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Tinnitus

red_kk

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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. Cause unknown and definitely not because of listening at high volumes. I always listened music <70 dB SPL measured with iPhone app.
As fate would have it this happened just when I purchased my new KEF R11s and setup my full system. (R11, X4700H, Parasound A31)
I only got to enjoy it for a week or so and then started hearing the hum/ringing. Initially I thought it was my speakers humming but then i disconnected power
supply to the house and still heard it. Now i can hear it everywhere and all the time.

I'm curious if I got it because I started listening to different music critically as I was trying to evaluate the speakers and different electronics like AVR and Amplifiers.

If anyone has similar experiences please let me know and any possible cures. I'm clearly very depressed about this so any advice or positive thoughts will help.
 

JSmith

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It happens mate... I've developed tinnitus in the left ear.

Generally it's age related... for me it was probably years of being in front of very loud speakers at parties, concerts and clubs.

It's bloody annoying... I try to forget about it as much as possible otherwise it just annoys and upsets me.



JSmith
 

PaulD

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There are many potential causes for tinnitus, from stress or medications to infections and blood vessel disorders and so on. It is actually a rather long list.

I have tinnitus in my right ear when I think about it - like now, otherwise it goes away! Best is to see a good specialist and take their advise. Mine was most alleviated by rinsing my sinuses regularly with a mild alkaline solution because it was caused by a low-level sinus infection (the rinse was to fix the persistent infection, coincidentally it improved the tinitus!). Good luck! Best is to stay calm and follow the best medical advise.
 
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Juhazi

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I've had tinnitus as long as I remember, since childhood. I failed in screening test with impaired highs. Cause is unknown and pistol sport shooting, motorbikes, chainsaws etc. haven't helped... I'm atopic with narrow airways, one sinus/hiatus operation...

I can't hear anything above 8kHz in test, but I can still hear treble changes above 10kHz done with dsp. Loudspeaker diy hobby is done with microphone and measurements anyway... Whining is annoying when it's quiet around eg. going to sleep or sitting on lake beach at sunset. I prefer this to having one ear deaf, which is rather common too.
 

Moonhead

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I have had tinnitus in my left ear for a couple of years now and background noise and music at lower levels helps in the home. When I’m cycling it’s annoying and I get tired, but when I’m walking I can drown out car noise with the QC35, only reason I have them. If I have a rough night the tinnitus can be unbearable and I’m still on the fence if I should sell my speakers and headphones because of it, can’t figure out which gives me most fatigue.

Hope you find out what can help you.
 

Phorize

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I have had tinnitus in my left ear for a couple of years now and background noise and music at lower levels helps in the home. When I’m cycling it’s annoying and I get tired, but when I’m walking I can drown out car noise with the QC35, only reason I have them. If I have a rough night the tinnitus can be unbearable and I’m still on the fence if I should sell my speakers and headphones because of it, can’t figure out which gives me most fatigue.

Hope you find out what can help you.
Like all phenomena that we are aware of tinnitus presents itself in consciousness. A well trained clinical audiologist with tinnitus retraining skills can’t usually make the stimulus go away but there are evidenced based practices to reduce or eliminate the psychological and emotional effects. Have you been assessed by an audiologist?
 

Soniclife

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I'm curious if I got it because I started listening to different music critically as I was trying to evaluate the speakers and different electronics like AVR and Amplifiers.
I don't see how that could cause it to start, but it can, and probably did, cause you to notice it for the first time. For most of us with tinnitus the only treatment is to ignore it, as once focused on it's hard to unhear it.
 

daftcombo

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I have had some occasional slight and non disturbing tinnitus in the left ear for ten years. It is triggered each time after several hours of listening with closed headphones and stops after a few days.

It all started after a night in the disco when I was 25 or so. I had tinnitus for a few months after. Now it is occasionnal, as I said. So you shouldn't worry too much, but go to the doctor just in case.

(As for earing loss, I don't know, perhaps I have some. I'd rather not want to know.)
 

BDWoody

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I'm so sorry that you've got this on your plate to deal with.

I've had it in both ears since my late 20's, as have both of my brothers (one being an ENT ironically enough).

Hard to pin down a cause In most cases it seems. I hope it clears up for you...it can definitely be annoying. If not, know you are far from alone.
 

Aerith Gainsborough

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Sorry to hear that. I have a low frequency tinnitus for a couple of years now. Pretty dang annoying, it gets louder when I am tired/stressed/sick.

I doubt that you got it just because you listened to speakers, still an IPhone app is too imprecise to be sure, you need a calibrated SPL meter for that.

Hope your Doc can help you.
 

NYfan2

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I have it in both ears for at least 15 years now, most of the time I don't notice it, only when I think about it I notice it and it gets annoying. Its probably from loud concerts and nights out in my early 20's'. I remember going to a Metallica concert about 30 years ago, after the concert I had a loud sound in my ears for at least 4 days but at that time hearing protection had no high priority.

I always worked in professional audio and light since my early 20's, for the last 20 years I always have hearing protection with me so if the sound pressure becomes to high I wear hearing protection but the damage was already done.

But it never stopped me from enjoying listening to music and I still can hear if a sound systems sounds good or not.

To the OP, unless you listened to really loud music often (headphones) the cause is probably something else so let's hope a doctor can help you. But if you develop Tinnitus from loud sounds the damage to your ears is irreparable and you just have to learn to live with it.
 

Moonhead

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Like all phenomena that we are aware of tinnitus presents itself in consciousness. A well trained clinical audiologist with tinnitus retraining skills can’t usually make the stimulus go away but there are evidenced based practices to reduce or eliminate the psychological and emotional effects. Have you been assessed by an audiologist?

Well I get about 4 hours of sleep every night for weeks on end, as I’m blessed with two boys, so getting the eldest to school and daily grocery shopping is a victory in itself. As it’s the lack of sleep causing the severe tinnitus, no point in going to a audiologist as of now, but I will eventually.
- Sorry for hi-jacking thread!
 

Atanasi

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There is a preconscious filter in hearing that takes out noise and makes predictions what a sound is supposed to be. Tinnitus is a failure of this system, so that erroneous signals are not filtered out as noise but let through as conscious perception.

There are some cases where careful listening in silence or trying to recognize sounds among much noise teaches the filter to be more lenient, so people get a higher risk of tinnitus. I suppose some tinnitus therapies are based on teaching the filter to be stricter, by listening to noise shaped in a particular way, for example.
 

PaulD

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What recipe do you use for this solution?
I use what the specialist told me to (after the bottle from the pharmacist was finished):
Nasal Irrigation Formula: 1/2 teaspoon each of cooking salt and NaHCO3 (bicarbonate of soda / sodium bicarbonate) in 200 or so ml of water. Can increase the salt if feels weak. Put this in a spray bottle & rinse twice a day.

Hope that helps! Mine took 2 weeks to take effect...

[edit: if your nose gets too dry with this, you can use a smear of moisturising ointment after the rinse, just on the inside of the nostrils. I use some pawpaw ointment as recommended by the specialist who advised me originally.]
 
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Martini

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sailor2005

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There's always the possibility of a brain tumor. Something like a vestibular schwannoma can press or envelope the auditory nerve and cause tinnitus and hearing loss. Happened to me on right ear.
 
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