WTF Does “Ringing” Tinnitus Sound Like?

[mrbrightside614]

This is a question of the audiometric character of "ringing." In movies where there are explosions and gunshots that make way for the "eeeeeee" tinnitus that I hear constantly, I wouldn't really characterize this as "ringing."

Is this the typical character of the sound that people refer to as "ringing?" I find the verbiage a little odd, I guess, as I think of a doorbell sound when people say "ringing."

 

[Mister Muso]

I guess when people haven't experienced it for themselves, this is how it's come to be described. Of course we know that the eeeeeeeeee and hissing sounds are more common.

 

[bobvann]

Krikits. I don't think the problem is as much the sound. More the pain & intrusiveness..I have been told it can be as bad or worse than nerve pain.

 

[PeteJ]

This is a question of the audiometric character of "ringing." In movies where there are explosions and gunshots that make way for the "eeeeeee" tinnitus that I hear constantly, I wouldn't really characterize this as "ringing."

Is this the typical character of the sound that people refer to as "ringing?" I find the verbiage a little odd, I guess, as I think of a doorbell sound when people say "ringing."

It's mild ringing and one tone. Not really loud and it typically goes away.

I don't want to speak for others but maybe some here have a similar state or experience - the ringing is multiple tones and some tones might be a different pitch and the sound of other tones may be different.

Yes, moderate and severe tinnitus is different than the ringing in movies. It's more equivalent to concert goers who are lucky enough to only experience this one tone ringing after a concert that only occurs temporarily and eventually goes away.

 

[Michael B]

I think it's a generic term used to describe tinnitus but appears to sound differently to different people. Of what I've read, it can sound like ringing, hissing, roaring, crickets, screeching, sirens, whooshing, static, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, clicking, dial tones and even music.
Mine is a high pitch tone so it does sound somewhat like ringing but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as such.

 

[FGG]

I usually tell people "high pitched ringing" only because that's how "movie tinnitus" is described and aurally represented and how my pure tone actually sounds (but more high pitched) so I feel like people will grasp that better.

 

[jasonbourne]

?

It's literally what ringing is. And my tinnitus sounds just like when movies do it. I don't understand what you mean.