Got tinnitus?

[Jason White]

I know a lot of us woodworkers have some hearing loss due to advancing age or loud noise exposure, which for some (including myself) results in tinnitus, also known as "ringing in the ears".

Have any of you guys found a way to suppress or eliminate your tinnitus? I've seen every kind of doctor and have tried just about every type of therapy except for rTMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) which costs a minimum of $50k out-of-pocket here in Los Angeles. It's considered experimental, so insurance won't cover it. Plus, I'd rather spend that money on wood or tools! ;)

I've had tinnitus for about two years. It's high-pitched and seems to be getting worse over time. I have some high-frequency hearing loss, most likely due to loud noise exposure. I now wear hearing aids, which helps with my hearing but has done nothing for my tinnitus.

Suggestions?

- Jason

[Erik Loza]

I don't have an answer for you except to say that I have a similar problem; high-pitched ringing in the ears at certain times. Only seem to notice it for example, when laying in bed at night and the room is quiet. It comes and goes. Maybe something triggers it? Did a lot of shooting when I was younger without ear protection- what a dummy. I bothers me at times but not enough to have sought any treatment for it so far. Of course, that could change as I get older. Hope you find a solution.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[George Bokros]

I have heard that Lipoflavinoids works but have no experience with it. It is available over the counter. I have a slight case of tinnitus but take nothing for it. Mine was caused by getting hit in the ear with a playground ball when I was in elementary school.

I do not endorse it but google it and see what you think.

[Jim Rimmer]

I have had it so long I can't remember not having it. Mine is at the frequency of a lot of burglar alarm warning (like when you open the door) and some smoke alarms. I can't hear the warning beep on the alarm. With the smoke alarm I eventually (pretty quickly, actually) pick up on the temp and recognize it. I also have an occasional metallic clicking sound in short bursts. Described to my ENT and he had never heard of it. That and the ringing is so bad I think other people should be able to put their ear next to mine and they would hear it, too. I am used to it so it doesn't really bother me. Occasionally the metallic clicking gets to me but overall I just tune it out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jason,

This is a quite common complaint among those of us with hearing loss.

I have tinnitus in both ears.

There is a lot of discussion about it among cochlear implant users.

I have a CI (cochlear implant) in my left ear and wear a HA in my right ear. The HA does little and I cannot function with just the HA. It does provide some very limited directionality at certain high frequencies. I can function with just my CI. When I wear my sound processor for my CI, the tinnitus is gone in that ear but remains in the other ear. Other CI users report that while using their CIs the tinnitus is gone. Obviously when I remove the sound processor at night, the tinnitus returns. Sometimes going to sleep can be difficult.

While it is unproven by science, recommendations of reducing caffeine and salt seem to help some tinnitus sufferers.

Good luck! I can empathize.

[Erik Loza]

...recommendations of reducing caffeine and salt seem to help some tinnitus sufferers....

Interesting... I ordinarily drink 1-2 shots of espresso per day and have not had my tinnitus in a while. Hmmm....

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Jason White]

I gave up regular coffee for a few months. It did nothing for my tinnitus.

- Jason


Interesting... I ordinarily drink 1-2 shots of espresso per day and have not had my tinnitus in a while. Hmmm....

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David G Baker]

I have written this on SMC in the past. My chiropractor does an adjustment on my ear that stops the ringing in my left ear for several months. Don't know if this will help anyone else but it has worked for me. I have not researched this online but it may be worth a search.

[Jerome Stanek]

Had mine since high school can't hear crickets chripping wife goes crazy when she hears them and says can't you hear that cricket.

[Tim Janssen]

I have had tinnitus in both ears for decades. I blame it on working with a belt sander for hours on end when I was building a fibreglass re-enforced ketch and spend about 7 months fairing the hull and not wearing hearing protection while doing it. This was in the 70's. I also have a significant high frequency hearing loss. The belt sander was quite a big one that made this loud screeching sound.
The tinnitus usually does not bother me even though I can hear it all time. I have always been told that there is no cure for it or relief from it. I too get some times some snapping sound usually in my right ear. It sounds a bit light a tiny electric charge.
Regards,

Tim

[Shawn Pixley]

I don't have tinnitus, but my wife does. Despite many loud concerts in my musician days, I don't seem to have negatively damaged my ears. I tried to keep low stage volumes and used ear plugs.

Unfortunately, I am on a medication that causes ringing in the ears now. It is a bit annoying but far preferable to the constant headaches I had previously. I use hearing protection regularly.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks,

In my statement concerning tinnitus with regards to being affected by reduced caffeine, and salt....I pointed out it wasn't based on science .....and was reported to have caused improvement by SOME sufferers.....

[Bob Rufener]

I have had tinnitus for probably 30 years. It seems to be getting worse as I get older (70 in 3 weeks). Doctors say nothing can be done. I got hearing aids about 6 weeks ago. A fellow I know that was in Nam and runs an auto body shop said that he has tinnitus (courtesy of Nam) and he has hearing aids. He claims the hearing aids negate the tinnitus. My hearing aids haven't done a thing for tinnitus but I can hear much better-especially high tones where my major loss is. Sometimes, life was better when I couldn't hear as well.....If you find a cure for tinnitus, let us all know.

[Chris Parks]

I have had it for longer than I can recall. It was most probably caused by military service with inadequate/nil hearing protection. It is very loud and the audioligist who last checked me reckons it was the loudest he had ever tested. The more you pursue a cure which does not exist the more it will bug you. The audioligist offered me the reading matter he had and a recommendation to see a ENT specialist but I declined as it would raise my awareness of it. Those that can't push it into the background suffer terribly and some suicides have been blamed on it. I saw a doco many years ago where the patient was given an injection of (I think) Morphine and the Tinnitus disappeared totally for a few minutes only to return at the same level.

[Ralph Boumenot]

I've had it for 25+ years and as far as I know there isn't any cure for it.

[Myk Rian]

Will someone please get those Cicadas out of here?

[Wade Lippman]

I've had it for about 10 years, and it seems to be getting worse. But my sister has had it for 30 years, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

About a year ago I was lying in bed and something was wrong. Then I realized, it was quiet! The tinnitus has gone away for a couple hours. Don't know why, never happened again. Oh well.

[Bill Cunningham]

20 + years for me.. Back in the 60's you never seen a pair of hearing protectors in any factories. I worked in a heavy steel shop where they were banging 2" thick steel deck pales for mobile cranes into place with sledge hammers. Later damaged/stressed both ears periodically on diving jobs, and time in hyperbaric chambers decompressing. Mine sounds like the singing high voltage in old T.V's and it's 24 hours a day. I have quite a notch in my hearing chart for both ears. because of the frequency range hearing loss, I refer to it as my built in 'wife filter'... I really can't hear her unless she's looking directly at me....honest dear...

[Ed Griner]

I have most of the symptoms described by the other posters. I gave up hearing aids because they were making things worse. My suggestion would be to not dwell on the inner ear noise,mine is there all the time 24/7 any time I think about it,it's available. It makes me think of an AM radio with a broken antenna,a type of bio/electronic noise. You just have to ignore it,it works!

[Bill Cunningham]

Yup.. If you didn't mentally adapt yourself to ignore it, it would drive you crazy

[Chris Parks]

Will someone please get those Cicadas out of here?

You have the same brand of tinnitus that I have, Cicadas indeed.

[Dave Verstraete]

I refer to it as my built in 'wife filter'... I really can't hear her unless she's looking directly at me....honest dear...

That is the only upside to my tinnitus!

[joe myer]

Many of us give least importance to safety of our ears while we work constantly in high noise atmosphere. Most of us hesitate to use ear plugs or ear muffs and due to this many people end up victims of gradual hearing loss or some other problems such as tinnitus. People who are working under high noise atmosphere need to check out their hearing health for any kind of hearing loss (http://www.hearingsolutions.ca/services/five-steps-better-hearing) or other ear problems. Timely consultation and usage of proper hearing aids can minimize the effects of hearing loss. Regarding tinnitus one should get adjusted with that phenomenon and it serves as the best solution to overcome it, meanwhile you can consult an audiologist for expert advice.

[Michael Hammers]

Ive had it since my time in the Corps......hazards of being a 1371 I suppose.
Then nearly 17 years as a Paramedic then Flight Medic...the flying in AK really did me in.
Our Metroliner was so noisey....
The only thing I have been told by my doc is that aspirin does affect it.
Ive learned to ignore it but have to sleep with white noise on.
I currently run a little UV\HEPA air cleaner that suffices.

No miracle cures...just the promise as we age we will lose enough hearing eventually that it will resolve itself....or pushing daisies...either way should stop it...

[Michael Peet]

Mine came on a couple years ago. I had a hearing test and it came back perfect. I switched to decaf with no noticeable effect (still drink mostly decaf though). I wear hearing protection in the shop and have a quiet desk job during the day. Mostly listen to NPR in the car at conversation-level volume.

Some days it's worse than others. It's most distracting when I'm sitting in my office at work trying to concentrate on a difficult problem. David's comment about the chiropractor is very interesting; might be worth a shot.

I wish I could help you. Hope you find some relief,

Mike

[Brad Cambell]

I have tinnitus. It gives new meaning to "The Sound of Silence." I got hit in the ear playing racquet ball. It was terrible for a long time, especially when I was trying to sleep. It seems to be lessening of late, and it is not too bad now. I only faintly hear it when there is absolute silence. I don't think that there is anything that can be done for it if it is caused by nerve damage. Good luck.

[Justin Ludwig]

I've had it since I was a kid. Can't remember not having a ringing in my ears. I can concentrate on the ringing and it will increase in pitch and intensity. I've found that on the rare occasion it bothers me, I focus on it to make it worse. When I stop focusing, it becomes bearable again (odd, I know). I didn't even know my ears were ringing until I started reading this thread. Thanks a lot.

Aggravations for my tinnitus: alcohol, not using hearing protection at work or shooting firearms, forum post about tinnitus.

[Dennis Peacock]

Yup, I have it...got it good with all the woodworking tools I've been running. Been woodworking since I was 13.....I do wish the ringing would stop, but I've learned to deal with it most of the time.

[Brian Ashton]

Quite possibly there will be a cure when the scientists figure out how to make stem cells therapy safe. They've been able to take nasal cells and turn them into stem cells and then inject them into the ear, restoring hearing... From what the doc told me is they haven't figured out how to get the errant stem cells to turn off when the job is done.

I have tinnitus also, had it for at least a decade, and have always been religious about wearing hearing protection even when it was considered real uncool... so it's not always because you were exposed to load noises. Hopefully they'll get it all ironed out soon so I can get my knee and ears done...

[Dave Cullen]

Yep, me too. Loud concerts when I was young, and woodworking tools later. I asked my doctor and he said he had it too and has asked every ear specialist he's met and they all told him there's no real treatment.

If you Google tinnitus cures you'll get lots of input on it, but I've never persued any of them. Mine isn't horrible enough that it can't be ignored.