Introduction

[Tom88]

Hi,

I'm Tom and have a ring in my ear since last week. I went to a concert, stood at the back of the area without ear plugs (probably the most stupid decision I have ever made) and am now being tortured at night.

The sounds are high pitched and my hearing is sensitive in one ear. The ringing does not seem to be very loud. During the day I don't notice, but at night in bed I cannot think of anything else. Anxiety kicks in, panic, and there goes my sleep. Due to long working days the last few months, I already have a lot of stress and anxiety, and this does not help.

I think I have always had a slight form of tinnitus, but only noticed at night. Not high pitched, more like a zoom. It may even have been a bit relaxing for me in some way. The high pitch now is nothing like that and annoys the hell out of me.

I live together with my girlfriend, so using masking sounds is difficult as this will disturb her sleep instead of just mine. I'm still hoping that the ringing will lower, as it has been a week, but it feels like this is permanent. I'm considering CBT to reduce stress and anxiety.

I will keep reading hear to find solutions to cope with it.

Tom

 

[Starlord]

So you say that before you had a slight form of tinnitus and its was sort of relaxing in some way...well maybe use that to your advantage....I do this weird thing where I sleep under my pillow either on my left side or my right and the arm that ends up being on top I use that to add weight and pressure on the pillow to my ear (This habit started after I got T). Normally when background noise is cut out the ringing is perceived louder because thats all thats left. But although it's louder in a way it is easier to fall asleep than with my ears exposed. I think its the same concept when ear plugs are in and every slight movement inside your ears sound loud. So the movement of the pillow on your ear is a bit soothing. And by the time I know it I'm asleep. And during the night I adjust back to normal. I do use a memory foam pillow and have a 2.5 inch thick memory foam mattress add-on. So it's doesnt cause discomfort. It's weird, I admit it, but it helps me especially because I can't stand white noise while sleeping.

 

[billie48]

The high pitch now is nothing but that and annoys the hell out of me.

I live together with my girlfriend, so using masking sounds is difficult as this will disturb her sleep instead of just mine

Welcome to the forum. I hear you brother. I have ultra high pitch tinnitus too. I was in a mess with it initially. Then severe hyperacusis also joined in the misery. It was a horror show daily when it was so new and alien to my body which didn't know what to do and the brain just went into trauma and shock, with relentless anxiety and panic attacks ruled the day. It was such a dark time I never thought I could get out of it. But never say never. Today I live a normal, productive and absolutely enjoyable life. The high pitch T is still there but I now don't give a dime to it high or low. Never thought I could do that back then but yes I kick T's butt nowadays. I wrote my success story like others and shared some helpful strategies. Check it out. Take good care brother. Peace and God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

For your high pitch T, you probably need masking sounds such as heavy rain, cicadas, cricket, waterfall, constant crashing waves, blue noise, violet noise, even shower or faucet sound (like I did). The following masking suggestions have sites which contain these high pitch sounds:

1) Mask at bed time if having trouble sleeping, by using a sound pillow or sound machine with pillow speakers. Sound pillows and pillow speakers may help shield the sounds better. There are good sound machine & pillow therapy systems like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Oasis-...d-Oasis-Therapy-System-Speakers/dp/B00MH5HKTA

2) If you need masking on the go, try load an ipod with nature sounds or music using itune. If you have a smart phone, you can download free APPs for soothing or T-masking sounds. Use wisdom in the use of headphones or earbuds as extended use or excessive volume may hurt your ears. Try set the volume slightly below that of your tinnitus.

3) With PC & speakers, you can try these excellent masking sounds to see which one masks best:

TT's excellent audio player: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/audioplayer/

or this online sound library, particularly the self-mix nature sounds: https://mynoise.net

or download free sound generator 'aire freshener': http://www.peterhirschberg.com/mysoftware.html

or click play to mix these sounds with this simple sound generator: http://asoftmurmur.com/

or search youtube with words like 'tinnitus masking sounds', 'white noise', 'rain sound' etc

 

[Tom88]

So you say that before you had a slight form of tinnitus and its was sort of relaxing in some way...well maybe use that to your advantage....I do this weird thing where I sleep under my pillow either on my left side or my right and the arm that ends up being on top I use that to add weight and pressure on the pillow to my ear (This habit started after I got T). Normally when background noise is cut out the ringing is perceived louder because thats all thats left. But although it's louder in a way it is easier to fall asleep than with my ears exposed. I think its the same concept when ear plugs are in and every slight movement inside your ears sound loud. So the movement of the pillow on your ear is a bit soothing. And by the time I know it I'm asleep. And during the night I adjust back to normal. I do use a memory foam pillow and have a 2.5 inch thick memory foam mattress add-on. So it's doesnt cause discomfort. It's weird, I admit it, but it helps me especially because I can't stand white noise while sleeping.

I will definitely try that using either the blanket or pillow.

 

[Carlyi]

I put my phone under my pillow and play masking sounds on low volume, it has the same effect as the sound pillow.

 

[Tom88]

I put my phone under my pillow and play masking sounds on low volume, it has the same effect as the sound pillow.

Does it bother your partner if you have one?

 

[Carlyi]

Does it bother your partner if you have one?

not at all, he can't hear it.

 

[Tom88]

not at all, he can't hear it.

How? Is the sound level very low? I guess I'll just have to try.

This all is making me so anxious. I have reapect for all of you for dealing with worse.

 

[Bill Bauer]

During the day I don't notice, but at night in bed I cannot think of anything else.

It is a good sign that only one week in you are at a point that many people here take 6-12 months to get to. One week after onset, most people here could hear their T over everything (e.g., a car driving on a highway) during the day. Goes without saying that tinnitus is ALL they could think about Whenever they would be Awake. Since it looks like you haven't hurt your ears as much as most people hurt their ears before getting T, and since it sounds like you are younger than 30, my guess is that there is a very good chance that you will hear silence again.

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (26 tips spread over five posts) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past 11 months
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/

 

[Tom88]

It is a good sign that only one week in you are at a point that many people here take 6-12 months to get to. One week after onset, most people here could hear their T over everything (e.g., a car driving on a highway) during the day. Goes without saying that tinnitus is ALL they could think about Whenever they would be Awake. Since it looks like you haven't hurt your ears as much as most people hurt their ears before getting T, and since it sounds like you are younger than 30, my guess is that there is a very good chance that you will hear silence again.

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (26 tips spread over five posts) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past 11 months
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/

I'm 29. And you are right: I don't hear it when driving on the highway, at work only when no one is around and when I let myself. It bothers me in enpty rooms and at night. I cannot imagine what you all are going through if it is much worse than this. Because currently, it is driving me mad. Maybe not so much the sound but more the fear and anxiety.

The only thing that eases me is when my partner rubs/pets me above the air through my hair as this fully masks the sound and relaxes me. I can't ask her to do that all day though. My constant fear is driving her insane as well.

I'm clinging to your words. I wish for nothing more but reduced aounds. It feels nothing like the ring or flute you sometimes hear that goes away again. More like my conscies that is overloaded. Like a static noise in my brain, or something. Like it is tintling.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm clinging to your words.

Also check out the many studies listed in the thread below
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/

I am posting the link above just in case you haven't had a chance to go to
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/
and see tip #1 there.

 

[Tom88]

Made an appointment with ENT, earliest opportunity is 20-Feb (!). Asked about prednisone as I read some stuff here on that, but it seems that is only prescribed for sudden deafness.

I'm scared shitless. Seems like sounds at the office are more annoying and painful than usual as well. Slamming doors, hard voices. Maybe the stress is increasing everything as well...