Title says it all. Everyone has varying degrees of torment, I mean tinnitus: severe (masking therapy doesn’t help) to mild (masking therapy does help), extremely loud to extremely quiet, extremely high-pitched to extremely low-pitched, intermittent (not every second) to permanent (every second). There are also different types: buzzing, humming, whistling, pulsating, ringing, screeching etc.
Mine is a permanent (every second), extremely loud (masking therapy does not help), extremely high-pitched screeching noise (like a train on a track coming to a screechy stop, except it never stops!!!). This is torture! I long for this to end. If I had my auditory nerve cut, would that stop the noise?
I miss the sound of my loved ones voice without the screeching. :’( I would rather be deaf so that I could imagine their voice without screeching.
Cochlear implants would definitely help me in my case, but since the ENT told me I’m not getting those, I have no options left.
My Mum and I hugged and cried to night. I miss her already. I won’t be here much longer. Please don’t try to convince me it will get better. It’s been 8 months and it has recently gotten worse. I simply cannot endure this torture. My existence has been reduced to suffering. I am a burden to everyone. I cannot concentrate on my meaningful goals anymore. Everyone would benefit if I were gone. I will not make others suffer with me. It is unethical to chain myself to suffering, simply because others want me to live for their benefit and not mine.
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jasmineam
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Actually I wouldn’t rather be deaf. No because then I’d only be able to see my loved ones and not hear them. I’m sorry for saying that. There is just no way I can live with this torture. :’( I wish I could have been more of a benefit to people in my life before I got this debilitating condition. At least if I ended it, I would get the research ball rolling so that a cure may come sooner for other sufferers. No one deserves tinnitus. No one deserves deafness. All sentient beings DO deserve to have there suffering come to an end.
When your tinnitus has more than one frequency, it's hard to find the right masking therapy. Severe tinnitus tends to have different frequencies, which are permanent, mainly high pitched, loud and severe tinnitus tends to include the whistling, ringing and/or screeching type of noise.
So sorry to hear that you are so down at the moment. I'm sure most of us on this forum can sympathise with how you are feeling and have thought similar dark thoughts at some time. It sounds as though your hearing loss is not too severe as they didn't consider a hearing aid for you. It's much the same with myself - I have high frequency hearing loss but I was told it didn't warrant a hearing aid as I could still hear mid frequencies (and so normal speech) ok. I know that at the moment you can't see any sort of future for yourself. In my early days with tinnitus I was the same and felt total despair - like I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. Then I joined this forum and heard a lot of talk about thinking positively. At the time it just seemed a bit fanciful and nothing concrete that I could cling on to. Then I think I had a bit of a eureka moment. I was watching something on tv and when it ended I suddenly realised that for the first time in months I hadn't actually been aware of my tinnitus while I was watching the program. Of course when the program finished my T was just as loud as ever but I knew then that it was possible for me to disregard it. Up til then my T had been at the forefront of everything. From then on I stopped googling for treatments and decided that I was just going to accept my tinnitus and carry on with my life just as before. If there is a trick to it I would say it's to ignore it. It's not easy. Don't hate your T, totally disregard it. Keep yourself occupied with doing things you actually enjoy. Soon you will find the periods when you don't notice your T will get longer and this in itself will give you the encouragement you need to carry on and make more progress. It's a long, slow process but for now just know that things will get better and you will be able to enjoy life again.
I feel for you, I do. Please, please don't despair. I know it's hard and it's something we all have to deal with daily and with hardly any let-up. Read Johnjopp's reply - he makes some valid points. Keep trying different methods - sound therapy, relaxation, meditation, masking. Try learning a new skill and really focus your mind on the subject you're studying. Keep going to your doctor or audiologist and get them to help you. Read the advice from other contributors. Think of us as holding out our hands to you - just reach up and grab and hold on tight.
I have had it for 4 years after a visit tio doctor to syringe wax from ear - they gave me tinnitus and every day and night is hell. See below taken from healthCMI - Please copy this and giveto nearest acupuncturist for advice - Chinese acupuncture A research team in Sichuan, China, achieved significant positive patient outcomes by employing the use of electrical stimulation to acupuncture points. Compared with conventional manual acupuncture therapy, the addition of electroacupuncture to the treatment protocol increased clinical effectiveness for the treatment of tinnitus by 25.1%. Conventional manual acupuncture achieved a 64.5% total effective rate; however, electroacupuncture achieved an 89.6% total effective rate.
The Sichuan research team cited prior research and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory as the basis for the development of their electroacupuncture clinical protocol. Zhang et al. identified acupuncture point Tinggong (SI19) as an important area for the treatment of tinnitus in prior research. The Sichuan researchers included SI19 in the study because the work of Zhang et al. finds SI19 effective for benefitting the ears, reducing tinnitus, improving conduction in the auditory nerves, and because electroacupuncture creates rhythmic contractions of the muscles in the region of the ear to promote circulation and subsequent delivery of nutrients to the hearing system.
The Sichuan researchers outlined the acupuncture procedure that achieved the clinical successes. In addition, they reviewed TCM diagnostic considerations for patients with tinnitus. In general, tinnitus is categorized as either excess type or deficiency type. Excess type is often exacerbated by anger, anxiety, and panic. This type is often related to liver and gallbladder inflammation that is either internal organ (Zang Fu) or acupuncture channel (Jing Luo) related. This diagnosis is referred to as liver fire and gallbladder excess that disturbs the ears by blocking the qi in the shaoyang meridian, in part, with damp-heat stagnation. Deficiency related tinnitus is often due to kidney or liver deficiency preventing nourishment from benefitting the ears. Diagnostically, this may be deficiency affecting the shaoyin and jueyin acupuncture channels.
Two acupuncture treatment groups were compared in the clinical study. One group received electroacupuncture stimulation to the acupoints and the other groups received only manual acupuncture stimulation using reducing and reinforcing techniques. The primary acupoints used in the study were the following:
Tinggong (SI19)
Tinghui (GB2)
Yifeng (TB17)
Fengchi (GB20)
Secondary acupuncture points were added based on diagnostic considerations. For qi stagnation with blood stasis, Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints were added. For qi and blood deficiency, Qihai (CV6) and Zusanli (ST36) were added. For hyperactivity of liver and gallbladder fire, Taichong (LR3) and Qiuxu (GB40) were added. For kidney qi deficiency, Taixi (KD3) and Guanyuan (CV4) were added. For insufficient kidney qi and yang, Shenshu (BL23) and Mingmen (GV4) were added. For hyperactivity in the channels affecting the liver, Zhongzhu (TB3) and Waiguan (TB5) were added.
After acupoint site disinfection, filiform acupuncture needles were perpendicularly inserted. For excess syndrome, reducing (xie) techniques were applied. For deficiency syndrome, reinforcing (bu) techniques were applied. The deqi response was directed toward eliciting sensations towards the ears. Upon arrival of deqi, Tinghui (GB2) and Yifeng (TE17) were connected to a model G-6805 electroacupuncture device. A continuous wave was set to intensity levels at patient tolerance levels. This was achieved by starting at a very low intensity level of stimulation and slowly raising the amperage. The duration of electrical stimulation was 30 minutes.
Treatment was applied once per day for 15 days to complete one course of care. A total of 2 – 3 courses of care were applied. Using this protocol, manual acupuncture achieved a 64.5% total effective rate and electroacupuncture achieved an 89.6% total effective rate.
Researchers from the Central Hospital of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in Chaoyang City achieved an 80% total effective rate using a different protocol. They used the following acupoints for the treatment of tinnitus:
Yiming (extra)
Tianyou (SJ16)
Fengchi (GB20)
Wangu (GB12)
Tinggong (SI19)
Shangyang (LI1)
Kunlun (BL60)
Juegu (GB39)
Ashi
Zhongzhu (KD15)
In a related study, Song et al. achieved significant clinical results for the treatment of tinnitus. Perhaps the most important aspect of the study by Song et al. is that the patient inclusion criteria sorted for intractable tinnitus. Only pernicious cases of tinnitus were admitted to the study.
Exclusion criteria sorted for cervical dysfunctions and ear deformities. Also excluded were patients with head injuries, anemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, and autoimmune diseases. All patient admitted to the study had tinnitus for at least 4 months and up to 11 years. The total effective rate was 91% using the following set of acupoints:
TB17 (Yifeng)
GB2 (Tinghui)
SJ21 (Ermen)
SI19 (Tinggong)
SJ3 (Zhongzhu)
LR3 (Taichong)
GB40 (Qiuxu)
LU7 (Lieque)
GB43 (Xiaxi)
Acupuncture points TB17, GB2, and SJ21 were unilaterally applied to the affected side, where applicable. If the tinnitus was unilateral, the patient rested on their side during the treatment. For bilateral tinnitus, patients rested in a supine position. Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to bring about the arrival of deqi. Similar to the earlier study mentioned in this article, electroacupuncture was applied to local ear acupoints using a continuous wave. Total needle retention time was 30 minutes. Acupuncture treatments were administered once per day for a total of ten days.
Ginger moxibustion was applied. Ginger was sliced into 1 cm thick cubes, each with a tiny needle punctured hole in the center. Moxa was placed on the ginger and ignited. The ginger was placed on the outer auricle region to warm the area.
The statistics demonstrate important patient outcomes: 64.17% of all patients fully recovered, 14.71% had significant improvements, 11.76% had slight improvements, 8.82% had no improvements. The total effective rate was 91.18%. The researchers concluded that manual acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture and ginger moxibustion is effective for the treatment of intractable tinnitus.
References:
Zhao Y & Xie XY. (2013). Treatment Efficiency Observation of Electro-acupuncture for 48 Cases of Nervous Tinnitus. Chinese Manipulation & Rehabilitation Medicine. 4(4).
Zhang XT, Yuan GL, Xu M, et al. (2002). The effects of acupuncture on inner Tinggong acupoint to brainstem evoked potentials on patients with sudden deafness. Journal of TCM. 43:68.
Montazem A. Secondary tinnitus as a symptom of instability of the upper cervical spine: operative management. Int Tinnitus J. 2000;6(2):130–133.
Shore S, Zhou J, Koehler S. Neural mechanisms underlying somatic tinnitus. Progress in brain research. 2007 Dec 31;166:107-548. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Xue H. (2015). Treatments of cervical tinnitus between neck acupoints acupuncture and traditional acupuncture. Jilin Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 35(9).
Adams PF, Hendershot GE. (1999). Current estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1996. Vital Health Star10. 200: 81-103.
Zhu Y. (2005). Tinnitus epidemiological investigation in Northern Shaanxi. Journal of Disease Control. 12(6): 149-150.
Yingli Song, Li, Shilin, Yan Xiao, and Jiang Wu. "Efficacy Observation of Acupuncture Combined with Ginger Moxibustion to Treatment of 34 Cases of Intractable Tinnitus." Zhongyi Zhongyao (Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbs) Aug. 2013: 277-278.
Ive had tinnitus now for almost two years in may and not a day has went by where I didnt want to die in my sleep I dont give a fuck anymore what happens to me I really dont with this anxiety and depression Ive given up. These two yrars have beem nothing but pain and misery!! I cant see progress in the gym because I never sleep and wakr up two to three times a night and it takes hours to go back to sleep, I dony enjoy anything anymore not tv, not video games, not lifting I dont even have a job because of how bad it is and Im in my 20s,I have a fucked up car but cant repair it because again no job=no income the last full job I had didnt last because I had to go on medical leave less than a year in snd resorted to smoking pot and taking pills to knock me out so I can wake up and worry the next day how the fuck Im going to get to sleep later!! Then I hsd an accident at my job cut open my chin by falling on metal got stitched up and then they fired me a week later because I had to do a drug test. This is a death sentence with a capital D. I wish I had advice to give you but I dont have any nothing at all Ive tried everything I even got a $2k hearing aid specifically for my needs but its only a temporary bandaid that covers up the noise with another noise thats almost equally annoying. I had to leave a recent relationship because I couldnt pretend to be happy anymore and she deserves someone who doesnt hate their life like I do. I dont know what else to say except I hope I dont wake up and I hope there is another realm beyond this where I can finally be happy again.
I feel the same way -but my tinnitus is not loud-I can mask it but have to always be with a white noise machine by my head.7 months now of torture slowly looking at everything I fought for in my life to crumble away.i can never relax and never rest, I am so jealous of people who say that they have habituated with it.it terrifies and stresses me from the second I wake up.my sleep is always bare minimum,I can’t enjoy a lie in on a Weekend-I just sit in bed not being able to believe what life has turned into.eating like a pig gives a temporary relief-have lost all motivation.i used to be on top of my game in every respect-this has ruined my life and I can’t let it ruin the life’s of all my loved ones each and every single day I’m depressed.there is no escape I wish I could escape this misery
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