Informal Survey: Tinnitus, Ringing in the Ears

[dave29]

How many of you suffer from ringing in the ears?
For how long?
Do you know what caused it?
Have you found anything that helped you deal with it(medicine, exercize, etc)?
Do you have hearing loss, or hyperacusis as well?
Has it effected the quality of your life?
Has it ever gone away?

I am curious, as a T sufferer since I was 26. Mine came out of nowhere - I have no hearing loss, but as a composer, it has stopped my career for quite some time now. ,y main problem is hyperacusis (oversensitivity to sound) which comes and goes with my stress level. Nobody seems to know what caused mine... my theory is over-use of headphones.

For me, exercize and no caffeine seem to be the best at controlling it... but I dream of the sound of silence.

[lilymidnite]

1. Iron-deficiency anemia

My tinnitus gets worse if I get anemic. It's usually worst in the afternoons.

Sometimes it drives me absolutely wild.

E.N.

[rogerashton]

2. Left only.

I fell down and busted my head, seven months ago, and have had it since then. (So my experience is probably not very relevant to you). There is also some hearing loss on that side, especially in the high registers. (I can watch a blackbird to my left singing and my ears tell me the song is coming from the right.) I don't much like it but glad to be alive and as mentally sound as ever -- take that as you will. No-one suggests that there is any possibility that it could improve. My Dad developed tinnitus and higher register hearing loss through aging, but as I recall was a bit younger than I am -- i.e. fifties -- when he did.

It must be tough being deprived of your profession. In my case, the hearing loss is worse -- a feeling of being isolated comes with the package and that makes my relations with my students, always a little awkward, moreso.

[dave29]

4. mine started on the right

but now has more of a global register. Sometimes, I feel Tinnitus should qualify as a disability.. I've read studies where the areas that the brain registers the sound is the same as the area that registers "phantom limb pain" in those that have lost limbs.

It is usually more of a nuissance than anything, but I have heard of people that were driven literally crazy by the sound.

[LaurenG]

3. Off and on, on right now (ringing in ears)

caffeine, aspirin and other drugs can cause it. Also sinus and allergy problems.

[Left_Winger]

5. I have it

For how long?
Can't remember, but it has been a long time.

Do you know what caused it?
No. The EENT said it might have been all the loud rock concerts I attended over the years.

Have you found anything that helped you deal with it(medicine, exercize, etc)?
Nope. I am an avid bicyclist (30-40Km per day) and it is still here.

Do you have hearing loss, or hyperacusis as well?
The only time I have a hearing problem is in crowds: the EENT called it "the cocktail party effect" (when all the sounds merge into one and I have to ask people to repeat themselves.)

Has it effected the quality of your life?
No.

Has it ever gone away?
No.

I have just learned to live with it. I took a hearing test and scored 100% in my right ear and 96% in my left.

[Deja Q]

6. Mine came about due to too many ear infections as a kid/yng adult.

Constant. But I've learned to love white noise. :D

[dave29]

7. we have a dual purpose

air purifier, noise generator in the bedroom ;)

[Radio_Lady]

17. Husband and I both have it. We've had it for decades...

I use a "sound source" machine made by Marsona at night to cover the ringing or hissing sound in my head. Also, I have a disc player and CDs with soft, low music -- or the sound of rain -- or the ocean. I put tiny earbud headphones in my ears and fall asleep with those sounds.

I can't equate it tinnitus with anything -- and believe me -- I've tried. I do take a baby aspirin daily and have high blood pressure (under control). Also, I have used regular headphones for a very long time in various jobs, but not with loud noises -- just talking, mostly. My husband is an electrical engineer and NEVER used or uses headphones.

ENT doctors tell me nothing can help. I just live with it. William Shatner is a sufferer, as I recall.

The American Tinnitus Association is here in Portland, Oregon, if you want more information.

http://www.ata.org

They produced an interesting TV program on cable about five or six researchers who were working on grants to try to find a solution. I don't recall what the name of the program was.

There also used to be a USENET news group at:

alt.support.tinnitus

which was interesting for a while.

I've just learned to live with it. Good luck!

When people ask me what it sounds like, I remember one day in springtime in Stamford, Connecticut. The company had a training class held in one of their buildings. That building was right in the middle of a huge swarm of cicadas during their mating season. The windows were open. That's what tinnitus sounds like....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-cicadagraphic0418,0,3709213.graphic?coll=bal-health-utility

See decibel comparison on this page.

[dave29]

19. the ringing

of mine sounds like someone running their finger around the rim of a wine glass. Strangely, when it gets better, it starts to get louder (I get a feeling of relief) and the sound morphs into something like crickets.

For this reason, I love nothing more than the sound of crickets ;)

[johnnie]

8. Haven't gotten it yet

You would think that after playing in loud bands for 25 years, two broken eardrums, a few inner and outer infections I would have problems. Nothing yet, and I can even still hear.
I thought that for sure I would have had it by now.

[dave29]

9. be careful!

not something you want ;)

[MuseRider]

10. Mine came up suddenly

about 6 or 8 months ago. It is awful but I am learning to adjust to it. Being such a non compliant patient I have not gone in to get it checked because it will take about 3 different Doctor appointments before I can even get into an audiologist(no insurance). I do have a lot of hearing loss from playing in the symphony, 80%(the side directly in front of the French Horns and Trumpets lol) loss in one ear and 40% in the other. I wish I could offer you some solution, it is an awful thing to have. It took me a while to learn to relax myself enough to keep from freaking out when it is silent around me and I hear is a high pitched squeal instead of silence.

Someone on here once suggested Ginko Biloba worked for someone he knew. I tried it and it did not work for me but you might give it a try.

[dave29]

12. I've heard of ginko working for some

I tried it for a bit, but it did not help me much. Sorry about yours as well - although it must be great to play in the symphony!

[MuseRider]

13. Yes it is!

I would not trade it for perfect hearing ever ever ever.

[dave29]

16. I play piano

and used to play trumpet. I was being prepped to play with the KC symphony. My teacher had a connection there.

I decided to become a composer instead ;)

[MuseRider]

20. So you are from

Kansas or Missouri? Cool. My sons are musicians too and one is switching his major to composition.

[dave29]

21. actually from Texas

Austin. My piano teacher had a connection with the KC symphony.

How about yourself?

[MuseRider]

23. Always a Kansan.

So I play here. Good orchestra, great conductor who has become one of my best friends. Board is pretty good, we have a meeting tonight.

I play clarinet.

My brother was a pianist in Houston. I loved to go visit him, so much music. Here it is pretty slow.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

11. Hey, fellow tinnitus sufferer

Here are some quick answers:

For how long? Since '93, when I was senior in high school.

Do you know what caused it? 3 years of loud, loud music played by my band and listened to without earplugs. Bad idea.

Have you found anything that helped you deal with it (medicine, exercise, etc)? I have found that over time, the brain just assimilates the sound and you'll really stop hearing it unless you concentrate on it. When I was younger, it really freaked me out. I was depressed an' all. After 6 months or so, I all but forgot I had it. Although it did get worse when I started working in the studio a lot. (Headphones are a likely culprit.) I think they have therapy but I hear (no pun intended) it's expensive. You could find out more from an audiologist.

Do you have hearing loss, or hyperacusis as well? I have a degree of both. I can hear a television set down the block. Not the actual program being broadcast but the very high pitched beep/squeal/ring of the TV itself. I can also hear lights...that's really annoying. As far as hearing loss, I have a VERY difficult time hearing people talk when there's a lot of background noise, like in a bar. Makes picking up girls kinda tough. I also like the TV volume up pretty high. I also HATE it when people whisper in movies....can never make out what they're saying.

Has it effected the quality of your life? See above. Kinda but you get thru it.

Has it ever gone away? Some people, like Pete Townsend of The Who, claim his became quieter over the years. I believe that. Like I said, your brain kinda turns down the volume on it all by itself. It also helps if you don't have a "type A" personality, like someone who is gonna focus on it and freak out because your once-perfect ears are now damaged. That's how I was at first. Not a helpful disposition.

[dave29]

14. the ringing itself

means nothing to me anymore. Sort of an old friend now. It's the hyperacusis. The sound of silverware crashing , or a sudden loud noise in a quiet room. I get a muscle spasm in my right middle ear whenever a sudden loud noise occurs... and that leads to an intense and sudden rush of anger.

Very bizarre.

[coyote]

15. have it

How many of you suffer from ringing in the ears?
-- I do

For how long?
-- not sure....I think for a long time, but seems to be more pronounced lately and actually had it checked out by a doc.

Do you know what caused it?
-- no

Have you found anything that helped you deal with it(medicine, exercize, etc)?
-- distraction...if I simply just get on with my daily activities, I don't notice it at all. It only seems to be a problem when I am in a quiet room (right before going to sleep for example)
-- I also live in Germany, and they gave me a 5 day infusion treatment which according to my ENT doc has a 60% success rate (a reduction or complete recovery from the ringing) Did not work for me though
-- also the my ENT doc gave me ginko biloba, but no luck there either.

Do you have hearing loss, or hyperacusis as well?
--no...actually have totally normal hearing

Has it effected the quality of your life?
--more of a nuissance if I pay attention to it.

Has it ever gone away?
-- not yet

[Dave Reynolds]

18. Almost always,

since childhood.

It kind of limits my hearing of high frequency sound.

[necso]

22. There are a number of sites

that have information about musicians and tinnitus (generally useful for loud music listeners too).

www.hearnet.com is one.

Tinnitus can be a seriously unpleasant problem.

Anyone who deals with loud sounds would do well to think about taking preventive measures. And this is especially true for those who have to listen to the sounds that they are exposed to -- and can't just block these sounds out.

I had a brief, intermittent bout due to an ear infection. (Or so I think, a cold developed and passed, and then the symptoms left.)

Antihistamines reduced the severity of the symptoms in my case, but I doubt the broader utility of this treatment.

[barb162]

24. I get it several times a week

and it lasts a few minutes. I have no idea what causes it

[dave29]

25. is it a sudden high pitched noise

that increases in volume for a bit - and then disappears?

[barb162]

27. yeah, after a few minutes or so it disappears

I would say it starts a little quietly, then it increases in volume (decibel level) and stays at that steady volume until it ends.

[dave29]

29. that happens to me every once and a while

it seems to be separate from my main tinnitus - although it is a t the same pitch.

Weird!!

[pookieblue]

26. I've had it for years.

my doctor tells me that it's because of the MS. I dunno about that. I just want to get rid of it.

If there is a way to regain the silence I would be thrilled. Right now, I just deal with it with a fan or some other white noise going in my room.

[barb162]

28. do you have it all the time

[dave29]

30. yup

but it is not always front and center of my attention ;)

[barb162]

31. I notice you mention that being off caffeiene seems to help.

I got off caffeine completely about two months ago and I notice no difference in when/how often I get that high pitched sound. I think a sound coming from your own head (and it's always the same, at least for me) is the weirdest thing. I have never asked a doctor about it as it has never really affected me. Now if I started getting it a lot more often and it was louder I would possibly be talking to the doctor about it.

[dave29]

32. yes, leaving caffeine behind

is helpful in dealing with stress, I've noticed... and having less stress definately helps with the ringing. Any kind of stress relief regiemen has helped me. Working out consistently seems to be the best medicine.

[BlueJazz]

33. I've had it for years...it's a flat C# (really!)

I've been blessed with Perfect Pitch.
I probably got it from being in bands (SAX) and using earphones at home for extended times..
It bothered me at first but I truly don't think about it much anymore.. :)

[SoCalDem]

34. I've had it in both ears for so long, I barely notice anymore

Went scuba diving for the first time..musta done something wrong (I was only 12)..came up on the boat and had blood coming from both ears..

No discernable hearing loss, but every time a new doctor looks in my ears he asks idf I know that my eardrums are scarred:shrug:

[dave29]

35. I've heard of this happening to scuba divers

sucks!

[SoCalDem]

38. One dive was enough for me.. bloody ears and a big ole shark

way closer than I ever want to see another one..

[dave29]

46. yeah, that would do it

me no likey sharky

[GreenPartyVoter]

36. Have had it all my life. Am also hearing impaired

[dave29]

37. double whammy

sorry to hear that.

I heard some horror stories about people trying to get rid of their tinnitus by having the hearing nerve snipped, only to realize afterwards that all they had left was the ringing in their ears (created by the brain)

[GreenPartyVoter]

39. Yikes! What doc would DO that?

[dave29]

42. this was in the eraly days

of tinnitus research

[GreenPartyVoter]

43. I would guess so. Surprised they didn't just put leeches in their ears.

[eyepaddle]

40. Phish concert October 17th 1995

I remember pain during the high notes in the second set. My ears were ringing on the ride home and i KNEW they would never stop. It drove me crazy for a few years, but I still have normal hearing--just a little extra I like to joke.

I ALWAYS wear earplugs at a concert, or even loud bar these days. I highly reccommend every one else do the same.

[dave29]

44. I like to say I have extra hearing too

and in a way, it's true. I tell people I have dog ears.

[flamingyouth]

41. I have Meniere's Disease

All of the fun of tinnitus plus the added bonus of dizziness!

Cutting out caffeine does help, I've heard that low-sodium diets can as well, but that didn't work for me.

[dave29]

45. I had one real bad bout of vertigo

that was enough for me.... woah

[sakabatou]

47. I don't have it

But somehow I do get rining in the air when I get near large powersources.

[chaska]

48. I have some hiss, is that normal (guitar player for 30 years)?

[eyepaddle]

49. I don't know about normal,

but it is certainly not surprising.