Tinnitus?

Had real high pitched noise in one ear for over two weeks now. Had my ears syringed two days ago which thought would help, but no change.

Have made docs appointment for tomorrow but I'm afraid someone is likely to tell me nothing can be done. I don't remember a single loud event as such, but have been mixing productions on headphones for extended periods late at night quite a lot........

Anyone suffer? Or recommend any strategies? It's waking me up in middle of night.....

My old man has it. He has to live with it. Has done for two years. As far as I know there's no known treatment for it. If you look around a bit, there's a drug called cilostazol (used for various cardiac conditions and the prevention of stroke). It's been shown to have some potential due to its action as a vaso-dilator. If you get desperate this could be an option. You could buy it easily (its generic). Try it for 4 weeks. If nothing improves, cease! Be interested to hear what your doctor says.

Sorry to hear it (no pun). It does my Dad's head in. He has the TV on low, background noise can drive him mad. Hope its not tinnitus or that my understanding of what therapies exist is wrong.

FWIW here's a link to info about the clinical trial that's going on:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01378650

I work in this sector. This drug has been on the market for many years and is very safe. If I had tinnitus I would try this out on myself. If its doing your head in, effectively enrol yourself into your own personal trial as above and see if anything happens for you. Its the kind of condition where you can get quite a large placebo effect, so you'd want to have a go for at least 2 weeks.

PM me if you have any questions.

I suffer more than most at gigs, etc. as I have quite sensitive ears. Can have ringing for over a week sometimes.

Then my hearing will disappear completely in one ear and come back without the ringing - all in the space of about a minute.

So many potential causes, but generally, if it is brought on by noise related trauma then chances are it will pass.

Cheers. Even after syringing my ears feel full, and feel like I'm at altitude, like on a plane. Breathing out whilst holding my nose makes both ears rattle.... Dunno, I'm hoping he says it's an infection and can be treated. I tried a white noise generator app last night, but could still hear high pitched ringing over it...

I'll swop heads with you,
Always wondered what it was like in there.

Right now if I could I would!

I've had it for over 20 years. Started when I was 18 and I'm 39 now. I damaged my ears going to gigs; they'd ring for a few days and then it would stop. One day it just didn't (the gig that finally tipped the balance was shit too. Typical!). It's a constant high pitched noise in my ears.

Initially I found it super irritating and my GP gave me some pills - it's so long ago now I can't remember which ones - but they did no good. I had my ears syringed a few times but again it never made any difference.

It's been going on so long now that generally it hardly affects me at all these days. I only remember that I have it when I think about it (like now). It doest tend to get worse if I'm somewhere noisy and if I'm in a pub with louder than average background noise then I can't hear people speaking very well, even if they're right in front of me. I've had to become a decent lip reader as a result.

Avoid wearing cans for a while, and if you do use them, then use open-back models. Not sure if it's a myth, but apparently closed-back models are worse for tinnitus.

Your brain can work very well at adjusting to changes in your ears. It takes time, but ease off the SPL for a while and see how you get on.

Always wear plugs at gigs.

Started when I was 18 ... I damaged my ears going to gigs; they'd ring for a few days and then it would stop. One day it just didn't ... It's a constant high pitched noise in my ears.

...

It's been going on so long now that generally it hardly affects me at all these days. I only remember that I have it when I think about it (like now).

All this is the case for me too, I'm 27 now. Haven't really got anything helpful to say.

Always wear plugs at gigs.

Also this. Check your local musical instrument store.

I've had it for over 20 years. Started when I was 18 and I'm 39 now. I damaged my ears going to gigs; they'd ring for a few days and then it would stop. One day it just didn't (the gig that finally tipped the balance was shit too. Typical!). It's a constant high pitched noise in my ears.

Initially I found it super irritating and my GP gave me some pills - it's so long ago now I can't remember which ones - but they did no good. I had my ears syringed a few times but again it never made any difference.

It's been going on so long now that generally it hardly affects me at all these days. I only remember that I have it when I think about it (like now). It doest tend to get worse if I'm somewhere noisy and if I'm in a pub with louder than average background noise then I can't hear people speaking very well, even if they're right in front of me. I've had to become a decent lip reader as a result.

+1 to all of this (including it starting at 18 and being 39 now!). I used to be in a band, went to a lot of gigs and listened to loud music to drown out the high pitch squealing of an 850cc mini engine. Net result is permanent ear damage and the high pitched ringing you describe. As I was interested in it (read: it was driving me absolutely mental and I couldn't sleep or concentrate on anything) I studied it at university. There are 2 causes: 1) a physical symptom causing your body to actually create noise which your ears then pick up (could be something rubbing or pressure from tight veins/capillaries around the ear drum) or 2) permanent damage to the fine hairs that pick up the vibration of sound waves which the brain converts to what we know as sound.

If it's 1) then it can be treated. There have been cases where the ringing is so loud others can hear it as much as 20m away! Can't imagine what that's like to have in your head.

I have 2) and there is no cure. Basically the damaged hairs get snapped by exposure to excessive loud noise and basically they fall over and sit in the fluid around the ear drum. The brownian motion of the fluid constantly moves the hairs telling the brain that you're hearing the noise that corresponds with the frequency of the damaged hairs. I assume temporary damage is where they flop into the fluid but recover with time, so the noise goes away.

Permanent damage means permanent tinnitus and I know from experience it can be maddening. You really don't want it so DO look after your hearing! Knowing that you'll never hear silence again is a horrible place to be!

After around 15 years of having it my brain final decided that the noise probably wasn't really there, and although if I concentrated I could still hear it, I did have to make more of an effort to hear it as I think my brain had somehow shut it out. However in the last 3 months it's got much worse. Not sure why as I haven't had exposure to loud noises (I'm understandably cautious about exposing myself to loud noises these days), but I have been under massive pressure at work and have also had a nasty ear infection a couple of months ago, so I sincerely hope it settles down again. I'm almost at the point of going to the doctors again to have my ears looked at as the ringing is very loud and really starting to annoy me again.

Sounds to me that you probably have a form that can be treated i.e. it's the result of an infection or similar which I sincerely hope for your sake it is. I hope this helps and good luck with it.

dont smoke weed as the buzzing gets louder !

dont smoke weed as the buzzing gets louder !

interesting, a mate of mine in Montana got a medical marijuana scrip by claiming he had tinnitus. I don't know if he ever actually had tinnitus, but he had some damn good weed.

my tinnitus always get worse with the weed , expands my paranoia ! but maybe i should just try smoking more ?

interesting, a mate of mine in Montana got a medical marijuana scrip by claiming he had tinnitus. I don't know if he ever actually had tinnitus, but he had some damn good weed.

I'm gonna vaporise some tomorrow, see how I get on with that

Rehearsing in small rooms with hardcore bands/loud gigs/factory work has done it for me, it's pretty noticeable when I think about it but tbh it only really bothers me when I go to the country and am faced with the realization (as stated by someone above) that I'll never hear silence again!

Fingers crossed it's an infection or something similarly treatable for you. Sounds like that may be the case, here's hoping.

Nice from yetidamo - if it's (1) there are definitely possibilities but I don't know if there are any approved treatments (i.e. something you can get your doctor to prescribe) yet...hence my comments above.

possible middle ear infection/fluid

GP has prescribed ceritizine hydrochloride, amoxcillin and a nasal spray 'nasonex'

with the proviso that none of the above is guaranteed to work

so antibiotics, ceritizine hydrochloride and spray did nothing - if anything it is now more pronounced. It's waking me up every night/early morning about 3-4 am - I'm having to sleep with headphones in playing pink noise, or radio drama (talking) but as soon as that's over, I wake up - it's very very loud

going back to GP tomorrow but note sure what they can do other than refer me to ENT specialist?

also now worried as have a medical next week for new job which definitely includes a hearing test - they play various frequencies through headphones at increasing volume and you hit a button when you hear it.....

:/

Have you stopped the late night mixing sessions?

yes pretty much

All.The.Time. Couldn't sleep properly for years, till it just wore in. Pink noise helped, though at low volumes and not from headphones. It helped moving near rail tracks. Funnily enough, I got used to that much quicker. Falling asleep became easy.

Can never fully ignore it or recover from it. I really hope it's just an infection for you.

Always wear earplugs.

also now worried as have a medical next week for new job which definitely includes a hearing test - they play various frequencies through headphones at increasing volume and you hit a button when you hear it.....

:/

I suffer from tinnitus, high frequency, high pitched ringing. It is there constantly worse when tired or a bit run down.

I went to the specialist ENT clinic, basically i'm stuck with it, it is how you manage it. Whilst there, though, I had the full hearing test including the one you describe. Despite the tinnitus it is still possible to carry out the test and it may point to the trouble.

Mine showed a loss of hearing in the lower ranges by damage, almost certainly, by working in heavy industry for over 25years.

If it is tinnitus, for your sake I hope not - I wouldn't wish it on anyone, it is all about coming to terms with it and managing it. Tell yourself straight, "i'll never have a quiet moment again". Any time bemoaning the fact is a waste.

The hardest part is the getting to sleep. A little trick, other than alcohol, that I use is rather like counting sheep. Think of waves rolling onto a beach, the noise they make as they break and roll along the sand all the little bubbles bursting and sand moving and visualise them turning and going back to met by the next breaking and and running onto the beach... ...

If you've had a stressful day, make it more complex, the waves into a corner of beach and harbour walls, meeting at angles against each other, criss crossing, little whirlpools and eddys... ...

See it but also hear it matching into the frequency of your ringing.

Works for me anyway.

Best of luck to you

thanks both, I appreciate your thoughts

it never went away, I'm 85% used to it now I guess - sometimes I can not be bothered by it, other times it seems louder than ever - but sadly it never goes away

(was reminded of this thread when it woke me up at 5 this morning)

word to the wise - look after your hearing :/