I'm 4 weeks in with tinnitus. For the past 10 days or so I've been telling some friends and family that I've got tinnitus to see if they've had any experience with it. I've been surprised at how common it is. This is what I've learnt -
My Aunty had it for 3 years after an horrific car accident in which she went through the windscreen of her van and had a bad head injury, hers faded and faded and one morning she woke up and it was gone.
My friend's husband had it for 3 months after a very loud Muse concert. He had an extreme reaction to it and broke down. After 3 months it began to fade, at some point it became very quiet until one morning he woke up and it had gone completely.
One of my best friends has had it since childhood! I never even knew! Hers was the result of repeated ear infections. She has completed habituated - she could "hear" it as I was talking to her about it then she immediately zoned back out of it again. It doesn't bother her at all.
Two friends have it intermittently for weeks at a time, either brought on by stress or by sinus problems. Theirs goes away to silence but can be very loud at times.
Two of my parents friends have it - one from recent hearing loss related to an ear operation - he has not habituated and it bothers him a lot. The other has had it for 15 years. She rated it as 10/10 bothersome when she first got it now she rates it at about 3/10. She still uses masking to sleep.
A husband and wife who are both friends of mine have it. Hers is from Meniere's and his from using noisy tools whilst working on a building site. She had CBT and has habituated after a number of years. He habituated by himself. She asked him on the phone how his tinnitus was when I was there. He actually said "hang on, yep, it's still there but only if I purposely think of it"
One friend had it from a Jose Gonzalez concert, 18 months of hell now it has faded to 2/10 and she sleeps without masking for the last 6 months.
One friend has it but didn't realise it had a name! Hers is a low rumble which she hears in her house mostly in the evenings and when going to sleep. It doesn't bother her at all and she just puts the telly on or radio to go to sleep. She's pretty much unaware if it when busy during the day unless she actively listens to it.
So, they're not all success stories but a mixed bag of people still struggling, not coping at first then finding relief, habituating or it disappearing altogether.
Anyway, the fact so many people I know have had it or do have it and are living with it is giving me hope and keeping me positive! The more people I speak to who say they've experience it, the less I feel alone !
I wish us all a good outcome
Member
