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Help for Tinnitus
Old 04-17-2014, 04:23 PM   #1
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Help for Tinnitus

I've been having tinnitus for a year now. It sounds are similar to a seashell.
Is anyone experiencing this condition and how are you coping with it.
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Old 04-17-2014, 04:33 PM   #2
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Have you tried keeping a diet / activity log to look for clues? Some vitamin deficiencies can cause tinnitus -

Anaemia, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency - Symptoms - NHS Choices

I also noticed my ears would ring after I would listen to music wearing headphones.
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Old 04-17-2014, 04:36 PM   #3
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I have had this condition for a couple of years, onset after an episode of bells palsey that left me hearing diminished in one ear. See a quality audiologist. I have a hearing aid (Widex brand) - It is expensive ($2000) and it has 3 ringing bell tone programs that strangely counteract the ringing in the ear. It is also bluetooth enabled so I can listen to my ipod or answer my phone through the hearing aid.
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Old 04-17-2014, 04:59 PM   #4
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Agree with getting a proper diagnosis. I had something that was similar, but it wasn't tinnitus.

Do write down your symptoms, and any known facts, it will help you and DR.s

Hoping you find an answer, ear issues stink.
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Old 04-18-2014, 05:50 AM   #5
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I have had it for decades and never notice it until someone mentions the word like on threads here. Then, riiiiiiiiiiiiing.
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Old 04-18-2014, 06:49 AM   #6
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I have the ringing type. Had it for decades. Doesn't bother me very much. I've had the seashell sound before, at random times, but it always went away after a few hours.
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Old 04-18-2014, 08:01 AM   #7
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I have had it for decades and never notice it until someone mentions the word like on threads here. Then, riiiiiiiiiiiiing.
Same thing just happened to me. I have a high pitched steady tone that just goes on constantly in the background and I've learned to ignore it until someone mentions the condition and then it is front and center again for awhile. Doc says there is very little that can be done due to damage done in my early years working in loud factories, attending rock concerts and blasting the car stereo.
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Old 04-18-2014, 08:56 AM   #8
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I just chipped away trying every benign mainstream and alternative health treatment I could find on the Internet or in alternative health books - getting more B12, getting more magnesium, releasing neck and jaw tension, avoiding the headphones and loud music, etc. I never found any single miracle cure, but a few percent improvement here and there from ideas in alternative health books, Traditional Chinese Medicine, research studies that hadn't made it into mainstream medical practices yet, and over time it all added up to 100% improvement.

Avoiding too many salicylates may have helped -

Salicylate Induces Tinnitus through Activation of Cochlear NMDA Receptors
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Old 04-18-2014, 09:26 AM   #9
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I've replied on this forum to several questions about tinnitus.

I had debilitating tinnitus for several years. Complete deafness in one ear that could last for six months or more at a time.

Went to four or five specialists, had MRI on my head (thought it might be a brain tumor), and a few visits to Mass Eye and Ear (one of the best ear hospitals in the world). The conclusion was "well, maybe it's just part of turning 50...you'll have to live with it..."

Then, with nothing to lose, I went for acupuncture... ONE visit and 12 hours later my tinnitus had improved dramatically! (From a "10" to about "4"). Several visits later and it got down to a tolerable "3" or so....been that way for the past 12 years now, maintaining with regular acupuncture visits.

Just get a reputable, good therapist....
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Old 04-18-2014, 01:11 PM   #10
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I have had tinnitus since 1967 and, even though it seems to get worse with time, it does not bother me that much. I've been evaluated by the VA since it was due to loud military noise that it occurred. They say that you can't heal it, so just get used to it.
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Help for Tinnitus
Old 04-18-2014, 09:39 PM   #11
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Help for Tinnitus

I got tinnitus just last year at age 51. Had several hearing tests and it determined I had some hearing loss. Too many rock concerts and loud stereo music can catch up with you. I remember some close to the ear firecracker incidents too that probably didn't help.

I was a little depressed and had a hard time sleeping for the first few months. My ear doc said my brain would learn to cope and tune it out and that a mineral supplement Multi vitamin can help.

Eventually I found he was right. Your brain eventually learns to cope better with it.

I found that too much caffeinated coffee, and stress aggregate it the most.

RE probably is the best way to lessen it!

If it bothers you at night in the beginning, listen to Ocean waves on a very low volume thru your iPhone or iPod and its also true that as soon as you read about it or someone mentions it , you notice the ringing is still there!
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:36 PM   #12
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I'm 57 and have had it for at least a decade. It has recently gotten worse, most likely due to chemo drugs. Like others have said, you get used to it and don't notice it much until someone mentions "tinnitus," and then your hear it.
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Old 04-19-2014, 10:37 AM   #13
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Here are some things I've learned about my tinnitus:

1. I'm pretty sure I've had it all my life, because I clearly remember a day when I was around 7 years old, that I sat in a quiet room and noticed the constant high-pitched ringing. I concluded that this was the background noise of the universe.

2. An ENT doc told me that it would get better as I aged and my hearing deteriorated. I think he is wrong.

3. Since how much you notice it can vary tremendously, I discount reports of how it has improved or been changed by one treatment or another.

4. Sit in a quiet room with earplugs in, and you may discover that the ringing is more complex than you realize. I've found that there are actually different frequencies present. I think I have two frequencies that are close, and cause "beats" between them. You may not want to do this, since it could be better to be ignorant.
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Old 04-19-2014, 01:38 PM   #14
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I have had it for decades and never notice it until someone mentions the word like on threads here. Then, riiiiiiiiiiiiing.
Me too; I just live with in and only notice it when it's perfectly still. Listening to music, especially at night, would drown out the sound.
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Old 04-19-2014, 06:00 PM   #15
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[QUOTE=TromboneAl;1440159]

3. Since how much you notice it can vary tremendously, I discount reports of how it has improved or been changed by one treatment or another.
/QUOTE]

All I can say is that in my personal case, I went from six months of total deafness to being able to hear again after a few accupuncture sessions
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Old 04-19-2014, 06:11 PM   #16
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If you are a Veteran, and worked in any noisy areas, planes, guns, etc. file a claim with the VA, you might get 10% disability.
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Old 04-20-2014, 09:18 AM   #17
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I'm going to have to quit following this thread since my tinnitus comes back front and center each time I check it.

Best of luck to you all and adios!
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Old 04-21-2014, 09:06 AM   #18
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If you are a Veteran, and worked in any noisy areas, planes, guns, etc. file a claim with the VA, you might get 10% disability.
I agree. A few years ago I filed a claim for loss of hearing (40 yo injury) and along the way I was advised that I should also file for an Agent Orange claim. After 3 years of kicking around the claim the VA awarded me a 40% disability which included the tinnitus (hearing) claim. I admit that I was surprised that I was awarded the disability claim.
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Old 04-21-2014, 11:02 AM   #19
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I agree. A few years ago I filed a claim for loss of hearing (40 yo injury) and along the way I was advised that I should also file for an Agent Orange claim. After 3 years of kicking around the claim the VA awarded me a 40% disability which included the tinnitus (hearing) claim. I admit that I was surprised that I was awarded the disability claim.
When I was in the Air Force, over 40 years ago, my hearing went down quite a bit every year. I listened to too many jet engines during that time. I have had tinnitus all these years since. I have never considered it to be a disability. I am now getting to the point where it is frustrating to have to ask people to repeat themselves. What would be the benefit of being declared 10% disabled by the VA to someone who is retired and drawing a pension and SS?
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Old 04-21-2014, 11:28 AM   #20
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At 10% disabled, you get $130.94 every month, tax-free, with COLA, for the rest of your life.

You get access to the VA Medical care, if you need it. Free. $8 per month prescriptions, free hearing aids.

The VA health care meets the Obama care requirements, so you do not have to buy more, if you can make sure the VA is the only place you will ever go. Of you can go with a higher deductible policy for emergencies only.

With the Veteran's health care card (VIC), you also get 10% off at Home Depot and Lowes. Other discounts are available as well.
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