| Non-motoring > Tinnitus Anyone? | Miscellaneous |
| Thread Author: zippy | Replies: 48 |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 18:59
Tinnitus Anyone? - zippy
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Does anyone have any tips re tinnitus? I've been to the quack and they suggested Specsavers. Specsavers did the checks; no wax, no infections and hearing within "tolerance" for my age. I'm getting a constant loud high pitched wail and it's driving me spare. It travels with me so it's not an anti pest device etc. It's been going on for a couple of months now. TVM Last edited by: zippy on Fri 27 Feb 26 at 19:02
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Fri 27 Feb 26 19:04
Tinnitus Anyone? - Duncan
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| A friend who suffers with tinnitus has low volume music playing in their ear buds all the time - IIRC. I can check and come back to you. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 19:24
Tinnitus Anyone? - zippy
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Thanks Duncan! It's infuriating and exhausting - in the same way that constant pain might manifest. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 16:56
Tinnitus Anyone? - Duncan
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>> A friend who suffers with tinnitus has low volume music playing in their ear buds >> all the time - IIRC. I can check and come back to you. >> Sorry. Got it wrong. Saw said friend this morning and they said that get Alexa to play music at a low level whenever they are in the house. I must have imagined the bit about the ear buds. Although... one could do that, of course. Ear buds when you are out. Alexa when you are at home. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 19:25
Tinnitus Anyone? - James Loveless
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I'm pretty certain you can get hearing aids that supposedly cancel tinnitus - how successful they are, I don't know. Maybe try at Specsavers? Or have you already mentioned it to them? I've had good experiences with their audiologists. Last edited by: James Loveless on Fri 27 Feb 26 at 19:26
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Fri 27 Feb 26 20:35
Tinnitus Anyone? - zippy
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>> I'm pretty certain you can get hearing aids that supposedly cancel tinnitus - how successful >> they are, I don't know. >> >> Maybe try at Specsavers? Or have you already mentioned it to them? I've had good >> experiences with their audiologists. >> I did make it clear to the audiologist that I was there because of the tinnitus. Unfortunately the headphones used for the hearing test amplified the effect rather than helping with it. The audiologist said that this was common and suggested that they couldn't offer a solution. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 20:22
Tinnitus Anyone? - Manatee
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Unfortunately. the answer for me is noise. I can't enjoy silence for long without hearing a high pitched whine. It's as if I need real sound for my lugs to calibrate. Ordinary daytime background noise keeps it away but at night I notice it. Occasionally it's replaced by a low frequency hum. Low volume music seems to help, I favour Magic Classic on DAB (used to be called Scala if you haven't listened to it for a while). But obvs I can't do this in bed. Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 27 Feb 26 at 20:23
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Fri 27 Feb 26 21:07
Tinnitus Anyone? - ChrisM
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My mother suffered with tinnitus for years and I've had it to a degree for several years. It's possibly there all the time but if I don't think about it, it doesn't intrude. I can hear a high pitch whistle as I type now. A couple of years ago I thought it was about time I had a hearing test and went to Specsavers. Test was carried out in what could be described as a soundproofed shower enclosure. Hearing was in the normal range for my age but highlighted a potential problem although I can't recall exactly what. It was the test where they place an instrument on the bone behind the ear. Referral made to Audiology at hospital. At hospital appointment nothing untoward was found. Test there was carried out in a proper soundproofed room. Personally I wouldn't rely on Specsavers for a diagnosis. As far as I'm aware there's no cure or treatment for tinnitus, it's a case of managing the symptoms as best you can. My mother had private digital hearing aids when they first came out which helped, but I think distraction worked best for her. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 21:54
Tinnitus Anyone? - Rudedog
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I've had it for many years, no idea what brought it on and mine is a constant hissing noise. Definitely gets louder when I'm stressed or tired - the sound is in your head so not sure how noise cancelling headphones would help, all they would do is create outside silence and amplify the noise in your head. Yes I have to have noise wherever I am to try and mask it - I found noises like a humming fridge helped. Frustratingly I noticed how bad it was when I tried to bleed the rads at home and I couldn't hear the air coming out of the valves as the pitch exactly matched the hissing in my head. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 22:23
Tinnitus Anyone? - Ted
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I'd be interested in what tunes your fridge can hum, RD. We had a whistling kettle once but we stopped listening to it after we got a radio ! Seriously, I have had tinnitus for about 40 years. It doesn't bother me too much, mine is a hissing noise and the use of two hearing aids helps a little. I have NHS aids, linked together and they are good....and free ! Iused Specsavers once for glasses, never again. Likewise Boots, recommended by a friend, they are the worst I've ever had, plus the optician was a youngish male Italian and was patronising and arrogant. I didn't ask for coating but he did it anyway and maybe a year late I find myself looking through frosted glass which won't clean off, even with IPA, thinners or Tcut.. NHS audiology is one right turn, a mile down the road and free parking. I think you just have to live with tinnitus...mine is hissing away merrily at the moment ! Ted |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 23:15
Tinnitus Anyone? - Andrew-T
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I have also had mild tinnitus for decades - luckily it doesn't seem to get worse than fairly quiet white noise which I don't notice unless I think about it. If I am lucky enough to get out into a very quiet bit of countryside I am aware that I can never enjoy pure silence, that's all. As said, I don't think it can be 'cured', perhaps relieved somewhat. |
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Fri 27 Feb 26 23:16
Tinnitus Anyone? - Zero
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>> Frustratingly I noticed how bad it was when I tried to bleed the rads at >> home and I couldn't hear the air coming out of the valves as the pitch >> exactly matched the hissing in my head. Wet fingers and black stains on the carpet is the giveaway. |
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Sat 28 Feb 26 08:15
Tinnitus Anyone? - sherlock47
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> >> Low volume music seems to help, I favour Magic Classic on DAB (used to be >> called Scala if you haven't listened to it for a while). But obvs I can't >> do this in bed. >> Why not? I regularly sleep with Bluetooth ear buds left in, leave them on your program of choice. There are are some remarkably interesting things on in the middle of the night, that you would not have necessarily chosen to listen to. Before the days of cordless, 45 years ago I used to use a 'speaker pillow' consisting of a telephone handset earpiece wrapped in foam rubber and a hand stitched small pillow case. I remember the details because it was specifically handcrafted by me for the wife when in hospital for birth of daughter. It stayed in use until about 10 years ago. |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 15:24
Tinnitus Anyone? - Lygonos
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I have noticed my hearing getting worse and tinnitus getting louder for a few years. Turning the TV up just makes the mumbling louder. I listened to various frequencies on YouTube and found that my tinnitus is about 3400 Hz. I went for an NHS hearing test and lo-and-behold I have a high frequency hearing loss that spikes at ~3400Hz. I now wear hearing aids that are programmed to amplify the higher frequencies only and the tinnitus is significantly quieter, and my ability to understand speech without saying "what?" Is much better. Only downside is I am now like superman when someone is rustling a crisp bag 5 miles away. Last edited by: Lygonos on Sun 1 Mar 26 at 15:26
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Sun 1 Mar 26 16:15
Tinnitus Anyone? - Zero
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>> Only downside is I am now like superman when someone is rustling a crisp bag >> 5 miles away. Makes you a Golden Retriever then. |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 16:22
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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I had a word with my neighbour about being able to hear their heat pump in my bedroom. Turns out it wasn't the heat pump but my low frequency tinnitus :) I've had the high frequency for years - it's always there and doesn't really bother me. But the 'hum' is a pain - especially as I live in deepest-darkest North Cornwall which as quiet as the boneyard. I remember my ole mum going on about the roadworks still going on - I didn't have the heart to tell her. Ho hum. |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 16:35
Tinnitus Anyone? - R.P.
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This may a little left field, a friend where I worked had it, she went for hypnotherapy having tried everything else, and has improved. Mrs RP has it badly - including a distortion in one ear after using a strimmer a few years ago. I've given up trying to persuade her to seek proper help |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 17:21
Tinnitus Anyone? - Rudedog
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I had one patient who was having a cervical epidural for long term neck pain. Surprisingly after they had it they walked back to the ward saying how their tinnitus had suddenly disappeared. |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 19:48
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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"Cervical epidural steroid injections (CESI) can be used as a treatment for somatic tinnitus in certain patients: Cervical epidural steroids deliver anti-inflammatory agents directly to the cervical spine, reducing inflammation and pain, and alleviating tinnitus symptoms linked to cervical pathology. A case study reported a 61-year-old male with refractory somatic tinnitus who was successfully treated with cervical epidural injections of long-acting corticosteroid. One study found a CESI at level C4 reduced tinnitus intensity by 75% in a single patient, though this effect persisted for only ~5 weeks before gradually returning to baseline after ~9 more weeks. Cervical treatment appears most successful in individuals with asymmetrical tinnitus but normal hearing thresholds". AI |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 21:31
Tinnitus Anyone? - R.P.
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| One of the few Covid symptoms I had (apart from a giant positive test)....gone now. I've had my blood pressure taken a few times of late ( "top end of normal") and advised that Tinatus is a symptom... |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 07:16
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>I've had my blood pressure taken a few times of late ( "top end of normal") and advised that Tinatus is a symptom.. Yup, I've had HBP for years (bout 180ish) I don't take any meds for it - I'm 74 this year :) |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 08:21
Tinnitus Anyone? - CGNorwich
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| Blood pressure of 180 is extremely high Dog. I know you don’t like Doctors but I would strongly advise that you get checked out. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 09:28
Tinnitus Anyone? - James Loveless
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CGN is right, Perro. I assume your 180 is the systolic figure (the first one of the two given in a blood pressure reading). It is well outside the normal range. It should be 120 or less. A score this high for several years is very concerning. None of my business, of course, but a dutiful friend should be telling you that you are at risk of nasty consequences. Higher than 180 becomes a medical emergency. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 12:41
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>Blood pressure of 180 is extremely high Dog. I know you don’t like Doctors but I would strongly advise that you get checked out. >>Higher than 180 becomes a medical emergency. I haven't checked it for about a year but will do soon. I lead fairly healthy lifestyle - 6ft tall and under 12 stone. Lift weights 3 times per week, walk down to the local ford most days so mucho uphill coming back home. It's not so much that I don't like doctors, but I don't want any side-effects that can come with any blood pressure meds. What I have noticed with my upper-arm Omron, is that I always take it twice in succession, and the 2nd reading (systolic) is often much lower :) |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 12:52
Tinnitus Anyone? - James Loveless
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Sorry to seem like an old misery nagging you, Dog, but if your blood pressure is high despite your fitness level, I would say that is even more concerning. It might be better to put up with any side-effects rather than suffer other, possibly irreversible, issues if you do nothing. For what it's worth, I take Amlodipine and have no side-effects I'm aware of. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 13:39
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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Thanks for your concern, James. Back in the day they used to say your blood pressure should be 100 + your age :) I'll check my BP next month, which will be a year since I last checked it. I see Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker which is one of many meds to target HBP. I'm more-into natural alternative meds, and I see magnesium, potassium, berberine, curcumin have a role to play in heart health. Lithium too serves a vital role in heart health - so maybe it's time to get that EV. :) |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 17:16
Tinnitus Anyone? - Clk Sec
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>> What I have noticed with my upper-arm Omron, is that I always take it twice >> in succession, and the 2nd reading (systolic) is often much lower :) Advice from my local pharmacist a while back, was to take it 3 times, discard the first reading and record the 2nd and 3rd. I do that morning and evening, although she recommended 3 times a day. That reminds me, I haven't taken my own for over 6 months. Get it checked, Dog. HBP resulted in fatal strokes for 2 members of my family many years ago. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 21:04
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>Get it checked, Dog. HBP resulted in fatal strokes for 2 members of my family many years ago Cheers CS, I know the risks only too well - I'll let y'all know how I get on when I dust off my Omron. |
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Sun 1 Mar 26 22:14
Tinnitus Anyone? - Duncan
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>> I had a word with my neighbour about being able to hear their heat pump >> in my bedroom. Do you want to tell me what you were doing with your neighbour in your bedroom. Don't tell the others, just tell me. It will go no further. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 07:18
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>Do you want to tell me what you were doing with your neighbour in your bedroom Hey-ho says Rowley! |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 10:20
Tinnitus Anyone? - Andrew-T
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>> I had a word with my neighbour about being able to hear their heat pump in my bedroom. Do you want to tell me what you were doing with your neighbour in your bedroom. >> It says 'heat pump', not 'heart pump' !! Last edited by: Andrew-T on Mon 2 Mar 26 at 10:20
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Mon 2 Mar 26 15:46
Tinnitus Anyone? - bathtub tom
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| I'm wondering why your neighbour's heat pump is in your bedroom? |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 16:22
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>I'm wondering why your neighbour's heat pump is in your bedroom? This is Cornwall, we do things differently down here, knowlmean. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 15:49
Tinnitus Anyone? - martin aston
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Mrs A has hearing issues (missing frequencies, occasional tinnitus) despite being advised by the audiologist that she doesn’t need hearing aids. She has slightly high blood pressure and takes tablets. Her GP tends to think outside the box and advised laying off dairy. Apparently dairy can affect hearing. Avoiding it has helped her hearing a bit. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 16:18
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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>>Apparently dairy can affect hearing Well, that's a new one one me. I suppose I eat quite a bit of dairy, mainly in the form of kefir and Fage yoghurt. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 17:06
Tinnitus Anyone? - Fenlander
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Don't get on here these days but by chance had a look in this afternoon and noticed this thread. As I did back in 2020 happy to share my tinnitus story in case any little snippet helps someone deal with what can be quite stressful... Mine came on after an indoor gig in 2015 when a band member used a kick drum at the front of the stage amped through the PA. At the time I though that drum seems way too powerful to be comfortable then on the drive home the usual immediate post-gig ringing didn't subside... a week later it was still ringing in both ears. Roll on a few more weeks I went to see the doctor expecting some sort of cure saying I can't put up with this the rest of my life. After hearing tests at hospital I went into the consultant, he was very matter of fact explaining it was brain generated and not fully understood but I would probably have it for ever. No further help offered. I was a bit distressed, as much as anything because it gave me a fear of loud noises in case it increased the tinnitus to unbearable levels and I hated the thought of never going to a gig again. After a year of trying to put up with it, as others have said seeking to avoid circumstances where it was totally quiet where all I could hear was the ringing, I heard of an experimental trial through a Cambs hospital for a new way to reduce the impact of tinnitus. It turned out this was a nationwide research trial and I was accepted to start on it in 2017. The trial was prompted by the trial leader's concern there was often poor support and minimal funds in the NHS for tinnitus suffers, just as I had discovered. I gained an understanding the ear produces a huge amount of sound signals to the brain and it's the brain that decides what we "hear". When there is a change in the signals sent from the ear such as in hearing loss or physical damage the brain can look harder for the signals it is expecting and produce sensations of self-generated sounds.... tinnitus. These can be high or low pitch and steady or pulsing. I was sent to a tinnitus specialist audiologist at the local hospital for hearing tests where she found I had good low/medium frequency ability... above average... but a dropping off upper range greater than my age would normally produce. My tinnitus was at around 3500hz (similar to a poster above). As part of the trial I was issued hearing aids tuned by this tinnitus specialist with far greater care than normal to try and enhance the reduced frequencies to give the brain a more normal input. In addition they had a button where I could choose a relaxing background sound such as waves on a beach. These helped me to hear high pitched sounds such as the microwave timer but in truth only helped the tinnitus a small amount. However the major point of the research trial was an internet based CBT type set of sessions over 8 weeks where you were guided through the process towards the goal of being able to "turn the tinnitus on and off". And daft as it sounds that is exactly what it did for me. I lost my concerns it would never go or it could get louder or there was no peace when trying to get to sleep. It's hard to explain but the ringing never goes however I can go weeks with "not hearing it" and in fact often it only comes to the surface when the word tinnitus is said or read such as right now. For gigs I have musician's type ear plugs with two different attenuation levels and an even reduction across all frequencies so I can freely enjoy live music again. I don't need to wear the hearing aids any more. I never need to use masking sounds. A useful info link... theconversation.com/tinnitus-why-its-still-such-a-mystery-to-science-124021 This was the trial... journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/abstract/2018/05000/audiologist_guided_internet_based_cognitive.3.aspx And here is the trial consultant who I would be straight back to if I needed further help... www.finder.bupa.co.uk/Consultant/view/216865/mrs_eldre_beukes Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 2 Mar 26 at 17:07
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Mon 2 Mar 26 20:13
Tinnitus Anyone? - Bobby
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I have tinnitus in my left ear, persistent ringing noise. Like others have said, the secret is to try and ignore it, easier said than done though! I try and avoid silence - will most often have background music on as I work from home. I find it gets worse if I have a cold or congestion and of course when lying in bed. Fortunately I tend to fall asleep when my head hits the pillow but if I awake during the night the secret is not to focus on the ringing or it sends me crazy. I have an NHS hearing aid which I got maybe 10 years ago but never took to it at all and since covid, I have worked from home so hearing is rarely an issue. I also take walks at least 3 times a day and usually have my airpods in listening to podcasts or music so its impractical to have a hearing aid. Though I believe the private type of aids you can get are bluetooth so would actually work really well for me (apart from the cost). I do try and avoid noisy environments though as I really struggle to make out conversations like in noisy pubs. On more than one occasion I have done that thing of nodding along to a conversation and trying to lip read and smile at the right bit and then they stop talking and you realise you have no idea if they have asked you for an answer or not. Just thinking, the apple airpods actually have a hearing test thing on the app, I usually take it every 6 months or so, must be due to take it again. Last time my hearing capacity was 72% left and 66% right. |
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Mon 2 Mar 26 23:03
Tinnitus Anyone? - smokie
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| Slight side-track @ Bobby - I have recently had new NHS hearing aids and asked if they streamed music. They said not unless I had a Samsung. However I was surprised when I played some BBC clip to hear the sound through them. The quality is truly awful, and you wouldn't want to listen to music on them. Maybe non-NHS would be better. |
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Tue 3 Mar 26 01:21
Tinnitus Anyone? - Lygonos
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| Uncorrected hearing loss is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia. |
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Tue 3 Mar 26 11:54
Tinnitus Anyone? - Bobby
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| Oh in what way Lygonos? |
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Tue 3 Mar 26 14:50
Tinnitus Anyone? - James Loveless
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Bobby - Lygonos will be able to provide a better answer than me, but my understanding is that elderly people with uncorrected hearing problems suffer more than younger people from social isolation and reduced mental stimulation, allowing their brains to switch off and disconnect from what is happening around them. The result is a deterioration in cognitive function.
Last edited by: James Loveless on Tue 3 Mar 26 at 14:51
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Wed 4 Mar 26 07:54
Tinnitus Anyone? - Lygonos
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www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss Other studies are out there. Typically risk doubles with mild impairment to 4-5x with severe uncorrected hearing loss. As James says, thought to be a combination of social isolation and the brain being under used. Unlike blindness (not linked to dementia) where other senses like hearing are upregulated and more communication is required to get by day to day, deafness leads to withdrawal from social contact and conversations and less stimulation for the brain. Like invisible sensory deprivation I guess. |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 08:47
Tinnitus Anyone? - smokie
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I've had a degree of hearing problem all my life - I can remember going for a test in my early 20s - but was very slow to get anything done about it, and let it slip till after I'd retired. I'm by no means vain but I simply didn't want to wear hearing aids, for reasons I can't even pin down. Anyway eventually I was persuaded to go for a test and sure enough the upper levels of my hearing are shot through and I was given aids. Even then I didn't want to wear them and tried to get away with just wearing one. And let my hair grow some so they were less visible. So I started wearing them both, and my quality of life has improved massively. No longer do I have to pretend I can hear the telly properly at normal volumes while not rally understanding what's going on in a show, or nod along in conversations when I haven't really heard what's been said, continually having to ask people to repeat themselves and missing stuff like announcements at airports or similar. Even with the aids my hearing is nowhere near as good as SWMBO but it is vastly better than it was. So I can completely understand the withdrawal from social contact that could come with hearing loss - even though I'd not quite reached that stage I probably wasn't far off!! |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 09:06
Tinnitus Anyone? - CGNorwich
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I’ve had hearing aids for a while. Age related hearing loss. You start turning up the TV volume and you still can’t understand. Your wife says “for Gods sake turn it down”. You keep asking people to repeat what they have said. Phone calls are a bit of a nightmare. When I first got the aids my reactions were: I can hear birds singing again A flushing toilet sounded like Niagara Falls The world is so dam noisy Listening to streamed audio and no one being aware is a bonus! |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 09:31
Tinnitus Anyone? - RichardW
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I'd like to say you'll get used to it, but maybe you won't! I've had moderate / severe tinnitus all my life - I can't remember a time when I didn't, and I was 18 before I realised that most people DON'T have a constant whistle in their ears! I often wonder what it's like not to hear anything.... Probably you just have to sort of ignore it - I've seen stuff recently about targeted therapy at the relevant frequency that is supposed to help your brain to ignore it. No idea if it's any good. |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 11:06
Tinnitus Anyone? - ChrisM
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| I'm mildly surprised just how many here have tinnitus. I guess as a cohort we're of a certain age where it's more likely, but it's still a significant minority. |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 12:54
Tinnitus Anyone? - Robin O'Reliant
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| I've got very mild tinnitus in my left ear. It doesn't really bother me a great deal though I'd rather be without it. I tend to suffer from wax build up in that ear which needs clearing every six months and more or less cures the problem for a while. It was costing me £70 a time to have the suction treatment till I discovered South Pembs hospital do it for free with a wait of one month maximum and I'm waiting for an appointment now. |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 17:01
Tinnitus Anyone? - Dog
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I went deaf in one ear (this ear 'ere) last year. I used Otex ear drops to soften the wax. Still mutton, so I bought a bulb-type suction device and introduced warm water into the offending lug hole and that did the job. Sod paying £70 each time - I'd rather spend it on logs :) |
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Wed 4 Mar 26 17:52
Tinnitus Anyone? - Clk Sec
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>> Sod paying £70 each time - I'd rather spend it on logs :) 3 or 4 times a year of me, but free of charge in my part of leafy Warwickshire. A friend, who lives about 5 miles away, has to pay for the privilege - although he gets some free train travel, which I don't. |
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