My tinnitus has generally coincided with age-related hearing loss that commenced in about 2009. Until April of 2022, my tinnitus was generally the routine high pitched endless whine. Unpleasant, but tolerable. I've worn hearing aids for about 10 years, and they do greatly lessen the awareness of my tinnitus. I also have used a White Noise machine at my bedside for several years to help mask overnight symptoms when my hearing aids are out.
In mid April of 2022, I suddenly began "hearing" a second sound, sort of a faint metallic clicking or tapping noise. It sounds like what one might hear if a fingernail gently tapped on a thin piece of aluminum. The tapping sound can change from slow to rapid. Thankfully the noise is not evident all of the time, as it does come and go with some frequency. This second noise was VERY disruptive to my sleep so I scheduled a visit with a local ENT specialist. The visit shed little to no light on the situation whatsoever, as the message relayed by the physician was simply that tinnitus manifests itself in a variety of ways. I believe what I am experiencing is sometimes referred to as "typewriter tinnitus." Unlike my primary tinnitus, this tapping noise is NOT masked to a great extent by my hearing aids, so has been far more stressful.
The story continues... In June, a third noise materialized. I'll call it the Tinnitus Trifecta. This "sound" is the most disruptive of them all, as it comes and goes at random intervals and is seemingly perceived as far louder in volume. It is heard ONLY during the transition period of trying to fall asleep during the late night and early morning hours when my hearing aids are off. I have no awareness of this sound whatsoever during the day. What I hear is somewhat difficult to describe, but it's a harsh, crisp one second SNAP. (Far louder than traditional tinnitus). Pretend you put a lot of coins in a plastic sandwich bag, seal it and then shake it briskly one time. This sound appears at completely random intervals. As I rest in bed, I am suddenly aware of the noise. The sound might repeat 10 seconds later, then 5 minutes later, then 20 minutes later, then 2 minutes later, etc. The complete utter randomness and abruptness have made sleep very, very challenging, even with the white nose machine at full volume a foot from my pillow.
The stress from this new sound nightmare resulted in a follow up call to my ENT Specialist. He urged me to consider an MRI procedure to rule out any physiological issues in the head. I had the procedure and results were negative as it might relate to anything abnormal whatsoever. In recent months this particular noise has continued, but its frequency has lessened somewhat. Exhaustion at bedtime has me falling asleep fairly quickly these days. The challenge is hearing this noise at say 3 am or 4 am when I might awaken for any number of reasons, trip to the bathroom, etc. Then it becomes very difficult to return to sleep.
I had a routine visit with my Audiologist a few days ago. This gentlemen is also a local tinnitus expert. It is his speculation that this overnight noise is somewhat atypical as it relates to those who describe tinnitus. He speculates that it might be better classified as an Auditory Hallucination. He is urging me to seek alternative medical opinions from a Neurologist or another ENT physician that might have a more unique hearing treatment focus.
So bottom line, I'm interested in feedback from anyone on Tinnitus Talk as to whether completely random/intermittent sharp sounds as I've tried to describe are indeed unusual as it might relate to tinnitus sufferers.
FYI, I'm 65 years of age, in good health overall and have no mental health issues whatsoever. I'm happy to respond to any specific follow up questions if you need clarification. Many thanks!
In mid April of 2022, I suddenly began "hearing" a second sound, sort of a faint metallic clicking or tapping noise. It sounds like what one might hear if a fingernail gently tapped on a thin piece of aluminum. The tapping sound can change from slow to rapid. Thankfully the noise is not evident all of the time, as it does come and go with some frequency. This second noise was VERY disruptive to my sleep so I scheduled a visit with a local ENT specialist. The visit shed little to no light on the situation whatsoever, as the message relayed by the physician was simply that tinnitus manifests itself in a variety of ways. I believe what I am experiencing is sometimes referred to as "typewriter tinnitus." Unlike my primary tinnitus, this tapping noise is NOT masked to a great extent by my hearing aids, so has been far more stressful.
The story continues... In June, a third noise materialized. I'll call it the Tinnitus Trifecta. This "sound" is the most disruptive of them all, as it comes and goes at random intervals and is seemingly perceived as far louder in volume. It is heard ONLY during the transition period of trying to fall asleep during the late night and early morning hours when my hearing aids are off. I have no awareness of this sound whatsoever during the day. What I hear is somewhat difficult to describe, but it's a harsh, crisp one second SNAP. (Far louder than traditional tinnitus). Pretend you put a lot of coins in a plastic sandwich bag, seal it and then shake it briskly one time. This sound appears at completely random intervals. As I rest in bed, I am suddenly aware of the noise. The sound might repeat 10 seconds later, then 5 minutes later, then 20 minutes later, then 2 minutes later, etc. The complete utter randomness and abruptness have made sleep very, very challenging, even with the white nose machine at full volume a foot from my pillow.
The stress from this new sound nightmare resulted in a follow up call to my ENT Specialist. He urged me to consider an MRI procedure to rule out any physiological issues in the head. I had the procedure and results were negative as it might relate to anything abnormal whatsoever. In recent months this particular noise has continued, but its frequency has lessened somewhat. Exhaustion at bedtime has me falling asleep fairly quickly these days. The challenge is hearing this noise at say 3 am or 4 am when I might awaken for any number of reasons, trip to the bathroom, etc. Then it becomes very difficult to return to sleep.
I had a routine visit with my Audiologist a few days ago. This gentlemen is also a local tinnitus expert. It is his speculation that this overnight noise is somewhat atypical as it relates to those who describe tinnitus. He speculates that it might be better classified as an Auditory Hallucination. He is urging me to seek alternative medical opinions from a Neurologist or another ENT physician that might have a more unique hearing treatment focus.
So bottom line, I'm interested in feedback from anyone on Tinnitus Talk as to whether completely random/intermittent sharp sounds as I've tried to describe are indeed unusual as it might relate to tinnitus sufferers.
FYI, I'm 65 years of age, in good health overall and have no mental health issues whatsoever. I'm happy to respond to any specific follow up questions if you need clarification. Many thanks!
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