# Tinnitus



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

I suffer from this quite badly (and it's entirely my own fault due to years of abusing my hearing). But recently I have noticed a curious thing which I've not experienced before and the wider internet has shed no light on, so logically I thought I'd ask if anyone here has.

I'm currently staying with my parents and living in their loft (34, unemployed, technically homeless, living at home, what a catch eh?) . Whenever I'm up here and not distracted I can 'hear' buzzing, sort of like you get at electricity sub stations. I don't get this anywhere else in the house, and this has never happened in any other location. It's also a new 'sound' as there are 4 which I routinely get, but they've never been specific to one place.

Any thoughts? I'll be getting my hearing checked as soon as I'm able, but would welcome all theories, no matter how outrageous.


----------



## Drago (4 Jun 2020)

Funny you mention this. I suffer intermittently with a form of vertigo and tinnitus associated with it. Normally it's not too bad but today its turned up to 11.

As for your symptoms, who knows? Could it be that you're sensitive to something in the environment?


----------



## Mark Grant (4 Jun 2020)

I also have tinnitus 24/7, I think mine is pretty much the same all the time but I do find it much more invasive when I'm not distracted doing something else or listening to radio, tv etc. Also it appears much worse if I wake up in the night when everything is quiet.
Could it be that when you're in the loft and all is quiet this particular buzzing becomes more apparent?
When my tinnitus was diagnosed the doctor said 'Classic noise damage.'


----------



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

Drago said:


> Funny you mention this. I suffer intermittently with a form of vertigo and tinnitus associated with it. Normally it's not too bad but today its turned up to 11.
> 
> As for your symptoms, who knows? Could it be that you're sensitive to something in the environment?



I had thought that, but there's nothing up here that there's not in the rest of the house.


----------



## tom73 (4 Jun 2020)

Lack of background noise can make it worse away from the rest of the house maybe it's quieter up in the loft.


----------



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

Mark Grant said:


> I also have tinnitus 24/7, I think mine is pretty much the same all the time but I do find it much more invasive when I'm not distracted doing something else or listening to radio, tv etc. Also it appears much worse if I wake up in the night when everything is quiet.
> Could it be that when you're in the loft and all is quiet this particular buzzing becomes more apparent?
> When my tinnitus was diagnosed the doctor said 'Classic noise damage.'



I'll have a wander around the rest of the house, and see if I notice anything; I've not yet, but then I haven't been 'listening' for it.

I'm not particularly bothered by it to be honest, I'm used to living with the consequences of my stupidity. I was only really worried when 3 days after a gig (Mortiis, not for the faint of heart) the echoing was so unbearable I assumed it was infrasound and I thought I'd end up like these chaps.


----------



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

tom73 said:


> Lack of background noise can make it worse away from the rest of the house maybe it's quieter up in the loft.



It is, but not when it's raining as heavily as it is now.


----------



## Rocky (4 Jun 2020)

I also suffer from tinnitus and as Tom says, it's worse when it's quiet. I have noticed that as I've got older, I've lost the ability to pick up middle range frequencies (such as human voice) but am very sensitive to high and low ranges. If someone leaves the extractor fan on in the bathroom at night, the low pitched rumble wakes me up. I wonder if there's any background noise from neighbouring houses you are sensitive to.


----------



## gbb (4 Jun 2020)

I've told this story a few times in similar circumstances to your post....and my thought is, have you any major roads nearby ? Sounds odd maybe but...is the buzz in your head...or external.
Years ago I sat in my living room, all was quiet but I detected a faint buzz from one end of the room. Odd, what's that , I cocked my head, it seemed to be coming near the corner. It bugged me so I got up and stood 2ft away from the wall, looking, listening, where the heck is that coming from, I just couldn't pin point it. I'm stood right In front of a hanging painting on the wall....I still cant figure it, its here, but theres nothing here to make a buzz ?
I reached out, dont know what prompted me to do it, put one finger on the painting frame.....and the buzzing stopped.
So it was resonating, probably minute background vibration from the A1 perhaps, about 1/2 mile away. Never happened since.


----------



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

The buzz is definitely in my head - when I put my fingers in my ears I can hear nothing else but the buzz. 

No major roads within a mile, and no houses particularly close by either (my parents live in the sticks).


----------



## Rocky (4 Jun 2020)

AndyRM said:


> The buzz is definitely in my head - when I put my fingers in my ears I can hear nothing else but the buzz.
> 
> No major roads within a mile, and no houses particularly close by either (my parents live in the sticks).


It may just be the tinnitus......you have my sympathy. At times it can be quite distressing. I also found that ear plugs make it worse - apparently you can get an app which plays low level white noise which could relieve the symptoms.


----------



## gbb (4 Jun 2020)

Ear syringing time ?
Last time I had mine done, it was so nice to have less tinnitus, an unexpected bonus.


----------



## AndyRM (4 Jun 2020)

Those are good suggestions, neither of which I've tried, I'll give them a go.


----------



## Shearwater Missile (4 Jun 2020)

I too have tinnitus and sometimes worse than other times. Sometimes I will pick up on a noise and think whats that ? Could your buzz be the transformers used in low voltage down lighters (ceiling lights) ? Any low voltage lighting will have a transformer which will buzz or hum.


----------



## DCLane (4 Jun 2020)

Brompton Bruce said:


> It may just be the tinnitus......you have my sympathy. At times it can be quite distressing. I also found that ear plugs make it worse - apparently you can get an app which plays low level white noise which could relieve the symptoms.



It's called Tinnitus Relief App: Sound Therapy and worth it, even the free version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sic.songs.audio.tinnitussoundtherapy&hl=en_GB


----------



## Phaeton (4 Jun 2020)

Another sufferer here, completely deaf in one ear, good chunk of missing in the range of the other, but each evening the tinnitus gets quite bad in the one that sort of works. Doesn't seem to matter where I am, home or away


----------



## MarkF (4 Jun 2020)

Do your parents still use a landline phone?


----------



## All uphill (4 Jun 2020)

I'd forgotten about my tinnitus until I read your message!

It's been there at least since I was 6 years old, and never bothered me much. Ear wax definitely makes it worse, as do sustained loud noises, so I dont do the cinema or theatre.

Falling off the bike onto my head doesn't help much either.

Sorry I dont have any ideas about your specific issue.


----------



## GM (4 Jun 2020)

...and another suffer here too. Had it for 40 odd years. About 10 years ago it got so bad, really bad where you just want to scream. Went to my GP about it and he referred me to a hearing specialist at the Royal Free. After a hearing test the ENT said there isn't anything we can do for your tinnitus but try a pair of hearing aids as I have lost the top 20% of the hearing range. Got to admit they do help, I hardly notice it now.

My guess and it's only a guess, your buzzing noise is referred to 'mains hum'


----------



## Slick (4 Jun 2020)

This is going to turn into a big list of people with tinnitus, and unfortunately I'm no different. 

I remember when mine started after a night out and my ears were hurting due to very loud music and when I woke the next morning it was pretty loud and constant in one ear and intermittently annoying in the other. I knew that I would need to try and do something about it as, well you know why. I went to see a private clinic after getting the NHS to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong and I got an MRI scan which I was grateful for but there was nothing else they could offer me. The private clinics theory is that tinnitus is due to a very specific hearing loss and if they can restore that loss the tinnitus will go. I tend to agree with them, although it's a long process but wearing a hearing aid at home is difficult as everything is too loud and I haven't worn mine since but my tinnitus is almost as bad as it ever was. I also believe that it's stress related as during a 3 week break at the start of the year it almost completely disappeared, which was magic. 

https://www.thehearingclinicuk.co.uk/

As for your own case, could it be linked with vertigo and be positional? 

I assume it's the only room in the house you lie down and the change in fluid could change the pitch you are hearing. Huge guess, obviously.


----------



## Mark Grant (4 Jun 2020)

I think mine can be worse when I'm particularly tired.


----------



## keithmac (5 Jun 2020)

I suffer too (my own fault listening to music far too loud, headphones etc in my youth).

Never put tinnitus and vertigo together but I have had some moments and that makes sense.

Stood right in front of the speakers next to the stage at a Prodigy gig a few years back was a bad idea, couldn't hear practically anything for the next 2 days then the ringing starts!.

Next door have their washing machine going at 11pm, most people would be annoyed but it's a nice distraction when trying to go to sleep!.


----------



## AndyRM (11 Jul 2020)

A month (ish) on, and I reckon it's a general background noise thing. Maybe.

I'm used to living in fairly urban environments, and there's very little of that background chatter where I currently am, but I've been in louder areas more recently and haven't noticed ringing or buzzing at all.

It's a weird one for sure. And I'll be getting my ears properly checked when I can.


----------



## fossyant (11 Jul 2020)

Had it all my life ! Sort of used to it.


----------



## Slick (11 Jul 2020)

AndyRM said:


> A month (ish) on, and I reckon it's a general background noise thing. Maybe.
> 
> I'm used to living in fairly urban environments, and there's very little of that background chatter where I currently am, but I've been in louder areas more recently and haven't noticed ringing or buzzing at all.
> 
> It's a weird one for sure. And I'll be getting my ears properly checked when I can.


Is the tinnitus gone?


----------



## AndyRM (11 Jul 2020)

Slick said:


> Is the tinnitus gone?



Reading that back, it was a bit vague.

Tinnitus remains, but I only notice it when I'm here in the sticks.


----------



## Slick (11 Jul 2020)

AndyRM said:


> Reading that back, it was a bit vague.
> 
> Tinnitus remains, but I only notice it when I'm here in the sticks.


Ah, at least you are getting some respite.


----------



## AndyRM (18 Jul 2020)

So, I've been doing some further research and discovered these. 

Anyone with any experience?

https://www.flareaudio.com


----------



## Slick (18 Jul 2020)

AndyRM said:


> So, I've been doing some further research and discovered these.
> 
> Anyone with any experience?
> 
> https://www.flareaudio.com


Not overly expensive if they help. I spent 1500 quid on a hearing aid that I probably don't need and haven't used since lockdown because it's too loud in the house or car. Might give your link a try.


----------



## AndyRM (18 Jul 2020)

Slick said:


> Not overly expensive if they help. I spent 1500 quid on a hearing aid that I probably don't need and haven't used since lockdown because it's too loud in the house or car. Might give your link a try.



Ouch.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking - £20 for a punt isn't bad.


----------



## Slick (18 Jul 2020)

AndyRM said:


> Ouch.
> 
> Yeah, that's what I was thinking - £20 for a punt isn't bad.


Most people I know would try anything to reduce tinnitus. One friend sent me a link to see what I thought but I immediately recognised it as a scam but he is getting pretty desperate to try anything and the scammers know it.

Trial the link and let us know what you find, although the less stress claim is a bit suspicious.


----------



## Beebo (19 Jul 2020)

My friend is an ex night club promoter. He damaged his hearing years ago. 
he has tiny hearing aids which emit a low buzzing noise designed to counter act the tinnitus. If he holds them close to your ear you can Just about hear the noise they emit 
he says they work for him, just to cancel the noise.


----------



## Paul Bromley (23 Jul 2020)

Hi Andy
Have you thought it may not be you ?

Have you asked your parents if they can here it too ( Apologies if this has been discussed. I've not read the entire thread)

Also do you have any electrical equipment in the loft, especially with transformers in them- thinking mains operated alarm clock for example, They tend to emit 50Hz/100Hz electrical hum. If it's mounted on a board it can act like a sounding board amplying the noise and assuming you loft is a typical ridge style with sloping sides then the noise could be rebounding back off the roof

Another source of this type of noise would be say a pole mounted transformer outside the house


----------



## kingrollo (25 Jul 2020)

Quiet does make it worse - and I mean that literally. If you hear the noise it can get hardwired into you're brain. Get some background music on.


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2022)

AndyRM said:


> ... I'll be getting my ears properly checked when I can.


Did you ever manage to get your ears checked Andy?


----------



## Lookrider (5 Feb 2022)

Me too with strange unexplained sounds 
I've got the regular buzzing tinnitus that I can " change" the tune by jaw movement ??

I can also hear a distinctive constant click next to one socket on the wall whether its switched on or off ?? Nobody else can hear it and I'm aware that electricity cannot click 
So I no longer ask people iif they can hear this socket click


----------



## Lookrider (5 Feb 2022)

gbb said:


> Ear syringing time ?
> Last time I had mine done, it was so nice to have less tinnitus, an unexpected bonus.


I believe that's what started mine off 
First time I had them cleaned out with water is when I first heard the buzzing 
Tbe ENT guy said the damage was done years ago working in noisey industry but the cleaning was just what brought it out and any number if factors could cause the "activation" 
I also recall many years before tinnitus my yearly work medical and hearing test the GP said I'm losing the frequency at which we hear voices/speech ....I then was aware that I do slur some words and occasionally find it hard to get words out ,,I never really thought about it till the GP piontd this out 
I guess that why people born with hearing issues do at times struggle with words


----------



## AndyRM (5 Feb 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> Did you ever manage to get your ears checked Andy?



I haven't yet, which is daft but it always just seems to be another thing I don't get round to...


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2022)

AndyRM said:


> I haven't yet, which is daft but it always just seems to be another thing I don't get round to...


Well there has been a pandemic... and a Dr's waiting room is one place to avoid at such times.

Was wondering because do the doctors actually test hearing these days? Or do we have to go to a specialist such as Specsavers??


----------



## Tenacious Sloth (5 Feb 2022)

I haven’t suffered from tinnitus at all in all my 59 years until I had Covid a few weeks ago.

I now have it almost constantly, and at times it drives me round the bend.


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2022)

I've had it for decades but I don't always notice it... or I'm so used to it filter it out 90% of the time.

but so far this year i've been noticing it a lot.


----------



## Lookrider (5 Feb 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> Well there has been a pandemic... and a Dr's waiting room is one place to avoid at such times.
> 
> Was wondering because do the doctors actually test hearing these days? Or do we have to go to a specialist such as Specsavers??


I doubt your GP will do a hearing test as it's in a soundproof "wardrobe" a headset that emits low beeps and you press Button vwhen you hear it beep ....more an occupational GP or an ENT place 
water irrigation is dome by a nurse at your gp practice or also at some chemists 
My wife does this but she is aldo aware that some practices are not yet doing irradiation as its deemed non urgent and tell patients to put olive oil in


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2022)

Lookrider said:


> I doubt your GP will do a hearing test as it's in a soundproof "wardrobe" a headset that emits low beeps and you press Button vwhen you hear it beep ....more an occupational GP or an ENT place
> water irrigation is dome by a nurse at your gp practice or also at some chemists
> My wife does this but she is aldo aware that some practices are not yet doing irradiation as its deemed non urgent and tell patients to put olive oil in


Doctors, not GP


----------



## presta (5 Feb 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> I've had it for decades but I don't always notice it... or I'm so used to it filter it out 90% of the time.
> 
> but so far this year i've been noticing it a lot.


I rarely notice mine unless I'm reading a tinnitus thread on a forum.


----------



## Oldhippy (5 Feb 2022)

I've had Tinnitus for many years. Got hearing aids late last year in the hope it would help but it didn't sadly. Just got used to it. Some days worse than others.


----------



## midlife (5 Feb 2022)

Might be easier to get a hearing test (pure tone audiogram) at somewhere like Specsavers. ENT outpatient departments are probably quite busy at the moment.

I get noises/ whistling in my ears from time to time. Probably post viral.


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2022)

Oldhippy said:


> I've had Tinnitus for many years. ...


guessing by your user name... was it Hawkwind?


----------



## Oldhippy (5 Feb 2022)

Touring and working with bands is wot did it.


----------



## Slick (5 Feb 2022)

Oldhippy said:


> I've had Tinnitus for many years. Got hearing aids late last year in the hope it would help but it didn't sadly. Just got used to it. Some days worse than others.


I was advised to get a hearing aid with the theory being that the tone of tinnitus is the tone where the greatest hearing loss occurs. The hearing aid is set to that tone only, and the when the brain realises that it can once again hear that tone, it will stop creating that tone.


Obviously its a load of old pony but that's the theory.


----------



## GuyBoden (5 Feb 2022)

I get tinnitus when my ears are blocked with wax, I've started using an ear wax remover as I can't get an NHS appointment. 
It works well, if you soften the wax with olive oil for a few weeks before using.

These type:

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Removal-Cleaning-Irrigation-Flushing-System/dp/B09K45YT91/ref=sr_1_37?crid=Y0FKIR2ZG3ZP&keywords=ear+wax+removal+kit&qid=1644099784&sprefix=ear%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-37


----------



## midlife (5 Feb 2022)

I'd rather pay for microsuction at Specsavers or other provider. Its the way I have had my ears cleaned for the last 20 years. Have you ever had it done that way?


----------



## slowmotion (6 Feb 2022)

I've had tinnitis for a long time. As teenager, I spent a long time on the rifle range trying to punch holes in a black dot 600 yards away with a Lee Enfield 0.303. Ear protection technology was primitive back then. After that, a lifetime of using woodworking machinery didn't exactly help. Mine is just a high frequency hiss but it's continuous, not intermittent, so it's not too intrusive. I have done online hearing tests which show that I can't really hear much above 9 kilohertz. As a kid, I was good for about 18 kilohertz. It's not a big deal fortunately, but I really can't stand being in noisy pubs.


----------



## MontyVeda (29 Jul 2022)

thread resurrection... i reckon my tinnitus has gotten a lot louder since posting in February.

As mentioned i've had it for years but haven't always noticed it, if that makes sense, but this year it's gone from the background to the forefront and whilst it's not driving me round the bend I do feel the need to address it.

According the NHS page:
Causes of tinnitus​It's not always clear what causes tinnitus, but it's often linked to:​​
some form of hearing loss
Ménière's disease
conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis
anxiety or depression
taking certain medicines – tinnitus can be a side effect of some chemotherapy medicines, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin
I'm wondering if the escalation throughout this year is a result of being pumped full of antibiotics at Christmas? ...or am i just getting old


----------



## fossyant (29 Jul 2022)

The last one, getting old. 

Had the condition all my life. Main difficulties are difficult to follow conversations in loud pubs/gatherings, although that's fairly normal.


----------



## Slick (29 Jul 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> thread resurrection... i reckon my tinnitus has gotten a lot louder since posting in February.
> 
> As mentioned i've had it for years but haven't always noticed it, if that makes sense, but this year it's gone from the background to the forefront and whilst it's not driving me round the bend I do feel the need to address it.
> 
> ...



Mines has become worse recently as well, best get used to it though.


----------



## MontyVeda (29 Jul 2022)

I might pop and get a hearing test at Specsavers or somewhere. 

Could it be chemtrails? Have they changed the formula?


----------



## Slick (29 Jul 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> I might pop and get a hearing test at Specsavers or somewhere.
> 
> Could it be chemtrails? Have they changed the formula?



Don't think so, hearing loss or damage whilst boring, is much more likely.


----------



## postman (30 Jul 2022)

mrs P is having the same problems,Doctor has booked her in for an appointment with audio at local health centre.She actually slept two nights ago listening to very low music from her phone.


----------



## diegoalv (27 Aug 2022)

My tinnitus becomes worse and worse and the hearing in general is not as good as it used to be couple of years ago.
Anyone actually done an online hearing test? How accurate is it? Should I do that or is it better to visit a doctor straight. We live far in the woods and the nearest audiologist is 60 miles away. Looking forward to some tips.


----------



## midlife (27 Aug 2022)

Welcome, are you in the US? 

Hearing test as in Pure Tone Audiogram?


----------



## Slick (27 Aug 2022)

diegoalv said:


> My tinnitus becomes worse and worse and the hearing in general is not as good as it used to be couple of years ago.
> Anyone actually done an online hearing test? How accurate is it? Should I do that or is it better to visit a doctor straight. We live far in the woods and the nearest audiologist is 60 miles away. Looking forward to some tips.



No real experience, but I would imagine the online hearing tests would be woeful as even the face to face hearing test I got at work was terrible as I already knew my results but I passed a poor quality sound booth test with flying colours despite some irksome tinnitus. My advice would always be see a professional, if you are stateside, 60 miles is nothing. Good luck.


----------

