Tinnitus (Ringing in Ears) - Any advice ?

[TimeThoughts]

I'm in my mid 40s and I started noticing high pitched tinnitus creeping up on me in my late 30s. It seems to be very very slowly getting worse and I now have high pitched tinnitus and intermittent low humming tinnutus when I'm in a very silent room. So 2 different types.

I have been assessed by an audiologist and I'm really surprised to hear how common this is and also how little treatment options there appear to be out there.

I used to think this was an artefact from my early career in Merchant Navy engine rooms and Steam Turbines in power stations but my hearing seems pretty good. The audiologist says my hearing is about 95% as good as it should be for my age and cant see or detect any damage in my ears.

The biggest problem for me is the distraction this presents. I'm a keen reader so these days when I'm reading the tinnitus sort of creeps up on me and I become distracted by it.

Can I ask ?

Has anyone been where I am and found some simple ways to reduce this or even cope a bit better with it ?

The audiologist described a thing called 'Linire' where you sort of suck on an electrode but that looks like a distraction to me rather than a management. The audiologist was also not convinced by the thing so I didn't look into it.

Any input welcomed here.

[Sinnlover]

I have similar issues my left ear but still have really good hearing for some reason.
I find white noise helps when I need to concentrate it also helps me get to sleep when it’s really bad.
It doesn’t have to be the standard fuzzy noise there are many different versions now. I prefer the noise of the African bush but that’s just me.

[Bluemoon7]

Slightly off topic, and not related to the two posts above, but apparently one of the issues that some people are having after recovering from COVID is tinnitus.

[wotsthecrack]

I've had tinnitus since childhood and it's there constantly. I have learned to ignore it, background noise certainly helps. I've also had my hearing tested recently and it's normal but I find conversations in groups really difficult. There is a rarer form of "music" tinnitus. Sounds horrendous, a women has had the same song playing constantly in her head for over 20 years. Anyone guess the song?

How much is that doggy in the window. Couldn't be any worse.

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[jools]

I've had it for years, annoying in the quiet. GP told me to forget about it as I wasn't suffering enough . Once, lying in bed, it seemed very loud in in my left ear, my wife could also hear it, coming from my ear. Objective tinnitus, apparently.

[reggie747]

a women has had the same song playing constantly in her head for over 20 years. Anyone guess the song?

How much is that doggy in the window. Couldn't be any worse.

Oh I don't know......."Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners......😳

[craig1912]

Yep I have it too. Too many rock concerts in the 79/80’s.
I can generally ignore it especially if there are other sounds but it’s there constantly when I’m sat in silence. As someone else said I have difficulty listening to people in crowded places although my hearing is OK.

[Normunds]

let me join the crowd :) my ears been ringing for decades. The only remedy is some noise or music in background and as I love music I am not complaining.

[Sinnlover]

Oh I don't know......."Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners......

I was going to say “it wasn’t me” by shaggy.
You would blow your brains out listening to that over and over again.

[StackH]

In my early fifties now, and have had it for quite a while now. It's slowly getting worse, but still bearable, I tend not to notice it with any kind of background noise going on although as soon as there is a quite patch I can hear it humming away. I blame being a teenager when Walkmans first came to market - too much music and too loud. I then spent my apprenticeship on noisy building sites so it all adds up I guess.

...but I find conversations in groups really difficult

Yep, I really struggle with this. I can't seem to filter a particular person speaking, so end up saying "pardon" a lot or just nodding. Work meetings in a room full of people (pre-Covid) were particularly difficult when multiple people were chatting at once.

[Kingstepper]

Mrs K suffers and was issued with masking device (rather like a hearing aid) by local hospital audiologist. Surprised no-one has mentioned these.

Not sure that it does much TBH, tinnitus not cured but might have become worse without it - impossible to say really.

Edit: - One thing she was told was to avoid certain foods (caffeine and salt for example) and aspirin if I remember correctly.

[Itsguy]

Annoying isn’t it. Seems to have suddenly got a lot worse in the last week or two, which can be related to an infection and is also now thought to be a long COVID symptom. It’s really bugging me, when usually I’d only notice it last thing at night.

Head massage and acupressure points can help a bit. Overdoing it on headphones doesn’t. There’s an app called Whist that can be tuned to create just the right noise to mask it, at a surprisingly low volume level. Nothing really gets rid of it though, though you can certainly stop noticing it. Hard when it’s suddenly changed or got worse, but it can just be a sign of being run down and pass in time, or at least go back to being a bit quieter.

[Linocut]

No advice I'm afraid, just sympathy, I have it 24/7 sometimes it's really loud. I don't think it's audible, I think with me it's related to general middle aged deterioration in the neck vertebrae. How old are you?

[peter2704]

I have this ,and it can get to you a bit sometimes,there all the time for me .I have just bought some in ear hearing aids to see if I can mask it out a little

[tiny73]

I also suffer 24/7 but can mostly block it out with normal day to day noise. Perversely the specialist did a hearing test and apparently at certain frequencies I have superhuman hearing (I’m yet to find a use for the hearing at those frequencies...).

I was told by the specialist that considering the sheer number of moving parts concerned and the intricacies that it’s amazing more people don’t have it. However, there is no cure per sé, certain therapies can help but not rid you of the problem. What he did say was to protect what you do have and ensure the use of hearing protection in loud environments. I had a pair of custom moulded earplugs from ACS ( https://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/ ) with 18 dB filters in that essentially allow sound through, just at a reduced level. As a frequent gig goer these have helped massively (pre-COVID obviously).

[Kirk280]

Listen to Motörhead. Loud.

You won’t be able to hear the tinnitus!

HTH.

[Mick P]

I have tinnitus (probably by blasting too many 12 bore shotguns without ear protection) since my early forties. You just got to live with it and it does go away. The instant I saw the word "tinnitus" in title of this thread the buzzing in my hears immediately came back and will now be with me for a few hours but it will go down as I adjust to it.

[JohnnyE]

I've seen ads for these filters. A lot of tinnitus sufferers say they've really helped. https://www.flareaudio.com/products/calmer

https://flareaudio.freshdesk.com/sup...with-tinnitus-

[tvralan]

I've seen ads for these filters. A lot of tinnitus sufferers say they've really helped. https://www.flareaudio.com/products/calmer

https://flareaudio.freshdesk.com/sup...with-tinnitus-

Plus one for these. I have been using these for six months now, they don't get rid of it totally but really help.

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[peter2704]

I've seen ads for these filters. A lot of tinnitus sufferers say they've really helped. https://www.flareaudio.com/products/calmer

https://flareaudio.freshdesk.com/sup...with-tinnitus-

tried those and they didnt work for me ,if anything it increased the sound of it

[TimeThoughts]

No advice I'm afraid, just sympathy, I have it 24/7 sometimes it's really loud. I don't think it's audible, I think with me it's related to general middle aged deterioration in the neck vertebrae. How old are you?

I'm about 45.

Can I ask... how did you find out it was caused by the vertebrae ?

[hogthrob]

No advice I'm afraid, just sympathy, I have it 24/7 sometimes it's really loud. I don't think it's audible, I think with me it's related to general middle aged deterioration in the neck vertebrae. How old are you?

I'm about 45.

Can I ask... how did you find out it was caused by the vertebrae ?

Possibly related: there's a form of tinnitus caused by the jaw muscle, which I believe can cause ringing in both ears: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-tmj

[TheTigerUK]

I have had tinnitus in both ears for over 20 years 24/7 which for me means I have a permanent dull headache all the while and a ache behind my eyes it has always amazed me that anyone next to me can't hear it as its so loud, my noise is kinda like a steam kettle blowing off in both ears, its noisy all day but at night when I go to bed and with no background noise to hide it it is the worse. Over the years when ever I have mentioned it to the Doctors they just basically say it has to be managed, I must admit now and again I fantasize and try to imagine what it would be like without it, hopefully one day.

[hogthrob]

I have had tinnitus in both ears for over 20 years 24/7 which for me means I have a permanent dull headache all the while and a ache behind my eyes it has always amazed me that anyone next to me can't hear it as its so loud, my noise is kinda like a steam kettle blowing off in both ears, its noisy all day but at night when I go to bed and with no background noise to hide it it is the worse. Over the years when ever I have mentioned it to the Doctors they just basically say it has to be managed, I must admit now and again I fantasize and try to imagine what it would be like without it, hopefully one day.

Have you ever mentioned it to your dentist? Have a read of the page I linked above, if you haven't already done so.

[higham5]

Yes another Tinitus sufferer here. Mine came from probably two sources. Industrial noise whilst spending 20 years in the textile manufacturing industry, and riding motorcycles eg wind noise. Probably also age.

I notice it most when its quiet, eg mornings and evenings when browsing the net. Im lucky I can get to sleep ok.

My son , not so much. Now in in his early 30’s he worked in bars and nightclubs for three years in his early 20’s. He sleeps with ear buds in playing quiet music.

Everything I have read says there is no cure, like others have said they main issue for me is discerning a specific conversation in a busy room. With CV19 that opportunity has gone, so I notice it less.

[Stonewood]

White noise helps mine when I am trying to sleep. There is also some good YouTube channels for tinnitus with the sound of running water which is helpful.


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[baz1]

I have had it for 30 years or so- constant high pitched tone. First statred when i was in the Army, I guess due to working with tracked vehicles. I have probably made it worse by ridung motorbikes even though I always use earplugs. Most of the time it doesnt bother me, but seems worse at night. I use amitriptyline 10mg or 20mg at night to help me sleep.

[g40steve]

Another point to mention is regular cleaning out of ear wax using sterile drops of olive oil.
The wax can cause pressure on veins in the ears giving symptoms.

[TheFlyingBanana]

I have it, not too bad, but it’s constant. Most of the time my brain is clearly filtering it out as I’m not focusing on it, but I find a fan in the bedroom on low overnight helps a lot as it masks the tinnitus enough to help me get off to sleep.

[gilford]

I have it, not too bad, but it’s constant. Most of the time my brain is clearly filtering it out as I’m not focusing on it, but I find a fan in the bedroom on low overnight helps a lot as it masks the tinnitus enough to help me get off to sleep.

Exactly the above!

I was diagnosed a couple of years ago (41) and bought a Dyson Pure Cool air purifier for the bedroom, I have it set at no3 when I go to bed and it makes the world of difference, and we get clean air as a nice addition.

[Stanford]

I have experienced ringing of varying intensity for years. Most of the time it's just in the background and doesn't bother me too much, sometimes it's in one ear only but usually in both.

I don't recall when I first noticed it although I suspect it wasn't until I stopped working and my life got a lot quieter.

What caused it? I don't know but it's probably been the cumulative effect of a number of contributors such as loud music concerts, industrial noise, firearms and motorbikes.

Solutions - I haven't consulted with a professional so I'm only assuming it is actually tinnitus and that the best I can do is manage it, but as it isn't too intrusive or painful I don't really have a problem with it...at the moment.
I do, however, find that a low background white noise like a fan will make it less noticeable and the white noise has an added benefit as it also helps reduce the likelihood of a disturbed sleep caused by external noises like planes, sirens or foxes.
If I need to get a good night sleep because I've got an early start I sometimes use soft foam earplugs and, counterintuitively, they also seem to reduce the ringing as well as the external noise.

edit - thinking about it I recall that some of my journeys into and from work involved some particularly noisy tube stations and tube train journeys.