Need help with Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

[Wingnut]

Anyone have this issue?

[Drago]

I have it...only things that have helped me so far are lowering blood pressure and staying away from noisy situations.

[Elderberry]

I've had it most my life. I remember when I was small, after a day of popping firecrackers, that night, in bed, I would have ringing in my ears. In the morning it would be gone. I don't remember when it became constant. Sometimes it would get loud for 15 seconds or so and go back to its constant, constant, constant, background ringing. It doesn't affect my hearing, but I always hear it.

[aligncare]

I became aware of my tinnitus as a young adult. Over the years I’ve learned to accept it and to tune it out. Only from time to time do I notice my old buddy, Mr. Background Ringing Noise.

In the scheme of health issues one can have, tinnitus is no big deal.

[thackney]

Anyone have this issue?

Yes, I have found no help.

[Applewood]

@The Ghost

Have had it for a number of years.  Partially a byproduct of diabetes, but mostly caused from listening to loud music.  I think most of my friends from the rock n roll era have it.  Today's kids with their loud car stereos will probably be deaf by age 30. 

I now need hearing aids and while I have them in, I don't notice the noise.  I do hear it at night when I'm in bed, but its not bad enough to disturb sleep.  By the way, my tinnitus is not ringing -- it's more of a clicking sound.  Sometimes it sounds like very flat orchestral music.  Weird.

As to what helps :  I've heard that if  tinnitus disturbs sleep, a white noise apparatus might mask the tinnitus.

[Wingnut]

Thanks everyone for the replies.  When I go to bed I don't not hear any noise so falling a sleep is easy.  However, when I wake up for my 3 am potty break and try to fall back asleep.... then I hear it.  A few night ago my wife left the desk top in the BR on and I heard the cooling fan running.  With just the genital hum in the background I didn't hear the ringing in my ears and I fell right back to sleep.

So I think @Applewood you might have something there with getting a white noise or rain maker or whatever peaceful sound machine.

[240B]

The Destroyer sounded GQ. I was running across the deck for my station on the Bridge. They started firing before securing stations. Was running by a 5"54 when it fired. I was so close to it that the blast picked me up off my feet and threw me back several feet. That, combined with all the small arms, grenades, and claymore training, did not help my hearing at all. Yes, I have it real bad, and hearing damage on top of it. It seems to be progressive and gets worse with every passing year.

But, I have learned to ignore it for the most part. There is no cure.

[andy58-in-nh]

Anyone have this issue?

I have had it sporadically. This technique seems to work: hold your hands out in front of you. Cross your middle fingers over your index fingers, making an "L" with each thumb (spread). 

Holding your thumbs out in this manner, insert your thumbs gently in each respective ear, and rotate your hands backwards - elbows out, so that your crossed fingers rest just above the base of your skull, at the hairline.

At this point, I must swear that I am not making this up.

Now, what you are going to do is snap your middle fingers forward against the back of your head - again with your thumbs inserted in your ears. You'll hear it inside your head as a "thump". Do this ten times at an interval of about one second for each snap. Then, do it once more.

Remove your fingers from your ears. If it worked, the ringing will be gone.

I would suggest you do this at home while sitting on the edge of the bed, and without anyone around to witness how funny it looks.

But it has worked for me, and as Elizabeth Warren might add: Honest Injun.
 

[Wingnut]

@andy58-in-nh   I tried that but it didn't work until I added One Little Trick!   You have to give someone the Raspberries while performing your cure.

[240B]

There have been several cases of people killing themselves because of Tinnitus. It is annoying, but I wouldn't go that far. They either had a very bad case of it, or for whatever reason they couldn't stop concentrating on it.

If I don't think about it, most of the time I don't hear it. But even this thread has made it worse because now it is on my mind. lol

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

I have had it sporadically. This technique seems to work: hold your hands out in front of you. Cross your middle fingers over your index fingers, making an "L" with each thumb (spread). 

Holding your thumbs out in this manner, insert your thumbs gently in each respective ear, and rotate your hands backwards - elbows out, so that your crossed fingers rest just above the base of your skull, at the hairline.

At this point, I must swear that I am not making this up.

Now, what you are going to do is snap your middle fingers forward against the back of your head - again with your thumbs inserted in your ears. You'll hear it inside your head as a "thump". Do this ten times at an interval of about one second for each snap. Then, do it once more.

Remove your fingers from your ears. If it worked, the ringing will be gone.

I would suggest you do this at home while sitting on the edge of the bed, and without anyone around to witness how funny it looks.

But it has worked for me, and as Elizabeth Warren might add: Honest Injun.
 

Okay, I don't get the crossed fingers thing.  I can cross them, or snap the back of my head, but not both.

Ringing wasn't totally gone, but like 95% and seems to be slowly increasing after a few minutes.  Even still, it sure was a nice break.

[andy58-in-nh]

Okay, I don't get the crossed fingers thing.  I can cross them, or snap the back of my head, but not both.

Ringing wasn't totally gone, but like 95% and seems to be slowly increasing after a few minutes.  Even still, it sure was a nice break.

The idea of this technique is to snap your middle fingers forward over the tops of your index fingers, until they smack the back of your head. Try it in front of you and it will make sense.

[aligncare]

There have been several cases of people killing themselves because of Tinnitus. It is annoying, but I wouldn't go that far. They either had a very bad case of it, or for whatever reason they couldn't stop concentrating on it.

If I don't think about it, most of the time I don't hear it. But even this thread has made it worse because now it is on my mind. lol

Each time I return to this thread, I hear it. LOL. But, otherwise it recedes. Except on @corbe threads, even after I leave there. 

[GtHawk]

Anyone have this issue?

Yes, for thirty five years and as my hearing loss became more profound so did the tinnitus. Sadly as the hearing goes in my left ear the tinnitus increases on that side too. I don't know about you but I have sort of gotten used to it, it's always there but unless it's really bad or I consciously think about it, I just kind of tune it out. So if someone has something that works to get rid of it, I'd like to know.

[berdie]

I don't suffer from it but have a friend who does.  She keeps a radio on at work as background music all the time. (I can't recommend her choice of music...pretty yucky...but maybe it helps her).


Her hearing is so acute it makes me wonder if that is part of her problem.

[roamer_1]

I get it time to time... When I do it's a good signal I need a chiropractor - that my neck is out of whack... A trip to the chiro and it's all gone. Go figger