suffers out there with the same problem as me love to all.

Hmmmmmmm. Have never had a nausea problem from my Tinnitus. I am sorry that you do and I hope that is not often. Certain loud noises will make mine worse for a while however. The vacuum cleaner is sure to cause spikes and even the steady hummmmm of my computer. I need to remember to wear ear plugs. Even the cheap foam type helps me forestall spikes.