Tinnitus

[Jkwellborn 6733]

Anyone use electronic hearing protectors for the gun range?  I have some ear muffs with electronic cut out but nothing in ear.  Been thinking of doing that for a long time.

I use the Howard Leight Impact Pro Sports. Great ear muff. I’ve never shot with in ear pro under them and haven’t felt the need. I’m not shooting a 50 BMG or anything that makes me feel the need.

[XYZ 2154]

47 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

I use the Howard Leight Impact Pro Sports. Great ear muff. I’ve never shot with in ear pro under them and haven’t felt the need. I’m not shooting a 50 BMG or anything that makes me feel the need.

“BMG”? big motherfuckin’ gun?

[Jkwellborn 6733]

“BMG”? big motherfuckin’ gun?

Browning Machine Gun.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11820]

Just checking in to say I see this thread without my glasses a lot, and click on it because it sometimes looks like tetanus, titsitis, and various other potential good things.  Sorry about your ears.  

[otisdog 365]

I've got pretty decent hearing despite my age (67) and the fact that  I spent 5 years of my life continuously using a skilsaw, then 3 years touring with a major rock band. I moved to Washington state last year, so using a chainsaw has become a common, usually weekly thing. I use 2x hearing protection, expanding plugs under muffs.  No real signs of tinnitus were present, but...I normally go on the wagon for the first 3 months of the year, but for some reason I haven't practiced abstinence the last couple of years. This year is different, I decided I can't let a particular political party get the better of me.  Now 5 weeks dry, and I have definitely got the ringing in my ears. Hopefully I've got an easy solution coming up in 7 weeks.

[NoRagrets 1125]

I went to a loud concert a week ago, but it was a huge arena and the PA was clear so I didn’t shove some paper in my ears like I normally do. Dumb.

The ringing lasted two days but my hearing is a little muffled even 8 days later. I can hear everything, it’s just not as crisp.

Everything after 40 sucks.

[Ten Bears 2483]

Weed makes the ringing much worse.  Or so a friend told me.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

I've had it most of my adult life.   So many different things that could have contributed I don't really worry about it.  I can tune it out most of the time, and I still really love loud music, but have made sure to wear ear plugs to concerts for decades now.  

Unlike others, I don't need a fan or other white noise to fall asleep with it.  In some ways, the tinnitus is my own personal white noise and it doesn't upset me in any way.  Some nights I don't notice it, or think of it. Others I do, and just fall asleep to it.  

I do have to watch just about all movies at home regardless of the language of origin with subtitles on, or I'll miss bits of dialogue.  

[TexasBuckeye 43]

I've lived with it most my life that I never think about it. Then someone bumped this thread and now it's all I can hear. Thanks!

[Hate 20144]

I've got pretty decent hearing despite my age (67) and the fact that  I spent 5 years of my life continuously using a skilsaw, then 3 years touring with a major rock band. I moved to Washington state last year, so using a chainsaw has become a common, usually weekly thing. I use 2x hearing protection, expanding plugs under muffs.  No real signs of tinnitus were present, but...I normally go on the wagon for the first 3 months of the year, but for some reason I haven't practiced abstinence the last couple of years. This year is different, I decided I can't let a particular political party get the better of me.  Now 5 weeks dry, and I have definitely got the ringing in my ears. Hopefully I've got an easy solution coming up in 7 weeks.

You drink because of a political party?



Oh, and what major rock band did you tour with?

[BlueGreySky 1031]

I went to a loud concert a week ago, but it was a huge arena and the PA was clear so I didn’t shove some paper in my ears like I normally do. Dumb.
The ringing lasted two days but my hearing is a little muffled even 8 days later. I can hear everything, it’s just not as crisp.
Everything after 40 sucks.

Username certainly does not check out.

I have it, somewhat minor in my right ear. Probably from shooting without ear protection in the 90s. Been wearing muffs and plugs ever since.

I just deal with it now. Haven’t found anything that works but mostly tried OTC and natural remedies and nothing with a professional ENT specialist.

I haven’t been able to identify and triggers like alcohol or caffeine. But I definitely do use white noise to fall asleep. Very annoying trying to do so without.

[XYZ 2154]

I don’t get the “need white noise to fall asleep” thing. My tinnitus gives me all the white noise I could ever want.

[Trey3216 15355]

14 hours ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

I've had it most of my adult life.   So many different things that could have contributed I don't really worry about it.  I can tune it out most of the time, and I still really love loud music, but have made sure to wear ear plugs to concerts for decades now.  

Unlike others, I don't need a fan or other white noise to fall asleep with it.  In some ways, the tinnitus is my own personal white noise and it doesn't upset me in any way.  Some nights I don't notice it, or think of it. Others I do, and just fall asleep to it.  

I do have to watch just about all movies at home regardless of the language of origin with subtitles on, or I'll miss bits of dialogue.  

The last few nights, the wife and I have used that damn Hatch Sleep light/white noise machine that we bought for our daughter in our own room.  I've slept incredibly.  Don't think it's gonna leave at this point.  

[BabaYaga 15312]

9 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

The last few nights, the wife and I have used that damn Hatch Sleep light/white noise machine that we bought for our daughter in our own room.  I've slept incredibly.  Don't think it's gonna leave at this point.  

Grew up without central AC.  We had a few window units and a bunch of those big box fans.  Even in the worst winters, I have a fan on my nightstand and it's always on.  Maybe not pointed directly at me, but it's on.  Same in my office.  

[Mole 4333]

I’ve had it for the past few months. I went to the ENT and they saw some dead skin on my ear drum. Hearing tests showed that my ear was perfectly healthy. They gave me some ear drops and today they peeled the skin off. It was painless and as far as I can tell, the ringing is gone. We’ll see for sure tonight, but it’s definitely much better.

Any tinnitus sufferer who hasn’t gone to a doc about it, it might be something dumb like mine.

[Deej 76903]

On 2/9/2022 at 8:56 AM, Trey3216 said:

The last few nights, the wife and I have used that damn Hatch Sleep light/white noise machine that we bought for our daughter in our own room.  I've slept incredibly.  Don't think it's gonna leave at this point.  

Delta 8 has given me a solid 8 hours a night after years of 4 or 5. 

[atomheartbevo 89788]

There's a tinnitus joke here, I just know it.

 

[Guest Lobo]

^
Wasn't that what the young, blind girl in "The Langoliers" was warning us about?  

I was really hoping to never enter this thread.  Since I was a teenager, several times a week (maybe 4-6)......I'd get a very high pitch/high frequency buzz---usually in one ear---but would changeup ears with no discernible pattern.  Like a vacant AM channel bursting on before actual broadcast.  Would only last 10 seconds or so but was fairly intense.  Could leave me with a moderate headache afterwards from time to time.  Anyway, figured I'd just go through life with it...never really affected me but I figured it might as I got a lot older.  

But then I started reading this tinnitus possibly being a lingering effect of Covid.  Not sure how that happens, and I'm not paranoid about it.  But my ear ringing has been much less intense, but happening with much greater frequency (multiple times daily), and lasting much longer.  Thankfully, it's just background noise if I'm doing something else...but it's quite annoying and happening with more regularity.  It's like I'm stuck in one of those school hearing test machines from the 1980's and I can't pinpoint the damn buzzing sound.  

Again, likely just age catching up with something I've had for awhile (lotta music over the years)...but getting worse.  But am curious about its connection to Covid, if any of y'all started experiencing worse episodes of it since you had the virus?  

[RPM 26351]

On 2/8/2022 at 8:41 PM, XYZ said:

I don’t get the “need white noise to fall asleep” thing. My tinnitus gives me all the white noise I could ever want.

I get this at about 13,000Hz 24/7.

 

[HookEm 2467]

I find that mine is related to stress and allergies / sickness.  Hearing it pretty strong right now.  Exasperated by reading this thread - that I forgot I started.  Karma I guess.

[Ten Bears 2483]

Ever since I got my hearing aids I don't notice  the ringing near as much.

[Texzilla58 4744]

I’m 63 and have had tinnitus for probably 50 years. Too much time swimming as a kid, in the music biz running PAs, shooting guns, crazy loud car stereos, too much flying, sinus issues, and meds. It goes from medium background to hammering my brains, at a variety of frequencies.

Been to several top ents and neurologists and the same thing: nothing we can do. Quit taking anti inflammatories. Before my sinus surgery in 2001 it would sometimes drive me crazy.

[BrickTop 477]

I’ve had tinnitus for quite some time, it varies in severity for multiple reasons, caffeine, nicotine, stress, lack of sleep and many more. I’ve never sought treatment because it’s always been pretty mild, been in the fire service for 20 years, shot a lot of guns unprotected etc, I sleep with a fan lately it’s beginning to get too loud to ignore.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13523]

More advice for hearing loss than tinnitus but don’t skimp on either nonexistent or poor sound systems for your tv. Too many people can’t decipher speech from their tv due to crappy speakers, so they blast the volume.

buy a high quality sound bar like Bose if not a full sound system with a good center channel for speech.

[StruggleBus 3922]

I’ve had mild tinnitus for years, but it was severe all of the sudden after my Moderna booster in December. 
 

It finally subsided a couple months ago, but damn was it a nightmare. 

[Not that Bob 739]

Not exactly the same, but I'll put this here to avoid starting another thread. It describes what I have had in addition to "normal" tinnitus. It is now thought to be Vestibular Migraine. It's been a journey. From the anaciend Greek physician Aretaeus:

"If darkness possesses the eyes, and if the head be whirled round with dizziness , and the ears ring as from the sound of rivers rolling along with great noise, or like the wind when it roars among the sails, we call the affection Vertigo. a bad complaint indeed...the mode of vertigo is heaviness of the head, sparkles of light in the eyes along with much darkness, ignorance of themselves and of those around; if the disease go on increasing, the limbs sink below them, and they crawl on the ground; there is nausea and vomitings..."  Atetaeus the Cappadocian, De Causis et Signus Diuturnorum Moroborus (Book II)

[RPM 26351]

Not sure what happened, but the last few weeks it's become considerably worse. I keep TV volume as low as possible, but the ringing still screams to the point I get headaches.

[Macanudo 13010]

Honest question...   How much alcohol do you drink?    I stopped drinking entirely 9 months ago and my tinnitus is better now than it used to be.   Correlation?   No idea.  But I was drinking a lot.

[ABSR 5323]

3 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Honest question...   How much alcohol do you drink?    I stopped drinking entirely 9 months ago and my tinnitus is better now than it used to be.   Correlation?   No idea.  But I was drinking a lot.

I notice alcohol and caffeine are triggers for mine.  

[ABSR 5323]

Just now, ABSR said:

I notice alcohol and caffeine are triggers for mine.  

And if you want a real WTF, as I mentioned on the last site I had surgery in 2012 to remove a brain tumor.  The process to access/remove the tumor was to go through the ear canal (remove ear drum, remove inner each plumbing).  They put the ear drum back to seal it but I had all of my ear (balance, hearing) inner working removed permanently. 

Still get tinnitus in that ear.

[Dbeasy 15090]

On 9/21/2022 at 6:05 PM, Not that Bob said:

Not exactly the same, but I'll put this here to avoid starting another thread. It describes what I have had in addition to "normal" tinnitus. It is now thought to be Vestibular Migraine. It's been a journey. From the anaciend Greek physician Aretaeus:

"If darkness possesses the eyes, and if the head be whirled round with dizziness , and the ears ring as from the sound of rivers rolling along with great noise, or like the wind when it roars among the sails, we call the affection Vertigo. a bad complaint indeed...the mode of vertigo is heaviness of the head, sparkles of light in the eyes along with much darkness, ignorance of themselves and of those around; if the disease go on increasing, the limbs sink below them, and they crawl on the ground; there is nausea and vomitings..."  Atetaeus the Cappadocian, De Causis et Signus Diuturnorum Moroborus (Book II)

I just saw this. I’ve also struggled with vestibular migraines and tinnitus for the last few years. Drinking does seem to make vertigo or dizziness worse, which is typical. 

[RPM 26351]

9 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Honest question...   How much alcohol do you drink? 

I'm a Longhorns fan. Fill in the blank.

[Armybrat 40896]

[Not that Bob 739]

Unfortunately, alcohol is one of the worst triggers. Salt is also a no no, so no chips, especially Fritos. No rapid or severe movement of the head. Large changes in barometric pressure. Anything you can think of that would irritate the inner ear or cause rapid changes in the pressure within the small space of the inner ear. I've been able to control it relatively well, but damn I miss beer. I really, really miss beer. 

[Kel Varnsen 8540]

Started getting worse for me earlier this year.

 

[Texzilla58 4744]

I spent most of high school and college managing bands and running PAs. Then a lot of time with a monster car stereo pounding my ears. Chronic sinus and ear infections. So my tinnitus is constant and only varies in volume. It’s can drive me nuts. Been told there is nothing to be done. My known trigger is NSAIDs; fucking ibuprofen turns it to 11.

[atomheartbevo 89788]

[Buzzrock 14937]

Dug up this thread looking for some hope, an old wive’s tale, something herbal, anything. Looks like the prognosis is still “tough titty”.

I’m 51 and have had tinnitus as long as I can remember (lots and lots of loud concerts and loud music in general is the culprit) but in the last year it has gotten noticeably worse. It’s loud. I guess I just have to learn to live with it.

[Willfully Horn 8049]

On 2/8/2022 at 7:16 PM, Hate said:

You drink because of a political party?
 

You don’t?

 

Both my brothers have tinnitus. Older one due to playing music. Younger one as a side effect of the shingles vaccine.

 

On 11/28/2022 at 10:04 PM, Texzilla58 said:

 My known trigger is NSAIDs; fucking ibuprofen turns it to 11.

What about narcotics? Asking for a relative.

[troph 24905]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:04 PM, Texzilla58 said:

I spent most of high school and college managing bands and running PAs. Then a lot of time with a monster car stereo pounding my ears. Chronic sinus and ear infections. So my tinnitus is constant and only varies in volume. It’s can drive me nuts. Been told there is nothing to be done. My known trigger is NSAIDs; fucking ibuprofen turns it to 11.

 

46 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

Dug up this thread looking for some hope, an old wive’s tale, something herbal, anything. Looks like the prognosis is still “tough titty”.

I’m 51 and have had tinnitus as long as I can remember (lots and lots of loud concerts and loud music in general is the culprit) but in the last year it has gotten noticeably worse. It’s loud. I guess I just have to learn to live with it.

Mine has gotten a bit worse I think it might be the ibuprofen. The last few months I’ve been taking it for a heel issue after tennis. I’m going to cut back and hope that’s it.

[Not that Bob 739]

Go to a neuro ENT. Do history and physical. Hearing test. Balance test. It's a pita but you will learn as much as is possible for your individual circumstance. ENT may say tough titty but you will know you've done everything you can. 

Until then live like a nun. No alcohol. No salt. No nsaids. Read the labels on all medicine bottles. It's not only nsaids that aggravate it. Look for the term "ototoxic" and stay away from it.  Protect your ears. Pay attention to noise that may not seem obvious, for example the wind and motor noise of a boat. Lastly, tough titty. 

[Daichee Bell 2937]

When it first hit, I remember  saying to my wife,“I’m not suicidal, but I do understand.” Mine came on coinciding with both Covid and a scuba diving trip. But, I’m also a child of the 80s and 90s, so a lot of concerts and shooting growing up in Texas.
I don’t have hearing loss but have very high-pitched whining. Similar to hearing a boat motor underwater. Alcohol and caffeine hit me worse.

 

I went down a deep dive on this. Went to an ENT and had an MRI. They told me I was old. Tried massage and it worked a tiny bit. Acupuncture actually had the most significant result for me at the beginning. Changed up dietary practices, tried different, supplements, and vitamins. Shockingly, for me, the best aid is doing a Epley maneuver/barbecue roll. Came about this by accident and was suggested by my dietitian. Typically it’s used for vertigo, but it definitely helped me. It’s cheap, quick, and provided me with a measure of  comfort within about an hour or so. There are a bunch of different versions of this. I recommend you give it a whirl…..or roll…..

https://youtu.be/mwTmM6uF5yA?si=rIYOcUJ3S9clQRpq

https://youtu.be/lKWIPTx_N-c?si=OW8Qv1fq5doSo3K1

Edited December 26, 2023 by Daichee Bell

[Ten Bears 2483]

How many of you with tinnitus have hearing aids? I hardly notice it when I am wearing mine.

[SurlyGator 875]

49 minutes ago, Ten Bears said:

How many of you with tinnitus have hearing aids? I hardly notice it when I am wearing mine.

This intrigues me.  Need hearing aids, and have tinnitus. If they help with it, I may kick myself for not getting them sooner!

[smwhorn 483]

2 hours ago, Ten Bears said:

How many of you with tinnitus have hearing aids? I hardly notice it when I am wearing mine.

Seems to be the case for me as well.

[YGIFS 19452]

4 hours ago, Daichee Bell said:

When it first hit, I remember  saying to my wife,“I’m not suicidal, but I do understand.” Mine came on coinciding with both Covid and a scuba diving trip. But, I’m also a child of the 80s and 90s, so a lot of concerts and shooting growing up in Texas.
I don’t have hearing loss but have very high-pitched whining. Similar to hearing a boat motor underwater. Alcohol and caffeine hit me worse.

 

I went down a deep dive on this. Went to an ENT and had an MRI. They told me I was old. Tried massage and it worked a tiny bit. Acupuncture actually had the most significant result for me at the beginning. Changed up dietary practices, tried different, supplements, and vitamins. Shockingly, for me, the best aid is doing a Epley maneuver/barbecue roll. Came about this by accident and was suggested by my dietitian. Typically it’s used for vertigo, but it definitely helped me. It’s cheap, quick, and provided me with a measure of  comfort within about an hour or so. There are a bunch of different versions of this. I recommend you give it a whirl…..or roll…..

https://youtu.be/mwTmM6uF5yA?si=rIYOcUJ3S9clQRpq

https://youtu.be/lKWIPTx_N-c?si=OW8Qv1fq5doSo3K1

Any specific acupuncture work especially well for you?  I need to try something probably.  It was just background nuisance for years and years from loud music, SCUBA, swimming and leaving water in my ears 'cause I'm lazy to shower, alcohol, etc.  But it's notched up again and I'm getting to an age where the men in my family started to get hearing issues anyway (dad and grandpa had an excuse serving near artillery batteries on U.S. Navy vessels).  My hearing scans already demonstrate the ringing, while seemingly coming mostly from my left ear, is actually effecting my right ear worse.  I can barely pick up most of the normal range from that ear according to two expert audiologists.  My left ear is still high functioning but is now ringing more and I'm noticing when noises are going away from me, it's getting harder and harder to pickup.  Both ears still work great for noises coming towards me or Left/Right.  But I got the feeling I need to seriously address this in 2024.  I'd like to try acupuncture but just for this and don't know where to start.  

[Armybrat 40896]

2 hours ago, Ten Bears said:

How many of you with tinnitus have hearing aids? I hardly notice it when I am wearing mine.

Never have thought about that route.

[Daichee Bell 2937]

50 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Any specific acupuncture work especially well for you?  I need to try something probably.  It was just background nuisance for years and years from loud music, SCUBA, swimming and leaving water in my ears 'cause I'm lazy to shower, alcohol, etc.  But it's notched up again and I'm getting to an age where the men in my family started to get hearing issues anyway (dad and grandpa had an excuse serving near artillery batteries on U.S. Navy vessels).  My hearing scans already demonstrate the ringing, while seemingly coming mostly from my left ear, is actually effecting my right ear worse.  I can barely pick up most of the normal range from that ear according to two expert audiologists.  My left ear is still high functioning but is now ringing more and I'm noticing when noises are going away from me, it's getting harder and harder to pickup.  Both ears still work great for noises coming towards me or Left/Right.  But I got the feeling I need to seriously address this in 2024.  I'd like to try acupuncture but just for this and don't know where to start.  

There are specific treatments for it known with in the acupuncture community, but not a ton. My Doc had to do some research and communicate with other offices. Acupuncture is weird to me because you’re not really doing anything localized to the area around the ears. I had needles all over my body.

Personally, I don’t want to do anything with white noise because I feel like that’s just a cover. Trying everything I can to figure out if there’s actual actual root cause first.

My experience is that none of them are a smoking gun kind of cure, but trying a bunch of stuff seem to have a diminishing impact for me. 
 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11820]

On 12/24/2023 at 11:14 PM, Not that Bob said:

Pay attention to noise that may not seem obvious, for example the wind

I lived hard and listened to/played a lot of loud music, was around loud farm equipment and shot a lot of guns when I was young, but I’m pretty convinced what did the most damage to my hearing was constantly driving with a cracked or fully open window.  Especially at highway speed.  That’s just brutal on your ears.

[thunderlounge 7929]

I have it, but not to the point of needing hearing aids to hear. Don’t get me wrong, I have significant hearing loss, just not enough to need hearing aids yet. 
 

Now the tinnitus sucks. I’ve pretty much been told to get used to living with it. So, I have. 
 

Right is worse than left, maybe 20% “louder”.  I drown it out with the tv on when I go to bed, backed up with a noise app on my phone. It works enough for me to be able to sleep.