What's your tinnitus like?

[Dog Lover]

Most of the time mine is the high pitched EBS sound. At night and when I'm tired it seems louder. Once time I had the really weird low pulsating sound for just a sec. If I hadn't read it on the forum before I think it woudl have scared the crap out ofme.

I have it 24/7 and most of the time I don't seem to notice it. Gets louder at night and when I'm tired or if one of my pups decides she's going to bark at something when we're in my car. I always have the tv on at night when I go to bed to help distract me from the sounds in my ear/head!

Oh - and I can make the sound higher by moving my head or lower jaw in different positions or by yawning.  Yes, yes I am different. 

Cathy

[moe]

Interesting- didn't know there were so many out there with so many different sounds.
Mine is  a high pitch squeal, 24/7 on the deaf side, probably a little less than the EMS sound.
It affects my life now. Wish I had some answers. I need frequent rest periods. Wave CD's work OK( on my good ear.)
It is one of the most impossible things to treat- so much $$$$$$$$$$$$ being wasted on stupid pills! (before my AN diagnoses I was one of those  who spent $$$$$$$$$)
I'd look in to neuromonics treatment.
Maureen

[grega]

Hi everyone ...... I've thought about this question quite a bit since tinnitus became part of my life after AN surgery in '04, and have come up with some of the same as what's been described by many of you. 

But then I asked, what's my tinnitus really like .... it really likes to take a back seat to his owner's activities so as not to be too noticeable, if at all  .... e.g. when his owner's enjoying the company of family and friends, playing with his grandson, listening to music, reading, playing golf, singing in the choir, walking the dogs, and all the other important stuff in it's owner's life.

I truly hope that your tinnitus will honor your wishes and not be so noticeable so that can't enjoy what's important in your life.

Keep smiling ..... Greg

[moe]

Greg,
I'm hoping the same! I'm almost 3 years post op and the sound has not changed. Unfortunately it does get in the way of everything I do and my ear almost hurts with the high sound.
Has your tinnitus changed in character since your surgery in 04?
I'm hoping mine settles a bit through the years.
I'd gladly be part of a study on tinnitus on deaf ear post AN removal~
Thanks for your well wishes.
Maureen

[grega]

Good morning, Maureen .... my pleasure on the good wishes!

Answering your question .... no, my T has not changed much in the 4.5 years since AN surgery, except it does increase in volume when I'm around loud sounds (e.g. lawn mower, MRI, concerts, person on my left screaming on a roller-coaster, etc).  So I always keep a foam earplug in my pocket .... well, actually in my ear!  My T can also increase just by me thinking about it.  That's why I mentioned many activities that help me keep it in the back of my mind, rather than on the side of my head.

Regarding studies, on the ATA website .... possibly opening page .... is a blurb on a T study by WILMAX Clinical Research.  If you haven't already, suggest calling the number to see if you'd like to participate.

I've corresponded with several people at ATA ....  nina@ata.org , lisa@ata.org ... they've been helpful too.

Wishing you well!
Greg

[Jeff]

I have T on both sides. The left side, on which I first had surgery, makes a high-pitched noise. The right side sounds like the engine room of a ship or a generator. I was a bit out of it in the hospital after my second side surgery (which left me deaf). I asked my wife if there was a thunderstorm happening outside. Additionally, I hear the crickets too. I also hear what I would describe as a high pitched "light saber" sound when I move my eyes.

In terms of coping. When I still had hearing, I decided to never focus on the tinnitus. Since going deaf, I had nothing else to listen to, so I sort of embraced it, studying the sounds that I was hearing. And I thought that being deaf would be quiet!

Jeff

[moe]

Yep,
For us, deafness is the pits! Unfortunately, my sound is a high pitch squeal that never changes.
I wish it would change its sounds but it won't!
Thanks for the tidbit on T from the ATA association. I'll check it out.
Maureen

[Esperanza]

My tinnitus likes me very much     
Despite being told to 'sod off' when it gets above itself (usually in noisy environments) it likes to join in ; this includes when I sing and sometimes when I talk, so it must like that too   .

Anyway, I never knew a deaf ear could induce so many different types of noises  - I think I have all the ones listed here fortunately not all at the
same time - my 'church bell' is chiming a bit today on top of the high pitched hissy white noise and the generator comes in and out from time to time, never a dull moment! (Oh and I now have a pulsating type of tinnitus in my good ear on and off!)

I had my hair done today and it was fun with the hair dryers going off - I managed well (they don't know I am stone deaf in that ear) but the tinnitus levels went up and down.  It doesn't upset me anymore and I refuse to let it interfere, I've done presentations and group meetings, had a lovely holiday in Cyprus last week and the flight was fine as were the noisy dining areas.  I coped well and had to sit in all kinds of positions in the dining hall, there was not a choice most evenings.
However, I do sometimes find myself now wishing it was at the level it was before it spiked after my hearing test in Dec. which is funny really when you consider before that I was wishing I didn't have it at all BUT it is louder now and I have accepted that I have to get on with my life with it and that's it (until a miracle cure!). 

So I suppose what I am saying is the human spirit is wonderful, it's surprising what you can live with when you get used to your new 'normal' (and you can!).
All the best.

[grega]

Thanks Maureen, Esparanza & Jeff .... for sharing details on what you're facing daily.  Sure, each of us must cope with what we're given, and each time I read an entry from someone such as you, I realize that you're helping others (e.g. me) cope with their situation.

One of my favorites is by R.W. Emerson:
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.

Of course, that doesn't refer to tinnitus, but your positive outlook and caring for others.  Please keep this in mind .... hopefully it can take a more prominent spot than your tinnitus.

Greg

[leapyrtwins]

One of my favorites is by R.W. Emerson:
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.

OMG, Greg.

This is a quote - that helped me on my AN journey and still helps me today.  I found it on a rubber stamp (the kind you use for scrapbooking) and I absolutely loved it. 

The stamp is a little variation on the quote.  It says "What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"

I had no idea who wrote this, since the stamp just says "Anon". 

Anyway, I've relied on this quote for many, many things and have used it numerous times to create bookmarks and cards.

Thanks for shedding some light on where this inspirational message came from 

Jan

Sorry for the hijack, everyone.

[grega]

Good morning Jan !
I've also heard Emerson's quote several diff ways .... usually as you wrote it.  Every so often, I come across something that sticks in mind and seems to help me cope .... or helps me cope with helping others as they struggle. 

Hope it brought back many good memories for ya!

Greg

(hijack?)

[moe]

HIJACK is when you change the subject in a post!!!

[ppearl214]

hijacks are what I watch like a hawk. Back on topics folks

HIJACK is when you change the subject in a post!!!

[grega]

Thanks for the definition .... see that single star under "newbie"?  Not only am I learing bout baha .... seems I've a lot to learn bout anausa.org's forum

[EJTampa]

I've noticed my tinnitus getting worse lately (7 weeks out of surgery).  As I stated before, the base noise, that's always there, is very much like EBS.  The more bothersome part is that every sound that comes in the good ear is amplified and echoed as a staticky noise in my ssd ear.  The more environmental noises around me, the more noises I get.  The louder they are, the louder the tinnitus.
 
Oh, and you don't have to change the subject line to hijack a thread.  All you have to do is talk about something different, not related to the thread subject.  A better option is to send a PM to a person, or start a new topic.  Or at least make sure Phyl isn't online when you post .
 
Ernie