Tinnitus

[BigN8]

Anyone else here suffer from tinnitus? Curious if so and what you have found helps with sleeping at night when a tinnitus spike occurs. I'm still trying to determine what causes my spikes. I've always had mild tinnitus when I turned 40, lately it has been worse. Maybe post Covid. Seems to be worse on weekends, and weekends usually involve more alcohol, mild dehydration, and less sleep. I'm thinking one of these 3 might be culprit. So I'm going to try cutting the alcohol way down or non at all for a bit. Increase water intake.

Anyone else??

 

[HangOutdoors]

I have it. Mine was getting worse and loud and I couldn't sleep, and I went to go see an ENT. They found that I had some buildup and fungus infection in one ear, unsure how, but that is what the found. They treated it with some medication and a powder and then cleaned my ears and now the Tinnitus is much lower and back to the norm. Took a couple of weeks. She believed that with all the construction I was doing over the winter that the dust and such got built up and caused the infection. She also mentioned it could be from lake/ocean water as well or a combination of both. She also indicated that people who clean their inner ears with cue tips and such can impact debris and wax and moisture against the eardrum, and recommended that I should never clean my ears like that. Which I don't. If necessary she indicated that a bulb syringe, luke warm water and some mild soap, then dry them off by waving a hair dryer back and forth over them.

From what I understand, and I am by no means medically qualified for anything, is that at times when the Tinnitus gets louder it is a possible signal of something else is wrong somewhere else.

 

[tim h]

I suffer from it as well. It's horrible.

 

[suke]

I've had it for years. Never gotten any worse. I sleep with 2 fans to help overcome the tinnitus. There was one day where it stopped for like 30 seconds and it was the most amazing thing ever. LOL! I've never worked in loud areas, or listened to loud music, or hell I've attended like 3 concerts in my whole life. So, I'm not quite sure what caused it. I have some theories, BUT nothing firm. Not something that runs in my family, I have no headaches or any other symptoms of another problem.

 

[Julian]

My wife has it, I don't. We both clean our ears with q-tips. Both drink alcohol etc. She plays music a lot to cover it up. Doesn't seem to bother he sleeping-perhaps not as bad as yours? Have you tried any sleep aides like Zquil or melatonin?

 

[haknslash]

I have it as well. It’s annoying AF. Sometimes it’s ringing but most times I have low frequency roaring. Years of loud stereos and riding motorcycles without hearing protection probably did me in. I sleep with box fan running and ceiling fans going to drown it out. Sometimes I take 15 ml of NyQuil if I’m tossing and turning.

 

[mark_m]

Anyone else here suffer from tinnitus? Curious if so and what you have found helps with sleeping at night when a tinnitus spike occurs. I'm still trying to determine what causes my spikes. I've always had mild tinnitus when I turned 40, lately it has been worse. Maybe post Covid. Seems to be worse on weekends, and weekends usually involve more alcohol, mild dehydration, and less sleep. I'm thinking one of these 3 might be culprit. So I'm going to try cutting the alcohol way down or non at all for a bit. Increase water intake.

Anyone else??

Have it along with mild hearing loss too. Usually able to ignore and tune it out but now it’s loud and clear … I have white noise generators in built (ceiling fan and cpap) that make white noise that tend to mask it when trying to sleep. More water, less alcohol are always a good option. Sometimes popping some Advil will help relax and loosen things up to help fall asleep.

During the daytime I usually don’t notice it.

 

[sunbyrned]

I’m glad you posted this. I don’t suffer from it but by you posting this, demonstrates your need for help. I hope you find some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Having tinnitus can lead to one thinking life will never get better. (That I do know.) What I’m seeing in the replies is the exact opposite. People have developed strategies to cope. Maybe try some of their remedies. Maybe some relief is just around the corner.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I have it as well. It’s annoying AF. Sometimes it’s ringing but most times I have low frequency roaring. Years of loud stereos and riding motorcycles without hearing protection probably did me in. I sleep with box fan running and ceiling fans going to drown it out. Sometimes I take 15 ml of NyQuil if I’m tossing and turning.

I have a box fan in the room and it works wonders. I also watch TV as I am going to bed. I usually only notice it when there are no other sounds.

As an aside.... I was reading some article years ago and this guy thinks that those with Tinnitus are actually hearing the signals the government is putting out for mind control. So if you have it you are aware of it and it isn't affecting you as much.......... Some think it is a signal from an Alien race trying to contact us and those that hear it are more enlightened....... Each to their own I suppose.

Sometimes I think of this when I am trying to go to sleep and I am away from the house. Makes me smile....

Edit: @mark_m I have noticed it a lot less since I started wearing my cpap as well.

 

[suke]

I have a box fan in the room and it works wonders. I also watch TV as I am going to bed. I usually only notice it when there are no other sounds.

As an aside.... I was reading some article years ago and this guy thinks that those with Tinnitus are actually hearing the signals the government is putting out for mind control. So if you have it you are aware of it and it isn't affecting you as much.......... Some think it is a signal from an Alien race trying to contact us and those that hear it are more enlightened....... Each to their own I suppose.

Sometimes I think of this when I am trying to go to sleep and I am away from the house. Makes me smile....

Edit: @mark_m I have noticed it a lot less since I started wearing my cpap as well.

I used to travel a shit ton for work, which made sleeping away from home without a fan interesting. Couple things I used to do was turn the fan to ON in the hotel room. So it'll run all the time, and/or there's a white noise generator app. I DLed that and turned on the fan portion for that. That helped as well.

 

[BigN8]

@HangOutdoors thank you for responding and telling me your story about this god awful thing. I always assumed there was nothing that could be done. I made an appt with an ENT and will see them this afternoon. I figured I might as well check that box. Sunday night my symptoms were so bad I slept on the couch with the TV on. By Monday the symptoms were still pretty bad and I was so freakin tired. At bed time I started having anxiety about sleeping and almost had a panic attack about just going to sleep. Took a shower and went to be and went to sleep within a few minutes. Got an incredible nights sleep. Next day symptoms were not as bad.

The only way I can explain to people who don't have tinnitus what it's like, is think of any action movie when a bomb goes off and they play that high pitched ringing sound to simulate what the actor is hearing after the blast. I hear that exact high frequency ringing 24/7. No relief at all........

I'm considering the Bose Quiet Sleep II ear buds for sleep. I'm going to run it by the ENT first to see what he says, but I have read a lot of tinnitus sufferers have had success with these soft ear buds.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@BigN8 I truly hope they do find something that they can resolve which will mean you will get some relief. Good Luck.

 

[Evil Sports]

I use an app on my phone called sleep sounds and the best setting I found is above the sky. I dont have tinnitus but that sound helps me sleep without having to use a fan.

 

[anmut]

Anyone else here suffer from tinnitus? Curious if so and what you have found helps with sleeping at night when a tinnitus spike occurs. I'm still trying to determine what causes my spikes. I've always had mild tinnitus when I turned 40, lately it has been worse. Maybe post Covid. Seems to be worse on weekends, and weekends usually involve more alcohol, mild dehydration, and less sleep. I'm thinking one of these 3 might be culprit. So I'm going to try cutting the alcohol way down or non at all for a bit. Increase water intake.

Anyone else??

Same, left ear, from a dumbass friend of mine in my 20's letting a Glock 22 rip before letting me get my ear pro on... For me, it's a lot of diet related stuff. Usually high sodium diets = louder tinnitus.

 

[BigN8]

I was curious about sodium. I either got tinnitus from spending 12 hours a day for 4 years in a nuclear engine room in the Navy or from bird hunting with no ear protection. Who knows. Or genetics. My dad has it.

 

[anmut]

I was curious about sodium. I either got tinnitus from spending 12 hours a day for 4 years in a nuclear engine room in the Navy or from bird hunting with no ear protection. Who knows. Or genetics. My dad has it.

I would experiment with your food intake. Also, at least for me, I can tell how tired my body is by how loud my tinnitus is. Rest and good food = nearly inaudible. Pizza and four hours of sleep = riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

 

[granpachuck]

Anyone else here suffer from tinnitus? Curious if so and what you have found helps with sleeping at night when a tinnitus spike occurs. I'm still trying to determine what causes my spikes. I've always had mild tinnitus when I turned 40, lately it has been worse. Maybe post Covid. Seems to be worse on weekends, and weekends usually involve more alcohol, mild dehydration, and less sleep. I'm thinking one of these 3 might be culprit. So I'm going to try cutting the alcohol way down or non at all for a bit. Increase water intake.

Anyone else??

I have it, and some hearing loss. I have used LIPO Flavonoid Plus, and it helps some. Had my hearing tested, and all they wanted to do was sell me hearing aids which they claim would help with tinnitus. Yours sounds like something else going on, so you have already gotten good advice on seeing an ENT.

Like others said, sound machines... you will need to find the pitch that blocks out the most noise.

Best of luck.

 

[Wayloncle]

I have it pretty severely, I’m not sure what caused it, shooting guns as a kid, driving a truck with no AC so I had the window down all the time, you may be surprised how loud that actually is at ear level! Worked around aircraft/equipment for 26ish years now….
I’ve had all kinds of tests done, I have fancy hearing aids that are supposed to create white noise to mask the ringing, but with those all I hear is ringing AND white noise

it normally doesn’t affect my sleep too much, I’m a person that can fall asleep at any time any place, all of that is probably because I don’t get good sleep. I’ve tried diet type changes to see if I notice a difference, tried different vitamins/supplements…nothing seems to make a difference. I do notice if I get dehydrated it seems to get worse or the tone changes a little.

@BigN8 ‘s description above is right on, mine is a higher pitched than that I believe though. It makes hearing tests interesting, I always get the “you are pressing the button when no tones are being sounded”.

 

[BigN8]

Whelp….. I paid the ENT $182 for him to tell me there’s not a damn thing he can do and I should just buy a fan to put next to the bed.

I’m scheduled for a hearing test. He said I may be a candidate for hearing aids.

if I could tell youngins anything it would be wear hearing protection and floss your teeth. Damn.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@BigN8 I am sorry that they didn't find the cause. But at least you know now that it isn't fungal or something else wrong that may have been treatable.