Never Spoken to Other Tinnitus Sufferers, Have Some Questions

[Graeme]

I would like to bounce some of my experiences with other sufferers.

I'll give some context and history.

I have had tinnitus since 2014. I woke up one morning and heard a loud buzzing tone. It sounded like a horn, beeeeeeep, I jumped out of bed looking for where the sound was coming from, while looking through the window to see if it was coming from outside, I put my hand over my ear, and to my horror, it was coming from my left ear.

That started getting softer over the next few hours till eventually, by the end of the week, I could only hear it if I put my finger in my ear. I went to the doctor and he said I had an ear infection and that's what caused the ringing but I never felt sick or pain.

What started to develop was a buzz in my head, it sounded like the static from an old CRT monitor. Over the years the buzz has moved more to the right side.

I now have the very high pitch beep in my left ear, which I hear when it's quite or if I put my finger in my ear.
The static is in my right ear, but most days it just feels like its in my head.
Some days are worse than others, the really bad days make me Emo as I struggle to focus on other things.

I listened to nothing but white noise 24/7 for a year to try help me but I got really tired of it I stopped last year. I have used my iPod to play family guy episodes, with volume at zero, although there is still volume, it is soft enough to distract my brain as I fall asleep.

I have had my ears tested 3 times over the years by an e&t and audiologist. All mechanics are fine and my hearing is normal, go figure? I have a slight sensitivity to high pitched sounds.

Now here is some of the weird stuff I would like to know if its common:

• 1. Is the beep in one ear and static (static filling the head) in the other common?
• 2. Do your ears ever feel achey or sore inside, especially at night after work?
• 3. Do you ever feel slight wooshy sounds in you ears?
• 4. Does tinnitus make your head feel sore, like a slight headache?
• 4. Do different spaces make the sound worse, like a car, or open office filled with people, it feels better in an empty room.
• 5. Throughout my life I would get the "sounds of silence" (not sure what people call it) in either ear, randomly, never enough to matter. It used be low tone but since 2010 it started to happen more frequently and the pitch got higher and higher over the years. It's so high now that it blends in with static, and has never gone back to being low. What's up with that?
• 6. I struggle to hear in full noisy rooms if people are trying to speak to me, common?
• 7. Does loud noises or sudden screams make your ears ache?
• 8. Do you ever have days where it is so soft, you don't notice it, only for it to return back the next day?

If anyone is wondering, I have played in bands since I was 16 (play guitar), I'm 40 now.
My day job is Corporate IT.
I still play twice a week, in church, but for the last 4 years I have been using moulded in ears with filters that keep the volume at 15db. I would just use foam plugs for the years before that, but nothing in my teens and early 20's

I have recently been wondering if this is still a good idea, but the audiologist didn't seem to see an issue as I wear protection, we don't play loud, but occasionally there are festivals that are louder, but it hurts my ears even with the protection. So I am not keen to play at those.

I started having anxiety and panic attacks in 2010, it flared up again last year, my sleep is poor to average, especially since 2010, so this feeds the tinnitus. Although towards the end of last year I wanted to stop being this guy, so I have been working hard on getting the focus off myself, manage my stress and improve my sleep quality, but the tinnitus is still a struggle.

 

[Alue]

• 1. Is the beep in one ear and static (static filling the head) in the other common?

Beeps, tweets, buzzing, hissing, zings. It's all a part of this lovely tinnitus package.

• 2. Do your ears ever feel achey or sore inside, especially at night after work?

Sometimes, but not often. Are moderately loud noises too loud for you now? You may be describing hyperacusis.

• 3. Do you ever feel slight wooshy sounds in you ears?

Pulsatile tinnitus.

• 4. Does tinnitus make your head feel sore, like a slight headache?

Sometimes.

• 4. Do different spaces make the sound worse, like a car, or open office filled with people, it feels better in an empty room.

No, not for me. Loud noise exposure makes mine worse.

• 5. Throughout my life I would get the "sounds of silence" (not sure what people call it) in either ear, randomly, never enough to matter. It used be low tone but since 2010 it started to happen more frequently and the pitch got higher and higher over the years. It's so high now that it blends in with static, and has never gone back to being low. What's up with that?
• 6. I struggle to hear in full noisy rooms if people are trying to speak to me, common?

Very common. It's common with hearing loss and hidden hearing loss. Check out this thread:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...trouble-hearing-conversations-in-noise.17763/

• 7. Does loud noises or sudden screams make your ears ache?

You could be describing hyperacusis.

• 8. Do you ever have days where it is so soft, you don't notice it, only for it to return back the next day?

Not me. It's bad all the time unless I'm on medication that reduces it. A lot of people here have what you are describing, though.

 

[fishbone]

I can answer YES to most of those questions...If your ears are protected, then do what you enjoy doing.

 

[Graeme]

Thanks for the feedback guys