Question... Frequency Getting Lower Every Day

[Aaron44126]

I developed tinnitus in late July. My ENT thinks that it is because of a viral infection of the inner ear / vestibular nerve, and that it should get better over time. More recently, I also had some eustachian tube dysfunction symptoms, which I cleared up somewhat a few days ago after learning how to drain the eustachian tube by massaging around the jaw/neck.

Now, the reason for my post. For the first few weeks, my tinnitus was a constant frequency, at a high pitched 15,250 Hz. After a while, it started to get lower, and different sounds started coming (changing every few hours... sometimes a straight tone, sometimes more of an oscillating ring, sometimes more of an electric buzz...). Last week I measured it a few times and usually got around 12,750 Hz. Recently, it has been changing more quickly. Sunday (two days ago) I had around 12,000 Hz... Monday (yesterday) it was hanging around 10,000 Hz... Today (Tuesday) I am getting tones of around 8,750 Hz.

I'm not sure what to make of it. I haven't found any stories of anyone's changing this rapidly. Has this happened to anyone else or have you ever heard of it? Just wondering.

Hoping that it is a healing sign and it eventually falls off the bottom...

Thanks.

 

[Santiago Biagi]

A non stable tinnitus in early days is usually good, i would "Worry" if it stayed always the same tone and volume.

It's on a downward spiral, Let's hope it reaches 0 HZ!

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm not sure what to make of it.

Many people's T changes from a high pitch tone to a hiss 1-3 months after onset. Hopefully you will begin perceiving yours as a hiss soon. A hiss is easier to ignore.

 

[Aaron44126]

Thank you for the replies.

Since Tuesday, the other non-tone sounds have become the "norm" so I haven't been able to measure as well, but I did get a very low tone of around 2,100 Hz yesterday evening... A very strange thing to hear after all of the high-pitched sounds. I do believe that the changes are indicative of things getting better.

I've learned a lot more about managing my ETD and it has helped the tinnitus settle down to almost nothing (hopefully completely nothing in a few days, or couple weeks, who knows). I'm working on a post sort of unpacking the whole experience which I think may be helpful to others new to ETD-based tinnitus, which I will publish when it is ready...

 

[Bill Bauer]

(hopefully completely nothing in a few days, or couple weeks, who knows)

Your T is changing rapidly, so perhaps you are right. But be prepared for it to take 6-12 months, or longer before you get to hear complete silence.

 

[Aaron44126]

Wanted to post another update as things have continued to change...

As @Bill Bauer suggested may happen, over the past month my tinnitus sound has turned into more of a hiss, and all of the other strange sounds that I was getting before have gone away. I haven't tried to measure the hiss frequency but it is high-pitched and pretty quiet (usually).

For the past week or so I have been getting low tones in addition to the hiss. These sound just like the sound that comes out of a tone generator. They were rare at first, but for the past two or three days they are pretty common. The frequency of the tone is "wobbly" as in I can often hear it "sliding" up and down. Occasionally I get two different tones at the same time. And, why I am posting back in this thread is that the frequency of these tones continues to get lower... From around 1800 Hz last Friday, to 1600 Hz on Tuesday and as low as 1400 Hz today.

So strange...

 

[Bill Bauer]

As @Bill Bauer suggested may happen, over the past month my tinnitus sound has turned into more of a hiss, and all of the other strange sounds that I was getting before have gone away. I haven't tried to measure the hiss frequency but it is high-pitched and pretty quiet (usually).

I am happy for you! The hiss ought to gradually get less intense and the frequency ought to eventually get to be lower. The volume ought to also gradually fade. In three months you will probably feel much better!

 

[Taylorslay]

Mines changed quite a bit. It use to be a lowish pitch ring. Now it's a high pitch ring and fluctuates between a high pitch ring, an electric like ring/hiss. Sometimes it's comparable to cicada's. Idk if that's exactly a good thing for it to change so much but it does *shrugs*

 

[Aaron44126]

Mines changed quite a bit. It use to be a lowish pitch ring. Now it's a high pitch ring and fluctuates between a high pitch ring, an electric like ring/hiss. Sometimes it's comparable to cicada's. Idk if that's exactly a good thing for it to change so much but it does *shrugs*

Mine has changed a lot over the 2.5 months that I have had it. I've had high-pitched ring, crickets/cicadas, electric buzz, whistling, and now I have a high-pitched hiss and low-pitched tones. I think that change is good (something is changing — hopefully resolving — in the ear or brain). As long as it keeps changing, I have hope that it will eventually go away... Though honestly it isn't bugging me that much anymore, it is an unnecessary distraction but I mostly just find it strange.

 

[devonlee]

Mines changed quite a bit. It use to be a lowish pitch ring. Now it's a high pitch ring and fluctuates between a high pitch ring, an electric like ring/hiss. Sometimes it's comparable to cicada's. Idk if that's exactly a good thing for it to change so much but it does *shrugs*

Mine is the same! I love your cicada analogy. I totally get that every once in a while.