Tinnitus? Am I the only one?

marms1219 · February 2012

No, you're definitely not the only one out there.

I had an upper respiratory infection that apparently traveled to my left ear. I woke up one morning in December 2006 close to my 50th birthday with my ear completely stopped up (thankfully no pain). A day or so later it started ringing and hasn't stopped since. I went to the ENT and he told me that he would see 3 or 4 other people just like me that day and that there's nothing that could be done.

It is hard to accept when it first happens but that being said it is something that you eventually get used to. When I am at work or in other situations where there is background noice I don't notice it at all, in other words I have to think about it to notice it. Sometimes when I first wake up it is barely there and other times it is louder but I don't have to have a sound machine to sleep. Sometimes it sounds like crickets, sometimes a high pitched whine. I have had my hearing tested and it is within normal for my age except for very high frequencies.

I too hope and pray that medical technology will one day soon come up with a cure. I would also suggest ear protection when around loud noises to keep it from getting worse. Like others have said, don't let it affect your qualtiy of life, you can lead a nornal life with this condition. Best wishes!

sjohnny · February 2012

Mine gets louder when I'm sick or stressed but it's there all the time. The quieter it is around me the more noticeable it is. I have to have a fan on to sleep. Mine was self-inflicted. Lots of shows in my teens and twenties, riding motorcycles at high speeds with loud pipes, lots of gunshots - without hearing protection from time to time. I still go to shows and shoot guns (with ear protection now). I have a subwoofer and amplifier in my car and still listen to my music real fckin loud. I don't let it slow me down I just deal with it when it gets too loud.

californiansun · February 2012

Mine gets louder when I'm sick or stressed but it's there all the time. The quieter it is around me the more noticeable it is. I have to have a fan on to sleep. Mine was self-inflicted. Lots of shows in my teens and twenties, riding motorcycles at high speeds with loud pipes, lots of gunshots - without hearing protection from time to time. I still go to shows and shoot guns (with ear protection now). I have a subwoofer and amplifier in my car and still listen to my music real fckin loud. I don't let it slow me down I just deal with it when it gets too loud.

Yeah, I got sick and woke up with it. I have no idea what happened. It's just depressing. I'm going to the ENT again (hopefully) for a hearing test so I hope all is well.

Mine gets louder when my jaw is more stiff, or if I'm stressed. I'm trying to stay stress free.

FlyByJuly · February 2012

I"ve had tinnitus for about 11 years now. It just started one evening, don't know why. It was maddening. In the beginning, it almost drove me to suicide. But I have a family, so that wasn't an option. I cried many nights because I got no relief whatsoever from it. Constant. I saw my doctor. From what I've been told, they don't know cause, and there's no cure. I always have to have background noise to keep me from going insane! If I'm ever in a place that is totally quiet (luckily, there aren't many places), I feel like something is closing in on me, like the ringing is getting louder and louder and louder until something's gonna blow. I run a fan in my bedroom all night long, every night. I also set the timer on my tv so that I will fall asleep before it turns off. My newest addition to my white noise collection is a cool, mistless humidifier. I've tried several "remedies" that I"ve heard about over the years, gauranteed to stop the ringing. None of them worked. I saw something in the drugstore the other day, don't remember what it was. I didn't even pick it up to read about it, because I know it won't work. If anybody has been cured of tinnitus, I'd sure like to hear about it.

carissaaurora · February 2012

Hey, I'm sorry to hear it...I have it too. In addition to the reasons mentioned in previous posts, I have also been told it can be caused by high blood pressure...so maybe take your blood pressure at one of those free machines at the drugstore just to see?

i_dont_want_2_be_fat_anymore · February 2012

I've had this for about 25 years now (i'm 37). When i was young, i had constant ear infections which lead to inverted ear drums (they would pull in due to the pressure). Afterwards the drums perforated, which caused a cholesteatoma to form.

3 surgeries later, the tumor's been gone 7 years now and the hearing has improved through an implant however the ringing will always be there although it's not nearly as bad as it used to be.

It's noticeably worse in my right (surgery-side) then it is on my left, and seems to get much much worse in the evenings, when i'm sick, or sleep-deprived. Unlike most people that have it though, i can only fall asleep in complete silence. Something i guess i just grew accustomed to over the years.

If your TInnitus is due to hearing loss, then sometimes the ringing will subside or go away when the hearing is repaired. Other times, the Tinnitus is a result of nerve damage. If it's the latter (which i have), i think we are just screwed...

Oh yeah...to help relieve some TInnitus symptoms, lay off Caffeine. Caffeine causes your Eustachian tubes to tighten, thereby messing with the pressure in your inner ear which will cause your ringing to increase and/or give you that underwater feeling.

Rocking_Robin · February 2012

Bump

My Hubby has it, he also has MS...nothing seems to help...some days is better than others...some days soft noise some days unbearable.

Good Luck!

californiansun · February 2012

I"ve had tinnitus for about 11 years now. It just started one evening, don't know why. It was maddening. In the beginning, it almost drove me to suicide. But I have a family, so that wasn't an option. I cried many nights because I got no relief whatsoever from it. Constant. I saw my doctor. From what I've been told, they don't know cause, and there's no cure. I always have to have background noise to keep me from going insane! If I'm ever in a place that is totally quiet (luckily, there aren't many places), I feel like something is closing in on me, like the ringing is getting louder and louder and louder until something's gonna blow. I run a fan in my bedroom all night long, every night. I also set the timer on my tv so that I will fall asleep before it turns off. My newest addition to my white noise collection is a cool, mistless humidifier. I've tried several "remedies" that I"ve heard about over the years, gauranteed to stop the ringing. None of them worked. I saw something in the drugstore the other day, don't remember what it was. I didn't even pick it up to read about it, because I know it won't work. If anybody has been cured of tinnitus, I'd sure like to hear about it.

I agree with you. In the beginning I was like "what is the point of this anymore?" I still get VERY frustrated. I think I know what you're talking about, it's like flavanoid plus or something... I didn't even bother.

californiansun · February 2012

I've had this for about 25 years now (i'm 37). When i was young, i had constant ear infections which lead to inverted ear drums (they would pull in due to the pressure). Afterwards the drums perforated, which caused a cholesteatoma to form.

3 surgeries later, the tumor's been gone 7 years now and the hearing has improved through an implant however the ringing will always be there although it's not nearly as bad as it used to be.

It's noticeably worse in my right (surgery-side) then it is on my left, and seems to get much much worse in the evenings, when i'm sick, or sleep-deprived. Unlike most people that have it though, i can only fall asleep in complete silence. Something i guess i just grew accustomed to over the years.

If your TInnitus is due to hearing loss, then sometimes the ringing will subside or go away when the hearing is repaired. Other times, the Tinnitus is a result of nerve damage. If it's the latter (which i have), i think we are just screwed...

Oh yeah...to help relieve some TInnitus symptoms, lay off Caffeine. Caffeine causes your Eustachian tubes to tighten, thereby messing with the pressure in your inner ear which will cause your ringing to increase and/or give you that underwater feeling.

I can never sleep in complete silence! I go nuts! But maybe when time goes on it wont bug me as much anymore.

I just hope it's nerve damage and not hearing loss. I've had a lot of ear infections (I get them when the seasons change) When the tinnitus started I supposedly had a bad ear infection. I guess ill just have to see what the ENT says!

Tinnitus? Am I the only one?

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