RE: tinnitus and other low frequency sounds, treatments?

[LaurenCB108]

I am 62 have had tinnitus since I was 16. I have learned to live with it. But now I am also very sensitive to electric sounds in the house which are at a different tone than my tinnitus. I have put switches on all the electrical things in my house so I can turn them off at night when it is worse. Also I recently moved and there is a water treatment plant about 1/4 mi away and I think I am hearing the hum of the motor at night. Any suggestions as to how to get rid of it? I am not sleeping well at all and it is beginning to effect my usually positive mood. I think my tinnitus is getting worse too. Could it be because of the other noises? What a lonely world this one. I am glad to talk to and read about other sufferers.

[Hidden]

My tinnitus has got very bad the last 6 months, I am also very sensitive to noise like the hum of the fridge and anything in the background drives me crazy. I was told a few years ago that my hearing is excellent and nothing can be done for my tinnitus so I have had to learn to live with it. Lately it’s got louder and I don,t know why. If I go to my doctor after this virus has died down I know his answer will be the same.

[LaurenCB108 in reply to Hidden]

We decided today to put the fridge in the garage. Thank god I have a sympathetic husband. The circuit breaker panel to the house will allow us to keep the garage on ( it is on a different concrete pad so sound should not transfer) and we can then turn off all the power coming into the house. I can use a flashlight if needed in the middle of the night. Hopefully that will help. So sorry about the uptick. Bummer. Life in the body, geesh.

[Hidden in reply to LaurenCB108]

I use a flashlight in the night too. If I put the bathroom light on the fan will be going for 15 minutes driving me crazy. I was 28 when I first got Tinnitus but as I,ve got older it’s got real bad, depends on how I feel that day to how I cope with it.

[T-shirts]

Hello,

Sorry you're having such a bad time with T, I've had it since I was about 28, I'm now nearly 61, I only had little noises in each ear, couldn't hear it during the day, so it didn't bother me at all, but 10 years ago it completely changed the noise, and I've struggled since, I know how you feel, it could be due to electric sounds, or outside sounds, do you have Maskers, or hearing aids, I have these, the hearing aids helped me alot, I do have some bad days too, ask your doctor to send you to ENT, maybe they could help, as I used to go to hearing therapist, but went on too long, so I can't go anymore, but it's a cruel world, and I'm depressed myself, but I feel for you, and I hope you can get some relief from T, your doctor should be able to help, try a antidepressant, ? They help me sleep, Amitriptyline maybe, I take for sleep, unless your doctor mentioned anything better,

good luck, best wishes

Anne

[CW2106]

Hi, I experience the same effects as you, and most people pull a face or look like they don’t believe me when I tell them. The fan from a laptop is bad for me, as is the extractor fan in the bathroom that you mention. The fridge, and the freezer too. My T has always been that way and I’m yet to find anything to make it better. At my work, there is a fridge, a water cooler and a printer, all of which have had to be moved into an adjoining office to give me relief. Colleagues who use laptops have also had to move to another office. The extractor fan in the bathroom is now switched off at the main switch so it doesn’t come on when I turn the light on. I have to do all I can to avoid such things. I guess it’s something to do with ElectroMagnetic Frequencies (EMF). My T also gets worse when using a smartphone, where there is no audible sound coming from it when using it. I’ve seen ENT many times, including Professor Baguley who is one of the most senior people it’s possible to see but to no avail. Hearing aids and white noise generators have all been tried but they tend to make things worse. The only thing that helps me is the anti depressants I take, I don’t feel depressed, although I have been. The medication I take help me to sleep, which from experience can make a huge difference as to whether I can cope with the day ahead. I’m sorry I don’t have a solution for you but I wanted to share my experience too.