Tinnitus

[Bow_Wazoo]

I've had it on my left side for about 20 years.
Now at 45, it's pretty quiet.
Gradually it's even gone completely.
What can I recommend? Be good to yourself.
Be good to your body. Exercise every day.
Eat little junk. No cigarettes, of course!
Drink little alcohol. If the job is unpleasant, it has to be changed. If the marriage isn't fulfilling, it has to end.

 

[Lekha]

What type of sound do you hear when you cover both ears tightly with your palms?

 

[flightops]

What type of sound do you hear when you cover both ears tightly with your palms?

an ever increasing high pitched whine.

Tinnitus is an internal damage thing, not created by external sources. If it goes away when you cover your ears, theres something else besides tinnitus going on…perhaps an infection, inflammation, etc that should be investigated by an MD.

 

[youpassbutter]

an ever increasing high pitched whine.

Tinnitus is an internal damage thing, not created by external sources. If it goes away when you cover your ears, theres something else besides tinnitus going on…perhaps an infection, inflammation, etc that should be investigated by an MD.

I went to see my ear doctor towards the end of last year and he said something like that they now think that tinnitus is neurological/psychological rather than physical trauma. I asked ChatGPT to do a brief summary of the latest medical research:
______________________________________________________________________________________
Tinnitus, characterized by the perception of sound without an external source, has traditionally been linked to factors such as exposure to loud noises, ear injuries, or age-related hearing loss. However, recent research has shifted focus toward the central nervous system's role in the development and persistence of tinnitus.

Central Nervous System Involvement

Studies suggest that tinnitus may result from maladaptive neuroplastic changes within the central auditory pathways. When auditory input is reduced—due to hearing loss or other factors—the brain may undergo neuroplastic changes, leading to increased spontaneous neural activity and the perception of tinnitus.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Treatment Approaches

While there is currently no definitive cure for tinnitus, several therapeutic strategies have been explored:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT has been shown to improve the quality of life for individuals with tinnitus by addressing the distress associated with the condition.
  aafp.org
  
  
• Sound Therapy: This approach involves using external sounds to mask or alter the perception of tinnitus. Techniques such as tinnitus retraining therapy combine sound therapy with counseling to facilitate habituation to the tinnitus sound.
  en.wikipedia.org
  
  
• Neuromodulation: Emerging treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation aim to modulate neural activity in the auditory cortex, with some studies indicating potential benefits in reducing tinnitus symptoms.
  journals.physiology.org
  

It's important to note that the effectiveness of these treatments can vary among individuals. Ongoing research continues to explore the complex neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus to develop more targeted and effective interventions.

For a comprehensive overview of tinnitus, including its causes, symptoms, and management strategies, you may refer to the Mayo Clinic's resource on tinnitus.

 

[Lekha]

an ever increasing high pitched whine.

Does that high pitched whine hurt?

 

[Joe Smith]

Does that high pitched whine hurt?

My tone does not hurt...and it doesn't increase in pitch...it's just a constant high pitch background in my right ear (but perceived as centered) around 11k. Much more noticeable in quiet rooms and my awareness of it often increases as the day goes on. I would say that over the last year of it being present, I have gotten better at "tuning it out" for large portions of my day amd when listening to music, but I do need to use a custom white noise program at night to help me fall asleep.

 

[amirm]

Also to note I didn't get bothered by tinnitus all week and i started hearing those dreaded high frequency sounds the moment i started reading this thread to check new replies

Happens to me 100% of the time.

 

[flightops]

Does that high pitched whine hurt?

"hurt" is a relative term I guess.

It can be "painful" if I just let it go to it's "max volume". Gets into the head shaking and holding and "arrgghhh" stage when it gets away from me.

But it could be more of a "drive you mad" type of pain I guess.

Starts right around a 2khz noise and up.

2khz is also where my hearing loss is assessed at starting. But I tell the audiologist I can't tell if I'm hearing the test tone or the scream" after a certain volume on their tests. It's just becomes the same level of "whine".

Around 5-10 khz my chart just drops off like a stone.....

 

[flightops]

I went to see my ear doctor towards the end of last year and he said something like that they now think that tinnitus is neurological/psychological rather than physical trauma. I asked ChatGPT to do a brief summary of the latest medical research:
______________________________________________________________________________________
Tinnitus, characterized by the perception of sound without an external source, has traditionally been linked to factors such as exposure to loud noises, ear injuries, or age-related hearing loss. However, recent research has shifted focus toward the central nervous system's role in the development and persistence of tinnitus.

Central Nervous System Involvement

Studies suggest that tinnitus may result from maladaptive neuroplastic changes within the central auditory pathways. When auditory input is reduced—due to hearing loss or other factors—the brain may undergo neuroplastic changes, leading to increased spontaneous neural activity and the perception of tinnitus.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Treatment Approaches

While there is currently no definitive cure for tinnitus, several therapeutic strategies have been explored:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT has been shown to improve the quality of life for individuals with tinnitus by addressing the distress associated with the condition.
  aafp.org
  
  
• Sound Therapy: This approach involves using external sounds to mask or alter the perception of tinnitus. Techniques such as tinnitus retraining therapy combine sound therapy with counseling to facilitate habituation to the tinnitus sound.
  en.wikipedia.org
  
  
• Neuromodulation: Emerging treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation aim to modulate neural activity in the auditory cortex, with some studies indicating potential benefits in reducing tinnitus symptoms.
  journals.physiology.org

It's important to note that the effectiveness of these treatments can vary among individuals. Ongoing research continues to explore the complex neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus to develop more targeted and effective interventions.

For a comprehensive overview of tinnitus, including its causes, symptoms, and management strategies, you may refer to the Mayo Clinic's resource on tinnitus.

Yeah, I don't hold any stock in anything "chat gpt" or any other AI program has to offer. I'll go with my specialists, not some "who knows where the hell the info is coming from" program.

 

[youpassbutter]

Yeah, I don't hold any stock in anything "chat gpt" or any other AI program has to offer.

Completely understand. But all the same, my ear doctor was not AI (unless we are living in a simulation - and if that’s the case, I have bigger issues than tinnitus). And you can verify the sources the summary cited to if you are curious. Regardless, I don’t know the answer, I just wanted to flag that I heard from my doctor that the research appears to be headed in a counterintuitive (at least to me) direction.

 

[Joe Smith]

Completely understand. But all the same, my ear doctor was not AI (unless we are living in a simulation - and if that’s the case, I have bigger issues than tinnitus). And you can verify the sources the summary cited to if you are curious. Regardless, I don’t know the answer, I just wanted to flag that I heard from my doctor that the research appears to be headed in a counterintuitive (at least to me) direction.

I'm guessing that eventually, they will come to the understanding that no primary causes tinnitus, there are multiple ways it can develop. Certainly, continues exposure to loud noises is not good for the ear physiology. My onset is due to age and a mild loss of hearing in the 1,000-4,000 cycle range in my right ear. I have not had much exposure to loud noise in my life, though I did go to a fairly loud local concert about two weeks before my onset. I think the whole physiology of the problem is pretty fascinating. It's sufficiently complicated that I'm not holding out a lot of hope this will be a solved problem in my lifetime, but hey, there are always nice surprises. Also from the data, seems likely that genetics is partly in play, though neither of my parents had it to my knowledge (though both parents, who lived to 85 and 95, had moderate hearing loss later in life).

 

[flightops]

Completely understand. But all the same, my ear doctor was not AI (unless we are living in a simulation - and if that’s the case, I have bigger issues than tinnitus). And you can verify the sources the summary cited to if you are curious. Regardless, I don’t know the answer, I just wanted to flag that I heard from my doctor that the research appears to be headed in a counterintuitive (at least to me) direction.

No problem. Ive heard the same postulations from some of my specialists. But my particular case has been assessed as physical damage and that hasn't changed over the years.

Of note: if you want to picky, the hairs in the cochlea are part of the neurological mechanism that carries the electrical signals to the brain:

"The cochlear hair cells in humans consist of one row of inner hair cells and three rows of outer hair cells (see Figure 13.4). The inner hair cells are the actual sensory receptors, and 95% of the fibers of the auditory nerve that project to the brain arise from this subpopulation. The terminations on the outer hair cells are almost all from efferent axons that arise from cells in the brain."

ref: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11122/

Human hearing is a rather fascinating part of our biology. Fine delicate pieces that are often hard to conceptualize.

 

[RDoc]

Well, if it's actually neurological, then Elon Musk's new company Neuralink will fix it soon - probably 6 months, for sure in a year (Tesla joke).

They'll just cut open your skull then implant a chip in your brain with an AI controlled robot inserting thousands of micro fibers deep into the auditory cortex. After a bit of training, not only will the tinnitus be gone, you'll be able to listen to bat songs.

 

[Lekha]

I hear a sound that is neither high-pitched nor low-pitched, just a sound, and not always. It is not hurtful and doesn't prevent me from hearing other sounds. It is not troublesome either. I believe I started to hear it about 15 years ago. I feel energised when I hear it, and even after. I have visited specialised ear doctors to check if this is an ailment, even though I don't feel it is; I still went for a check-up. They couldn't find any specific problems with my hearing, only that I have somewhat poor hearing at low frequencies, below 40Hz, but I have quite good hearing for high-frequency sounds, much better than people my age.

That's why I asked if whatever sound you hear is painful or not. Mine isn't. Interestingly, when I plan to drive, that sound stops completely, even before I open the front door. When I plan to go to sleep, it goes away, if it was there before. It is not present when I eat or when I work. It seems to come when I am completely relaxed. Right now, as I am writing this, it is there. Music is also playing in the background, and I can hear that music quite clearly. So, what I hear cannot be tinnitus, I suppose.

 

[antcollinet]

Completely understand. But all the same, my ear doctor was not AI (unless we are living in a simulation - and if that’s the case, I have bigger issues than tinnitus). And you can verify the sources the summary cited to if you are curious. Regardless, I don’t know the answer, I just wanted to flag that I heard from my doctor that the research appears to be headed in a counterintuitive (at least to me) direction.

It is actually (I believe) the same thing. The article you linked states that the tinnitus comes from neurological process - which is true and has been (as far as I was aware) well understood.

It also states that it often is a result of hearing loss - which can and does result from hearing damage. In my case Leicester De-Montford Hall in 1982: Motörhead.

So yes - it is a neurological process in which (I understand) the brain actually creates sound to replace (or as a result of) the missing signals from the damaged ear structures.

 

[flightops]

Certainly sounds like something different.

If its not a problem and there are no medical issues, I wouldn’t worry about it for the time being.

But I’m no MD either. Just a guy living with symptoms and managing them as best I can.

Theres always the possibility that it’s a psychological thing. Not that you’re “mental” or anything like that, more like you’ve conditioned yourself to hear it when there’s other stimulus in the ambient sound environment.

The human brain can be an ofd thing sometimes without a readily apparent reason or explanation for why its doing something…

But I’m also no psychologist/psychiatrist either…

 

[antcollinet]

Certainly sounds like something different.

you should quote the post you are replying to - or else it looks like you are replying either to the OP, or to the one directly above yours, and makes it difficult to follow the thread.

 

[Anatols_Dad]

I have something odd , when the extractor fan in my bathroom or indeed in anyones bathroom is active and I'm out of that room but can hear it I get a pulsing in my left ear . Some sort of pressure distortion, quite unpleasant and not noticeable under any other circumstances.

I've experienced something like that, too.

 

[Anatols_Dad]

I have had Tinnitus for 26 years, and for many years in between, I learned to live with it by treating it as a sort of friend, nearly even forgetting it at times.
Two years ago, due to a extremely stressful period, it suddenly got worse.
I've tried diving into cognitive behavioral theory and also took cortisol prescribed by one of the doctors I consulted.
What helps me and many others too, is masking the Tinnitus by listening to certain noises. I recommend visiting a site like https://youtube.com/@treblehealth? si=C503ud828VXkidcG
for more information.
You are not alone.

 

[Rottmannash]

I have had Tinnitus for 26 years, and for many years in between, I learned to live with it by treating it as a sort of friend, nearly even forgetting it at times.
Two years ago, due to a extremely stressful period, it suddenly got worse.
I've tried diving into cognitive behavioral theory and also took cortisol prescribed by one of the doctors I consulted.
What helps me and many others too, is masking the Tinnitus by listening to certain noises. I recommend visiting a site like https://youtube.com/@treblehealth? si=C503ud828VXkidcG
for more information.
You are not alone.

Cortisol or cortisone?