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But I can only hear the sound which is like 'white noise' when everything is quiet - it only gets really load and unbearable when I'm in a small room with the door closed and there is no other sound.
It doesn't bother me, but you can buy earing things which clip onto the ear and they supposedly really work, I remember reading about them. They piqued my interest because I wouldn't mind 'hearing' silence, but I never bought or tried them.
Can't find a link for them - but there are some other tried and tested treatments if you google.
I hope you can be cured, or failing that, manage your tinnitus.
I have significant hearing loss, but am very sensitive to noise and can't stand loud noise so I don't think a hearing aid will help. I sleep with a fan to try to overpower the ringing with white noise. Yes it is worse when you are in a room and it is silent.
My first hearing test was compromised, because my head was buzzing really loud that day, and I was super anxious, which seems to make things worse. I went to Mass Eye and Ear (affiliated with Harvard) for the 2nd battery of tests, and was told that I had great hearing for a 40 year old, hence, hearing loss was probably not the cause of the tinnitus. For me, it's more in my brain, not localized in the ears and the loudness varies in intensity throughout the day. At times, it's silent, other times it feels like a high pitched drill in my head. I can't lay on my right side at night, becuse then my right ear does "ring". This is all so new to me, so I am still trying to learn to cope. I too, have almost super hearing. My husband jokes at my "jack-rabbit ears". I am amazed at those who say it doesn't bother them anymore. I wonder how you get to that point. Time I guess? I've looked at other tinnitus forums, but I only want to talk to people on CD. I guess it's a comfort thing because this is so personal. Thanks to everyone for sharing.
My first hearing test was compromised, because my head was buzzing really loud that day, and I was super anxious, which seems to make things worse. I went to Mass Eye and Ear (affiliated with Harvard) for the 2nd battery of tests, and was told that I had great hearing for a 40 year old, hence, hearing loss was probably not the cause of the tinnitus. For me, it's more in my brain, not localized in the ears and the loudness varies in intensity throughout the day. At times, it's silent, other times it feels like a high pitched drill in my head. I can't lay on my right side at night, becuse then my right ear does "ring". This is all so new to me, so I am still trying to learn to cope. I too, have almost super hearing. My husband jokes at my "jack-rabbit ears". I am amazed at those who say it doesn't bother them anymore. I wonder how you get to that point. Time I guess? I've looked at other tinnitus forums, but I only want to talk to people on CD. I guess it's a comfort thing because this is so personal. Thanks to everyone for sharing.
my hearing is super sensitive and super amplified too!
I'm amazed that I got to the point where I can say I'm used to it; I'll never say it doesn't bother me anymore because I would prefer to not have this. I recall when it first began I thought I would go crazy. I paced the floors at night crying. I cried during the day. I wanted my life back. I thought if this doesn't stop I will just kill myself. I went from one specialist to another. I was desperate.
Then one day a friend stopped by and said she had just been in a doctor's office and spoke to a lady in the waiting area who was suffering th same thing. The lady said she had gotten to a point where it was now part of her and she had stopped fighting it. I asked my friend how long had the lady had it and she said 25 years!!! I thought to myself,"oh hell no! I can't bear it that long!".......................well in January it will be 26 years that I've had it and I'm still alive and dealing with it. I just do not focus on it,I acccept it for the most part and I've stopped letting it control my life.
Don't chase false hopes. Trust me-with my daughter being in the particular medical field that deals with this (she has Tiinnitus also) IF there were something/anything that could be done to fix or alleviate this--she and I would have done it.
I got a sort of static in my ears when I was 14 and suffering with the chicken pox. I just remember being miserably itchy and laying on the carpet watching TV when the static sound began. It hasn't stopped and it has been 20 years. In August 2008, my husband and I took a trip to the mountains. Sitting on our hotel bed, I got a buzzing noise in my right ear. It fluctuates between a buzz and what actually feels like my eardrum is having spasms. I've had life long ear problems and both of my eardrums are perforated. One particularly bad day in September 2008, my ear was buzzing, my eye was twitching and I was seeing flashing lights. In October 2008, after 3 MRIs, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. After surgery in December 2008, the tumor was removed, and the buzzing subsided for a few months but is now back. My follow up MRI reveals my brain to be normal. My ear buzzes when I have my head in certain positions. If I jerk my head quickly, the buzz goes away for a time. I am going to investigate a chiropractor in Phoenix who uses traction in addition to cracking to get my neck and spine aligned. My ENT laughed at me and told me to get a hearing aid. I do admit that I have beaten my ears up in my life, seeing lots of concerts and hitting the firing range a few times a year. I can say I have learned to deal with it somewhat. But sometimes the buzzing can almost tickle which is annoying. I sleep with the TV on and listen to the radio at work and in the car to drown out the noise. I am also going to investigate the homeopathic options but I can't use drops due to the perforations. Definitely annoying, but I will not let it disrupt my life.
I got a sort of static in my ears when I was 14 and suffering with the chicken pox. I just remember being miserably itchy and laying on the carpet watching TV when the static sound began. It hasn't stopped and it has been 20 years. In August 2008, my husband and I took a trip to the mountains. Sitting on our hotel bed, I got a buzzing noise in my right ear. It fluctuates between a buzz and what actually feels like my eardrum is having spasms. I've had life long ear problems and both of my eardrums are perforated. One particularly bad day in September 2008, my ear was buzzing, my eye was twitching and I was seeing flashing lights. In October 2008, after 3 MRIs, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. After surgery in December 2008, the tumor was removed, and the buzzing subsided for a few months but is now back. My follow up MRI reveals my brain to be normal. My ear buzzes when I have my head in certain positions. If I jerk my head quickly, the buzz goes away for a time. I am going to investigate a chiropractor in Phoenix who uses traction in addition to cracking to get my neck and spine aligned. My ENT laughed at me and told me to get a hearing aid. I do admit that I have beaten my ears up in my life, seeing lots of concerts and hitting the firing range a few times a year. I can say I have learned to deal with it somewhat. But sometimes the buzzing can almost tickle which is annoying. I sleep with the TV on and listen to the radio at work and in the car to drown out the noise. I am also going to investigate the homeopathic options but I can't use drops due to the perforations. Definitely annoying, but I will not let it disrupt my life.
wow, so thankful you got through the brain tumor ordeal and that it was benign.
DreamWeavin, I swear I could have written your post. When you described how you felt when you first develped tinnitus..wow! If it wasn't for my kids I would have jumped off a bridge. I lost something like 15 pounds in 2 weeks, and would also pace the floor crying. I never thought I could get so bad. I made an appointment with a mental health provider, who put me on a mild dose of anit-depresent, as well as an anti-axiety drug to take when needed. I don't know what I would have done without the meds. I have worked at remaining realistic about options, as well as understanding the fact that it will probably never go away.
Tinnitus is common, especially as we grow older. Most of we older folks have it and there's no cure, unless it's related to something specific such as a growth somewhere. You learn to live with it and, surprisingly, sooner rather than later, it will become so commonplace you won't notice it much, except at night when it's quiet.
Mine often gets loud enough to keep me from sleeping (it sounds like I'm standing at the turbine end of a jet engine), but I learned long ago to mask the sound with "white" noise so I can sleep.
There are two very good "white" noise sources which might help you out:
1. Tune a radio to an off channel on the FM band. That's just a buzzing static which will make your tinnitus go away. Don't do AM as stations there go in and out.
2. My favorite device is a fan, sitting next to the bed and pointed in my direction. It works wonders on tinnitus and keeps me cool all night. I use one year round.
Thanks for the well wishes DreamWeavin. I'm very fortunate and appreciate every day which is why I won't let my tinnitus get me down.
Another thing I forgot to mention is that I think that allergy meds help me considerably. I take an otc 24-hour non-drowsy allergy pill made by Kroger. Much cheaper than Claritin. I feel it helps considerably with the buzzing. I still have the constant static sound which I can bear. But the buzzing is greatly reduced. Just a thought....hope it helps.
My husband has bouts of tinnitus, and the reason for his issue is a huge build up of wax in his inner ear canal. Once the wax is cleared out by an ENT, he's fine for a few months, before it happens again. Has that been ruled out for you?
Have you gone to an ear specialist--not just a regular ENT but some ENTs specialize specifically in the ear and hearing issues. Perhaps you can find one at a teaching hospital.
What preceded your bout with tinnitus? Did you have any kind of infection, loud noise, other incident, etc.? What do you think caused this?
I have bad wax in left ear, usually every 6 months I have it drained and I am good to go, but the last time he drained it, I got the ringing and it has been a while now and it hasn't stopped.....
ugh !
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I guess it's a comfort thing because this is so personal. Thanks to everyone for sharing.
