Any Effective Tinnitus Therapies?

[Time2]

That Silk audio is interesting, I have watched a couple of videos with the Silk running and it masks my tinnitus well. but stop the silk video and it comes screaming back.

 

[Willers]

My apologies to those whose symptoms flared up when they saw/read this thread!

 

[Closet_Gamer]

MIne started about a year ago. Comes and goes in terms of intensity. Hadn't bothered me for a while but the last few days its the loudest thing in the room. Various pitches, tones, intensity. I find the thought of it going away and rediscovering silence is maddening. I try not to think about it. Right now its a persistence ringing that's louder than anything else.

I tried a bunch of stuff when it first happened ... chiropractor, steroids, massage, ice, heat and even antibiotics thinking there might be an infection. It seemed to start concurrent with an infection and went away for a bit after I was on antibiotics the first time. Looks like that was just serrendipity.

Audiologist says I have hearing fade at certain frequencies. Theory is that your brain tries to "fill in" those frequencies.

They sell ear buds in a flat headband. That along with some white noise helps me sleep when its totally out of control.

 

[Flyfish1]

Be careful about ENT and audiologists. Some of those tests can make your hearing, tinnitus, hyperacusis, or noxacusis worse.

Usually an ENT will run some expensive and potentially damaging tests ...

Wow, just Wow...as a retired ENT with 30 years of experience I can firmly state that you have no idea of what you are talking about. Stick to facts that you can actually back up with science, not conjecture. There are no audiologic tests or imaging studies that will damage your hearing or permanently exacerbate your tinnitus.
Wow

 

[GenXguy]

Wow, just Wow...as a retired ENT with 30 years of experience I can firmly state that you have no idea of what you are talking about. Stick to facts that you can actually back up with science, not conjecture. There are no audiologic tests or imaging studies that will damage your hearing or permanently exacerbate your tinnitus.
Wow

LOL No surprise by your response. I stick to what I said. You should read on the tinnitus forums all the feedback from people that have been to ENTs. I haven't seen anyone post anything positive, and they are more likely to be worse after a damaging test that an ENT gave them. I've read it over and over from people who have experienced it, suddenly much worse tinnitus, hyperacusis, or noxacusis. Save a trip to the ENT and just buy the melatonin and lipo-flavanoid yourself and see that they don't help at all. Stick to the science.

 

[Flyfish1]

Oh boy..
I'm retired , so I no longer have to explain medical reality to people.
BTW: https://ata.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Summer-2018-18.pdf

 

[Midpack]

What?

Sorry, I suffer from a little tinnitus myself...

 

[RunningBum]

Just to prove my tinnitus only happens when I'm reminded of it, like seeing this thread pop up. I just finished some stretching exercises, sat down to my laptop, saw this thread, and...no ringing! Or so low I really have to think about it to hear it faintly.

I guess all that proves is that I don't have it every time I see reminders, but I'm quite certain I have it many other times and it doesn't start when I see this thread or other reminders.

Is stretching part of it, or was that just random coincidence. I'll try to remember to note this after stretching again.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Here's something interesting- hopefully it will pan out.
https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/study-shows-promising-treatment-tinnitus

 

[GenXguy]

Here's something interesting- hopefully it will pan out.
https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/study-shows-promising-treatment-tinnitus

That's the Shore / Auricle device I mentioned earlier in the thread. But the results were not too exciting - about 65% had success in the per protocol group of phase 2 and only about 6 dB more reduction than the placebo control group. But better than nothing for those it helps. It might be available in a couple years.

 

[GenXguy]

Oh boy..
I'm retired , so I no longer have to explain medical reality to people.
BTW: https://ata.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Summer-2018-18.pdf

Your document supports what I stated about Lipo-flavanoids not working. So, not sure why ENTs recommend them.

 

[Flyfish1]

Your document supports what I stated about Lipo-flavanoids not working. So, not sure why ENTs recommend them.

I guess you have a personal issue with an ENT Doc. I’m sorry for your poor experience. However, your last statement that ENT’s recommend lipoflavinoids is contradictory to what the
Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery recommends. There are published guidelines available at the Academy website.
Good luck.

 

[Affinity4Investing]

Multi-year tinnitus sufferer, here. I've never had anything make the condition better/more tolerable. It's like many other medical conditions... What works for one person does/doesn't work to a differing degree in another. Appreciate others sharing their thoughts. It does help to hear differing takes on the topic.

 

[bmcgonig]

Residual inhibition. To me it's just part of attempting to mask it. I'm unable to fully mask mine because it is pretty loud with multiple sounds, but residual inhibition fades out over about 20 seconds for me after the external sound stops, and the tinnitus level is right back where it started.

Be careful about ENT and audiologists. Some of those tests can make your hearing, tinnitus, hyperacusis, or noxacusis worse. You can spend thousands on ineffective tinnitus retraining therapy which is just sound enrichment (white noise) along with counseling. I haven't seen much favorable feedback on that in the community.

Usually an ENT will run some expensive and potentially damaging tests o your and then just tell you there's no cure for tinnitus and tell you to try melatonin and Lipoflavonoids, which of course, don't help at all. Anyway, check out the tinnitustalk forum for more specialized advise from the community of sufferers.

What tests in particular do you believe are damaging?

 

[JoeWras]

There we go again! I have had tinnitus for decades. I ignore it and don't tend to notice it until someone mentions the word. Then blammo, full blast.

Right now, the ringing is so intense that, if it was happening for the first time, I would be very alarmed. But, if I can just find another thread to get immersed in, it will disappear until the next guy brings it up.

+1

Came here to write this post. I read the thread title and immediately started hearing it!

I don't want to linger here because of this problem, so I didn't read anything. The one thing I do is wear hearing protection fairly religiously when using power tools. It helps to not make it worse.

I am now going to ignore this thread not because I don't like ya'll, but I need to stop seeing the word. I'm totally serious.

 

[MRG]

What tests in particular do you believe are damaging?

I spent 2 hours with an audiologist and another 2 with a balance therapist for vertigo. I was diagnosed with visual vertigo from the balance therapist. The audiologist said every test was normal.

I do remember one unpleasant test the audiologist performed, but it didn't cause any permanent damage. The unpleasantness caused by that test was nothing compared to what the balance therapist did, I begged him to stop.

 

[pacergal]

Go to a reputable ENT if your tinnitus has changed or worsened.
Retired ENT and I took care of thousands of people with tinnitus.
I obviously can't give medical advice but an exam an audiogram and further work up if indicated are the basics.Beyond that there are Neurotologists if you have a very challenging issue. There are also Audiologists trained in tinnitus retraining therapy approaches.
No magic bullet...yet.

Thank you for the professional info.

I have tinnitus off and on, no idea why it starts and stops.
What's really weird is I sometimes swear I can hear very low volume radio music (no, not anyone talking to me ). I have mentioned it to my DH and he does not hear it, so I figured its some type of tinnitus. I had very bad and frequent ear infections as a child, before PE tubes, when they would lance your ear drum. New docs always comment on how scarred they are.
If things get worse, I will check in with ENT or Audiologist

 

[swakyaby]

Retired ENT and I took care of thousands of people with tinnitus.

I too appreciated your professional input.

From another tinnitus sufferer.

 

[GenXguy]

What tests in particular do you believe are damaging?

Well, it's the reports from people on tinnitus forum reporting it - I didn't have the tests. But I do believe they are being honest in their reporting.

I think one test is tympanometry that people have mentioned increasing their tinnitus or hyperacusis. The average person would be ok. As for other tests, loud pure tones can be damaging to ears.

 

[bmcgonig]

Well, it's the reports from people on tinnitus forum reporting it - I didn't have the tests. But I do believe they are being honest in their reporting.

I think one test is tympanometry that people have mentioned increasing their tinnitus or hyperacusis. The average person would be ok. As for other tests, loud pure tones can be damaging to ears.

Interesting. I’ve had that tympanometry test a few times but it didn’t bother me or increase my tinnitus.

 

[tmitchell]

I've had it for years and notice it gets worse with stress. It also kicks up in the summer when we run box fans to cool down the house.

+1 on ignore, but I sympathize with all of you.

 

[Willers]

In the last couple of years we've started using a white noise machine at night to cover street noise. I wonder if that could possibly be making it worse? Grasping at straws right now.

 

[GenXguy]

Interesting. I’ve had that tympanometry test a few times but it didn’t bother me or increase my tinnitus.

Well, like I said, the average person would be ok, but I've seen multiple reports of people reporting worsening afterwards and regretted ever having the test. So it's a risk. Same thing reported with dental work.

 

[GenXguy]

I've had it for years and notice it gets worse with stress. It also kicks up in the summer when we run box fans to cool down the house.

+1 on ignore, but I sympathize with all of you.

If you can ignore, you have mild like I had for many years before it actually got bad. Try ignoring smoke alarms and buzzers going off and cycling up in down in volume continuously 24/7 next to your ears, as well as experiencing hyperacusis regularly getting triggered, sometimes noxacusis where you feel pain, possibly even TTTS.

Box fans, stress, caffeine, and white noise machines don't appear to affect mine. Fans, white noise machines, and playing crickets/cicadas sounds don't mask it, either.

 

[DallasGuy]

I've had it for years. I don't even really recall when it started. It is persistently there, but I have grown to ignore it for the most part. The last time I checked in with my PCP on the topic, he said they really don't have any recommended treatments for it. But I've never gone to an ENT specialist to discuss it.

Same here. Mine was caused by treatments for multiple myeloma and is there all of the time. The only time I really think about it is if it temporarily gets worse (doesn't happen very often) or if I consciously think about it. It's mostly a non-issue for me. Mine will get worse if I take some medications like ibuprofen or tylenol.