Constantly Changing Tones

[sds111]

Still new to T, 3 months, but the tones are constantly changing. (Noise induced) The morning T is a hiss in both ears but then as I watch TV, drive, go out, perhaps go to a cafe, have a meal, it keeps changing to more of a faster much louder hiss/whooshing noise. Then calms down later, usually the same day when I’m relaxed.

I didn’t have this when it first started, it was more of a tone which I feel I could actually get used to and try to deal with. I’ve noticed this more lately as I’ve started to think about the noise.

I’m now wondering if this is in fact my reaction to the noise and if this is actually the anxiety and stress which is making the noise change and not a reaction to the different situations at all?. If so, I hope this will improve when I manage to calm down a bit.

Does anyone have experience of this?

Thanks

[perlcoder]

I have suffered from T for 23 years. At onset, it was a hiss with a predictable character and, apart from the occasional spike, its loudness was similarly predictable. When I was prescribed a hearing aid / masker six years ago it was possible to match the sound with a useful degree of accuracy. Since then my T has become pretty much constant, louder (but still variable in that regard), and with a wide range of tones and locations - from a hiss to high pitched "bat detector" sounds and others in between. This effect is most evident in the quiet of the night - but it can manifest at any time. Sometimes my masker matches it - at other times it is miles away.

So, yes, that is my experience. I think it is relatively common, but by no means universal.

[sds111 in reply to perlcoder]

Thanks for your reply

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to perlcoder]

did the hearing aid make it worse ?

[perlcoder in reply to Kellythecat-74]

Not at all. I am one of those whom the aid definitely helps - in fact I am going to get a re-assessment soon and find out if I need greater amplification, and perhaps also by now an aid for the other ear. As always with anything T-related, one has to say that experiences differ, but mine has been entirely positive.

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to perlcoder]

thank you . it was just that you said about your hearing aids , then said the T had got louder. So am pleased it wasn't because of them . I am expecting my aids to be ready soon.

[perlcoder in reply to Kellythecat-74]

Understood.

I am a certain as I can be that my increase in volume and general intrusiveness is age-related.

The first thing I do in the morning is to put the aid in, and I usually have the masker on at the same time - switching it off later in the morning.

[Happyrosie]

From what I've seen on this site, changes in noises are part of the joyous experience of tinnitus (though mine is normally a 'badly tuned radio' hiss with twenty-second whistles). And, Tinnitus absolutely loves to do this to you so that you are listening for it. And listening for it makes it worse. So you get stressed about it!

I think about the time I first bought a flat on a main road out of London. This squeezed my finances (remembering the time when mortgages were 11% interest rate, twice the worse now). My first night there was horrendous as I had not factored in the traffic which never stopped. When it calmed down at 2 in the morning then there would be motorbikes or emergency vehicles: just like the extra noises that tinnitus can give you. I blamed myself for buying the flat - obviously I couldn't afford to do anything about it. So I hardly slept. But. After a coupe of months I had habituated.

And that is what I hope will happen for you - you get used to the noises and they fade into the background.

[sds111 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thanks for the positive post. I’m just struggling to accept the new normal at the moment. I guess/hope this will get better with time.

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to sds111]

It will get better ! I'm just over 6 months in to it, but it doesn't bother me too much now. I've stopped stressing about it , which is half the battle.

[sds111 in reply to Kellythecat-74]

Thanks. Did you struggle with sleep? I’m still not sleeping very well.

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to sds111]

I sleep fine, use an over- the- earphone attached to a tiny radio under my pillow. Yes its an old method but it worked before and keep a radio on (in case the earphone comes off) at the same volume. I use LBC. for me talking is better than music. but we are all different I get more interested in what they are discussing than listening to my T . Some people use relaxing sounds on you tube. Try a few , maybe during the day to find one that works for you. Also pillow speakers and head band radios. You will find the right one . Hope this helps

[Orchid_14 in reply to sds111]

Hi sds111, I am about 2 months into this journey. Sleep was my biggest worry/concern too. I found an app called resound and it’s meant for T sufferers. You can create your own playlists by mashing together different sounds that work best to mask/tune out the sound you experience. I honestly found that helped me a lot at night. I couldn’t sleep on either side without noticing my T so sleeping on my back was what was best for me at the starting point. I’d also put on a playlist in the morning and would do meditative breathing upon waking for 5-10 mins and that really helped set the tone for the day. I will say that after about a month or so, I can now sleep on my sides without stressing too much over the sound and have started to learn it’s not a threat. I think a huge component is mindset and managing our stress. The more stress I have, the more noticeable the T becomes.

[sds111]

thanks