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Tinnitus

OP
red_kk

red_kk

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So don’t give up. Find your sound, that sound that will distract your brain from hearing the Ringing. It will give you relief and help you break the hyper focus that starts. This ailment can in some cases drive one to do the unthinkable. Artificial background sound or noise can and will help.
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We have a hood over our island stove and I always hated how noisy it was. Now it is my best friend. Sometimes I just turn it on and lean over the stove it's such a relief and comfort.
 

Dels

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OP, sorry to hear of your issues. I hope you can get it managed as best as possible. The few bouts I've had with it was not fun.
 

Andysu

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Sorry, to read OP, that you have same symptoms as the rest of most of us. Tinnitus, has no known cure for it as of yet only remedies can calm it for the individual. I read that Orange juice, vitamin C can help and it's a good healthy drink as well.

I have read through all the 5 soon going on for 6 pages of everyone that has same, Tinnitus issues.

For myself I got it due to Battlestar Galactica in Sensurround 120dB at the local ABC screen 1, Bournemouth, UK, 1979, as I never been exposed to any high SPL dB at anywhere else at age 11, I've heard nothing else but Hisssing sound mostly at night, in bed knowing now the noise background level would be quiet and I hear this Hisssing sound noise. Mid 90's it started getting to me and doctor, says sounds like, Tinnitus with no cure for it.

Today I can more less narrow the frequency which sounds like narrow band filtered pink/white noise with crossover slopes each side and I hear this narrow band Hissing sound/noise. At around 8KHz or 9KHz it is hard to get mic test gear inside to actually pinpoint it but I have done my own testing since most of these doctors, may not have it, some may have it and try more to help as they are looking for the possible solution for a cure?

Around 2000's it got to me where I couldn't have my lunch after doing some tree surgery with chainsaw, wearing earplugs and ear defenders. It suddenly occurred to me, where I cupped my hands around my mouth and one side of my ear as I have it in both ear/sides. cupped my hands around mouth and ear and started to make hissing sound while trying to mimic the frequency with my lips and did that for both ear/sides and WOW the inner ear noise dropped down... Oh what a relief :) ......... But ........ It started to slowly rise back up again :( . It did tell me something thou it acts like an Audio Compressor more like Audio Limiter if a loud sound is loud set the Audio Limiter play that scene in movie again and loud sound stops at the threshold setting on the Audio Limiter with Compressor it slowly rises up the lower softer dynamic sounds, If any of that makes any sense to anyone?

Bottom line is. We all have Tinnitus, cos we didn't held the warnings! If loud sound be it, whatever could be a vast list of possibles, for me it was Sensurround with that rubbish movie Battlestar Galactica at 120mins running time and thee most intense use of Sensurround at frigging 120dB isn't cool or nothing clever or smart about being exposed to that SPL dB level. Sure I seen Earthquake 70mm six-track Sensurround early Feb, '75 at least 4 times and never noticed that hissing noise and movie also around 120mins but has the less usage of Sensurround even thou the Big One lasted 10 mins of 120dB! Most movies today can't equal that ,most are shorter time between loud moment scenes. Movies many some have gotten LOUDER between Dolby A-type then moving into Dolby SR era then the digital sound formats Getting even more LOUDER and for what? I just hope all those re-recording mixers have it bad cos I have little pity for any of them. F, you Universal pictures and that rubbish movie, which of course I do have on bluray 1.1 Sensurround cos I am curious about it and how it managed to ruin my life.

I wear earplugs when using the electric drill often when using a handsaw as those sounds are loud, louder than a movie soundtrack, cos movie soundtracks are rubbish the sound designers are rubbish cos the movie doesn't sound realistic, Yes I like to Bash movie soundtracks mixers now for my life that they have ruined and yet I have 168 JBL speakers in my THX home cinema cos they tuned me into a basket case, F, you movies!



 

Andysu

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Welcome to the Club no one wants to be in!
I never wanted to be in it as it's been miserable every single day, oh I do get few days or maybe week then it just comes back to haunt me. :(
I wonder if my cats have ever had tinnitus due to some of movies, music and sine wave pink noise, frequency sweeps as it must drive them crazy.
 

Andysu

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It's activated for past 3 so hours hissing with 8KHz pressure that I find most taxing on my nerves. :( :( :(
 

Jazz

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I hope this post belongs here if not I apologize in advance.

I recently developed Tinnitus with constant high frequency ringing in both ears.

Sorry, I did not read all 5 pages of replies but, I am a bit of an expert on this having studied it for 34 years. Here is some up to date info.
Tinnitus (pronounced “tin nit is” not “tye ny tis”) can be caused by other things. Undiagnosed migraine is probably a major cause. Men (and women) tend to not realize that a neck ache, stomach problems, balance issues, sinus infections and tinnitus are actually migraine symptoms. Migraine is not just a headache. The headache is just one symptom, if a person even gets it at all. Migraine is a disease of the nerves in the body. It also tends to be hereditary. If your parents, grandparents or their siblings had migraine, in any form, you probably got the gene. Also, ENTs will diagnose ear related migraine symptoms as Meniere's disease when it is really more a migraine causing the balance, hearing, and tinnitus.
But any exposure to noise or toxic chemicals can also damage nerves of the inner ear. People with migraine have ultra sensitive nerves so, even low volume music can aggravate the nerves. I found I need to take a break from audio when I feel the precursor symptoms of migraine hitting, the prodome. Tinnitus is one of them. After a day or two or three, I can go back, at casual listening volume.
For migraine, consult only with a “migraine specialist” neurologist. Most neurologists and all doctors have little or no training in migraine! Crazy but true. One in six humans on earth have migraine! The larger medical field is just terrible with understanding this very common disease.
Neurologists get about one day of migraine training, or a couple hours in medical school. Other acceptable doctors are Neurotologists or Otoneurologists. The ENTs also are just coming to terms that their inner ear is full of nerves and, migraine can be a big problem there. So most of them will ultimately send you on to a specialist. But all men should see an audiologist for a hearing test when young to get a baseline. Then every 5 or so years if no noticeable change. But over 45, you should get a hearing test more often.
Concerning migraine treatments: they will not cure your tinnitus but, in the past few years, there have been major breakthroughs using anti-CRGP and gepant medications. You have seen the ads with tennis stars for one pill based form.
For tinnitus, the hope is that some new types of infusion treatments along with new research in CRISPR as a way to engineer our bodies to regrow inner ear hair cells like chickens do.
Just like with COVID* research all above can change over time but, that is a general outline that migraine researchers at Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Hopkins, Harvard, UC, and other major medical schools world wide are at. For now.
Take care of your ears people. You only have two.
*(COVID is another disease of the nerves and brain! and long COVID and migraine are very similar in what the people suffer through with it. Brain fog, fatigue, digestion issues, the similarities go on and on including… tinnitus.)
 
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Jazz

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Look at the upside, there is no reason to spend major $ on gear when you have tinnitus. Things like "lower noise floor" and "black backgrounds" mean nothing to you so why waste your money on them!
Eh, not true. Those with hearing loss should not get a “wooden peg leg”. Instead, they really enjoy and need the high tech leg of audio so they can enjoy it totally. I can tell significant differences in a bad DAC versus a good one and enjoy the good one more. My better ear is actually better than most humans my age. It and the brain apparently adapted for the loss in other ear.
This best possible for all actually also aligns with the principles of universal design, or as designers call it, just good design work. If a designer or engineer makes something that any human can fully enjoy, no matter what, all people like it and can use it. If a designer or engineer silo designs systems, objects, etc. for “types” they are bigoted against most humans as there is not such thing as one, perfect human.
The best stuff just works and until we take the time to ask why, then we realize, oh, someone actually really took the time to make this thing work so well, you don't even know it. The interstate highway signage system in the USA is one system that, well, works pretty darn good. Not perfect but, damn close for its job and anyone with a drivers license behind a wheel needs to be able to use it with little margin for error.
Having said that good audio is for all: I am a cheap and not rich audio guy, so I look for high performance on audio for as little money as possible. This is more possible than ever now with IC based equipment.
 

Jazz

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I also have suffered for years, perhaps decades with horrible ringing in both ears. Got so bad it would keep me awake endlessly. I would literally remain awake for three days, then just pass out from exhaustion and rinse repeat. After much consternation and denial I was sent to a specialist. After audio testing they knew pretty closely how loud it was to me. I was surprised they were able to find this out. At the time, this was several years ago. I had a constant ringing tone of about 55-60 db equivalent. I was advised to set up various ambient noise makers. I tried everything from background radio to Ocean/Wave sounds. Didn’t work. Then in desperation I bought a Stand Fan. Pretty large pedestal type. Bigger than my Speakers! It worked, having the fan running in the background provided just enough distraction noise, that I was able to not hyper focus on the Ringing sound. I now have fans all over the house. A big one in the Bed room that runs all night. My wife’s family call our house the “House of Fans”.

So don’t give up. Find your sound, that sound that will distract your brain from hearing the Ringing. It will give you relief and help you break the hyper focus that starts. This ailment can in some cases drive one to do the unthinkable. Artificial background sound or noise can and will help.

I can still listen to Music and Movies. My problems are when it gets quiet! My bedroom sounds like an Airport! LOL. Wife wears Ear Plugs. So lucky she is so supportive. That helps.

Your wife is indeed an angel.
You might look into playing pink noise or whatever noise that works best for your tinnitus on your bedroom or house system. There are a bunch of others now. Some are free audio files you can loop and others are apps or web sites. SHHHHHH or SHEEEEE or TEEEEE. Lots to pick from.
It also sounds like you have it bad enough, you might go to a tinnitus clinic for how to cut down on it.
Also, stop eating processed foods, cut down on meat to just a few times a week or less. Eat lots of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut back as much as you can on sodium. No more packaged foods. No added salt to meals. Most of us get our sodium from packaged foods and bread. Fast food is totally out! It is dangerous for HEALTHY people it has so much sodium added. Restaurant food is also very high sodium. Just for special occasions. Frozen food is either just terrible sodium wise or, very low. You have to look at the package. Mostly just fresh frozen vegetables and fruit are low sodium and very healthy (picked and usually frozen on same day). You want your ear nerves super happy and healthy. Lowering stress also is really important.
 

Jazz

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But it is just in your head! I had to say it…..:p
This is one of the most insulting things anyone can say to a person with tinnitus or migraine or any chronic or undiagnosed disease or condition.
 
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Jazz

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I recently had a 12 month period of persistent tinnitus, primarily in my left ear, which also included some pulsing when I was laying on my left side which is due to a narrowing of the blood supply.

After GP and ENT consultations, and an MRI, they couldn't find anything and the ENT just put it down to age and hearing damage. I didn't really accept that because of the circumstances of how it started, so I thought I would try and work it out myself. I tried all sorts of things suggested online like taking vitamin A etc, but none of that worked.

After some time I realized that a couple of months prior to it starting, I switched to drinking Coke Zero and was drinking about 1-2 cans per day. Coke Zero contains artificial sweetner (phenylalanine). After reading a few articles online regarding the effects of artificial sweetner, I started to experiment and sure enough it would subside when I avoided drinking it for a couple of days. I ran that experiment a few times. Now since eliminating aritificial sweetner completly the tinnitus and throbbing sound have gone. I mentioned this to my ENT on a follow up and he agreed that artificial sweetner should be avoided at all costs.

Classic red flag for migraine: phenylalanine. You probably have migraine. Eat healthier for sure.
BTW: MRIs in this instance for this diagnosis and condition is a sign your ENT is too inexperienced (or lazy). Time to find a better one.
 
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Jazz

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I have it too but its bearable unless Im exposed to some really loud noise or loud clattering of dishs. Then it will ramp up.
Mines from loud noise exposure - concerts, clubs and then a few years shooting way too many clay pigeons (that didnt deserve it :) )

If your ever exposed to noise that muffles your hearing or feels like your underwater for a few days - youve done some real damage...
I know from experience - and shoving toilet paper in your ears is virtually doing nothing. You need real ear plugs and know how to insert and test that they are inserted properly. I dont go anywhere anymore without a set of earplugs that are on all my car keys:
Most men will want the Large - on amazon they are 14 bucks
Etymotic Powered by Lucid ETY•Plugs® Earplugs

There are other earplugs used by musicians that are worth using during concerts for sure.
 

Jazz

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Be careful with that. Not sure how old you are but as we age we get calcifications in the vestibular canal and if you ever knock those loose you will most likely know it, and have some serious balance issues as a result. It happened to me a few years ago and it wasnt fun
If you are talking about the otoliths causing benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the posterior or anterior canals of the ear, they are normal and determine our position in space. They can come loose and go up the wrong part of the inner ear. Your ENT can show you methods of moving your head to fix it. But the ENT would first diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and it makes for good TV show stuff but, is not necessarily what any one individual may have with an inner ear condition.
 

Jazz

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My empathy for all who live with this. I do have a question: is tinnitus indistinguishable from an external sound? Or is it experienced differently and simply described as a sound? Can you match it to certain frequencies? I sometimes have high-frequency “sensations” like ringing but I wouldn’t mistake it for a sound. And it doesn’t seem to compete with external auditory events.
The very scientific answer to your question is: It depends.
 

Jazz

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Never has there been a more powerful advertisement for buying good equipment now, not later. This thread is a horror.
Except, when you are young, you really do not know what to listen for and how to know what is good or bad. So, just get what you enjoy. Update it as needed. Keep what you like, until you don't.
 

Jazz

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Hey, this tinnitus and hearing loss thing can get even worse. You might develop hyperacusis and recruitment. You may already have these things and don't know it. One common way to know is, how does it feel when your partner or family is putting dishes back in the cabinet? Does it sound very annoying and just too much? That is hyperacusis. (Ikea sells a line of plates and bowls made in France from glass that are way less annoying than ceramic.)
Recruitment is a bit harder to explain but, it is when your ear has a sudden intolerance point. Usually, it is high. But for those with recruitment, certain sounds suddenly become just awful and, can cause other problems. That was an imperfect explanation but, trust me, you do not want tinnitus, hyperacusis, recruitment, vertigo, or hearing loss.
BTW: all of this is in a thing the size of the eraser on a pencil! The human inner ear is incredible and incredibly complex involving many cell types, chambers, chemical makeup, functions, and mechanisms. (The middle ear is the bones and the eustachian tube leading out. The outer ear is the ear drum and your ear canal.)
Protect your hearing people.
 
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