UNSUAL DEEP TIINITUS: Hi, I doubt anybody will... - Tinnitus UK

Tinnitus UK

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UNSUAL DEEP TIINITUS

5 years ago•2 Replies

Hi, I doubt anybody will beable to help but I thought I'd put this out there. I have an unsual type of tinnitus. It's a very deep sound as deep as you could imagine really. Whenever I hear any noise even a slight noise it sets it off then stops a few seconds later but then starts again with any other noise. It is even doing it now as I type on my keyboard. I have gone through the NHS so I have tried all different things like hearing aid, noise maskers etc. They have now come to the end of the road and give up with me. I kind of think they don't believe me. My life is unbearable as the slightest noise sets this deep humming off. It feels like damage to inner ear to me but I have been told that is not the case. I have a little girl and it's killing me as this is effecting my time with her. The only thing that has slightly helped are some apps on google play where I can program exact noise to mask the noise. These only last an hour and I need to have the wire stuck to my ear phone then to ear. I am not a rich man so can't afford expensive devices. At the moment in one ear I have a mould which silences most noise but noise still gets through to set the deep sound off. It is just in my left ear the right ear is fine. Please please does anybody else live with this becuase my audiologist has never heard of this type of tinitus? My life has become so unbearable sometimes I think of the worst. If it wasn't for my daughter I might just give up. Please any tecniques? and ideas? any devices I could purchase to program my own specific noise? Doubt I will get a reply but if anyone has got to this stage of reading this, thank you!

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2shay

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Destructor5 years ago

Hi. This sounds similar to mine. I will detail my situation in case anyone can compare with theirs or finds it of use since I haven't posted on here before.

Mine is pulsatile T. It started just before last xmas and it actually went away briefly just before i went to see the ENT specialist at hospital after many months of waiting and putting up with T all day and night and getting no sleep. The guy was no help whatsoever. Hearing test came back fine (or within a normal range I suspect as I often use subtitles to watch Programmes as miss some words). I just got handed a leaflet and was told it was T. I don't think they know the difference in types of T and dont seem to want to research or correlate info to find out why it starts - sure there are many diff causes etc. but I was surprised he didn't even ask qus to see if it was noise related. I was so tired at the time and quite shocked at him just saying it's T and not to get stressed like that it was just acceptable to say that that I didn't say much after that and only realised later what he didn't ask. I did however take a list of things to mention about when it started and regarding my neck (see later) and also my doctor sent this info through beforehand. I also had an MRI to check it wasn't a tumour near my ear as my mum has 1 (No T though, but has since admitted she can sometimes hear her heartbeat but doesn't seem to bother her). MRI shows nothing.

I'm pretty sure it isnt from excess noise as I am stressed and anxious a lot of the time, although when it came on I wasn't as stressed and had finished and left uni 6 months prior. I try to wear ear defenders when using tools and protect my hearing whenever possible and keep headphone music low and not for long times.

I think mine is partly from being sensitive to certain noises after living with noisy inconsiderate people at uni slamming doors and interrupting my sleep constantly and deliberately esp. during my final year. I also have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue though largely have managed to reduce medication from maximum to minimum levels and stretch and sleep is a must for managing this.

I keep fairly fit/active and am a 37 year old man, don't smoke, rarely drink etc. It could also be possibly from getting shingles after my 1st year of uni again from stress as this is nerve related and i still feel itchy/burning/tingling where the rashes were sometimes.

Just thought I'd mention all this - it would be interesting to have a poll on here to try and correlate some info even if only some of it fits.

For my fibromyalgia I see a chiropractor which does help when physically manipulated through using dropping bench and hand manipulation etc. I get my whole body adjusted and my chiro is good and thorough and rough as that suits me. My neck is one of the main things adjusted as well as my jaw - my chiro holds the sides of the joints between upper and lower jaw whilst I open my mouth and it loosens it off reducing tension in my jaw and all the way up my temples and upper skull. Sometimes the treatment temporarily stops the T, other times it reduces it.

I also have jaw issues TMJ I don't grind but do clench my jaw. Pretty sure this is partly what sets things off. Again I clench when stressed or if I bite my nails and hence my jaw is open about 1cm.

Have just started on citalopram to help with anxiety and although T can be a side effect I don't believe it makes mine worse.

Sometimes I have found if I manipulate my neck it stops the T. Both at the front (either side of my adams apple) of my neck and at the back. I often get pain in the front of my neck anyway but that's not been diagnosed. Have had blood tests on thyroid etc but seems fine. Had this pain long before T started.

Because of my fibro issues I have always supported my neck properly and i sleep on my left side, hence the right ear is the one which can be aggravated by noises as not against pillow. I also try take care not to look down when using my mobile. That said the recent physical work I've been doing has been intense and not good for my body.

The worst sound I get is mainly in my right ear. It's a constant humming that is only interjected by my heart beat. I also find any sounds especially deep ones set it off. E.g. planes flying over or people bouncing balls down the street. It sounds like a washing machine or lawnmower are on all day and when it started I was sat down and thought that must be the case until I got up or rotated my head and couldn't hear it. Unfortunately now it's on all the time regardless of what I do.

My cat's purr also irritates it.

Often the sound can be extremely loud.

Sometimes it stops and i hear my heart beat when on my pillow almost click 3 times and then it starts again. It is worse at night - I am sure this is not due to less sound but due to the fact I am lying down. I'm lucky if I get more than 3 hours sleep and my T makes it hard to get to sleep and often wakes me up early in the morning and i just lie there hoping it will stop but it just continues.

Obviously this is wrecking my life. I need sleep to rest and recover my fibro pains and am a light sleeper. Before T I used to go to bed sleep right through no issues or stirring even and wake up, never refreshed but still.

I am trying to set up small business self employed on own. My memory is effected and pain increased and depression made worse. Trying to physically renovate a building myself which I've been enjoying doing and despite daily heavy requirement on my body T must have stopped for 1 month at least whilst I was physically exhausting myself. Got through all that for it to come back for little reason when I took a week off. Doesn't seem to make any sense.

None of my other medications are supposed to cause T. Just got over Norrovirus and briefly T stopped but came back before fully better and I had stopped all meds during this time so again they don't seem to effect it.

I also got same deep humming pulse sound in my left ear last night which is a first. I often get other shrill sounds in mainly my left ear but have just always considered this normal and it largely doesn't affect me. I've not had much sleep due to the virus though and my head is extremely thick and ears feel full and almost painful due to pressure.

I don't always have pressure but have had it before, aswell as my ears feeling unbalanced pressure wise, popping, hurting etc. Symptoms are various. I think originally when I first had T before it stopped my ear might have been draining into my throat as had thicker saliva etc. Just a shame certain things cleared up before I went for my appointment.

The T all started when I had wax in my right ear. I put olive oil in (as per doctor) and after 2 weeks and Doctor confirmed it had cleared. T continued for a month or two and eventually went away.

I wonder as whilst having noisy ppl issues at uni I did wear soft ear buds at night to try and block sound and used the same pait for a while. This may be what originally caused wax build up if pushing it inside along with cleaning ears with Q-tips/ear buds. I still use Q-tips but only to dry inside of my ears and i don't poke them in fully like I used to. I have sometimes found if I wet them and place them inside it helps cool my ears if feeling warm and full. I think I must have originally had an infection and at uni had them popping or feeling wet and unbalanced inside - just thought this was down to the building as often freezing cold inside and working with water often etc. Did get some pain in ears like infection and occasionally get that still but was told by doctors they looked fine.

I've found that routinely listening to Country music via Amazon Echo in the morning helps. It generally improves my mood and whilst doesn't stop it, may help to take my mind off it.

I try not to concentrate on my T but as I'm sure we all know it announces itself regardless and drives you insane.

Anyway sorry for the long Post but as said if this helps anyone or if we can compare or set up a poll with various factors and send results to ENT doctors it may help.

I'm convinced a cure can be found if they separate the different symptoms of various forms of T.