Level Scale of Tinnitus — How Is It Measured?

[Ento]

Hi all.

I see often that people here refer to their tinnitus as 'level 2', or 5, or 9. I find it difficult to relate to.

Zero is obvious, but what is a 1, and what is a 10 then? How do I tell what level my tinnitus is, if someone should ask?

 

[dpdx]

Hi all.

I see often that people here refer to their tinnitus as 'level 2', or 5, or 9. I find it difficult to relate to.

Zero is obvious, but what is a 1, and what is a 10 then? How do I tell what level my tinnitus is, if someone should ask?

1- you can hear T when you plug into ears
2-4- you can heat T in quiet room
5-6- moderate tinnitus, you can hear it over some stuff
7-8- severe tinnitus, you can hear it over tv, peoples voices, faucets running full blast (my case)
9-10- can hear it over everything.

 

[Tinker Bell]

1- you can hear T when you plug into ears
2-4- you can heat T in quiet room
5-6- moderate tinnitus, you can hear it over some stuff
7-8- severe tinnitus, you can hear it over tv, peoples voices, faucets running full blast (my case)
9-10- can hear it over everything.

To add to this, it's important to also recognize that there is an emotional component too. For example, my tinnitus is 9/10 in terms of my ability to hear it over everything. However, my emotional response is far lower.

And on the opposite side, we see many members with T only audible in quiet rooms yet their negative emotional response could be ranked as a 10.

T is likely best measured through a scale examining both factors.

 

[dpdx]

To add to this, it's important to also recognize that there is an emotional component too. For example, my tinnitus is 9/10 in terms of my ability to hear it over everything. However, my emotional response is far lower.

And on the opposite side, we see many members with T only audible in quiet rooms yet their negative emotional response could be ranked as a 10.

T is likely best measured through a scale examining both factors.

You are absolutely right. When I had mild T I was freaking the hell out. What a idiot I was.
Anyway, Tinker Bell how does your audiogram look like. Have you done DPOAE?

 

[Manny]

To add to this, it's important to also recognize that there is an emotional component too.

I would also add that the nature of the sound (e.g. frequency, timbre, "pervasiveness" inside the head) is a critical factor as well.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Hi all.

I see often that people here refer to their tinnitus as 'level 2', or 5, or 9. I find it difficult to relate to.

Zero is obvious, but what is a 1, and what is a 10 then? How do I tell what level my tinnitus is, if someone should ask?

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-loudness-scale.6873/

 

[Alue]

1- you can hear T when you plug into ears
2-4- you can heat T in quiet room
5-6- moderate tinnitus, you can hear it over some stuff
7-8- severe tinnitus, you can hear it over tv, peoples voices, faucets running full blast (my case)
9-10- can hear it over everything.

I always thought moderate (5-6) tinnitus was something you could hear over most things, severe (7-8) you can hear over just about everything, and 9-10 is reserved for extreme cases, multi tonal, constantly worsening, or it's so loud you have difficulty hearing other people over it.

Most people I talk to that have had tinnitus for years/decades can hear their tinnitus over a lot of things like the TV and people's voices - that's just normal everyday tinnitus.

 

[dpdx]

I always thought moderate (5-6) tinnitus was something you could hear over most things, severe (7-8) you can hear over just about everything, and 9-10 is reserved for extreme cases, multi tonal, constantly worsening, or it's so loud you have difficulty hearing other people over it.

Most people I talk to that have had tinnitus for years/decades can hear their tinnitus over a lot of things like the TV and people's voices - that's just normal everyday tinnitus.

Hmmm I can hear mine over everything but not shower or a busy road.

 

[Alue]

Hmmm I can hear mine over everything but not shower or a busy road.

Same. I can hear on a busy road, but not in the shower. I have multiple tones now (didn't start that way). For the first two years it was daily torture, now I can actually go most of the day without noticing it. It still bothers me from time to time and at night it can be a pain.

Hyperacusis, on the other hand, I find much more debilitating. I'm afraid of very loud noises making it worse because I actually developed a new tone from additional noise exposure.

 

[dpdx]

Same. I can hear on a busy road, but not in the shower. I have multiple tones now (didn't start that way). For the first two years it was daily torture, now I can actually go most of the day without noticing it. It still bothers me from time to time and at night it can be a pain.

Hyperacusis, on the other hand, I find much more debilitating. I'm afraid of very loud noises making it worse because I actually developed a new tone from additional noise exposure.

@Bill Bauer there is your example that people dont get better. My T is a torture all day, every day...

 

[Tinker Bell]

You are absolutely right. When I had mild T I was freaking the hell out. What a idiot I was.
Anyway, Tinker Bell how does your audiogram look like. Have you done DPOAE?

My left ear is okay. My right ear audiogram is fine until a drop from 5dB at 4k to 75dB at 6k. Frequencies above 6k are at or below 75dB until a slight improvement to 60dB. Cannot remember where, maybe at 14 or 16k.

Is DPOAE the acoustic emissions test? I've undergone a lot of tests, including multiple OAE tests.

 

[dpdx]

My left ear is okay. My right ear audiogram is fine until a drop from 5dB at 4k to 75dB at 6k. Frequencies above 6k are at or below 75dB until a slight improvement to 60dB. Cannot remember where, maybe at 14 or 16k.

Is DPOAE the acoustic emissions test? I've undergone a lot of tests, including multiple OAE tests.

That is it. I am sorry to hear that. How are you handling your T? Is it loud.

 

[Alue]

@Bill Bauer there is your example that people dont get better. My T is a torture all day, every day...

Well, I am a lot better with the emotional response to my T. Not completely habituated, but better. It was torture every day for the better part of two years for me.

The hyperacusis is still very limiting. Much more so than the tinnitus alone. I find most restaurants and social gatherings too loud. Noise at work is a constant struggle too.

 

[dpdx]

Well, I am a lot better with the emotional response to my T. Not completely habituated, but better. It was torture every day for the better part of two years for me.

The hyperacusis is still very limiting. Much more so than the tinnitus alone. I find most restaurants and social gatherings too loud. Noise at work is a constant struggle too.

Have you done an audiogram? DPOAE?

 

[Tinker Bell]

That is it. I am sorry to hear that. How are you handling your T? Is it loud.

I am handling my T and hearing loss much better now than I was a year ago. Given that I can always hear it, I would consider it loud. It's very high pitch so that likely contributes to my ability to always hear it. But as I commented on a different thread, I have found there is a difference between hearing my tinnitus and listening to my tinnitus.

A funny or not so funny story, even though I have always been able to hear my T over all other sounds, I thought my tinnitus was manageable until I found TT. I was shocked to read anxious posts from people who could only hear their tinnitus is quiet environments. Honestly, that created anxiety for me. I thought if they can't handle only hearing tinnitus in quiet rooms, then how can I handle always hearing it and having significant hearing loss too?

Fortunately, I spoke with several people IRL with loud tinnitus hearing loss and they gave me lots of great support.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Well, I am a lot better with the emotional response to my T. Not completely habituated, but better. It was torture every day for the better part of two years for me.

The hyperacusis is still very limiting. Much more so than the tinnitus alone. I find most restaurants and social gatherings too loud. Noise at work is a constant struggle too.

I absolutely agree regarding hyperacusis. I feel it truly complicates tinnitus and adds another layer of complexity and suffering.

If there was a tinnitus scale that combined scores from volume and emotional response, then extra severity points should be added for hyperacusis.

 

[Bill Bauer]

@Bill Bauer there is your example that people dont get better. My T is a torture all day, every day...

This is an example that proves that not everyone gets better... It doesn't prove that nobody gets better.

 

[dpdx]

This is an example that proves that not everyone gets better... It doesn't prove that nobody gets better.

You only get 1 chance before you screw it up. Tell newbies that when their T spikes that means that their T dosent like what they are doing. T spikes are your ears telling you to not screw around.

 

[Alue]

Have you done an audiogram? DPOAE?

Many, many audiograms. I was in the AM101 trials where they do multiple audiograms with every round and tinnitus matching tests. I did an ABR, I have not done a DPOAE.

 

[dpdx]

Many, many audiograms. I was in the AM101 trials where they do multiple audiograms with every round and tinnitus matching tests. I did an ABR, I have not done a DPOAE.

Results?

 

[Bill Bauer]

You only get 1 chance before you screw it up. Tell newbies that when their T spikes that means that their T dosent like what they are doing. T spikes are your ears telling you to not screw around.

I agree with you that we are given a limited number of second chances...

 

[Error404]

By that scale, mine is a 9-10. I have 24/7 low frequency sounds, including musical hallucinations. By my own scale, I'd rate it a 2-3. I have mostly stopped caring: it is just another manifestation of my deafness and can do me no harm. I confess I'm always perplexed by people massively stressed by maskable T, but I suppose this illustrates that our emotional response is much of the battle.

 

[Alue]

Results?

No hearing loss in the normal range. Some hearing loss in the ultra high frequencies, but I don't have a baseline to compare to.

The results of the ABR were inconclusive. They had trouble getting a good wave I without going louder than I would allow them to, but I thought a diminished wave I could indicate auditory nerve damage? I don't think the audiologist / ENT really knew how to interpret an ABR. I wish I could have asked the neurotologists I saw with the clinical trials.

 

[dpdx]

No hearing loss in the normal range. Some hearing loss in the ultra high frequencies, but I don't have a baseline to compare to.

The results of the ABR were inconclusive. They had trouble getting a good wave I without going louder than I would allow them to, but I thought a diminished wave I could indicate auditory nerve damage? I don't think the audiologist / ENT really knew how to interpret an ABR. I wish I could have asked the neurotologists I saw with the clinical trials.

How much hearing loss in the higher frequencies?
I have hearing loss in normal range.

 

[GregCA]

You only get 1 chance before you screw it up.

You don't always get that one chance. Those who get it could be considered lucky: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_the_land_of_the_blind,_the_one-eyed_man_is_king

 

[Alue]

How much hearing loss in the higher frequencies?
I have hearing loss in normal range.

I don't remember how much. It's in the 12-16k range. Worse on my left side which is the one that was facing my original acoustic trauma. The very high frequencies sound really weird. It's almost like a feeling or sensation when they played them and not a tone.

I get spikes from time to time. They come and go. Only once did it stay. That new tone comes and goes, but when my tinnitus is bad or when I cover that ear it's always there.

 

[Sam Bridge]

I can hear mine over a tv on normal volume but not a water tap/faucet. Music on moderate volume covers it. I would rate mine moderate.

 

[dpdx]

I can hear mine over a tv on normal volume but not a water tap/faucet. Music on moderate volume covers it. I would rate mine moderate.

I can hear mine over all those

 

[coffee_girl]

I guess mine is moderate based on these scales.

I can hear it in a very quiet room (like zero sounds), the moment a fridge starts or if a breeze blows I instantly lose it. If I sleep at night with the window open and it is quiet outside and no other noise... i can't hear it. If someone closes the window, turns off the light then I can hear it.

2 years ago...i could hear it over the fan and even AC that is blasting right next to where i was sleeping. TV that was playing at medium volumes wouldn't mask it either.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I guess mine is moderate based on these scales.

I can hear it in a very quiet room (like zero sounds), the moment a fridge starts or if a breeze blows I instantly lose it. If I sleep at night with the window open and it is quiet outside and no other noise... i can't hear it. If someone closes the window, turns off the light then I can hear it.

According to https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-loudness-scale.6873/ , your T is a "2"