Tinnitus

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I have a very dear friend who has just been diagnosed with tinnitus. In the 14 years of knowing her, she's always been a very strong woman, more so than most, and sharp, edgy, witty, funny. Just diagnosed, the combination of from what I understand, poor bedside manner and reading on the web, you'd think she's got bone cancer. Seriously. I never would have expected how she's dealing with this. It was a big shock while in NY and I'm going down every few weeks now to be with her. Talking with her, you would never know she has the condition, but she isn't eating or sleeping. Has lost a lot of weight and is clearly exhausted.

To her, it's a life changing event on a grand scale. Anyone here know anything about it, have it and can relate, provide advice for counsel? I've got to be both comforting and knowledgable, also firm (got her to start eating again), for her.

[GH85Carrera]

So her ears are ringing and she is acting like it is cancer. Wow, I guess everyone reacts differently. Tell he to get over the self pity. Be glad she can hear at all and get on with life.

My ears have been ringing for 20 years. It is annoying. I learned to live it. There is not much choice. It beats the heck out of cancer or thousands of other maladies.

[recycled sixtie]

It seems like she is overreacting but if she is the kind of person that has been used to being fit then it can be challenging.

I have it in the one ear now that you mention it. I don't think about it till this thread.
Mine sometimes is made worse by having too much wax in the hear. Getting the ears cleaned by a professional such as a nurse might help. But both ears? What caused it? Noise trauma? Seeing a different hearing doc might help further.

[mattdavis11]

I've had tinnitus for 10 or more years. At first it sucks, especially when you are in quiet room, but you get used to it. Falling asleep was the hardest part, but to combat the ringing, I go to bed with the TV on.

Now days, I don't notice it much. It's kind of a conscious thing, if you focus on it, you hear it, but otherwise you don't. My ears weren't ringing this morning until I read the post title.

[imcarthur]

Yes, I have it. 40 years in the consumer electronics industry listening too loud, coupled with the noise of life & I have permanent ringing. To those that don’t know the affliction, it is a ringing that won’t go away. You can ignor it & forget it, but it is always there. Mine is a mid-high ~4-6 kHz ringing tone that is stronger in my right ear than the left. Normally, tinnitus is centered in the middle. Due to this imbalance, I had an MRI to see if I had a tumor – which can cause tinnitus. Usually, it is caused by genetics, normal age-related deterioration, long-term work-related abuse or damage due to an extreme exposure to noise. Severe tinnitus can prevent sleep etc & drive people crazy. Like her . . .

Ian

[billybek]

A sudden onset can be quite maddening for some people.
Sleeplessness and even depression can occur with some.

My ears have been ringing since I can remember. I know that it is worse when for some reason I pay attention to it.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Yes, I have it. 40 years in the consumer electronics industry listening too loud, coupled with the noise of life & I have permanent ringing. To those that don’t know the affliction, it is a ringing that won’t go away. You can ignor it & forget it, but it is always there. Mine is a mid-high ~4-6 kHz ringing tone that is stronger in my right ear than the left. Normally, tinnitus is centered in the middle. Due to this imbalance, I had an MRI to see if I had a tumor – which can cause tinnitus. Usually, it is caused by genetics, normal age-related deterioration, long-term work-related abuse or damage due to an extreme exposure to noise. Severe tinnitus can prevent sleep etc & drive people crazy. Like her . . .

Ian

If there a problem sleeping you can get a white noise machine made by Marsona. The noise it makes drowns out the tinnititis.

[herr_oberst]

I've had a mild case since I can remember.
Like BillyBek said, it is right now more intrusive because I'm thinking about it. Most times my other ailments get more attention, and I forget I have it.

:-)

[Chocaholic]

Associated with high frequency hearing loss. I've had it for probably 20 years.....24/7. Was deep into my audiophile days (which probably contributed) when it first began. Had an MRI done to rule out acoustic neuroma (benign tumor) which I did not have. I have bi-lateral tinnitus. AN's are more associated with tinnitus only on one side but still quite rare. Sounds like a very high pitched hissing.

Tell her to put her big girl pants on and get on with life. It will blend in with normal life in time. Wear earplugs when mowing the lawn, using leaf blower, riding motorcycle to keep it from worsening. Millions of people have it.

[KevinTodd]

Had it for years. It can certainly be maddening when you're trying to go to sleep but you learn to manage it. Some days it is worse than others but it certainly isn't a potential death sentence.

[Willem Fick]

My grandmother started to suffer from tinnitus in her early 40's. Her gardener advised her to make a brew of this stuff and drink it every morning. I'm not a great believer in herbal remedies, nor was my grandmother, but it worked for her for the next 57 years. Your results may differ, but perhaps worth a try?

[livi]

I was diagnosed with Sudden Deafness of my right ear last September. Combined with a complete loss of hearing I also got a terrible tinnitus. Still have it. No improvement and most likely will stay this way for life. I am slowly getting used to the tinnitus and it does not bother me that much all the time anymore, but the first months was awful. Really took a toll on my mental health during that period. The tinnitus is actually worse than the hearing loss. I couldn´t even play guitar for the first months. Every sound exaggerated the tinnitus, almost to a painful level.

Funny how something so small and banal as hearing function can turn out to be a real bummer when it goes wrong.

[vash]

it gets better. i find it comes and goes with me. sleep? no problemo.

i find it most annoying when i want some quiet time. like sitting in a treestand enjoying the wilderness...bleeeeeeeeeeee! i notice it the most. i assume i have it mild.

[Zeke]

Many medicines cause tinnitus. It can subside to some degree with some changes, but I've never heard of it going away altogether. I have tinnitus but I live in a noisy city. Hadn't even thought about the ringing until I saw this thread.

[Scott Watkins]

Tinnitus: Causes - MayoClinic.com

[tops911]

Almost 27 years in the field artillery..... yep I have it and it's getting worst, I failed my hearing test for my last deployment. I slap those head phones on and all I hear is ringing. I don't like quiet and need some back ground noise. some days are worst than others.

[T77911S]

i have now for several years, only in my left ear.

what started it all was when a fire cracker blew up next to my ear back in 87. (i was far away but it was blown over next to me from one of those strings of firecrackers).
i really should have been more careful with it over the years but the music, shooting a gun without protection(twice) did it in. i tell myself it could have been my left eye.
perhaps that is one way to help her deal with it. its NOT cancer.

i played music and enjoyed being a sound engineer for live music. that ended quite suddenly.

[creaturecat]

tinnitus is widely known for putting some people over the edge.
background noise is your friend.

[kcf7z]

As an otolaryngologist, I treat people with tinnitus daily. People do have a broad range of reactions to it. The first step is a proper audiologic assessment which sounds like has been done. As ear physicians and surgeons, this is a tough one for us to treat because no one thing helps in everyone.

Stress makes it worse and her stress over the condition is likely making it so. I have found that patients that respond this way often have underlying issues that counseling often plays a role. I have had patients with suicidal tinnitus that have benefited less from anything I did and more from what a psychologist or psychiatrist could offer. Exploring what is going on in her life holistically outside of the tinnitus itself may provide benefit.

Also, there are tinnitus rehabilitation centers around the country that specialize in difficult to manage tinnitus using biofeedback and special noise-canceling hearing aids. This is a manageable condition and hope should not be lost; however, each person responds to different management strategies in different ways.

[jcommin]

I'm sorry she has it but there are far worse things. I have had it for over 40 yrs. I am so use to it. I also have hearing loss, something that I monitor annually.

Aging is cruel.