Why does everyone seem to have permanent tinnitus here?

[Kiitty]

What is the cause of permanent tinnitus? This is so worrying, as my tinnitus started this month due to ear canal infection. Would this be permanent? I have been prescribed otomize. Would that be helpful?

[perlcoder]

Hello,

First, your T is of very recent onset and seems likely to have a known cause in the ear infection. Those are important factors. T of this sort can resolve naturally. Most of us are here because our T has no identified cause (often it is just a consequence of hearing loss due to age), or it had a known cause but did not resolve. The Otomize may cure your infection and the T may vanish with it.

Second, very many people (the vast majority of sufferers), have T that does not resolve, but which never becomes, as we say, "bothersome". They can easily ignore it. You are not likely to find those people on a T forum. I know that this is difficult advice to follow, but one way to avoid T becoming bothersome is not constantly to monitor it - particularly at such an early stage as yours now is. For one reason or another, most of the people here have, or used to have, bothersome T, and we like to help when we can. Some have found ways to live contentedly even with bothersome T and can offer advice and reassurance.

Finally, T is not by any means fully understood, but it seems clear (to me at least), that the underlying personality / physiology of the sufferer is of great importance. Some of us are simply more susceptible to it, and to its becoming bothersome than are others - anxious personalities are more susceptible. I know a lady of my own advanced age who has severe hearing loss, and who finds it difficult to follow a conversation in (say) a restaurant without her sophisticated hearing aids. She has no T at all. I have moderate loss in one ear, and have had bothersome T for more than 20 years.

Other people here will give their opinions - we are all different - those are mine.

Try to relax, enjoy Christmas and New Year.

[doglover1973 in reply to perlcoder]

It's odd isn't it perlcoder Old lady of 100+ used to live over the road. Deaf as a post. She used to pop over for help with phone calls. I once asked her if she had T (by writing it down) and she said no never . It must be personality as you say. This old lady was a tough cookie and rarely anxious.

[perlcoder in reply to doglover1973]

Absolutely so.

I don't know this lady very well - she is a friend of my wife - but she was as much into clubbing / disco / gigs as any of us back in her teens. My wife lunches with her every few weeks and they keep in contact between, so I know the story of her hearing aids. Understanding my situation, my wife has asked about T, and , as I said - none.

I recall years ago the MP Jack Ashley, who was deaf and and a great campaigner for disabled people (as you will remember), talking about his deafness and saying it was a common misconception that the deaf, comfortably, hear nothing - he went on to describe what I now know to be T as their usual reality.

Life is a roll of the dice.

[Inajiffym8]

I started with tinnitus...earlier this year...my ears were blocked with wax....constant noise was a shock..at first...went see doctor...referred to audiologist..6 weeks in...tried not to panic...I simply count and somehow fall..asleep...audiologist..said I was habituating..mild/moderate ear loss...offered hearing aid...not yet...hope your situation improves

[Happyrosie]

what perlcoder has said is right on the button. Your T might well go away on its own after a while.

Experiments have shown that if you shut people in a soundproof room, most of them will experience T. It’s the primitive part of the brain trying to deal with something it finds unusual

If you haven’t already, do go to the website of Tinnitus UK for advice and reassurance and don’t believe any ‘cures’ you see advertised other than from a trusted source.

One in then people have T and mostly they are not bothered with it so never mention it.

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

Not to be someone who splits hairs but there is a difference between people who have 'permanent' tinnitus and people who have ongoing/permanent distress at their tinnitus. It is is possible to have tinnitus, be adjusted/habituated to it and for it to be more of a nuisance than anything.

It's possible for someone to have longer-lasting tinnitus which isn't that much of a barrier to them leading a happy life. And I think that includes a good amount of the community posting here.

[doglover1973 in reply to TinnitusUKPat]

That's a good point Pat 🙂 I have what I believe will be permanent T (barring a miracle) but i no longer have ongoing T distress. It's less of a problem to live with it than it used to be.

[rabbits65 in reply to doglover1973]

Hi , how are you? One of my poodles got lost a few weeks ago , luckily after two days I got him back, in the time of his getting loss my T was very distressing because what it was was the fact that I was in terrible distress at losing my dog. Now I am back to normal with my usual coping strategies . It just proves how severe stress causes and affects our T. Hope your Christmas was a good one.

[doglover1973 in reply to rabbits65]

Hi Penny. Good to see you. I'm not surprised you were stressed! Which one did you lose? How did you find him/her? Xmas was nice and quiet thankfully. I saw the family in twos and threes. All together is too much for me. Hope you had a peaceful time too 🙂

[rabbits65 in reply to doglover1973]

Just seen and found your message. Yes it was Teddy the white one, He is too nervous and a dog in the woods chased him too far. I got him back helped by numerous good people. He was lost for two days and two nights. . Hope it’s not too late to wish you a Happy New Year. And a healthy one !!!

[doglover1973 in reply to rabbits65]

You too Penny! So glad you got Teddy back 🐶

[rabbits65 in reply to doglover1973]

How are you ? I don’t always get these healthunlocked anymore in my inbox. Then I found that they were going in my Junk folder, how weird is that. Then I found they were not going even in there. Now today they have decided to come back again… I have asked the NRAS helpline , ai don’t think they always know the answer to it. Anyway I hope that you are keeping well…. Best wishes from me, Penny.

[Graham-E]

Hi Kiitty,

Welcome and sorry that you are experiencing this.

Hopefully, the ear infection will clear up and your T will go away with it.

There is a good group here to offer support.

Best G

Please don’t read this part as it’s about how ‘orrible my T is.

As you asked about permanent T I can only speak for myself when I tell you that I had a nasty virus in 2015. That left me with a screaming jet engine for a sound that is something I personally struggled with each day. I’ve never been able to get used to it no matter what I do. At the same time the virus took my sense of smell and taste. Yesterday I was cooking and somehow left the gas on a little in the kitchen and couldn’t smell it at all. I’m unable to taste food and as a consequence of the massive T noise with secondary loss of some inputs, I get quite down about it all.

One reason I wrote this is that as awful as it all is, I’m still here and trying to do whatever I can to make things better. So many people are worse off than I am and don’t even have food or the gas to cook it with which I need to refocus and think about. It’s easy to dwell in my sadness and much harder to be positive.

I hope you didn’t read this part and it didn’t make things feel worse. Sometimes it’s hard to know what is the correct thing to say in a ‘text’ capacity.

Be well.

[Suz_2 in reply to Graham-E]

its good to share yr experience G. You say : "screaming jet engine for a sound that is something I personally struggled with each day. I’ve never been able to get used to it no matter what I do" - this is EXACTLY same for me

[Graham-E in reply to Suz_2]

Thanks Suz that is very kind of you to reply.

Be as well and as kind to yourself as possible.

Best wishes G

[Tlyna]

I am72 now and have had it since 1993 due to a violent assault and head injury. It hasn't lessened but then it hasn't gotten worse either. Medication might help your but did nothing for mine. Most times I can ignore mine when I am up and busy. It is when I am sitting quietly at night on the computer like right now or in bed that it becomes distracting. Oddly I have had no hearing loss over the years. Maybe it is because I rarely watch TV and when I do or put on music it is at low volume as I live alone and don't like a lot of noise.