Buzzing echo in my ear... (pain, infections, blood pressure, hair)

[Rathagos]

I'm 43 years old and over the last 2 years, I have developed a "buzzing" in my right ear. It's not constant, and it only happens when I talk or sing. It seems if I speak or whisper in normal tones, I don't hear it, but when in a group, or I'm getting angry, or start singing with the radio etc., the buzzing starts. It's like an echo in that it only happens with every word I use (there's no buzzing between words I say). There's no pain involved with this, but it's extremely distracting and annoying. There has been no trauma to it, but I have had ear infections in my past (nothing that antibiotics couldn't take care of). I did have a really bad bout of vertigo a couple years back that I had to take medication for because my eyes were rapidly cycling left and right.

My doctor didn't know what it could be and sent me to a PT/Rehab place. They did hearing checks and pressure checks and said everything was within normal ranges.

So, why do I still hear a buzzing when I talk or sing above normal tones.

(My family loves it because I have to stop raising my voice when I'm angry because the buzzing is so annoying!! )

[Rathagos]

Follow on... I just saw the post (down the list) about tinitis. Is it possible that I'm getting (or have) that? From most of the posts I read, it's a constant sound (ringing or buzzing). Since mine only happens when my voice gets above "normal," can it still be tinitis? Is there someone I should see about it since most of the posts I read in that thread said nothing can be done about it?

[*Danielle*]

Are you taking any daily medications?

[Rathagos]

Just acid reflux and cholesterol meds. And a Centrum chewable.

[*Danielle*]

I would read the side effects of those meds...My husband was having hearing issues...and he looked at the side effects of a med he was taking and found nothing...but he kept looking and hearing problems were a VERY RARE side effect. So rare it was not mentioned in a lot of material he was reading...As soon as he stopped the med, his hearing came back to normal...

[cmacf1]

Rathagos -- I also have ringing in my ears. My hubby (who is a professor of pharmaceutics) says two things I take can cause it: naproxyn (I take one tablet per day) and Norvasc which is for blood pressure. I'm sure there are other drugs that can cause it. Have you looked at ALL the side effects for your cholesterol drug? Right now my ears are just ringing away incredibly. I've grown accustomed to it, but once in a while, it drives me insane.

Hope yours goes away!

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by Rathagos

Follow on... I just saw the post (down the list) about tinitis. Is it possible that I'm getting (or have) that? From most of the posts I read, it's a constant sound (ringing or buzzing). Since mine only happens when my voice gets above "normal," can it still be tinitis? Is there someone I should see about it since most of the posts I read in that thread said nothing can be done about it?

Rathogos, tinnitus is a constant ringing in the ear usually caused by some damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. I have tinnitus that was the result of a blood clot in my auditory artery.

I agree, the buzzing can really get to you sometimes. Mine has been constant for 3 1/2 years now and is usually as loud as a normal speaking voice. This causes me to have to see a person's lips when they are talking or I will not understand the sounds they are creating over the noise in my left ear. If many people are talking or if the microwave is going, a TV on or any background noise, for that matter, I may as well forget about the conversation.

It sounds like what you are experiencing is a sensitivity to pitches. If singing or certain voice pitches cause the ringing, this could very well be the problem. I would definitely return to the ENT doctor and tell him about the times you are bothered by the ringing. There are devices you can wear that look like a hearing aid that are programmed to disrupt certain pitches so that you don't react to them.

For myself, music, clanking of drinking glasses, squeaks, other higher pitched noises are downright painful for me to hear and the ringing and buzzing becomes intensified until the nerves in my ear settle down again. I love being alone - explaining why I am posting after midnight! - because the house is finally quiet.

My family tries to help, but this is an isolating condition. They forget that playing with the dog's squeeky toy, or making her bark, or blasting the TV causes me great pain. If one hasn't experienced it, it is hard to understand in someone else.

I hope that you pursue this farther with an ENT doctor because you do not want to risk having a progressive condition that could be stopped in its tracks. Our hearing is never so precious as when it is disappearing.
I hope you get to the bottom of your problem; just don't ignore it.

[Wicked Felina]

Saw the topic and just read your post, gemkeeper. We have very similar problems! (No that that deserves an exclamation point, but what the hey )

I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease several years ago, and have tinnitus in both ears because of a separate traumatic hearing loss in my right ear.

It was very difficult at work sometimes, because people just don't get it, and I worked in a very noisy environment. As you said, sometimes if it was really noisy and a person was standing next to me talking, I simply couldn't hear them. It was very frightening when it started happening, but I think I've grown somewhat accustomed to it. When it occurs now it doesn't scare me so much.

I really dislike crowds for the noise factor. Don't go to concerts - too noisy and painful. Hate loud restaurants, loud people, etc. I carry ear plugs with me, and had special ones made which moderate certain pitches. Just what you talked about in your post.

It's a very hard for people who haven't experienced it to grasp the idea, since one can't see any outward problem. Too, so much depends on echo, attenuation, air pressure, pitch, etc., and not just volume.

Rathgos, gemkeeper's advice would be advice well-taken. Don't delay in getting your hearing tested with an ENT specialist (also check under otolaryngologist surgeons - they're the ones with the testing equipment & knowledge). And yes, the worst cases can drive some people over the edge. It's not worth waiting.

I was told that eliminating salt will help with the tinnitus to some extent. Caffeine also aggravates the condition. Diet can be just another tool in helping to soften the effects of tinnitus.

Well, gemkeeper, I'm not exactly celebrating that you have this problem, but what you described is so similar to what I go through. It kind of makes one feel like they're not alone, ya'know???

[cncracer]

I have had the buzz for years, and was told there was nothing I could do for it. In the last year I did read there is a new drug which helps, but I am not one who likes to take a drug for something I can live with.

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by cncracer

I have had the buzz for years, and was told there was nothing I could do for it. In the last year I did read there is a new drug which helps, but I am not one who likes to take a drug for something I can live with.

There are drugs on the market that some claim do help, cncracer. However, I tend to agree with you that if you are not disturbed with the buzz enough to take a drug, then you most likely are not in any real distress. No drug needed.

The problem with this condition is that it is so disruptive to some, and actually painful for some of us, that occassionally one cannot cope with it. I know of one individual who could not adjust after several years of tinnitis that he required psychiatric drugs because he contemplated suicide.

This condition, as is true of most diseases, comes in degrees. I can live with my condition, but I am not happy with it, it is terribly inconvenient, and does cause me physical and social discomfort.

It does not create any psychological stress for me, other than being pretty ticked off about it, so I guess I will continue to cope as I have been.

SeeBee, I have looked into the devices that are similar to hearing aids that can moderate some pitches and sounds. I have not tried any, but may soon consider doing just that. I hope I can hear what the doctor has to tell me about it! His own office with a PC running, the AC humming away, and noise from the hallway are quite typical of the things that throw me off.

I also have lost the ability of being able to tell where a sound originates. This can be serious when crossing a street. I have been yanked back to a curb already because I could not hear a car only feet away from me after checking visually and then turning away.

And, travelling in a car and trying to listen to someone? Forget it - impossible.

I find that I am no longer shy about telling people that I am hearing impaired and did not hear them the first time that they spoke. Would they mind repeating it as I face them? You just have to adapt like anything else new in your life, whether catastrophic or wonderful, we adapt.