Tinnitus sucks

[sam_]

I have pretty bad tinnitus as well - I used to use an app on my phone to play white noise bc I couldn't sleep the ringing was so bad. I actually just picked up an amazon echo and use the white noise app on that and it's much better. Definitely recommend either of them as they have been so helpful for me over the past few years.

[E30 Wagen]

Well, it's been almost 3 weeks. I went to an ENT (who was not sympathetic at all) and he didn't see anything physically wrong. The tinnitus seems marginally better at times but I can definitely always hear it, other times it's pretty loud. I definitely can't perceive some bass tones in music which is absolutely devastating; it's bringing me to tears that I can't enjoy music anymore. This week I went to a consult with an audiologist and he told me to give it more time, from two months to six months, before it's worth spending money to diagnose exactly what's going on because things still could improve. The audiologist was a really cool guy who was big into BMWs and complimented me on my e36 and we got to chatting about e30s for a bit too, which was nice. He drove a 235i.

Protect your hearing, kids. Tinnitus and hearing loss is ruining my life. I can't fucking handle this shit. :(

[Exodus_2pt0]

Watching my grandfather deal with hearing aids over the years has made me much more cautious than my co-workers when it comes to hearing protection. Even still, I am not as careful as I should be.

You don't get it back!

[Johnnyboy101]

Lifelong hearing impaired person here, who has also dealt with tinnitus for as long as I can remember, though mine has been pretty mild. I do remember, during my last visit to the audiologist, they mentioned something about hearing aids that could recognize tinnitus and play opposing frequencies to cancel out the sound. Might be something worth looking in to. Good luck!

Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Tapatalk

[kickinindian]

i use this to sleep at night http://asoftmurmur.com/
also maybe get an MRI not to sound alarmist but i had a friend in high school who had that happen and it ended up being a small tumor in his brain.

[Aleman]

My ears ring all the time, too. I went to the ENT a few weeks back to see if there was anything medically concerning or if I could do something about it. He gave me a thorough hearing test, and I passed with flying colors. Turns out that I can hear their tiny little test beeps through the ringing. I've learned to ignore the ringing for the most part, but the main annoying thing is that my ears hurt like a mofo when firetrucks blast by me when I'm walking in the city.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I had to plug my ears for that whole test. Hurt like hell haha i guess i got super sonic ears

[Exodus_2pt0]

Turns out that I can hear their tiny little test beeps through the ringing.

Funny thing, my Wife is convinced that I have hearing loss (She's likely right). But then I hear sounds that she can't. Strange how that works.

Those "bug" deterrent speakers drive me insane!

[AndrewBird]

Almost 11 years here. It's worse in a quiet room. Some people use a fan or white noise machine to help.

Have you seen a doctor about it? This could be a sign of something worse going on. Also, they can sometimes do something to help/fix it.

[SkiFree]

Funny thing, my Wife is convinced that I have hearing loss (She's likely right).

Strange.... my wife says I have hearing loss as well. Maybe this is a thing?



Seriously though, "sounds" like this is a massive pain to deal with. If anything, thank you for those who have commented, makes me want to take much better care of my ears while they are still issue-free.

[E30 Wagen]

So, a little over two months later and things are finally better. There's definitely still some ringing, and I have to be careful about loud noises setting it off, but at least I can go about my daily life without wanting to shoot myself. Unfortunately, I may as well sell my subwoofer because I can't really hear low frequencies anymore. All in all that had to be the worst two months ever from not being able to sleep or concentrate on anything without some kind of masking noise to keep me from going insane. So, I'll just emphasize again the importance of protecting your hearing. You don't appreciate the sound of silence until you lose it. This was absolutely life changing for me.

Also, here's a good TED talk:

[jmg]

Well, it's been almost 3 weeks. I went to an ENT (who was not sympathetic at all) and he didn't see anything physically wrong. The tinnitus seems marginally better at times but I can definitely always hear it, other times it's pretty loud. I definitely can't perceive some bass tones in music which is absolutely devastating; it's bringing me to tears that I can't enjoy music anymore. This week I went to a consult with an audiologist and he told me to give it more time, from two months to six months, before it's worth spending money to diagnose exactly what's going on because things still could improve. The audiologist was a really cool guy who was big into BMWs and complimented me on my e36 and we got to chatting about e30s for a bit too, which was nice. He drove a 235i.

Protect your hearing, kids. Tinnitus and hearing loss is ruining my life. I can't fucking handle this shit. :(

I went through this a couple years ago when I first got tinnitus in my right ear. I went through a bout of depression because I really love to listen to music. The worst was sitting in bed thinking that I would never hear my wife laugh again like I used to, or my son play and laugh and cry. I was on the verge of tears sometimes, I have to admit, and it was pretty rough. The ENTs seemed unsympathetic until I realized he was underplaying it for my sake.

I did everything, MRI scans, hearing tests, herbal remedies, etc etc. Nothing worked but time and the ability of your mind to cope. When it's quiet, I hear the ringing, but 90% of the day my mind has learned to tune it out. Sometimes I forget I have tinnitus. Trust me, things will get better. Those first few weeks/months are the WORST it will EVER be so long as you protect your hearing from here on out. When I go to concerts, I bring custom ear plugs. I also have these earplugs from amazon that I put on my keychain and bring with me at ALL TIMES:

https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-1-High-Fidelity-Earplugs/dp/B019M576XW/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1493752076&sr=8-14&keywords=ear+plugs

You never know when you are going to go into an environment with loud noises.

Here's a tip: Very rarely, I have a bout of loud ringing and slight throbbing. I think this happens either when I have a lot of caffeine or I have been in a loud environment. I like to put on my ear plugs after this and give my ears a rest. It's very calming to be in silence for awhile. The ringing isn't bad when you are accepting that you don't want to hear anything for a few minutes. The placebo affect of taking your earplugs off and perceiving "normal" hearing is also very satisfying.

I've also tried the "Reddit Tinnitus Cure" with varying levels of success. You should try it, it might help you:



Anyway, good luck to you, hang in there, trust me, it gets better!

[jmg]

So, a little over two months later and things are finally better. There's definitely still some ringing, and I have to be careful about loud noises setting it off, but at least I can go about my daily life without wanting to shoot myself. Unfortunately, I may as well sell my subwoofer because I can't really hear low frequencies anymore. All in all that had to be the worst two months ever from not being able to sleep or concentrate on anything without some kind of masking noise to keep me from going insane. So, I'll just emphasize again the importance of protecting your hearing. You don't appreciate the sound of silence until you lose it. This was absolutely life changing for me.

Also, here's a good TED talk:

Glad to hear it. I learned to appreciate moderate levels of bass as a result of my tinnitus. No more subwoofers, and I actually turned the bass down a lot on my radio. That bass is actually very damaging anyway, and keeping my hearing healthy in my good ear is a high priority.

Also, my doctor recommended Lipo-flavanoid. You can get it at CVS and amazon over the counter. He says some people react positively, while some don't react at all. There are no side effects and he says it won't hurt to try. I take them daily. My hearing is better, but I have no idea if it's the Lipo-flavanoid. They are not that expensive anyway.


In the meantime, here's some timely tinnitus humor:

[M-technik-3]

What i'm also dealing with right now is my neck feeling sore and out of alignment which I think could be contributing. It feels like I have some pressure in my ear; every time I swallow my ears *pop*. I tried listening to this frequency test and could clearly hear the 16k hz but barely the 17k hz.


I've always had sensitive hearing so I generally try to protect my ears, but I do know that I've listened to music too loud but never to the point that my ears ring afterward. But this all started a few nights ago after I know for sure I was listening with my headphones too loud, so now I'm just like shit...

Hate you, I was out at at under 50. But i suffer from asymmetrical hear loss in my left ear. and tinnitus as well. I hate the tinnitus because my ears are in pain and messes with the brain when I go to say a bar or sporting event. Loud crowds kill me.

The VA has given me a 40% disability rating from my issues.

[jpod999]

I crashed my bicycle without a helmet back in 09, suffered a severe concussion and a basilar skull fracture. Basically, the hole at the base of my skull got a crack in it and that crack nicked the nerve connecting my ear to my brain. I lost full hearing in my left ear and was left with permanent tinnitus in that side.

I've learned to live with it, nothing I can do so I have no choice. I only really hear it now when I bring my attention to it. Keep your head up OP, it gets easier!

I also have earplugs that I take to concerts or keep in my pocket if I think I will be in a loud environment. Gotta keep that right ear in decent condition!