Here's What I Don't Understand About My Tinnitus (It's Asymmetric)

[Michael B]

Here's what I don't understand about tinnitus. If it's basically a brain function, how is it that it can be different from side to side; i.e. why is my left side tinnitus loud and high pitched while my right side is more silent and lower pitched?

 

[SilverSpiral]

I Don't think there is a completely fluid explanation for how/why tinnitus exactly arises and is experienced as a result of hearing trauama, thats probably why you ask the above question. Theres not clear statement to be made about this kind of damage, results in hearing this kind of tinnitus, in any single or all persons overall.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

@Michael B

Your hearing loss is probably asymmetric. Get an audiogram to 16KHz.

 

[stophiss]

@Michael B

Your hearing loss is probably asymmetric. Get an audiogram to 16KHz.

Only a counterpoint...what about those with hearing loss in one or both ears that don't have tinnitus?
I personally don't believe hearing loss at particular frequencies has to correlate to volume or tone of tinnitus. For example, my hearing is pretty good...I am sure I have less than perfect hearing, an the magnitude of my tinnitus varies from hour to hour and day to day.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

@stophiss

Hearing loss is a risk factor for T. The working definition of hearing loss is very poor also. In my case, my hearing is normal up to 8KHz and audiologists say that my hearing is normal. However, I have a sharp drop above 8KHz in my left ear (T ear) and is where my noise lives. My T is very variable also and that makes habituation a very contrived process.