Silence Today!

[The Red Viper]

I'm not sure what happened but I want to document it. I woke up with a clogged right ear and T as usual. A few valsava maneuvers did the trick for the clogging. Next, I went for a drive and when I came back home, I noticed in the bathroom that my T sound was not present. Not sure what's going on. I applied some diclofenac (NSAID) cream to my neck this morning, applied a heating pad, and then left the house to start driving.

I don't want to get too excited by this, but the silence sure feels nice!

 

[RaZaH]

wow, awesome , enjoy the day

 

[Daveyrvancleef]

Congratz, lets hope it will stay away forever.

 

[Joe P. Tamborra]

Maybe your one of the fortunate ones. Glad to hear you got some relief; and I hope it lasts!

 

[The Red Viper]

I'm not counting on it to last. I've had days in the past (very few) where I had silence, but the T came back in the evening and the next morning.

 

[stophiss]

Just awesome Viper. Every once in a blue moon my T quiets to barely audible. But like most here, short lived and back to hissing.
Figuring out why T is so variable is one of the mysteries of the universe...and why I am starting to chart moon alignment.
When the surfs up, gotta be surfin'. Ride the wave brother.

 

[glynis]

Great to hear you tinnitus is giving you a break at the moment @The Red Viper .
It's weird how our brains work as my ears are blasting but after a procedure done today the pain takes over and my ears just not bothering me....lots of love glynis

 

[Michael Leigh]

Just awesome Viper. Every once in a blue moon my T quiets to barely audible. But like most here, short lived and back to hissing.

@stophiss How loud is the hissing for you scale 1 to 10?

 

[stophiss]

@stophiss How loud is the hissing for you scale 1 to 10?

Hi Michael,
As you know the numerical assignment of tinnitus dB is so subjective.
Also, a game I play with myself is...when I believe my tinnitus is up, I try to downplay just how loud it is.
I would say my tinnitus ranges from a 4-5 to 0.5. In my case Michael, it can change hourly. When I wake up in the morning or if I take a nap I can wake up to my T= 4 or perhaps even 5 although I am reluctant to give my T a 5 at full flight. Then after walking around, distracted with a task or two I can find myself forgetting about it and it can go down to a 1 or a 2. Every once in a great while, it can slip down to a 0.5. I believe since I contracted it this past April, it went to almost inaudible just once. I was hoping but also realistic knowing this is not uncommon for this disorder.

I sometimes ponder why my T is so variable. I believe it is due to two things:
1. My T truly does vary in intensity.
2. I am in and out of habituation to it.

The combination of the above creates quite a roller coaster.
I don't want to say I am over my T because I am not. I am hopeful at some point it will fade into oblivion but in my heart of hearts I believe neuropathy...nerves attaching to cochlea is the root of my particular T type...nerves that are misfiring. Not sure if this can be overcome with technology in the future but I am hopeful...perhaps stem cell therapy in my case. I have H too...not life changing H but things are noticeably a bit louder than I like including people who talk loud in a tight area.

Best Regards

 

[Michael Leigh]

The combination of the above creates quite a roller coaster.
I don't want to say I am over my T because I am not. I am hopeful at some point it will fade into oblivion but in my heart of hearts I believe neuropathy...nerves attaching to cochlea is the root of my particular T type...nerves that are misfiring. Not sure if this can be overcome with technology in the future but I am hopeful...perhaps stem cell therapy in my case. I have H too...not life changing H but things are noticeably a bit louder than I like including people who talk loud in a tight

Thanks for the information @stophiss . As you know you haven't had tinnitus a long time and still in the early days. Anything up to a year is early days and even longer in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised, I'd even bet on it if I were a betting man that your tinnitus will improve quite a lot over the coming months; perhaps to the point where you will hardly notice it or it could go completely. I speak from experience but don't know it all. The fact that your tinnitus is quite low, indicates that it should recede into the background as habituation takes place and that will happen. The only way I believe your tinnitus will get worse, if over the holiday season you were to party around overly loud noise or use the dreaded headphones.

Another thing is, that you have the right attitude and that's coming from your personality. I am sure you will get there and with ease
Carry on I think you are doing just fine.
Michael

 

[stophiss]

Thanks for the information @stophiss . As you know you haven't had tinnitus a long time and still in the early days. Anything up to a year is early days and even longer in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised, I'd even bet on it if I were a betting man that your tinnitus will improve quite a lot over the coming months; perhaps to the point where you will hardly notice it or it could go completely. I speak from experience but don't know it all. The fact that your tinnitus is quite low, indicates that it should recede into the background as habituation takes place and that will happen. The only way I believe your tinnitus will get worse, if over the holiday season you were to party around overly loud noise or use the dreaded headphones.

Another thing is, that you have the right attitude and that's coming from your personality. I am sure you will get there and with ease
Carry on I think you are doing just fine.
Michael

Thanks so much. Because of your excellent advice, I have pretty much suspended all headphone usage to not tempt fate. I want you to know you make a different in people's lives Michael by contributing your vast knowledge about this disorder. I recently flew back to the state I grew up in to attend a wedding. I am not one for loud social venues and therefore I don't have custom ear plugs for my H, but when the music started to blare and there was serious music power and bass near the dance floor, in went my foam earplugs. Honestly, it was still too loud and I didn't stay as long as I typically do because I was in discomfort and tried to seek a bit of refuge away from the dance floor. No discernible resulting spikes due to attending the reception or the airplane rides...first time I have been on a airplane since contracting this.
Hard to know what the future holds. My T was up this morning but around a 2 now. When outside or in a social venue, I hardly notice it...it melts into the background. But in a quiet room it is quite noticeable.
Thanks again for your advice and words of encouragement. I wish you the best as always and hopefully there will be an intervening therapy and better understanding of the rudiments of T and H with hopefully some relief in particular to those that suffer with intrusive T.

 

[brownbear]

Very happy to hear this. I sincerely hope it lasts forever.

 

[The Red Viper]

Thanks all for the support! Like I said I don't think this will be permanent, but I'll hope for the best.

 

[Konstadinos]

Best wishes!!

 

[The Red Viper]

UPDATE: T came back in the morning

 

[maltese]

@stophiss How loud is the hissing for you scale 1 to 10?

Dear Micheal,

I've seen this scale being used over and over again. But I have no idea what it really means - I know 0 is silence, I'm quite afraid to ask - what is 10? Or 5? Any "point of reference"?

No idea where my T is on that scale.

 

[maltese]

UPDATE: T came back in the morning

I'm so sorry T becoming intermittent is never a bad sign - hope for the best in the future!

 

[Foncky]

I don't think there's a rule, it's really how you feel it. Just like with pain when emergency doctors ask you : "How is the pain from 1 to 10 ?". The answer that comes to your mind first is certainly the good one at that moment.

For instance I'd say my T is (always) around 8 or 9, as I consider it very intrusive and not maskable. I experienced what sounded like a 6 or 7 two weeks ago, and it was beautiful.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I've seen this scale being used over and over again. But I have no idea what it really means - I know 0 is silence, I'm quite afraid to ask - what is 10? Or 5? Any "point of reference"?

HI @maltese everyone's tolerance scale will be unique to them. Many people do have some variation in their tinnitus. Some days it will seem more intrusive than others and this can be described on a scale of 1 to 10. However, you haven't had tinnitus long so your tinnitus levels are likely to be all over the place and haven't really settled down yet. This is quite normal and it has a lot to do with how you are coping with it emotionally. This will take time and this why ENT doctors prefer to see a tinnitus patient around six months after the onset. A lot can happen in the first 6 months to 1 year. Many people habituate and the tinnitus can also go away. A lot can happen even up to 18 months.

Michael

 

[glynis]

@The Red Viper ,
Sorry to hear your tinnitus is back ....
Hope it's not to loud
...lots of love glynis

 

[Michael Leigh]

For instance I'd say my T is (always) around 8 or 9, as I consider it very intrusive and not maskable. I experienced what sounded like a 6 or 7 two weeks ago, and it was beautiful.

@Foncky Hope you don't mind me saying: Don't try to mask your tinnitus for as you say it is not doable. Try to set the sound enrichment level lower than the tinnitus. I know that you have some hyperacusis. If you continue using sound enrichment particularly at night at low level, I believe you will make improvement. Try not to listen to audio through headphones is my advice even at low volume. Try using the earplugs less or only in very noisy surroundings. There is a risk of making your auditory system hypersensitive with overuse of earplugs.
Michael

 

[glynis]

for some reason my ears have gone down a notch today and first time in ages as it blasts 24/7
Not sure if it's with the pain I'm having taking my mind off my ears but hope it's the nortryptaline as would be nice just to have a little break from raging ears..
Staying positive and hope a good sleep and off to Manchester Christmas market tomorrow hopefully...lots of love glynis

 

[VRZ78]

In France we have this scale :
1 - I only hear them at night or in a really quiet room
2 - I hear it during the day and during the night but they don't bother me
3 - I hear it during the day and at night, they only bother me during the night, I forget it during the day
4 - I hear it during the day where I can forget it sometimes, I have trouble sleeping at night
5 - I hear it even when people are talking
6 - i hear it in a busy street
7 - i hear it in a party room
8 - nothing can mask it, but sometimes it goes down
9 - nothing can mask it and they are always at this high level
10 - I never forget about T and it never comes down

 

[Foncky]

@Foncky Hope you don't mind me saying: Don't try to mask your tinnitus for as you say it is not doable. Try to set the sound enrichment level lower than the tinnitus. I know that you have some hyperacusis. If you continue using sound enrichment particularly at night at low level, I believe you will make improvement. Try not to listen to audio through headphones is my advice even at low volume. Try using the earplugs less or only in very noisy surroundings. There is a risk of making your auditory system hypersensitive with overuse of earplugs.
Michael

I have to try sound enrichement at night yet. I'm lucky because H totally prevents me from using headphones, I just couldn't stand something so close to my inner ear. And when I think about that, hearing aids (which I don't have) work like headphones...

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have to try sound enrichement at night yet

If you are sleeping in a quiet room @Foncky it isn't a good idea. Since your hyperacusis is so acute, I think it's imperative that you use sound enrichment at night and it will also help your tinnitus.
Try it, you might be surprised with the results. Try not to use music though. Nature sounds and keep the volume low.
Michael

 

[Konstadinos]

UPDATE: T came back in the morning

I am sure your next break will last much longer..and anyway, even a small break is always a good sign!

 

[Foncky]

If you are sleeping in a quiet room @Foncky it isn't a good idea. Since your hyperacusis is so acute, I think it's imperative that you use sound enrichment at night and it will also help your tinnitus.
Try it, you might be surprised with the results. Try not to use music though. Nature sounds and keep the volume low.
Michael

Can you recommend me a good sound machine ? I have one but the loops are too short, very annoying.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Foncky Sound Oasis makes the best sound machines and are specifically made for people with tinnitus. Here is their website link http://www.soundoasis.com/ The S-650 is popular and the one I recommend. I wrote a post some time ago about Oasis sound machines. If you want to read it you will find it on my "Started Threads".
Please be aware a sound machine takes time to get used to. Set it at low level and to play throughout the night until morning.
All the best
Michael

 

[The Red Viper]

UPDATE: Yesterday (November 30), I had no T all day. Today (December 1), I had T all day but in the evening it's quieted down to almost nothing. I think I may be on to something with the neck muscle thing. No idea which one(s), but one suspect is the suboccipital muscle group. Another would be the deep muscles underneath the trapezius muscles (there are a few of them with obscure Latin names). What I'm noticing is that after taking an NSAID (diclofenac) for three weeks straight, the pain in my neck is somewhat, but not completely, diminished. I believe there is some link. My T wouldn't quiet down or even disappear if I had noise induced T, so I'm remaining hopeful. Also, my Eustachian tubes are way clearer than they were before I started taking anti-inflammatories.