What Is Normal Tinnitus Like?

[Dominic1955]

Did you notice decrease hearing in your good ear too?

 

[Vaba]

By far the most common type of T in the general population, solely caused by hearing loss or noise exposure, is the pure tone "eeeee" type of sound. It doesn It is usually a single sound, not a medley of noises. It's almost always any pitch over 2.5kHz, or "high pitched."

Of course, tinnitus is purely subjective. You could have T from a 10 dB hearing loss (like me) and have several fluctuating noises... I guess there really is no "normal" T.

 

[Jkph75]

Did you notice decrease hearing in your good ear too?

I was born deaf in the one ear. The decrease in hearing was in my good ear where the tinnitus now is. My audiogram shows a reverse ski slope curve in the normal range. They are hypothesizing that I had a labyrintitis due to that and my other symptoms.

 

[Telis]

By far the most common type of T in the general population, solely caused by hearing loss or noise exposure, is the pure tone "eeeee" type of sound. It doesn It is usually a single sound, not a medley of noises. It's almost always any pitch over 2.5kHz, or "high pitched."

Of course, tinnitus is purely subjective. You could have T from a 10 dB hearing loss (like me) and have several fluctuating noises... I guess there really is no "normal" T.

Have you had the ultra high (above 8khz) range tested? This is where my T sits. I lost almost all hearing above 8khz. I have many T's as well. Maybe your loss is hidden off a standard audiogram?

 

[Vaba]

Have you had the ultra high (above 8khz) range tested? This is where my T sits. I lost almost all hearing above 8khz. I have many T's as well. Maybe your loss is hidden off a standard audiogram?

Yes. My ultra-high frequency hearing (6kHz-20kHz) is 0dB up until 16kHz, where it starts to drop (10dB) Basically, it's perfect for my age (21), and my T is mostly a pure tone in my left ear that changes with any head movement, and a sickening multi-tone whistle in my right, that decreases in volume when I use a gentle Valsalva maneuver or make head movements.

Also, I can't match the tone of my T... I spent a half hour with a T specialist and we couldn't determine the tone. It's nowhere near where my "hearing loss" is.

 

[Dominic1955]

I was born deaf in the one ear. The decrease in hearing was in my good ear where the tinnitus now is. My audiogram shows a reverse ski slope curve in the normal range. They are hypothesizing that I had a labyrintitis due to that and my other symptoms.

Did u get steroids and do u still have vertigo ?
Can you mask your T?

 

[jross7]

@Dominic1955. Where did you go to get the maskers you use? My daughter in law suggested Johns Hopkins but I guess you would not agree.....right?

 

[Dominic1955]

@Dominic1955. Where did you go to get the maskers you use? My daughter in law suggested Johns Hopkins but I guess you would not agree.....right?

I went to John Hopkins to see otoneurologist, he could not help and suggested an hearing aid, my local ent told me it was too soon since he felt hearing could change. I believe that university of Maryland has best TRT program but I decided to go to Philadelphia to dr Brenner since it was closer. I have been trying TRT for several weeks but I did not notice any improvement.

 

[PaulBe]

I think the frequency..not just the volume has something to do with how maskable t is

I think that's actually the key to mask-ability.

 

[PaulBe]

I have been trying TRT for several weeks but I did not notice any improvement.

TRT promises its benefits only after months and months of patience and discipline, by which time, would you have improved anyway? Who can tell? Many swear by it though, so whether it is a placebo or not is probably irrelevant.

 

[Dominic1955]

TRT promises its benefits only after months and months of patience and discipline, by which time, would you have improved anyway? Who can tell? Many swear by it though, so whether it is a placebo or not is probably irrelevant.

I agree with you but there are not many options, it s suppose to help you habituate sooner. Do you have any experience with TRT ?

 

[jross7]

Who helped with the TRT? I know I have a lot of questions for you as it is so hard in the very beginning...you are being very patient....thank you for that and all your info!

 

[jross7]

Sorry as I re read your post the TRT training must have been from Phil....but is it something you do daily at home?

 

[PaulBe]

Not really. I'm in a part of the country (Northern Australia) where there just isn't any support or understanding. I did travel to see an Audiologist at the other end of the country who is considered a world-authority, and she was helpful in demystifying things (face-to-face with sincere expertise still beats Internet searching), but follow-up was difficult, and where I am there is no credible TRT specialty, just a scattering of Neuromonics salespeople. I feel as though "habituation" is a buzzword, but lacks a real definition beyond that which we decide for ourselves it is. I went through much the same horrors you experienced with suicidal thoughts (planning?), losing of self esteem/identity, not working, loss of music career, in fact finding myself unable to even listen to music let alone play it because high-frequency sound took on the quality of a steel-cutter. these days I'm back working (not music), my hearing is patchy but better than it was, and I have a hearing aid/masker that ....meh..., so I suppose a level of "habituation" has occurred for me, and maybe a little nerve regeneration. I do sometimes think that if I'd been able to access a real therapist on an ongoing basis, then TRT may have been a positive option because I do get the theory behind it (registered nurse) and it does make a certain sense. The thing that knocked me for six more than anything else was the callous disregard of the Medical profession.

 

[Jkph75]

Did u get steroids and do u still have vertigo ?
Can you mask your T?

I did get steroids but they didn't come from my ENT at first. I never had vertigo but was very dizzy. I still get a somewhat off feeling that i guess I could say is vaguely dizzy. I can mask my T for the most part. It is sometimes reactive. Then, I can't mask it. I also get this ultra high pitch that is more like a feeling than a sound. I can't mask that either. Oh and a low lawnmower sound that comes out when I try to mask the high sounds sometimes.

 

[PaulBe]

I did get steroids but they didn't come from my ENT at first. I never had vertigo but was very dizzy. I still get a somewhat off feeling that i guess I could say is vaguely dizzy. I can mask my T for the most part. It is sometimes reactive. Then, I can't mask it. I also get this ultra high pitch that is more like a feeling than a sound. I can't mask that either. Oh and a low lawnmower sound that comes out when I try to mask the high sounds sometimes.

I recognize all this, except the lawnmower. I haven't met that one....yet