Tinnitus help

bclover

bclover

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
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Happy Hump day gang,
My older brother (65) developed tinnitus and he's really struggling 😢 especially with sleeping. His is a constant ringing.
Of course he's seeing specialist but thought I'd ask if anyone had experience with it.
I really want to steer him away from every supposed "cure" he reads on the internet.

Thanks
 
bclover said:
Happy Hump day gang,
My older brother (65) developed tinnitus and he's really struggling 😢 especially with sleeping. His is a constant ringing.
Of course he's seeing specialist but thought I'd ask if anyone had experience with it.
I really want to steer him away from every supposed "cure" he reads on the internet.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I have it too. Some days louder than others, with a few days where it's pretty much gone. What I've read, and what works for me, is to just accept it and not let it bother me. That can be really hard to do, I know, and I don't know the best way to present that "cure" to someone else. I just think of it as my normal condition. This morning it is louder than normal. Oh well.

Another possibility is that some drug has caused this. If he can possibly associate the start of taking a drug with when the ringing started, have him talk to his doctor about switching to another drug or stopping it.

I know someone who was told to get hearing aids (expensive) and that would stop it, but it didn't.

Perhaps some white noise would help with the sleep. I'm sure there are some apps, and I've had my echo dot play it ("Alexa, play white noise"). Or just buy a white noise machine, but I'd try a free app first to see if it helps.
 
Some white noise may help. Have him try running a small fan at night. The pitch of my tinnitus is always changing so it can be hard to mask. As said above, lots of things can contribute to it. Alcohol was a big contributor to mine.
Mainly you just learn to live with it.
I wish him luck with it! Everyone has a different experience with it.
 
I have a built in white noise machine... LOL. Its like the old test pattern noise. One of the medics I worked with got hearing aids and said it helped some. I keep wanting to see an expert... Soon as I get me a Round Tuet.
 
I would say that my hearing aids do help some during the daytime. I don’t wear them to bed. I assume most people don’t. Nights are when my ears ring most. I believe it’s because it’s quiet.
My audiologist believes it’s the brain trying to replace the sound that your ears aren’t picking up.
 
I have it too. And it is very similar to what Running described in post #2. I had learned to live with it. Some days it bothered me a bit, some days I was able to ignore it.

There are youtube videos that could help in a short period when the ring gets loud.
 
I sleep with a pillow speaker connected to my phone. I find if I'm listening to something, I don't pay attention to the ringing. I'm not sure that it will help everyone, but I have some pretty loud ringing at times, (yes, mine comes and goes, louder or softer, but never a day without it.) The volume is low enough that my wife can't hear it, and I have to position the speaker properly to hear it.
The latest pillow speaker I have is below. I have had it 7 months and very happy with it. It has an internal amp that can be switched on if needed and I occasionally do turn it on. Some sources don't have enough drive to be loud enough especially if the fan is on. But mostly I don't need the amp on. My mattress is in a wooden water bed frame, I used 3M double sided foam tape to put the volume/amp on the frame so it can be easily adjusted.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BB5WC8Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1


btw, I listen to "Old Time Radio Player" app on an android phone.

You can test it here, https://oldtime.radio/ on your computer, pick from many genres, and program as many or as few in a personalized list. i.e. Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Box 13, and the Life and times of Harry Lime. You can have more than one list.

I also listen to "Simple Radio" App, thousands of radio stations around the world. I listen to WABC radio, in the morning and after midnight, no politics after midnight.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.streema.simpleradio&hl=en_US&gl=US
Fun story, after a hurricane, we had drywall repairs done by some Mexicans, couldn't communicate very well, but enough to find one of the guys had lost all the music on his phone. I showed him the app above and he saved a couple of stations from the city he came from in favorites. He was giddy about it! He could not thank me enough. :dance:
 
I'm a victim here too. I've had it for many years now and I don't really recall when it started. I just noticed it as some point. I can't help but wonder if it's related to the bells palsy I had on the same side of the face years ago. It is a pretty constant level and pretty much continuous for me. Most noticeable in quiet rooms. I've just learned to live with it.
 
My prayers go out to him. When my tinnitus began, it was immediate and was accompanied by some dizziness and a bit of nausea which waned over a couple of weeks. I have generally gotten accustomed to this to the point where I don’t notice it except when in areas with a good deal of background noise. Then it flares horribly. I do use a noise generator at night and YT for smooth background noise when I’m resting. I’ve avoided going on hearing aids but expect to at some point. Unfortunately, it is here to stay.
 
Forty plus years of being around Fighter Jets did it to me..... White Noise machines helps for sleeping...

If his just developed then maybe it is a medicine which triggered it?

Tried Acupuncture, only three treatments but no joy.

DW hates it, but play music all the time around house all day....
 
Decided recently to see what diagnosis I get for my problem.

Certain drugs have contributed, but I'm going to ask doctors about that.

I'm pretty sure hearing was getting worse before chemo and other therapy.

If you pay attention, of course it can drive you crazy. So a white noise machine might work. I play podcasts through my phone at low volume.

Certain voices and types of "music" help better than others. Perhaps it's the timbre of what's playing that gets your attention, and you go to sleep?

Not much medical help from me! Lol.
 
I"ve had tinnitus for years. I hate to say this, but after my Covid booster, it got worse. I think of mine as a field of crickets in my ears. Not making light of the situation, the brain eventually accepts the noise. I suggest seeing a Dr. and getting an antianxiety med, a small dose. It takes the edge off.

I have a sound machine and on YouTube, there are many sound videos of running streams, and gentle nature sounds that offset the constant ringing. I joined a study at the University of Illinois regarding tinnitus and hearing loss. The student who worked with me said she had tinnitus since childhood. She tried to make light of it as well. I think something like 40 million Americans has it. Many musicians live with it.

Ask your brother to research it online. He's part of a huge group of people living with it. There is no cure. There are many times in the day I forget I have it. For me, when it's quiet, it's the loudest.
 
We've had this discussion before.

I developed tinnitus about 20 years ago. Actually eventually completely lost hearing in my left ear. After about six months, I went to a number of experts including "Massachusetts Eye and Ear" (gold standard) and also had an MRI on my head, wondering if it was a brain tumor. Tried all kinds of things and all kinds of doctors.

"Well, it's part of turning 50...just get used to it".

Well, instead I went to an acupuncturist. Twelve hours after my first visit, at 3AM, I woke up because I could actually hear again. Needed a few more follow up visits to calm it down. I still get it from time to time but another acupuncture visit and I'm good again.

Key is to find a serious and skilled acupuncturist. YMMV
 
Last edited:
marko said:
Well, instead I went to an acupuncturist. Twelve hours after my first visit, at 3AM, I woke up because I could actually hear again. I still get it from time to time but another acupuncture visit and I'm good again.

Key is to find a serious and skilled acupuncturist. YMMV
Click to expand...

Interesting! Now to find a skilled and serious acupuncturist. It's to the point where I'm not sure how I'd feel about complete silence (I don't mean hearing loss). My hearing is good, although muffled once in a while. The worst, for me, is the movie theater. I used to love going to the movies. I can't control the volume and now I have to cover my ears. I'd rather stay home now that great movies are released to streaming pretty quickly.
 
Rianne said:
Interesting! Now to find a skilled and serious acupuncturist. It's to the point where I'm not sure how I'd feel about complete silence (I don't mean hearing loss). My hearing is good, although muffled once in a while. The worst, for me, is the movie theater. I used to love going to the movies. I can't control the volume and now I have to cover my ears. I'd rather stay home now that great movies are released to streaming pretty quickly.
Click to expand...


If you want to try some phone apps, you can get a set of noise cancelling headphones and use your phone as a hearing device, then you can set your own level. The bigger problem is the wide dynamic range, you can't hear the silent parts and then the loud parts drive me nuts.
Or maybe simple ear plugs will work for you.
 
Time2 said:
If you want to try some phone apps, you can get a set of noise cancelling headphones and use your phone as a hearing device, then you can set your own level. The bigger problem is the wide dynamic range, you can't hear the silent parts and then the loud parts drive me nuts.
Or maybe simple ear plugs will work for you.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had to leave halfway through "Nope" which made it uncomfortable for my DH and DB. The tinnitus went through the roof for a few days. Those headphones would help. I cringe when I see my neighbors doing lawn work with loud machines for hours with no headphones to protect their ears. Maybe, some people are more prone to tinnitus than others.
 
I guess the key of mitigation is sound(s) that do not demand your attention. The sound has to be in the correct range, too.

I've found that podcasts about Irish history put me right to sleep. There is something soothing about the voice and accent. The more details in the narration, the better, at least for me. Like history class as a tennager...ZZZZ
 
Time2 said:
Or maybe simple ear plugs will work for you.
Click to expand...

Movies, concerts, weddings, I always bring Mack's earplugs. Flying, I use Mack's AND noise canceling headphones. (Lost 60% of my hearing while logging 4 million air miles)
 
I have it too. In the beginning it freaks you out and sleep is an issue etc. Eventually you learn to live with it. That sounds really difficult and almost impossible but seemingly true.

I’ve been looking at these guys for a while. They’re legit audiologists and deep into tinnitus only. They specialize in Tinnitus Retraining Therapy which teaches you to adapt.

It would probably do him some good just to talk to them, might give him some hope. They have lots of YouTube videos.

No drugs or supplements work. Some drugs (like NSAIDs) can make it worse.

https://treblehealth.com/
 
DH has it constantly, but luckily mild enough that he has "just gotten used to it". We have fans on at night.
I get it occasionally when I get a bout of vertigo. When that happens, I do the Epley maneuver to recover, which usually helps move that calculus back where it belongs in my ear.
 
I read the title of the thread and I all of a sudden noticed my tinnitus (again.) My tinnitus is like that. It's there, but I don't pay attention to it until I do. I first noticed my tinnitus a few months before my first covid vax. I know some of you noticed it after your first vax. I personally think our age is the biggest factor...
 
I will get pounding tinnitus if my shoulder is pulled too far forward or downward. That seems to pull my ear canal out of place. Shoulder stretches back and up will get it too stop after a few minutes. Acupressure balls and rollers also help. Saturated fat seems to make it worse, too.

One of my relatives and I had the ringing type tinnitus ease up after nutrition and gut testing and subsequent diet changes. We each made too many changes to list in a single post, and even if I could I don't know which ones specifically helped the tinnitus. But hearing loss and tinnitus are linked to a wide variety of nutritional deficiencies, especially B12 and vitamin D, which are pretty common in seniors. I was suboptimal in B12 and deficient in D, plus low in some other vitamins and minerals. The tinnitus seems to be getting much softer now that I have been getting my nutrition up to par.

What vitamin deficiencies cause tinnitus - https://www.medicinenet.com/what_vitamin_deficiency_causes_tinnitus/article.htm

Before I realized I had tinnitus, I thought some household appliances were causing the the humming sound. It would only bother me at bedtime when the house was quiet. I was going around the house unplugging stuff trying to find the source of the humming until I realized it was coming from inside my head.
 
My tinnitus is constant and high-pitched, and more noticeable recently.
Though there's no "cure", I plan to ask GP for a referral to have it evaluated.
I've read that congestion from allergies can affect the eustachian tube connecting the middle ear and back nose, and that this can keep sound from getting to the ear. My sense of smell is generally poor, but sometimes clears up for a breath or two -odd and wonder if related to tinnitus.
I also have trouble hearing in a busy room where multiple conversations are taking place -assume may be related to tinnitus.
With tinnitus being so common, hope that there's lots of research going on to find a cure. I would like to hear silence again.
Big payday for whoever finds and patents an effective breakthrough treatment!
 
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