Tinnitus

[chef free]

I hear a very high pitched whine in my ears. Sometimes much worse than other times. It makes it hard for me to pick out voices, especially female voices, in noisy environments. I have noticed that caffeine and alcohol aggravate it. Sometimes loud music makes it worse but not always. Sometimes it makes listening to music unpleasant. Does anyone else here have this problem? What makes it better? What makes it worse? I think mine was caused by lots of exposure to very cold conditions while winter mountain biking and lots of really loud Zeppelin through a pair of AKG 240 headphones!

[JTM]

I also have the high pitched whine, it is louder in my left ear than it is in my right ear. I've had it since November last year when I had to spend a week caring for my mother at her house. I slept in the small room where the bed is right next to a central heating radiator, the pillows on the bed are duck down filled. As crazy as it sounds it seems too coincidental for those two factors not to be the root course of the onset of my tinnitus. At home the my wife and I keep our bedroom cool with a window open all year round, our pillows are memory foam. Like you say chef free, it is sometimes much worse than at other times. If I'm out and about it's not too bad but watching TV, sitting reading or listening to music it can be much more bothersome. The thing about it that bugs me the most is that until just over a year ago when l I took early retirement I spent years in my job wearing headphones for most of the working day, every day listening to loud music without so much of even a hint of ringing in my ears at the end of the working day. I spoke to my local Chemist who told me Betahistine might give some relief but it's only available by a prescription from my Doctor. I'm hoping this condition does not get worse and that it is not permament.

[FireOpal]

I have tinnitus in my left ear. Sucks getting old! Are you going to get it checked out? I saw specialists (even got a second opinion, which offended the hell out of the first doctor - though I meant no offense) and they were not very helpful. Basically they told me I have to live with it.

I think when a doctor says that, it translates "We really don't know." There is a lot of information online but again, it's debatable how helpful any of it is. Good luck.

Yours sounds like the kind caused by loud noises over time. A lot of musicians have it: John Densmore, Sting, etc. My kind is pulsatile tinnitus, a whooshing or booming sound synchronous with the pulse. It goes away sometimes for months, don't know why.

[Melcórë]

I think when a doctor says that, it translates "We really don't know." There is a lot of information online but again, it's debatable how helpful any of it is. Good luck.

It needn't mean they "don't know," just that there might not be any long-term solutions.

Never rely on medical information you glean from the internet. (General tip, not aimed at you.)

[Strider]

Having seen over 2,000 concerts in my life, and all but the first 20 or so without earplugs, I should have tinnitus. I really should...it's a total mystery why I don't.

I mean, I used to do some crazy stupid stuff when I was younger. Like sticking my head in the bass woofer at a rave while on acid to feel the bass throb in my head.

[Susan Gibson]

I am a nurse. Tinnitus is very common (about 20% of population has some varying degree). It can be caused by anything from certain medications (Tylenol, Aspirin), early hearing loss, ear wax, vitamin deficiencies, ear infections, to much more serious causes. It is best to have your ears looked at and hearing checked by an audiologist before thinking of more serious causes. There are several treatments but all are by prescription including tinnitus retraining therapy (actually has a very high success rate).

[redrum]

I have it too and probably caused from too many rock concerts, lots of target shooting, and an 18 year stint as a demolition worker. I think the rock concerts did most of the damage as I used ear protection in the latter two. I suppose I'm a bit more fortunate than some posts here because I only hear it when it's perfectly quiet and it sounds like a big truck approaching from a distance and is also equal to an F sharp on my guitar's 6th string.I have found that I have to sleep with a fan going at night because when I do hear it it's really annoying. I don't believe there's any cure for it. My father also had it but he had the ringing noise. :^(

[Whoopie Cat]

I've had tinnitus in both ears for about 5 years now and mine sounds like 100 crickets and cicardas going off in my ears. I've been to ear, nose and throat specialists, but there is nothing that can be done to treat it.

The high pitched screeching is with me all the time, but is always worse, or more noticible in quiet times, especially in bed at night. There's nothing I do that brings it on louder, or makes it worse .... it's just there, it's part if me now and i've learnt to live with it.

[redrum]

I've had tinnitus in both ears for about 5 years now and mine sounds like 100 crickets and cicardas going off in my ears. I've been to ear, nose and throat specialists, but there is nothing that can be done to treat it.

The high pitched screeching is with me all the time, but is always worse, or more noticible in quiet times, especially in bed at night. There's nothing I do that brings it on louder, or makes it worse .... it's just there, it's part if me now and i've learnt to live with it.

Really sorry to hear that. :^(

[Whoopie Cat]

Really sorry to hear that. :^(

Thanks for caring

Surprisingly, it doesn't bother me that much. When I started reading this thread, I consciously stopped and listened and yup, there they were (my crickets), but on the whole, I tend not to hear or be aware of them too much. I should really refer to it as my tinnitus screeching, but the cricket sound is what is dominant in my mind as to what I hear.

Sometimes however (fortunately not too often), it can be so prominant and piercing, that my right eye will kind of squint and almost water with the high pitched sound. My right ear is worse than my left. When it's loud, it can impede my hearing too.

The best thing is to have subtle background sound, such as music or tv on and at night time, i'm lucky because I have the permanent sound of waves rolling and crashing, so that also creates a background noise for me. If it's annoying me though, I find a fan on low, or even the clothes dryer creates that droning noise needed to shut those crickets up.

Damn, now that i've been focusing on it and the sound, i'm really aware of those noisy little shits going off in my ears.

Mind over matter, mind over matter, mind over matter! ... actually ...... mind over sound, mind over sound, mind over sound!

[slave to zep]

after my thyroid operation 20 odd years ago, i came home with it, which then turned into a weird condition where it feels like bubbles of air fill my ears repeatedly, over and over, about once every 3 seconds. i had it for about a year and it nearly sent me insane!

i had a small bout of it the other week, and i was so worried that it would hang around, but fortunately it went after an hour or so.

so sorry for all the rest of you guys who still have it

[Whoopie Cat]

Jules, mine actually started with a kind of blockness in my ear. It's hard to describe, but it was like surfer's ear, or something that was blocking my ears and preventing me from hearing. My ears felt like they were closing up and I became quite deaf in one ear. I went to the doctor and had a warm water flushing type thing, which actually felt really nice, but in hindsight, that was when my whole tinnitus screeching started.

It probably had nothing to do with the ear flushing and was more an initial problem or cause that started the whole thing, but I would suggest whatever that ear warm water flushing is from the doctors for you, or at least speak to your doctor and see what he/she thinks.

If anyone has a problem with their ears, don't take them for granted, even if you think it's a minor issue. Please, go see your doctor. Don't delay until it may be too late.

[redrum]

Thanks for caring

Surprisingly, it doesn't bother me that much. When I started reading this thread, I consciously stopped and listened and yup, there they were (my crickets), but on the whole, I tend not to hear or be aware of them too much. I should really refer to it as my tinnitus screeching, but the cricket sound is what is dominant in my mind as to what I hear.

Sometimes however (fortunately not too often), it can be so prominant and piercing, that my right eye will kind of squint and almost water with the high pitched sound. My right ear is worse than my left. When it's loud, it can impede my hearing too.

The best thing is to have subtle background sound, such as music or tv on and at night time, i'm lucky because I have the permanent sound of waves rolling and crashing, so that also creates a background noise for me. If it's annoying me though, I find a fan on low, or even the clothes dryer creates that droning noise needed to shut those crickets up.

Damn, now that i've been focusing on it and the sound, i'm really aware of those noisy little shits going off in my ears.

Mind over matter, mind over matter, mind over matter! ... actually ...... mind over sound, mind over sound, mind over sound!

It's funny how any subtle noise can cancel them out. I'd love to have some ocean waves myself. :^)

[chillumpuffer]

I have suffered on and off with this for a few years. I reckon it was a Jeff Beck show I saw sometime in the 90's that did it for me. It was the only gig that people were shouting to turn it DOWN. He plays very high on the fret and it made me dizzy when he soloed. Terry Bozio's drums were that loud that it was like a punch to the stomach every time.

I saw loads of gigs in the 70's onwards. Many far too loud obviously. Then with the onset of a Sony Walkman that probably did it. Anyway a couple of years ago I was cycling to work and lost my balance. I visit to the doctors and an ear, nose and throat specialist found I had narrow passages in my ears and this was causing the imbalance.

About 3 years ago I was trying to sleep and I could hear a humming in my head. It got worse over a few days. So bad in fact that it was like a washing machine in my head which went in different pitches and it was dreadful. Another visit and a syringe of my left ear relieved it - to a point.

I get high pitch noises from time to time which goes after a few seconds and when I sleep I can hear a distant buzzing - a bit like an electricity sub station. I have learnt to live with it. I go for check ups occasionally to see if the wax is building up again, but it hasn't.

I know people have it much worse and constant. There's no cure for this debilitating condition and I have read horror stories of what people suffer. I now tend to avoid gigs but Mrs CP does tend to ask me to turn down music or the TV as it's always too loud.

[Whoopie Cat]

I blame Aussie pub rock bands, in particular ACDC at the Punchbowl Sundowners pub with Bon Scott (Sydneysiders will know what I mean)

Imagine a pub venue with ACDC blasting your friggin ear drums out every second weekend.

Was it worth it?....... you bet your "dirty big balls" it was.

It's called getting old and having lived!!!!!!

I have no regrets.

[Whoopie Cat]

It's funny how any subtle noise can cancel them out. I'd love to have some ocean waves myself. :^)

Go into a hippy type shop, or buy a cd online of the gentle surf/wave sounds, or soft rainfall. Have a small cd player in your bedroom and drift off to sleep to those peaceful sounds.

[chillumpuffer]

I blame Aussie pub rock bands, in particular ACDC at the Punchbowl Sundowners pub with Bon Scott (Sydneysiders will know what I mean)

Imagine a pub venue with ACDC blasting your friggin ear drums out every second weekend.

Was it worth it?....... you bet your "dirty big balls" it was.

It's called getting old and having lived!!!!!!

I have no regrets.

Oh yes I know what you mean WC. I saw AC/DC twice on consecutive nights in 1979 followed by someone who I can't remember then to finish off UFO all on 4 nights. My neck was battered and my ears too. For sheer volume though these are my most loudest remembrances:

Ted Nugent: 1977

Sammy Hagar 1978

AC/DC - as mentioned

Motorhead 1976 - 1980

Jeff Beck

I am sure that nearly all my rock gigs are in there somewhere.

Regrets: Nah !!

[chillumpuffer]

or soft rainfall.

I only have to open the bedroom window for that

[redrum]

Go into a hippy type shop, or buy a cd online of the gentle surf/wave sounds, or soft rainfall. Have a small cd player in your bedroom and drift off to sleep to those peaceful sounds.

Sounds like a plan. :^)

[Whoopie Cat]

[redrum]

This is why I miss living on the coast. Thanks. :^)

[Triplet Kick]

20 years of drumming, often without earplugs, took its toll on my ears. The price of being "cool". Or forgetful. Twat. I wince when I hear folk using headphones in public and you can hear their music blaring, although my demon side chuckles with glee cos one day they'll be suffering like me. Twats.

If my tinnitus gets annoying, I pretend I'm listening to Neil Young doing some crazy feedback. Which is why people often hear me randomly scream "Neil! Turn it the fuck DOWN!"

[redrum]

20 years of drumming, often without earplugs, took its toll on my ears. The price of being "cool". Or forgetful. Twat. I wince when I hear folk using headphones in public and you can hear their music blaring, although my demon side chuckles with glee cos one day they'll be suffering like me. Twats.

If my tinnitus gets annoying, I pretend I'm listening to Neil Young doing some crazy feedback. Which is why people often hear me randomly scream "Neil! Turn it the fuck DOWN!"

Oh those snare drum rim shots (125 db) and cymbal crashes (130db) will do you in. :^(

[Charles J. White]

I have suffered on and off with this for a few years. I reckon it was a Jeff Beck show I saw sometime in the 90's that did it for me. It was the only gig that people were shouting to turn it DOWN. He plays very high on the fret and it made me dizzy when he soloed.

Are you kidding me? Like you I have been to many gigs in my lifetime but I have never been at a gig where the audience was calling for the volume to be lowered. It must have been nuts

[Disco Duck]

20 years of drumming, often without earplugs, took its toll on my ears. The price of being "cool". Or forgetful. Twat. I wince when I hear folk using headphones in public and you can hear their music blaring, although my demon side chuckles with glee cos one day they'll be suffering like me. Twats.

If my tinnitus gets annoying, I pretend I'm listening to Neil Young doing some crazy feedback. Which is why people often hear me randomly scream "Neil! Turn it the fuck DOWN!"

Didn't Roger Taylor of Queen announce he had a similar problem a few years ago?