Does anyone have tinnitus?

[RebelOne]

You know, that ringing, buzzing and clicking sound in your head. And if so, how do you cope? I have had it for years, but as I have gotten older, it is worse. Sometimes, it is unbearable. From what I have read, it is incurable.

[mopinko]

1. mine is not that bad

but i have had dizziness that is probably coming fromt he same place. mild myelinitus.
it sucks. it mostly only bothers me when it is quiet. so nightime is the worst. sometimes i have to turn the radio on to sleep.

[TrogL]

2. Mine's really high frequency

so it doesn't bother much unless I'm someplace quiet.

[arwalden]

17. High Frequency Also...

I only hear it at night or when it's vewwy qwiet. That's why I often sleep with a small fan running, just for the white-noise.

-- Allen

[kalian]

3. I have it...and I'm 32...

some days its quite loud. Others...nothing. I've heard that it
might be related/caused by diet. I know that aspirin causes
tinnitus and have confirmed it personally...

I just hope that it doesn't get worse... How do I cope...I play
LOUD music on my computer :D

[beawr]

4. My Dues to Rock and Roll

I played in bands, and went to shows, for years. Now, I gots Tinnutis. It only bothers me in complete silence. I have found white noise, such as that supplied by a fan, effectively masks the ringing.

[Nikia]

5. Only occaisionally

I am not sure I get it sometimes because it doesn't seem to be after being exposed to loud noise or anything.It happend on average,a couple times per month. It really freaks me out when it happens.

[RebelOne]

8. You are lucky that it only happens a couple times a month.

Mine is constant. There are a few times when I don't have it, but that is rare.

[Mr.Green93]

6. yes

A radio or tv in the background helps. I have a fan on to sleep.

[Rowdyboy]

My partner has had moderate to heavy for years

He needs a fan to sleep too.

[RebelOne]

7. Glad to know that I am not the only one that suffers from it.

Mine is not aspirin-related, as I can't take aspirin since it tears up my stomach. I have learned to live with it, but this morning was really bad. And the worse thing is there is nothing you can do about it.

[Cooley Hurd]

9. Isn't that the same thing Pete Townshend suffers from?

:shrug:

[RebelOne]

10. Well, at least I have something in common with him. n/t

[Mr.Green93]

11. http://www.ata.org/about_tinnitus/consumer/treatment.html#9

this site looks interesting

[RebelOne]

12. Thanks, I'll check it out.

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. DURNITALLANYWAYS !!!

.
.


It doesn't usually bother me unless I consciously THINK about it -

So guess what - -

Anyhoo

had it for decades, and NOT gonna complicate things with any drugs

However, I do always wear hearing protection in an area like factories or heavy machinery if it's available

Dunno if it helps my tinnitus, but can't hurt

Anyway - still

[RebelOne]

14. You're right. It's when I am thinking about it

is when it really bothers me. Though sometimes, like this morning, I couldn't ignore it. The buzzing was so loud that I felt like my head was going to explode. At the moment, it is sort of subdued. And that's only because I have had about 4 glasses of wine.

[lpbk2713]

15. I've had it for as long as I can remember

A high pitched hissing noise. It's annoying sometimes but for the most part I guess I've gotten used to it.

[Parrcrow]

16. I've got it

Its constant. It sounds like a hiss. Recently starting to get popping sounds but only after waking up. You basically have to try to concentrate on listening to something else. Of course when you are aware of it, it gets a death-grip on your attention.

[Lady President]

35. Popping sounds

Ask your doctor about morning popping or crackling sounds because that's often caused by blocked eustachian tubes and it's worse in the mornings. Basically, fluid drains into your ears at night because of gravity and doesn't come out properly. I bet it would make the hissing sound even worse too. I've fussed with popping in my ears most of the last and it is insanely annoying. Oral and injectable steroids every month or so seems to have taken care of it, (but I gained 20# in the process).

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

18. Yeppir.

It's tolerable most of the time, but when I have to take anything asprin-based more than a couple times close togethr it becomes very pronounced. (I occasionally take tramadol for arthritic pain, and it's the worst of the offenders in my drug cabinet.)

I cope by using headphones when I listen to music, and by just trying to listen closely throughout the day. I rarely notice it anymore, even though it's always there.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

19. Artillery

at Fort Sill gave me mine. I think I'd
miss it if it was gone, it's been there
so long. Salt is the one thing that makes
it worse, and not enough sleep.

[alfredo]

25. got mine from the rifle range. They did not issue ear plugs

My ear nearest the muzzle rings/hisses constantly. I have a bit of hearing loss at higher frequencies in that one ear.

Had it for 38 years.

[Don_G]

20. I Have It

And so does my grandmother.

It's annoying when your're young, but crippling when you're 96 years old and can't hear the phone after being a "Rosie Riverter" in Baltimore during the "War Years."

[Lostmessage]

21. Could be high blood pressure

I use to work for a Doctor and it's a sign of high blood pressure.

[ProudGerman]

22. I dunno if I actually have it

Every once in a long while, a ringing will start in my head. Just out of the blue, something similiar to the sound accompanying a test pattern on TV. Sometimes it's gone in a few minutes, sometimes its there for a few hours. But most times, I simply stop noticing it (like after a while, a near scalding shower is merely warm). I'm guessing that since I simply stop noticing it means I don't have it.

But I have suffered with a ringing while trying to deal with everyday life, however fleetingly, that I can sympathize with those who suffer constantly.

[camero]

23. Still get it sometimes

They had me on coagulates to increase the blood flow into the ear itself. Oddly they also sometimes prescribe anti-depressents for it.

My doc gave me an exercise to do which sort of helps. Hold your nose and close your mouth and then try to blow. It forces air out of your ear. It's odd but it works.

Or hold your nose and blow up a balloon.

[booradleyjr]

24. i have it

it becomes disturbing in complete silence...i have to have a radio on to go to sleep

mine is a constant high frequency tone.....i went to an ent doc in the mid 80's and found out my hearing is pretty good, but that the tinnitus is incurable......too much rock and roll, i guess

[Dogmudgeon]

26. The Unbearable Loudness of Tinnitus

I have a bad case of it from ear surgery to remove some tumors and reconstruct the area. It gets loud sometimes -- 60 dB relative sound level. Usually it's more like 40-50, which is loud enough.

What do I do? I accept it as an annoyance, rather than a torture. The way you frame it has a lot to do with how you live with it.

Sometimes I even listen to it, like crystal-ball gazers do to contact the spirits. Of course, there are no spirits to contact, but it does get you over the idea that tinnitus is some gothic horror.

I wish I had a "better" answer, but that's the one that works for me.

Good luck!

--bkl
ssssssssssssssss

[Bundbuster]

27. The bad news is...

I went for medical help (not!) about 6 years ago. The Dr. told me there's nothing you can do to help and it will probably get worse with age. He was right - mine sometimes progresses to a migraine now, and is constant 24/7. Shouldn't have sat in the front row of the Fillmore West 100 times.

[randr]

28. I have had it for years and it is maddening at times

One temp cure I have accidentally discovered is Vicodin/Hydrocodone. I had a scrip for a tooth issue and found that when I took only a half of the dose the ringing disappeared temporarily. This is not a cure or even a therapy as Vicodin produces other undesirable consequences.
I now sleep with a white noise machine as it helps to mask some of the background din.

[Karenina]

29. Badger your kids

to wear HEADSETS rather than sticking those modules in their ears. I harass kids on the train if I can hear what they are listening to. I stuck TP in my ears at the Fillmore East (a.o.venues) and stayed as far away from the Marshall stacks as I could get under every circumstance. I took care, but the audio pollution won out. IT IS OBNOXIOUS and may be in this day and time, unavoidable. Almost ALL of my very FAMOUS
standing-on-stage-being-attacked-by-random-feedback-during-the-sound-check friends suffer from SEVERE tinnitus. PROTECT YOUR EARS!!! PROTECT YOUR EARS!!! PROTECT YOUR EARS!!!

[flama]

30. Oh, yeah

I'd blame it on rock concerts, but I've had it as far back as I can remember. Well, maybe not to the forest fire before I was two, but not much longer after that.

It sometimes keeps me awake at night, but not as much as the ticking of my watch. (Anything but digital watches and clocks have to be in another room far, far away for me to get any sleep.)

No wonder I fall asleep in front of the TV! It drowns out the sounds in my ears (and the ticking of the clock).

[nuxvomica]

31. I get it if I take aspirin

There are numerous causes for tinnitus and some may be curable. If you have a B12 or zinc deficiency, supplementation could help. The homeopathic repertory describes a wide variety of symptom pictures and remedies for tinnitus, including a remedy derived from aspirin.

[leftist_rebel1569]

32. one of my best friends has tinnitus

She constantly hears this high-pitched noise, and it gets worse around large electronics. Like, TVs and computer monitors and microwaves are the worst for her, she says.

[Paragon]

33. William Shatner does

Talked about it on the TODAY show way back when:

http://www.tinn.com/today.html

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

34. Turn a radio station to the static noise at night and that will

help to sleep.

[procopia]

36. Mine sounds like

insects in the country on a summer night. For a while, that's what I thought it was, because I only noticed it when I was trying to sleep. Most of the time, I manage to block it out.