Tinnitus... Who has this BS?

The loud noises will do it. You might not cure the tinnitus but there is definitely a chance you can improve it.

They probably won’t do any imaging (except X-rays) until you’ve done other conservative treatment options. Find a good neck specialist. If they’re smart they’ll probably refer you to PT first. Research is limited on cervical tinnitus but the published case studies do show positive results with PT. Stay away from the physicians who immediately want to cut into you.

My caution for all healthcare providers: do your own online research and ask extensively for word of mouth referrals. There are really bad clinicians out there in all settings. I wouldn’t even recommend my own coworkers to friends. The good are few and far between.

 

If you’re not ‘getting anywhere’ with your local doctors - don’t hesitate to get a 2nd oppinion. Do some research of what doctors specialize in hearing related /tinnitus issues.

My own hearing issues - I travel about 1.5 hour drive to Johns Hopkins for my hearing related issues. My local docs couldn’t do anything for me and they never suggested I go somewhere else. I had to push for it.....

And as always - anything you do beyond ‘standard’ might cost you more becuase your insurance might not cover it. But - if the tinnitus is affecting your lifestyle....its well worth the extra step in trying to get rid of it. But...its not guaranteed that you’ll rid yourself of it.

 

Just saw that this is a thread. Yeah, I got this BS. Thanks, Air Force. Gee, those generators/HVAC units/tactical vehicles/aircraft sure are loud. I'm super sensitive to noisy tires on long trips, and when I finally get to where I'm going my ears are throbbing and I'm exhausted.

I drown a lot of it out with background noise. We have white noise generators at work to prevent sound from carrying, and they actually help with the ringing when I'm here. Otherwise, I have music or the TV on the background at a loud enough volume to mostly cancel it out. Otherwise I've learned to ignore it most of the time. My niece has white noise generators in all her bedrooms because it helps the kids sleep and drowns out her husband's snoring.

The one part of it that sucks the worst is when the ringing changes frequency and pitch. For 20-30 seconds all I hear is a painful squeal, until my brain becomes accustomed to the new freq and I can hear again. My wife can even recognize it when she sees my face implode. I just put a finger up and she'll ask me "frequency change?" and I'll nod. Happens every couple of weeks or so, more often in allergy season for some reason.

 

I fell from a ladder back on 11/22 and suffered a head injury.....skull fracture near my right ear, blood clot under skull, and “a concussion x 50” (words of the neurologist). I spent a night in the trauma ICU and and then two more days inpatient before they decided it was safe to go home and heal. My right ear is hearing about 50% volume and ringing like crazy ever since. I saw an ENT after the neuro cleared me to do so and he didn’t help much. When I fell, I bled quite a bit from the affected ear, but the eardrum is intact apparently. The ENT assumed that dried blood, etc in the ear canal is causing the hearing issues and sent me home with instructions to use drops and flush ear with water....most if not all of the “gunk” has come out.....no improvement in hearing or ringing. I think I have fluid behind the eardrum which is contributing to the issues.

I’ve had some tinnitus to varying degrees going on for several years.....im a School Band Director by profession and having kids honk instruments in my face 7 hours a day for 20 years has taken its toll. This recent accident has amped the tinnitus up to a degree where I feel like I’m going to lose my mind! I’m hopeful there will be improvement as I heal.....but when the ringing is this loud, it really plays with your mind!

I was happy to stumble upon this thread this morning. It’s comforting to know that others are dealing with similar issues.

 

Have you tried any hunter/shooter ear plugs? My son's band director recommended them for all the kids in the percussion section to prevent hearing loss. They allow the lower sounds through but somehow block higher frequency noises. It's witchcraft to me, but my wife bought a set for our son and he said they helped.

 

I have considered earplugs, but they just don’t work well in my situation. I know some directors use them for marching band season when they are dealing with large/loud groups. I teach the beginners and relatively small groups of around 20 or so at a time. I think that if you are a kid playing in the back of the band, it works to some degree. I’m at the front talking to kids, directing, correcting behavior issues.....it just doesn’t work.

Honestly, the tinnitus I’ve had up til now has been pretty minor and manageable....it usually is most noticeable when I have sinus issues or allergy flair ups. What I’m dealing with now is on a whole different level.....it’s relentless and loud.

 

I’ve been watching this thread. I got it bad. Guns and construction and big block chevys. I’m about to snap

 

50 cals sound nice without ear pro in case anyone was wondering..

 

Just saw this thread as I lay in bed listening to the high pitch "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

 

Same here

 

I definitely tend to get this. I find that ibuprofen tends to help me, as well as drinking a lot of water. I'm usually stressed and dehydrated when I get it.

 

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I have bad tinnitus for a long time and I have kinda learned to live with it. The VA gave me hearing aids and sent me to tinnitus classes a few years back.

Didn't need the hearing aids ... but the "tinnitus classes" really helped me a lot.

As long as I can avoid loud noises, screaming kids or loud talking ... and have small background music on most of the time ... and a "white noise fan" at night ... my tinnitus is manageable now.

There are a few times when it really gets bad ... but I try to drink lots of water ... take minimal meds ... exercise ... and do meditation and relax with deep breathing ... I can take my mind off of it most of the time.

It never really goes away ... just try to train your brain to not think about it most of the time ... for me ... this has been my best treatment.
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https://www.yahoo.com/tech/science-solution-constant-ringing-ear-140200470.html

for somatic tinnitus. Which I have. I would sure like to get some relief.

 

That is what l have done over the years is just trained my mind to tune it out.Sounds like a freight train passing by my house right now,but after so many years,it is just background noise.For the ones that are just starting to deal with tinnitus,relax you will have to learn to live with some of it.

 

Urbalactiv.com

Lots of people are finding success with CBD. For me, it calms the ringing down to a manageable point!

 

What?

 

For me it's closer to "cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc" or maybe "ccccccccccccccccccccccccccc#".

 

this has been the best thing I have ever done for some relief !!I want to thank you for your post and you have given me a gift !!THANK YOU!!

 

https://www.ehealthme.com/ds/ranitidine/tinnitus/ zantac also

 

I just wanted to update this and this is not a joke. I was prescribed medical marijuana for a few things. One of the best things is when I do consume at night to go to bed the ringing in my ears go away it’s so nice to sleep and not have the ringing.