Tinnitus (Ringing In The Ears)

Geico266

Geico266

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Geico
I have it pretty bad (military service connected) but have dealt with it with no major problems. I can sleep with a radio on and play music to cover it up, and life goes on.

There is on going research, but no cure in site. :rolleyes2:

The VA wanted me to attend their 8 week Tinnitus class which started today. I thought this thread might help other with the condition if I relay what I learned.

Basically, today was bio-feed back / meditation training to replace negative thoughts about the "sound" with positive thoughts. If you have tinnitus you need to become your own "scientist" to discover the best ways to minimize the negative affects on your life. Try different things, music, sounds, back ground noise to minimize the effects. I must say it helps.

Anyone else have it? Does it affect your life? What do you do about it?
 
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I have it. I have it really bad. Mine is heavy metal induced. I am a huge advocate of not wearing headphones, get the noise cancelling headphones for your plane. Don't listen to music too loud in your car. It is hell I cannot stand it I sleep with sound machines and I have to have noise around me all the time otherwise I just hear the GD ringing​
 
It is reported 50 million Americans have some form of Tinnitus. It ranges from barely noticeable to a quality of life issue. Keep us informed!
 
I really wish I would have had some clue when I was younger, the long-term damage I was doing. I just had no idea.
 
You young whipper snappers out there (GET OFF MY LAWN! :lol: ;)) need to protect your hearing at all cost. Ears don't have flaps. You need to wear ear protection around lawn mowers, concerts, music, airplanes, racing, anytime you are exposed to loud music. I thought I was cool by not plugging my ears, I was a fool. :yes:

You cannot spend enough money on a head set. DONT GO CHEAP! :mad2: :no:

Get some good ear plugs, keep them on your car keys. USE THEM! please? :rolleyes2:

https://www.alpinehearingprotection.com/earplugs/musicsafe-classic/
 
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SixPapaCharlie said:
I really wish I would have had some clue when I was younger, the long-term damage I was doing. I just had no idea.
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And even if you did know about it, you would probably have ignored the warnings any way. That's how young people are. It's amazing our race has lasted as long as it has.
 
JOhnH said:
And even if you did know about it, you would probably have ignored the warnings any way. That's how young people are. It's amazing our race has lasted as long as it has.
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HUH? Can you speak up? :rofl:


I was hoping hearing aids would help with the tinnitus, but it doesn't.


Please protect your hearing! You don't want to end up like Geico! :rofl: :dunno:
 
Geico266 said:
HUH? Can you speak up? :rofl:


I was hoping hearing aids would help with the tinnitus, but it doesn't.


Please protect your hearing! You don't want to end up like Geico! :rofl: :dunno:
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At least hearing aids don't make the tinnitus louder. I can vouch for that.
 
Geico, perhaps you can ask in your class about a situation I have.

It is similar to tinnitus, but instead of hearing a ringing, I hear melodies. Usually the same melody over and over and over. Fortunately I like the melody, but it does get really annoying.

I have read a little about this condition, and it is experienced primarily by deaf people, which I am without my hearing aids.
At first, I though I was crazy, like in people that hear voices. But from what I read the difference is that crazy people think the voices they hear are real. Those of us with my condition can tell the melody is an artifact that is probably of the brain trying to compensate for a damaged auditory nerve.

I had never heard of this condition before until I got. Since I developed this, I have talked to only a few people about it, but I have now heard stories from others that know people with similar symptoms.

Geico266 said:
I have it pretty bad (military service connected) but have dealt with it with no major problems. I can sleep with a radio on and play music to cover it up, and life goes on.

There is on going research, but no cure in site. :rolleyes2:

The VA wanted me to attend their 8 week Tinnitus class which started today. I thought this thread might help other with the condition if I relay what I learned.

Basically, today was bio-feed back / meditation training to replace negative thoughts about the "sound" with positive thoughts. If you have tinnitus you need to become your own "scientist" to discover the best ways to minimize the negative affects on your life. Try different things, music, sounds, back ground noise to minimize the effects. I must say it helps.

Anyone else have it? Does it affect your life? What do you do about it?
Click to expand...
 
JOhnH said:
Geico, perhaps you can ask in your class about a situation I have.

It is similar to tinnitus, but instead of hearing a ringing, I hear melodies. Usually the same melody over and over and over. Fortunately I like the melody, but it does get really annoying.

I have read a little about this condition, and it is experienced primarily by deaf people, which I am without my hearing aids.
At first, I though I was crazy, like in people that hear voices. But from what I read the difference is that crazy people think the voices they hear are real. Those of us with my condition can tell the melody is an artifact that is probably of the brain trying to compensate for a damaged auditory nerve.

I had never heard of this condition before until I got. Since I developed this, I have talked to only a few people about it, but I have now heard stories from others that know people with similar symptoms.
Click to expand...


Interesting! I have never heard of that before. Is it a melody you recognize? Something you heard in the past that you can remember?

My ringing is not constant. The volume and tone changes sometimes. Sometimes it is very loud and distracting. I thought I had a brain tumor at one time, then again one would have to have a brain to have a brain tumor. ;)

The science behind tinnitus is your brain trying to produce the sounds you can no longer hear naturally, or something like that.
 
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Have you tried Quietus?

Tinnitus has got to be the number one claim in VA benefits for people getting out. That and Sleep Apnea.
 
Velocity173 said:
Have you tried Quietus?

Tinnitus has got to be the number one claim in VA benefits for people getting out. That and Sleep Apnea.
Click to expand...

Yes, didn't even touch it. :no:

Medications have been tried with no clinical proof of effectiveness that I know of. If anyone else knows different please share.
 
JOhnH said:
Geico, perhaps you can ask in your class about a situation I have.

It is similar to tinnitus, but instead of hearing a ringing, I hear melodies. Usually the same melody over and over and over. Fortunately I like the melody, but it does get really annoying.

I have read a little about this condition, and it is experienced primarily by deaf people, which I am without my hearing aids.
At first, I though I was crazy, like in people that hear voices. But from what I read the difference is that crazy people think the voices they hear are real. Those of us with my condition can tell the melody is an artifact that is probably of the brain trying to compensate for a damaged auditory nerve.

I had never heard of this condition before until I got. Since I developed this, I have talked to only a few people about it, but I have now heard stories from others that know people with similar symptoms.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_ear_syndrome
 
AuntPeggy said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_ear_syndrome
Click to expand...

This variation tends to be hereditary.

Worst situation I'm familiar with is "exploding head syndrome." No joke. First documented in England. I've encountered only one person with this in 25 years.

I've had my tinnitus 30+ years now, due to viral labrynthritis. It's really loud at the moment, but normally I don't notice it much.

It's still a poorly understood condition, hence the lack of remedy. It was once thought to be caused by the inner ear because it is typically associated with hearing loss/auditory trauma, but now is linked to some mysterious process within the central nervous system.

Bryan's advice is sound - protect your hearing whenever you can!
 
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Laugh, I have it and remember the second it turned on about 20 years ago.

There is no cure and no school is going to help. No high priced clinic in Germany is going to help. No "miracle" cure on TV is going to help.

The quacks around the world LOVE it, and make million$. But, it will never go away. Learn to enjoy it!
 
Have found that if you decrease your stress level,you also decrease the decibel level of the tinnitus. Worked as a firefighter for my career, if I stay busy,it also helps.
 
frfly172 said:
Have found that if you decrease your stress level,you also decrease the decibel level of the tinnitus. Worked as a firefighter for my career, if I stay busy,it also helps.
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Stress, fatigue, illness, and some midicines (including aspirin) tend to exacerbate the condition, hence therapies aimed at relaxation.
 
I've had it for a number of years. Most of the time it is pretty much in the background. Occasionally it can get loud. Sometimes it is very quiet and the Parrot lets loose with a screech or something gets dropped and sets it off.

Lately my wife has complained about it.
 
I suffer as well. I blame guns in the military and no muffler rule race cars.

I have paid attention for the last couple years and it seems the busier I am, the less I hear it. Trying to go to sleep without a sound machine is useless.

While driving it is hardly noticable.

In an airplane, with ear plugs and noise canceling headsets, I don't hear it at all.

When my wife is talking to me, it is the loudest....

The loudness is varible and I get high and low tones, sometimes wavering, sometimes steady. At times I will be studying in my office and suddenly the sound stops. The change is enough to make me look up and see what happened. There are times it is so loud I swear that people close by can hear it.

I have learned to live with it. What bothers me more is that my eyes keep changing and I need different strength reading glasses, sometimes I need the +2.00 and other times I only need the +1.25 for the same book and same lighting.
 
kgruber said:
Laugh, I have it and remember the second it turned on about 20 years ago.

There is no cure and no school is going to help. No high priced clinic in Germany is going to help. No "miracle" cure on TV is going to help.
Click to expand...



Bull ****. Pretty stupid statement when you haven't even tried the classes or heard of them before. :rolleyes:

The VA has classes that have been repeated with a high degree of success from their participants, and it is free.... for me anyway. The classes are about learning coping skills through relaxation and bio-feed back. I noticed a difference the first hour, and it continues now. The mind is a very powerful tool when used. Try using it. ;)
 
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frfly172 said:
Have found that if you decrease your stress level,you also decrease the decibel level of the tinnitus. Worked as a firefighter for my career, if I stay busy,it also helps.
Click to expand...

This is the first lesson of tinnitus! :cheers:

This is what the relaxation techniques are for. Deep, slow breathing for 10 mins 3 times a day for 30 days while thinking about your favorite things to do. Replace the stress with feelings of pleasure.

Most pilots are alpha males. As such we are constantly "on guard" which causes stress. Deep breathing and "day dreaming" tell the brain everything is okay, there are no sybertooth tigers ready to eat us. We don't need to be paranoid of everything around us, that just adds to the stress and the ringing.

Former military people especially have a tough time "standing down", even after decades the need to be "alert" is always present. I can certainly attest for that. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and those are dominate symptoms.

Take a deep breath and relax for 10 mins a couple times a day for a month. What's it gonna hurt? :dunno:
 
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Geico266 said:
Bull ****. Pretty stupid statement when you haven't even tried the classes or heard of them before. :rolleyes:

The VA has classes that have been repeated with a high degree of success from their participants, and it is free.... for me anyway. The classes are about learning coping skills through relaxation and bio-feed back. I noticed a difference the first hour, and it continues now. The mind is a very powerful tool when used. Try using it. ;)
Click to expand...


Tell me about it in six weeks after the euphoria has worn off.
 
Interesting fact about tinnitus and you alluded to it.
It is similar to phantom limb syndrome.

I have lost a chunk of hearing near the top (right side) of this arc
The graph below should be a smooth line or arc shape.

I have 50% hearing loss in the high end (Think Drum Cymbals) and that is illustrated below as a dip.

Well your brain fills in what is expected there in that range. It fills that dip with its version of ambient noise which I should be hearing there. So phantom noise syndrome I guess.

The good news (for me) is that dip is out of normal conversation range. It means the noise my brain produces is very high pitched. If it were on the lower end, I would hear a lower pitch sound and it could possibly collide with normal conversation sound range.

As I type this, it just sounds like I went to a concert last night (think Slayer)
Ears just ringing.

I am of the school of thought that this is perm. and cannot be repaired as those hair cells have be broken and died and cannot be replaced. I know there are things that excite it but I have never been in a quiet room and not heard it.

Geez. thinking about it makes it worse too. :( bleah.

fig.6.3.jpg
 
kgruber said:
Tell me about it in six weeks after the euphoria has worn off.
Click to expand...

I'll take the class again. Might even become an instructor. :dunno:


One of the biggest problems is negative attitudes towards change and doing something about it. Self improvement is tough for some. ;)

If you don't think it is worth trying or care to contribute to this thread by all means ignore it. In fact, we had a guy stand up today and walk out. Good for him, but I wish he would have stayed.
 
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TELL YOUR KIDS ABOUT THIS BY THE WAY!
Everyone jamming out w/ their ear buds in or their beats by dre...

Get that junk off their heads and out of their ears. This is not a cute little "Oh I was in a band and my ears ring" anecdote.
It is horrible. 24/7 horrible.

I wish someone had sat me down and showed me some charts and explained what it does to people..
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Interesting fact about tinnitus and you alluded to it.
It is similar to phantom limb syndrome.

I have lost a chunk of hearing near the top (right side) of this arc
The graph below should be a smooth line or arc shape.

I have 50% hearing loss in the high end (Think Drum Cymbals) and that is illustrated below as a dip.

Well your brain fills in what is expected there in that range. It fills that dip with its version of ambient noise which I should be hearing there. So phantom noise syndrome I guess.

The good news (for me) is that dip is out of normal conversation range. It means the noise my brain produces is very high pitched. If it were on the lower end, I would hear a lower pitch sound and it could possibly collide with normal conversation sound range.

As I type this, it just sounds like I went to a concert last night (think Slayer)
Ears just ringing.

I am of the school of thought that this is perm. and cannot be repaired as those hair cells have be broken and died and cannot be replaced. I know there are things that excite it but I have never been in a quiet room and not heard it.

Geez. thinking about it makes it worse too. :( bleah.

fig.6.3.jpg
Click to expand...

Hearing aids replace the high sounds (I love mine), but your chart appears to be typical of middle aged men from what I know about it. Mine looks like a cliff with no recovery at the end. Could not hear my grand kids whispering, very embarrassing. With hearing aids I can hear them great!

Sorry Mrs. 6PC, better trade him in on a newer model. :lol:

Brian, you nailed it. Great description and write up.
 
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Another thing in today's class was identifying things that give you pleasure. Music, friends, playing an instrument, exercise, walking, golf, fishing, flying, reading, working on your car, wood working, sex, etc.

When doing the relaxing think of the things you like to do and do them. When you find yourself in a stressful situation (POA Spinzone :lol:) think back to those activities. The goal is to take stress down a notch in our lives. We will live longer also, but the ringing will still be there. :lol: ;)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Interesting fact about tinnitus and you alluded to it.
It is similar to phantom limb syndrome.

I have lost a chunk of hearing near the top (right side) of this arc
The graph below should be a smooth line or arc shape.

I have 50% hearing loss in the high end (Think Drum Cymbals) and that is illustrated below as a dip.

Well your brain fills in what is expected there in that range. It fills that dip with its version of ambient noise which I should be hearing there. So phantom noise syndrome I guess.

The good news (for me) is that dip is out of normal conversation range. It means the noise my brain produces is very high pitched. If it were on the lower end, I would hear a lower pitch sound and it could possibly collide with normal conversation sound range.

As I type this, it just sounds like I went to a concert last night (think Slayer)
Ears just ringing.

I am of the school of thought that this is perm. and cannot be repaired as those hair cells have be broken and died and cannot be replaced. I know there are things that excite it but I have never been in a quiet room and not heard it.

Geez. thinking about it makes it worse too. :( bleah.

fig.6.3.jpg
Click to expand...

Hair cell damage is permanent. Some animals can regenerate, but humans cannot. The armed forces have developed a compound to lessen noise trauma, but it must be used before exposure.

Not everyone with hearing loss, even severe loss, has tinnitus, so the phantom hearing theory is not universal. That is one of the perplexing realities about the condition.
 
N659HB said:
Hair cell damage is permanent. Some animals can regenerate, but humans cannot. The armed forces have developed a compound to lessen noise trauma, but it must be used before exposure.

Not everyone with hearing loss, even severe loss, has tinnitus, so the phantom hearing theory is not universal. That is one of the perplexing realities about the condition.
Click to expand...

I wonder what research is really going on. Seems to me they could figure out something. I asked about cochlear implants, and if people with them experience tinnitus. Do deaf people have tinnitus? I'm sure everyone is different.
 
Geico266 said:
I wonder what research is really going on. Seems to me they could figure out something. I asked about cochlear implants, and if people with them experience tinnitus. Do deaf people have tinnitus? I'm sure everyone is different.
Click to expand...

The evidence that tinnitus is a central phenomena came after Meniere's patients who underwent nerve resection or chemical ablation of the inner ear still experienced tinnitus in the dead ear.

Geico266, you should get temporary tinnitus relief from use of hearing aids.
 
N659HB said:
The evidence that tinnitus is a central phenomena came after Meniere's patients who underwent nerve resection or chemical ablation of the inner ear still experienced tinnitus in the dead ear.

Geico266, you should get temporary tinnitus relief from use of hearing aids.
Click to expand...
I don't, and I've been wearing them for 20 years.
On the other hand, maybe it would be worse with the HAs.
 
N659HB said:
The evidence that tinnitus is a central phenomena came after Meniere's patients who underwent nerve resection or chemical ablation of the inner ear still experienced tinnitus in the dead ear.

Geico266, you should get temporary tinnitus relief from use of hearing aids.
Click to expand...

yep. My wife is completely deaf in one ear - auditory nerve destroyed by a tumor very near spinal cord, yet she has tinnitus in that ear. Oddly, a diuretic seems to reduce the sound level.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I really wish I would have had some clue when I was younger, the long-term damage I was doing. I just had no idea.
Click to expand...

Same. My damage came from 3 winning football seasons and standing near the Spirit of '02 (a 75mm shell packed full of black powder is pretty loud) and age.
 

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AggieMike88 said:
Same. My damage came from 3 winning football seasons and standing near the Spirit of '02 (a 75mm shell packed full of black powder is pretty loud) and age. Not that bad... comes and goes with various environmental factors. But is always there.
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I make it a point to tell young people about the dangers of loud noises on their hearing, and that the effects may not be noticeable for years. I tell construction workers using power tools, lawn care people riding loud mowers and using blowers. I tell kids that brag about the ringing in their ears after a concert. I show them that I have two hearing aids because of my past actions (concerts, construction, gunfire) and explain how I never wore hearing protection. They ALL just sort of roll their eyes and go on about their business. I don't think one of them has ever taken my advice.
 
JOhnH said:
I make it a point to tell young people about the dangers of loud noises on their hearing, and that the effects may not be noticeable for years. I tell construction workers using power tools, lawn care people riding loud mowers and using blowers. I tell kids that brag about the ringing in their ears after a concert. I show them that I have two hearing aids because of my past actions (concerts, construction, gunfire) and explain how I never wore hearing protection. They ALL just sort of roll their eyes and go on about their business. I don't think one of them has ever taken my advice.
Click to expand...

Sad, but true.
 
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