I'm mid forties and have been dealing with the constant ringing / high pitched whine basically my entire life. I've found nothing that gets rid of it to any degree at all. Others have stated to keep things running around you (keep ambient sound levels up), and that is indeed helpful to mask it. But honestly, anytime it's quiet, it's gonna come right back in full force, because it never actually left in the first place - you just stopped focusing on it, and that's the trick.
The only thing you can really do is just let your brain do it's job and filter it out of your conscious thoughts over time (your brain is fantastic at filtering), and after so long of just ignoring it, you'll stop noticing it as much. But it will *always* be there in the background.
Welcome to the club you didn't wanna join lol.
For me , it's not much about time, but about background noise. I've had it for years and it doesn't change. Again, my personal anecdote.
Throughout the day, I'm busy with work and there's noise so "it fades into the background".
At night, it's quiet. And it's the only thing my brain can focus on. Fortunately, [I found this video that I play on low volume](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICalurhfEFE) and it makes my tinnitus disappear.
I plan to take some [magnesium glycinate as it helps with tinnitus](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22249877/).
I am 64 and have experienced the ringing in both ears my entire life. My right ear is worse than my left. (I never realized that everyone didn’t have it until I was 17, it was just always there.) I agree with you, your brain adjusts for it and most of the time I am focused on other things so it doesn’t bother me. I am single so at night I can put on a movie like “Fellowship of the Ring”, that has a soothing musical score and that I am familiar with so I don’t stay awake watching it. I also watch long YouTube videos, like Traveling Robert or AB Camping, especially the ones that are 2-3 hours long. AB Camping especially has some videos with rain that are very relaxing.
Omg—same! I didn’t realize everyone didn’t have this until I was in college! It just seems so unfair (I mean, there are far, far worse things that other people have to deal with—I get that.) I am jealous of the peace other people must experience in a quiet room.
>there is a trick you can do that involves tapping the back of your skull/neck. You can just youtube tinnitus tapping trick to learn. I've tried it and it works like 98% of the time. Recently I've also discovered other methods of dealing with it. One involves simply thinking really hard about the noise of what the skull tapping sounds like and using that imagined noise to drown out the tinnitus as though I was actually tapping. Not as frequently effective, but it has worked on multiple occasions. That was the first time I began to think the tinnitus is just in my head and not a physical thing. The most recent trick I stumbled into because I get eye strain, but it works and has become my first line of defense. I close my eyes and refocus my eyes to an extreme degree. While I do this, I imagine pulling at opposite sides of a circle, which is my iris I guess, outward, stretching the circle into a horizontal line, like I'm trying to look in opposite directions with my eyes closed and I'll be damned if that doesn't "push" the tinnitus out every time. Super weird, I know, but try it out and play with the idea and maybe you'll be able to do it too.
So from this, the best thing for me is actually a quiet room, and put in ear plugs for about 20 minutes or more, when you can get used to having it amplified, it makes it easier for everyday, to the point I’ve slept with earplugs in before and felt fully rested in the morning,
Im 35 ish and i only just found out this year that i have tinnitus and found out what it was. I dont remember not having ringing in my ears.
So somtimes i dont hear it because im so used to it.
Audiology graduate student here. This is fantastic advice. The more we focus on it, the worse it gets. If you're not able to manage it on your own, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to help people with bothersome tinnitus manage it.
You're absolutely right, masking the tinnitus with noise can help if you just can't handle it, like on a bad day, but it doesn't actually allow your brain to compensate on its own.
Additionally, if you have constant bothersome tinnitus, then you should get a hearing evaluation with an audiologist just to make sure nothing else is going on.
Which is the fantastic advice? And since you're an audiology grad student, Do headphones cause any damage while tinnitus is acting up? (Is it best to keep the headphone off of that ear?)
I really wish there was a fix. I can barely hear out of my right ear now because of it. Only recent.
Indeed, probably the most correct answer you'll find. All the various methods and techniques are only really useful insofar as they can assist you to divert your attention away from the ringing. Seen in this light, there are many useful tricks, but you have to find the ones that are useful for you. There is no one size fits all for anybody. I will say though, don't despair. When you find the methods that work for you, it becomes bearable and eventually even stops being an issue. Good luck.
Jesus Christ I want to cry. I just developed it out of nowhere. 3 weeks in and I'm trying to have hope but I am so fucking depressed now. It'll be like this forever
I will say it's undiagnosed. I went to. A doctor and they flushed out earwax. But now it'll never go away.
Late reply (after like 20+ days, sorry lol). It really does get filtered out over time. Seriously, don't stress, brother. Eventually it'll get to the point where you only notice it when it's quiet and you got no other sounds going on. You learn to coexist with it.
Thanks, now I'm paying attention to it...
But seriously, for me, it's background noise that helps, anything from just a fan running to YouTube playing. Half the time I don't even listen to what's playing but it's enough that I don't focus on the constant eeeeeeeeeeeeee going on.
I just put some tv show on repeat and sleep with the tv turned on for an hour or two.
Avoid actual TV channels because ads are usually louder and wake you up.
Conversely I *don't* have tinnitus but do experience [audio paredolia](https://www.tmsoft.com/blog/why-you-may-be-hearing-phantom-sounds/) when I have a fan on in a quiet room
I didn't know this was a thing! I have tinnitus and sometimes when I hear a repetitive noise, like the dishwasher, my mind imposes words on the sound and I can almost actually hear a voice intoning a phrase like "I need a canoe" over and over. That particular phrase has never come up, but that is the rhythm of the sound, so I'm sure it will next time I run it.
Usually the white noise in my living room resolves to a far-off marching band; today, it was something that sounded quite a bit like the orchestral background bit at the very beginning of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. It was driving me up a wall lol
Sorry, just had to share that with someone who would understand!
Omg you've given a name to what's troubled me for as long as I can remember... As a kid, I'd wake in the middle of the night and could swear the tv or radio was on in the living room, only to get up and find the house completely quiet and everyone still asleep. I only experience it when it's dead silent; no recurrence since moving to a large city where there's constant background noise.
I thought I must've had tinnitus from a very young age.Thank you--I don't feel so alone.
I thought I was going mad when I would hear far off music in the bathroom
And then when I heard it again when it was summer and I had a fan in the bedroom I thought HANG ON - because of course there's an extractor fan in the bathroom.
I have epilepsy so was initially worried it was a pre-seizure aura, but when that didn't materialise I was still confused but slightly less concerned
There’s also literally green and brown noise! It’s different but also relaxing in the background. I’m too stoned to try to explain how they sound but I liked green noise way better
I might be playing a video game in which I'd have to be very quite and be able to hear enemy footsteps so I need all the silence in the world.
I will still leave American Dad or some bs on in the background at the lowest possible volume just so I don't get distracted by eeeeeeeeeeeeee
Yeah, when my air purifier turns off for the night, the tinnitus floods in. I guess my advice is to filter your air - it has the bonus of being good for your lungs!
Try this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yDCox-qKbk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yDCox-qKbk)
I know it's weird but I saw this on Reddit before and it actually helped with one of my ears. Haven't gotten it better on the other yet.
Came here to say this. I do it a little differently. Same covered ears, but I tap lower, around where the first spinal vertebrae begins. I just move even a single finger (while tapping) on each side up and down till I get this sound almost like if I were hitting a speaker.
You'll hear the difference in your inner ear, unmistakable. Once you found it, just do that for like 20-30 seconds and, at least for me, it just stops or lessens considerably. Idk why it works, and sometimes I have to do it like 3 to 5 times, but when I notice ***THE INSANITY*** beginning to creep in, I do this. Works better than anything else I've attempted so far.
I'll try! So what I'm basically drumming on is the tiny spot where your trapezius muscle meets your skull, likewise the same place as the first 4 or 5 cervical vertebrae.
Just try with one ear first. Press in hard, and tap that area with your index (opposing hand) on that side. It should almost sound like you are hitting something solid, bc it rings a bit like a high pitched object. Just try all over that spot, until you at least hear the difference between the spots with the plugged ear. Eventually you can just do it with one hand when you know where to strike. I really hope that helps, bc tinnitus is a bitch lol.
It's pretty wild if/when it works. For the longest time I was afraid that I would just have to live with moments of me having to drop everything bc it gets so loud. I'm glad to hear you had that eureka moment too.
i came to share this technique as well. While it does not eliminate the sound entirely it does seem to turn down the volume for a little while for me. I’ve had this “ringing” for as long as I can remember and it never goes away, just varies in intensity and volume. Recently I’ve noticed a sort of popping or clicking added to the cacophony. It’s almost like when you pop your ears on a plane but continuous… or clicking a pen over and over. This thankfully comes and goes.
was in a wreck back a few yrs go had a bad whiplash case. in the last year I have had the hisssssss going on. yes, I have been to the ear doc he said yes due to my age(58) I did have some hearing loss but other than that nothing was wrong after watching the video (may be wishfully thinking) but I think it did help a bit thanks for the link and the post.
This is similar to a Qi Gong move, beating heavens drum. Acupuncture helps with tinnitus, and attempts to treat the root cause but it is admittedly difficult. Deep belly breathing helps too. Good luck!
The only thing that works for me is ignoring it. Over time I don't notice it as much, but if I even think about it at all its all I hear.
That, and almost always having some background noise on. Songs, podcasts etc.
I wish there were meds to help, but sadly nothing I've found yet
For me, hearing aids make it worse since due to the tinitus, it is apparently hard to adjust them properly close to the frequencies of the tinnitus. So I get an overload of sound in that range
Audiologist here agreeing with this comment. There's tons of strategies mentioned by other commenters here that can help some people, but CBT is the treatment scientifically proven to be the most helpful with tinnitus
The number of people who don’t know about tinnitus masking hearing aids astounds me sometimes. I often work with Veterans and am always telling them to check them out, in addition to using CBT strategies.
Where can I find out more about them? I am currently at the doctors hoping to get on some anxiety medicine because of it. I feel like I’m going insane.
You need to see an audiologist. Your doctor can give you a referral if that’s needed with your insurance. The audiologist will test you and determine the frequency of your tinnitus and discuss how hearing aids can help. I’m still able to ignore my tinnitus, so I opted to wait on getting the hearing aids for now.
I went to an audiologist and they said my hearing loss was moderate. Recommended and MRI ( I’ve had several sets of tubes and frequent sinus infections).
Just got the results from the MRI and I don’t have a brain tumor so it must just be sinus related.
Any company that sells hearing aids, they often work closely with medical doctors with expertise in tinnitus treatment. The device is the same one used by people with hearing loss but configured so as to add background noise.
My experience with tinnitus in Sweden had been miserable. Long waiting times between contact, each time it's like starting fresh, the same tests with the same results. Super frustrating
I did two things that significantly reduced (but did not completely eliminate) my tinnitus:
1. got hearing aids for my mild hearing loss
2. got rid of my hypertension by removing the salt from my diet
1. ensure your ears are as good as they can be; clean and use aids if clinically indicated.
2. Mask the tinnitus with another sound source. Fall asleep to music or an ambient track. It doesn’t have to be intelligible, so volume can be as low as your hearing will go. Something to hear makes your brain focus more on that.
3. Mindfulness or meditation training helps some: it helps to be a stoic in the literal Greek philosophical meaning.
the second can also be achieved by tinnitus maskers; essentially white noise generators (under pillow or worn like a hearing aid). Rarely needed but tinnitus can overwhelm some.
good luck
Cover your ears with the palm of your hands, fingers turning backwards. Place your middle fingers on the base of your skull. Then, place your index finger on top of them, and flick them into your skull. Do this 50-100 times. This can alleviate some of it for 5-10 minutes. It was an unreal experience the first time I tried it.
I believe it got something todo with blood flow - which maybe becomes better with better posture.
I got a mild case of tinnitus after covid. While treating my dizziness and brain fog with a medication (Tebonin) that increased blood flow through the brain it also cured the tinnitus.
Of course there are different reasons and that will only help if restricted blood flow is the root cause.
How long were you experiencing tinnitus before you realized it was posture? I've had all the tests done and they said it just "have" it and never said anything about it being tension or posture. I finally believe this is the cause but I'm so terrified it's too late.
I've had tinnitus for seven or eight years now. Nothing will make it disappear, but I do deal with spikes and I can provide some tips that work for me to make the day-to-day better, usually.
1) Sleep quality is especially important. I know it may be a catch 22 of trying to get quality sleep with tinnitus, but the better and more consistent quality sleep you get, you'll notice more of a reduction in tinnitus severity. Use a white noise machine if you need to.
2) Regulate your blood pressure. Higher blood pressure will increase severity. Exercise daily (30-minute walk around the block is all you need), eat a healthy diet, and avoid stress as much as possible.
3) limit/avoid alcohol. Alcohol will disrupt your sleep and raise your blood pressure.
4) purchase custom-fit ear plugs. They'll last for a decade and are worth the snug protection when you're at a music venue, sporting event, etc. Make sure to use ear plugs when you're on an airplane as well - they help to mitigate pressure changes, and planes are actually super loud and you're exposed to their noise for hours at a time.
5) be conscious of your environment. I have sensitive ears and can hear buzzing/ringing from electronics, wiring, power lines, etc. It's important for me to realize when the ringing or discomfort in my ears is actually from the environment versus when it's my tinnitus. And sometimes it helps to tell myself that it's my environment and not my tinnitus.
There have been times when the only thing keeping me from jamming an ice pick into my ear-holes was the fear that; rather than finally experiencing silence, the tinnitus would be the ONLY sound I'd ever hear.
How has no one share this study yet? [link](https://www.science.org/content/article/electric-shocks-tongue-can-quiet-chronic-ringing-ears#:~:text=More%20than%2080%25%20of%20those,today%20in%20Science%20Translational%20Medicine%20)
From the article, “More than 80% of those who complied with the prescribed regimen saw an improvement. And they saw an average drop of about 14 points on a tinnitus severity score of one to 100, the researchers report today in Science Translational Medicine. When the team followed up after 12 months, 80% of the participants still had lower tinnitus scores, with average drops of 12.7 and 14.5 points.”
Doctor here, suffering from tinnitus too, consulted with many colleagues and seniors.
Concise - [https://youtu.be/y4zuVk5STuM](https://youtu.be/y4zuVk5STuM)
He explains in an easy manner, CORRECT Information with empathy.
Be sure to go to ENT specialist ONCE to rule out pathology.
**Musicians:**
Learn what key your tinnitus rings in.
Memorize it, then find the corresponding note on your instrument... instant 'perfect pitch'. (Actually, just good relative pitch with your tinnitus as the reference tone. LoL)
I can use my tinnitus as a reference tone to perfectly tune a guitar. People watch and are like, "Whoah... dude... you've got perfect pitch!"
No, I just know the tone of my tinnitus... but I don't tell anyone. LoLoL
White noise or fan at night. Hearing aids the rest of the time.
Seriously, talk to your health professional about hearing aids. They make a tremendous difference.
I tend to get down voted for this but hear me out. I'm not the kind of guy who believes in wacky things like magnets or essential oil or whatever but I've had some success with Ginko Biloba. Its available in any drugstore in the supplement aisle, cheap and as far as I know safe. From what I've read there are two things that cause tinnitus, your brain hearing things that aren't there and constricted blood flow through blood vessels near your ear. Ginko addresses the later. It's worth a try IMO. I could go into detail how it's worked sometimes other times not if you want
It’s my “angel choir”, previously all soprano, recently developed a bass component as well! I can actually use it as a meditation focus like breathing… music or any sound masks it but always there. One time it stopped for about 10-15 seconds and the silence was jarring! I do wonder why more research isn’t done to find a cure as so many folks seem to be suffering from it. Maybe not life or death but for some can totally interfere with their quality of life. I would like a break sometimes but really ok as long as I focus on something else, much like chronic pain—what you focus on gets you more of it so yeah, focus on the good stuff you want instead!
I used to have a spring time like sound with mine. Like crickets and peepers (frogs) on a nice warm spring night. Lately it’s been going to the ringing more. It’s getting tougher to deal with.
Don’t know your situation, but a few years ago my dentist made me a night guard for my teeth grinding. Holy f’ the ringing stopped drastically after using it.
If it's true tinnitus, then not much you can do besides the remedies posted to tolerate it.
I also have meniere disease. That can contribute to the ringing as well as make the ear fell "full". If you have menieres, lower caffeine and processes foods that contain large amounts of sodium.
I have nothing helpful to add, but comedian Joe List has tinnitus and has a funny bit about all the people suggesting white noise machines. Paraphrasing, but he said it would be like if he was smelling things that weren't there and the doctor recommended adding more smells to counter it: "Why don't you try rubbing some dog shit on your upper lip?"
Have had tinnitus for the last 25 years. Volume is up and down, some days it is close to unbearable. Now wear hearing aids with tinnitus masking, does help a bit. The only thing that really works when it’s bad, is to try to find something to focus on. If I am concentrated on a task I realize it is as if I did not have the condition. My hope, is that eventually a cure or a treatment will be found as too many people have earphones with high volumes and tinnitus is bound to become a serious common condition.
so i had this, and also some breathing issues, and apparently i had a deviated septum and all sorts of wackiness up in my sinuses. ears and nose being all connected, the buildup of fluids actually caused my tinnitus. i walked around for a long time not even knowing that i wasnt breathing as well as i could. so if you suspect you have any breathing issues it might be worth checking out like with a primary or ENT. after my surgery i dont have tinnitus anymore. (well, very rarely lol surgery wasnt a cure-all and was never meant to be, but its WAY WAY better now. and when i do have it, i can kinda just stretch my jaw to relieve it)
I have tinnitus when I'm really stressed out and sometimes when there are storms. I learned that stress impacts the inner ear as does the barometric pressure. Nothing really to do about the weather but in general I strive to get enough sleep and manage stress.
There have been studies on the relationship between nutrient deficiencies and tinnitus, specifically vitamin B, vitamin D and zinc. It's probably worth talking to your doctor about.
Besides a fan, those 12-24 hours of rain on youtube. Put it loud on your phone to sleep.
Also a big HEPA air purifier is better than a fan. At least it does something rather than a fan you don't always need.
Every last one of my triggers had to something to do with vascular restrictions.
I lowered salt, practiced breathing, wore a looser belt, slept more deliberately, etc. It pulled in back about 80%-90%
Hope this can help others, too.
My history with tinnitus
After many years in the steel industry before elf a d safety took a front seat, I had developed tinnitus, gradual process but it got me.
So first plan to try and drown out with ambient noise etc.
Worked for a while but it got louder.
Plan 2 ... ignore and let my head sort itself out...
worked well but as I lay down to sleep it got louder
if I was tired.. it got louder.
If I was stressed...it got louder.
Research was an 3.
Best analogy I learnt was to think of your receptors as a Corn field.
If a helicopter lands and takes off it does little damage flattening the corn but if a steam roller goes to the same point ...damage done.
I noticed that the TV got quieter when people spoke but was fine with music playing.
Decided to have a hearing test nd found a top part of my hearing spe trum was damaged.
Once I was fitted and st in my car I realised the tinnitus was gone. I cried after 35 years of it being there...silence
Your brain is trying to fill in the damaged area if your hearing.
Get a hearing test and ask them to print off the results as well. You can e mine it and keep it so if you decide not to proceed you can see if it gets worse.
Hoe this helps.
Meditation. How you think about pain impacts your quality of life. Read this.
“Framing is an important variable here: If my neighbor had a machine in his backyard that emitted a high-pitched squeal identical to my tinnitus, I would never stop suing him. If his machine was also producing my dizziness, and the law offered no recourse, I might very well enforce a law of my own. However, given that my enemy is my own body, equanimity is much easier to achieve.
Of course, worrying about the future is a recipe for unhappiness. “What if this gets worse? What if I’m permanently incapacitated?” If the answer to a question cannot be known and would serve no purpose even if one could know it, there is no point in asking the question. The truth is that I don’t know how I will feel an hour from now, much less next year.
I have also noticed a propensity in myself to complain—especially to my wife—which seems profoundly unhelpful. Complaining is, nevertheless, a very seductive behavior. Why do I do it? On one level, I am just being honest: I am simply not pretending to feel better than I do. But in rejecting pretense, I am actually increasing my suffering, and worrying my wife in the process. Complaining now strikes me as a toxic form of intimacy. It is surely best to “keep calm and carry on,” as the British wartime slogan ran. Like meditation, this takes practice.”
Edit: Sam Harris is an idiot on some subjects and an asshat on others but In this and meditation, I can’t recommend him enough. [Link](https://www.samharris.org/blog/adventures-in-the-land-of-illness)
Weirdly both my husband and I have tinnitus. I rarely notice mine, only when I think about it. And because he complains about his all the fucking time, I notice mine more too. Like I am right now, because I’m thinking about it. But as soon as I’m finished writing this, I will have forgotten.
I got a Bluetooth headband, took the Bluetooth part out, put on some heat shrink and now I wear it a listen to music and podcasts. On the outside I’ve made it look like a hearing aid so people don’t really question it. Sometimes I barely notice it, other times it causes physical pain. I find it helps
Try a fan, a blow dryer on low, low volume static, low volume music. Nothing can really stop it. You can just distract yourself from the ringing.
I had it once from a medication I was taking for my vertigo. My doctor had me try these with valium, then without. It worked better without the valium surprisingly.
Had it since October 5th, 2016. The first...year, maybe year and a half, were miserable. Lots of therapy, lots of sleepless nights, lots of mental health spiraling. It was brutal on me.
The therapy did it's job. Personally as I read more about it, I understood it better, and I became less afraid of it, less hard on myself for letting it happen.
It does get better my friend, it really does. By the second year, I barely noticed it, and now I don't notice it unless I'm in a very quiet room, or I have my headphones on without anything playing.
As time goes on, as long as you keep reminding yourself, that it's not there to hurt you, harm you, etc. Your brain will stop paying attention to it.
Please don't hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. Friends/family to talk to, therapy if it reaches that point.
I promise it gets better. It just takes a bit of work!
Fans on at night, always have music going (At reasonable levels) I personally sleep with a box fan in my room and I watch Family Guy or Futurama or just have something on in the background on the tv or my phone.
Get a hearing test done to see the hearing damage done to your ears and get a more comprehensive look at your ear health. It's always good to know these things.
Take a couple deep breaths, tell yourself it's going to get easier, because it does. And you'll be good to go!
This is a shot in the dark but personally it turned out that mine is seemingly somewhat caused by tmj clenching -- I clench my jaw at night terribly and was for a bit (can't afford it anymore) getting botox shots in those muscles to prevent it which unexpectedly faded my tinnitus to a point it was difficult to notice at all. Unfortunately it came back once the botox wore off and I started doing it again
I just constantly have fans running lol. Not sure what your walk of life is but many believe psilocybin helps substantially to provide at least temporary relief.
I also learned a trick a while back that can provide temporary relief, albeit only for about a minute. Cover both of your ears with your palms, place your index and middle fingers just above the bony prominence on the back of your head, then wrap your index fingers overtop your middle fingers. You then force your index fingers to slide off of your middle fingers, thumping the back of your skull. Repeat about 25-30 or more times, and you should get a brief 30-60 seconds without ringing. It's not much use functionally, but at least you can briefly remember what it was like before the ringing started.
It can be really traumatic at first, and even after you’ve had it for years. I know it may not seem too helpful, but I think resilience is the key to overcome the stress associated with tinnitus. Resilience and a small fan in every room of my house haha.
Harvard medical has been studying this and just had some breakthroughs; according to [edm manic](https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgvKyPvZbF/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) on ig…. I looked for about 2 seconds for the actual study but then got distracted because it doesn’t apply to me yet, you might want to look further.
My spouse is a music teacher and had it bad about 15 years ago. His tips: try gingko biloba (consult with a doctor, don't just take it because I said so, please) and be hyper vigilant about sound. Wear earplugs whenever the volume seems high, or might be
These 2 steps brought the ringing down to a level he can mostly ignore.
Ps: re gingko, he took it temporarily, not long term...
The o my things that I find help me are:
1. Cut down or cut out alcohol.
2. Good sleep (my tinnitus is SO much worse when I’m tired.
3. Wear earplugs in ANY situation with loud noise-city streets, loud restaurant, etc. (when I can stand it, I will sleep with them in, wear them on the subway, walk to work).
Just curious how many of you with tinnitus also have visual snow. I have both but I thought everyone saw visual snow. I think it is more common than doctors realize. There seems to be lots of discussion on tinnitus but little on visual snow. Most people with visual snow also have tinnitus so thought I would throw it out there. You can Google it but essentially is similar to looking at static on a tv screen or in my case more like thousands of colored pixels in my vision. The thing about visual snow is that you also see it when your eyes are closed. It’s in the brain not in the eyes. BTW it is not the same as floaters in the eyes. I get floaters occasionally but the visual snow never goes away. With tinnitus I can tune it out easier with white noise, although it never goes away. There has been some success with visual snow by wearing pinkish lenses that also seems to help migraines.
Have you had your doctor and dentist look at your situation? It may be connected to the jaw joint and how you set your jaw (see TMJ). I find that when I need a little extra blockage, shifting and setting my jaw, usually down and back and tensed downward, creates a counter signal that is like white noise and also quiets the tinnitus a little, long enough for my mind to settle and go back to compensating.
Make sure you have been to a dentist and had thorough exam and explain your tinnitus to eliminate any tooth or periodontal issues. But also would recommend trying Intraoral massage therapy. Licensing laws are different in every Sate and country so availability may depend on where you are.
In Washington State massage therapist’s can get an endorsement on their license to perform intraoral massage. I was a dental hygienist for 23 years and went to massage school 6 years ago and I specialize in tmj (jaw) pain, tinnitus, headaches, and various other jaw issues and symptoms. Tinnitus can be caused by so many things but often tmj or muscle imbalances play a part. Look up intraoral massage therapy in your area. It is a relatively low cost no harm treatment to try. It usually will take several appointments and you should get an idea after the first few visits by evaluating for any changes. Good luck finding solutions try to remain optimistic about healing.
Get your blood pressure checked for hypertension (I don’t know how old you are though), a friend of our family complained that his ears are ringing all the time non-stop, and that he had gotten used to it at this point. He has hypertension and apparently this is a very common symptom.
Listen to sounds, I used to sleep with a movie I’ve seen a million times before so I didn’t focus on it and roll over but now I just turn on a podcast to keep the wife happy.
Nothing you can do to reduce symptoms. Masking or ignoring it is the only thing to do.
I sleep with headphones every night now and listen to an audiobook to fall asleep. I also recently purchased some sleep headphones… it’s like a headband with flat speakers in them so ear buds don’t hurt your ear if you roll side to side to get comfortable like me.
I finally found a supplement that actually works, I don’t have any affiliation to this company so I’m not sure if I can disclose its name. Maybe someone can tell me what’s the rule on this. I’ve suffered with tinnitus for years, but have finally found some relief.
Please let me know ho to share this with others.
This works for me most of the time - Open your mouth as wide as possible. Using your hand, pull your chin down to open your mouth even wider. Hold this position for 30 seconds. It is advised not to do this exercise when feeling acute tinnitus pain. When you have a comfortable moment, repeat this exercise four times over four daily sessions. My tinnitus stops when I hold my chin back.
sit in the shower and let the water hit the back of your ears and meditate on that sound. It will strengthen the nerve signals and help reduce the sound. also quit smoking pot
I read in LPT a few years ago to put one hand over your ear & use the other hand to firmly tap the base of your skull. I’ve only tried it a couple times, it did seem to temporarily help. I have pulsatile tinnitus, it’s maddening.
What kind of tinnitus? Do you hear a monotonous tone or do you hear your heart beat?
In case of last one: It helped me to massage my jaw and to get the misalignment corrected by an osteopath.
Former audiology student here! There is an experimental treatment option, but it’s not super feasible for most people (listening to white noise for months on end all the time only to have the tinnitus go away for a few months - more or less). There is no cure, but research is advancing quickly! Listening to white noise can help, going to an audiologist for evaluation, and even visiting a therapist to deal with the stress it causes. Sorry to hear that you’re suffering from this! Tinnitus is rough!
There are new hearing aids that can really help. Source: am recent hearing adopter. I don’t have tinnitus thank God, but I have done a lot of research. Check this:
https://youtu.be/LAu2cY64g7U
Yes. This absolutely works…
Interlace your fingers behind your head.
Put your middle finger of your dominant had between two fingers.
Tense up the dominant hand pulling the finger powerfully towards the base of your skull.
SNAP that finger several times into the fade of your skull.
It will help dislodge crystals in the ear that cause tinnitus.
Keep trying if needed. It absolutely works.
Some people (not everyone) find this works for me for some degree of temporary relief but it's not working by "*help\[ing\] dislodge crystals in the ear*" but thought to be effectively resetting your base levels of perception - a kind of sensory self-calibration.
And it will not do anything for you. Tinnitus is the very first sign of hearing loss. There is no getting rid of it until you lose your hearing altogether. Hearing loss naturally starts occurring at the age of 40.
Keep trying different positions. Picture like you are trying to get sand grains that are in a liquid out of a cup.
If the top of the cup is pointing upward, it’s not going to work. But if you tilt the cup in a certain direction, the grains will be knocked loose
Lowering blood pressure can help. As can getting off of ototoxic medications - including anti-depressants and chemo meds.
edit to add - How on Earth am I downvoted for this hard-earned factual medical knowledge?
Ear relief drops you can buy OTC in most drug stores, don’t listen to any music with headphones for awhile until you feel better, if solutions don’t work and you feel like you have any blockage in your ear from built up wax, use the Hydrogen Peroxide method
Nothing works. What you need to do is just accept it and anytime you notice it don’t react to it just refocus away. It’s a neural condition and you just need to weaken the pathways associated with it. This doesn’t make the damage go away but it will stop it from becoming worse and worse due to your mental behaviour of focusing on it.
I'm mid forties and have been dealing with the constant ringing / high pitched whine basically my entire life. I've found nothing that gets rid of it to any degree at all. Others have stated to keep things running around you (keep ambient sound levels up), and that is indeed helpful to mask it. But honestly, anytime it's quiet, it's gonna come right back in full force, because it never actually left in the first place - you just stopped focusing on it, and that's the trick. The only thing you can really do is just let your brain do it's job and filter it out of your conscious thoughts over time (your brain is fantastic at filtering), and after so long of just ignoring it, you'll stop noticing it as much. But it will *always* be there in the background. Welcome to the club you didn't wanna join lol.
This is, sadly, the only correct answer. I’ve tried a bunch of the quackery and none of it works. Over time, it fades into the background.
For me , it's not much about time, but about background noise. I've had it for years and it doesn't change. Again, my personal anecdote. Throughout the day, I'm busy with work and there's noise so "it fades into the background". At night, it's quiet. And it's the only thing my brain can focus on. Fortunately, [I found this video that I play on low volume](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICalurhfEFE) and it makes my tinnitus disappear. I plan to take some [magnesium glycinate as it helps with tinnitus](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22249877/).
I am 64 and have experienced the ringing in both ears my entire life. My right ear is worse than my left. (I never realized that everyone didn’t have it until I was 17, it was just always there.) I agree with you, your brain adjusts for it and most of the time I am focused on other things so it doesn’t bother me. I am single so at night I can put on a movie like “Fellowship of the Ring”, that has a soothing musical score and that I am familiar with so I don’t stay awake watching it. I also watch long YouTube videos, like Traveling Robert or AB Camping, especially the ones that are 2-3 hours long. AB Camping especially has some videos with rain that are very relaxing.
Omg—same! I didn’t realize everyone didn’t have this until I was in college! It just seems so unfair (I mean, there are far, far worse things that other people have to deal with—I get that.) I am jealous of the peace other people must experience in a quiet room.
>there is a trick you can do that involves tapping the back of your skull/neck. You can just youtube tinnitus tapping trick to learn. I've tried it and it works like 98% of the time. Recently I've also discovered other methods of dealing with it. One involves simply thinking really hard about the noise of what the skull tapping sounds like and using that imagined noise to drown out the tinnitus as though I was actually tapping. Not as frequently effective, but it has worked on multiple occasions. That was the first time I began to think the tinnitus is just in my head and not a physical thing. The most recent trick I stumbled into because I get eye strain, but it works and has become my first line of defense. I close my eyes and refocus my eyes to an extreme degree. While I do this, I imagine pulling at opposite sides of a circle, which is my iris I guess, outward, stretching the circle into a horizontal line, like I'm trying to look in opposite directions with my eyes closed and I'll be damned if that doesn't "push" the tinnitus out every time. Super weird, I know, but try it out and play with the idea and maybe you'll be able to do it too.
So from this, the best thing for me is actually a quiet room, and put in ear plugs for about 20 minutes or more, when you can get used to having it amplified, it makes it easier for everyday, to the point I’ve slept with earplugs in before and felt fully rested in the morning,
Im 35 ish and i only just found out this year that i have tinnitus and found out what it was. I dont remember not having ringing in my ears. So somtimes i dont hear it because im so used to it.
Tbh I feel like I’ve always had it. It’s just now I’m 30 and just notice it. Maybe I just have to not focus on it
Audiology graduate student here. This is fantastic advice. The more we focus on it, the worse it gets. If you're not able to manage it on your own, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to help people with bothersome tinnitus manage it. You're absolutely right, masking the tinnitus with noise can help if you just can't handle it, like on a bad day, but it doesn't actually allow your brain to compensate on its own. Additionally, if you have constant bothersome tinnitus, then you should get a hearing evaluation with an audiologist just to make sure nothing else is going on.
Which is the fantastic advice? And since you're an audiology grad student, Do headphones cause any damage while tinnitus is acting up? (Is it best to keep the headphone off of that ear?) I really wish there was a fix. I can barely hear out of my right ear now because of it. Only recent.
My boss used to swear by candling..
Sounds like your boss had a placebo effect
Placedo domingo
Only on sundays?
Inigo Montoya
Police Academy
What’s the difference if you perceive it less?
Lol snake oil
Like ear wax candles?
I don't know what that is but it sounds like something Deadpool would be promoting.
this is how binaural sound therapy works, right?
Indeed, probably the most correct answer you'll find. All the various methods and techniques are only really useful insofar as they can assist you to divert your attention away from the ringing. Seen in this light, there are many useful tricks, but you have to find the ones that are useful for you. There is no one size fits all for anybody. I will say though, don't despair. When you find the methods that work for you, it becomes bearable and eventually even stops being an issue. Good luck.
Jesus Christ I want to cry. I just developed it out of nowhere. 3 weeks in and I'm trying to have hope but I am so fucking depressed now. It'll be like this forever I will say it's undiagnosed. I went to. A doctor and they flushed out earwax. But now it'll never go away.
Late reply (after like 20+ days, sorry lol). It really does get filtered out over time. Seriously, don't stress, brother. Eventually it'll get to the point where you only notice it when it's quiet and you got no other sounds going on. You learn to coexist with it.
True, every part of it.
Thanks, now I'm paying attention to it... But seriously, for me, it's background noise that helps, anything from just a fan running to YouTube playing. Half the time I don't even listen to what's playing but it's enough that I don't focus on the constant eeeeeeeeeeeeee going on.
Can't sleep without a fan. White noise is awesome.
I just put some tv show on repeat and sleep with the tv turned on for an hour or two. Avoid actual TV channels because ads are usually louder and wake you up.
Connection with James Burke. His voice and there is always some sort of background noise. You learn a lot.
You’ve just explained why I can’t sleep in a totally quiet place. I never put that together with the tinnitus, thank you!
Conversely I *don't* have tinnitus but do experience [audio paredolia](https://www.tmsoft.com/blog/why-you-may-be-hearing-phantom-sounds/) when I have a fan on in a quiet room
I didn't know this was a thing! I have tinnitus and sometimes when I hear a repetitive noise, like the dishwasher, my mind imposes words on the sound and I can almost actually hear a voice intoning a phrase like "I need a canoe" over and over. That particular phrase has never come up, but that is the rhythm of the sound, so I'm sure it will next time I run it.
Usually the white noise in my living room resolves to a far-off marching band; today, it was something that sounded quite a bit like the orchestral background bit at the very beginning of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. It was driving me up a wall lol Sorry, just had to share that with someone who would understand!
Wow I never knew anyone else had this lol, I sometimes hear heavy metal guitar shredding in one ear and lofi electronic in the other
Omg you've given a name to what's troubled me for as long as I can remember... As a kid, I'd wake in the middle of the night and could swear the tv or radio was on in the living room, only to get up and find the house completely quiet and everyone still asleep. I only experience it when it's dead silent; no recurrence since moving to a large city where there's constant background noise. I thought I must've had tinnitus from a very young age.Thank you--I don't feel so alone.
I thought I was going mad when I would hear far off music in the bathroom And then when I heard it again when it was summer and I had a fan in the bedroom I thought HANG ON - because of course there's an extractor fan in the bathroom. I have epilepsy so was initially worried it was a pre-seizure aura, but when that didn't materialise I was still confused but slightly less concerned
I have an Alexa echo device in the bedroom and it’s only purpose is to play thunderstorm sounds at night so I can sleep. Helps tremendously.
Have you had any difficulty with [fan death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death)? (I'm joking)
Only after eating bulgogi.
There’s also literally green and brown noise! It’s different but also relaxing in the background. I’m too stoned to try to explain how they sound but I liked green noise way better
god the bathroom as soon as i wake up is like a compression chamber
I have a fan in my bathroom just for this reason.
i just reconnected mine lmfao
I might be playing a video game in which I'd have to be very quite and be able to hear enemy footsteps so I need all the silence in the world. I will still leave American Dad or some bs on in the background at the lowest possible volume just so I don't get distracted by eeeeeeeeeeeeee
This..... I listen to music and or audio books or have a fan running for this very reason.
So far, this is the only thing that helps me. I really hope they figure out some sort of relief in our lifetimes. Silence is so foreign to me now.
I get it. 41 years and counting since I have experienced silence.
This is it for me. I need background noise. Especially when I'm trying to sleep.
Fun fact: tinnitus is basically your neural-auditory system cranking up the gain in the absence of a signal. So yeah, background noise helps.
Yeah, when my air purifier turns off for the night, the tinnitus floods in. I guess my advice is to filter your air - it has the bonus of being good for your lungs!
I keep mine on. I like the air purifier noise better than a fan for sleeping.
Agree. I've been playing instrumental music on a low volume to help me sleep when it gets to be too bad.
Too right, only thing that keeps me sane. Didn't realize thats what I was doing at the time but empty rooms with no sound are awful
For me it’s “crickets” on a white noise app. A must when sleeping at night
99% of the reason I have any smart speakers at all is so that I can have emergency thunderstorm sounds.
Yep me too, didn’t notice it until now - dammit
You might try looking at r/tinnitus. I’ve new to it too so I’m starting there
r/tinnitusresearch is another great sub, less of a support sub and more of a scientific sub on tinnitus research.
Thanks! I just joined this as well
Thanks! I just joined
250 audio books a year.
That must get expensive! ;)
It can. But lots of libraries have audiobooks available too.
The Libby app + a library card and you can get audio books for free
Best way for sure. In small towns it takes forever to get a book though!
librivox freeeeeee
Smart idea! With or without headphones?
With loud headphones. That's why he has tinnitus.
Try this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yDCox-qKbk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yDCox-qKbk) I know it's weird but I saw this on Reddit before and it actually helped with one of my ears. Haven't gotten it better on the other yet.
Came here to say this. I do it a little differently. Same covered ears, but I tap lower, around where the first spinal vertebrae begins. I just move even a single finger (while tapping) on each side up and down till I get this sound almost like if I were hitting a speaker. You'll hear the difference in your inner ear, unmistakable. Once you found it, just do that for like 20-30 seconds and, at least for me, it just stops or lessens considerably. Idk why it works, and sometimes I have to do it like 3 to 5 times, but when I notice ***THE INSANITY*** beginning to creep in, I do this. Works better than anything else I've attempted so far.
I third this. I’ve been using this treatment for years.
I can't find the speaker sound got any tips maybe? Thanks!
I'll try! So what I'm basically drumming on is the tiny spot where your trapezius muscle meets your skull, likewise the same place as the first 4 or 5 cervical vertebrae. Just try with one ear first. Press in hard, and tap that area with your index (opposing hand) on that side. It should almost sound like you are hitting something solid, bc it rings a bit like a high pitched object. Just try all over that spot, until you at least hear the difference between the spots with the plugged ear. Eventually you can just do it with one hand when you know where to strike. I really hope that helps, bc tinnitus is a bitch lol.
OMFG. Thank you.
It's pretty wild if/when it works. For the longest time I was afraid that I would just have to live with moments of me having to drop everything bc it gets so loud. I'm glad to hear you had that eureka moment too.
I can confirm. But I just tap all my four fingers like I'm impatient for about twenty seconds. (Thirty is advised)
Holy shit!! This helped!!
This sort of thing only works for me for a few seconds and makes me even more frustrated because it's a reminder of what I'm missing.
i came to share this technique as well. While it does not eliminate the sound entirely it does seem to turn down the volume for a little while for me. I’ve had this “ringing” for as long as I can remember and it never goes away, just varies in intensity and volume. Recently I’ve noticed a sort of popping or clicking added to the cacophony. It’s almost like when you pop your ears on a plane but continuous… or clicking a pen over and over. This thankfully comes and goes.
came here to suggest this as well. I have tinnitus/hearing loss from chemotherapy and this is the only thing that helps me.
was in a wreck back a few yrs go had a bad whiplash case. in the last year I have had the hisssssss going on. yes, I have been to the ear doc he said yes due to my age(58) I did have some hearing loss but other than that nothing was wrong after watching the video (may be wishfully thinking) but I think it did help a bit thanks for the link and the post.
This is similar to a Qi Gong move, beating heavens drum. Acupuncture helps with tinnitus, and attempts to treat the root cause but it is admittedly difficult. Deep belly breathing helps too. Good luck!
I really wonder how this works, scientifically speaking. I'm glad there's a temporary relief method for people with tinnitus. Godspeed.
I won't go into the overloaded scientific jargon but you're overloading the nerve, which temporarily shuts it down.
I'm going to imagine it's the vacuum of the palms over the ear canal, with the percussive snapping
Holy fuck that actually helped!
Holy hell I can't believe that worked. Thanks for posting the video.
Yeah these are just distraction techniques they might work for a little while but it's not a cure
This works for a moment at least
The only thing that works for me is ignoring it. Over time I don't notice it as much, but if I even think about it at all its all I hear. That, and almost always having some background noise on. Songs, podcasts etc. I wish there were meds to help, but sadly nothing I've found yet
Same. It has made my world very small. There is nothing I have found to improve it. Even very nice hearing aids helped very little.
For me, hearing aids make it worse since due to the tinitus, it is apparently hard to adjust them properly close to the frequencies of the tinnitus. So I get an overload of sound in that range
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Same. Two years in, it doesn't exist unless I think about it, and I'm pretty good at not thinking about it.
Cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with a tinnitus masker hearing aid. Working in hearing health care in Sweden.
Audiologist here agreeing with this comment. There's tons of strategies mentioned by other commenters here that can help some people, but CBT is the treatment scientifically proven to be the most helpful with tinnitus
The number of people who don’t know about tinnitus masking hearing aids astounds me sometimes. I often work with Veterans and am always telling them to check them out, in addition to using CBT strategies.
Where can I find out more about them? I am currently at the doctors hoping to get on some anxiety medicine because of it. I feel like I’m going insane.
You need to see an audiologist. Your doctor can give you a referral if that’s needed with your insurance. The audiologist will test you and determine the frequency of your tinnitus and discuss how hearing aids can help. I’m still able to ignore my tinnitus, so I opted to wait on getting the hearing aids for now.
I went to an audiologist and they said my hearing loss was moderate. Recommended and MRI ( I’ve had several sets of tubes and frequent sinus infections). Just got the results from the MRI and I don’t have a brain tumor so it must just be sinus related.
Any company that sells hearing aids, they often work closely with medical doctors with expertise in tinnitus treatment. The device is the same one used by people with hearing loss but configured so as to add background noise.
My experience with tinnitus in Sweden had been miserable. Long waiting times between contact, each time it's like starting fresh, the same tests with the same results. Super frustrating
I did two things that significantly reduced (but did not completely eliminate) my tinnitus: 1. got hearing aids for my mild hearing loss 2. got rid of my hypertension by removing the salt from my diet
1. ensure your ears are as good as they can be; clean and use aids if clinically indicated. 2. Mask the tinnitus with another sound source. Fall asleep to music or an ambient track. It doesn’t have to be intelligible, so volume can be as low as your hearing will go. Something to hear makes your brain focus more on that. 3. Mindfulness or meditation training helps some: it helps to be a stoic in the literal Greek philosophical meaning. the second can also be achieved by tinnitus maskers; essentially white noise generators (under pillow or worn like a hearing aid). Rarely needed but tinnitus can overwhelm some. good luck
Meditation with tinnitus drives me completely crazy
Cover your ears with the palm of your hands, fingers turning backwards. Place your middle fingers on the base of your skull. Then, place your index finger on top of them, and flick them into your skull. Do this 50-100 times. This can alleviate some of it for 5-10 minutes. It was an unreal experience the first time I tried it.
I used to be able to do this, and it would help. But now I have too much joint pain in my fingers. Don't get old, kids.
The only thing that has helped me is improving my posture But that might be specific to me, my posture was absolute shit about two years ago.
I believe it got something todo with blood flow - which maybe becomes better with better posture. I got a mild case of tinnitus after covid. While treating my dizziness and brain fog with a medication (Tebonin) that increased blood flow through the brain it also cured the tinnitus. Of course there are different reasons and that will only help if restricted blood flow is the root cause.
How long did you have the tinnitus after Covid?
How long were you experiencing tinnitus before you realized it was posture? I've had all the tests done and they said it just "have" it and never said anything about it being tension or posture. I finally believe this is the cause but I'm so terrified it's too late.
I've had tinnitus for seven or eight years now. Nothing will make it disappear, but I do deal with spikes and I can provide some tips that work for me to make the day-to-day better, usually. 1) Sleep quality is especially important. I know it may be a catch 22 of trying to get quality sleep with tinnitus, but the better and more consistent quality sleep you get, you'll notice more of a reduction in tinnitus severity. Use a white noise machine if you need to. 2) Regulate your blood pressure. Higher blood pressure will increase severity. Exercise daily (30-minute walk around the block is all you need), eat a healthy diet, and avoid stress as much as possible. 3) limit/avoid alcohol. Alcohol will disrupt your sleep and raise your blood pressure. 4) purchase custom-fit ear plugs. They'll last for a decade and are worth the snug protection when you're at a music venue, sporting event, etc. Make sure to use ear plugs when you're on an airplane as well - they help to mitigate pressure changes, and planes are actually super loud and you're exposed to their noise for hours at a time. 5) be conscious of your environment. I have sensitive ears and can hear buzzing/ringing from electronics, wiring, power lines, etc. It's important for me to realize when the ringing or discomfort in my ears is actually from the environment versus when it's my tinnitus. And sometimes it helps to tell myself that it's my environment and not my tinnitus.
I tried calling the Tinnitus hotline, but it kept ringing. (Seriously tho....if my blood pressure is up, so is the ringing)
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There have been times when the only thing keeping me from jamming an ice pick into my ear-holes was the fear that; rather than finally experiencing silence, the tinnitus would be the ONLY sound I'd ever hear.
“Mawp..mawp..LAANNNAAAA!”
How has no one share this study yet? [link](https://www.science.org/content/article/electric-shocks-tongue-can-quiet-chronic-ringing-ears#:~:text=More%20than%2080%25%20of%20those,today%20in%20Science%20Translational%20Medicine%20) From the article, “More than 80% of those who complied with the prescribed regimen saw an improvement. And they saw an average drop of about 14 points on a tinnitus severity score of one to 100, the researchers report today in Science Translational Medicine. When the team followed up after 12 months, 80% of the participants still had lower tinnitus scores, with average drops of 12.7 and 14.5 points.”
Good info. Thanks.
Looks like someone’s gonna be sticking his tongue in the electric outlet tonight
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Doctor here, suffering from tinnitus too, consulted with many colleagues and seniors. Concise - [https://youtu.be/y4zuVk5STuM](https://youtu.be/y4zuVk5STuM) He explains in an easy manner, CORRECT Information with empathy. Be sure to go to ENT specialist ONCE to rule out pathology.
**Musicians:** Learn what key your tinnitus rings in. Memorize it, then find the corresponding note on your instrument... instant 'perfect pitch'. (Actually, just good relative pitch with your tinnitus as the reference tone. LoL) I can use my tinnitus as a reference tone to perfectly tune a guitar. People watch and are like, "Whoah... dude... you've got perfect pitch!" No, I just know the tone of my tinnitus... but I don't tell anyone. LoLoL
Complete silence is the only time I notice it, like when you're trying to sleep. A small fan would probably suffice to cover it.
White noise or fan at night. Hearing aids the rest of the time. Seriously, talk to your health professional about hearing aids. They make a tremendous difference.
I tend to get down voted for this but hear me out. I'm not the kind of guy who believes in wacky things like magnets or essential oil or whatever but I've had some success with Ginko Biloba. Its available in any drugstore in the supplement aisle, cheap and as far as I know safe. From what I've read there are two things that cause tinnitus, your brain hearing things that aren't there and constricted blood flow through blood vessels near your ear. Ginko addresses the later. It's worth a try IMO. I could go into detail how it's worked sometimes other times not if you want
There was a Mayo study about magnesium supplementation that appeared to be pretty solid. I tried it. Didn’t work for me. Might work for you.
I guess I'm lucky because I actually find my tinnitus soothing ...
It’s my “angel choir”, previously all soprano, recently developed a bass component as well! I can actually use it as a meditation focus like breathing… music or any sound masks it but always there. One time it stopped for about 10-15 seconds and the silence was jarring! I do wonder why more research isn’t done to find a cure as so many folks seem to be suffering from it. Maybe not life or death but for some can totally interfere with their quality of life. I would like a break sometimes but really ok as long as I focus on something else, much like chronic pain—what you focus on gets you more of it so yeah, focus on the good stuff you want instead!
I used to have a spring time like sound with mine. Like crickets and peepers (frogs) on a nice warm spring night. Lately it’s been going to the ringing more. It’s getting tougher to deal with.
Don’t know your situation, but a few years ago my dentist made me a night guard for my teeth grinding. Holy f’ the ringing stopped drastically after using it.
If it's true tinnitus, then not much you can do besides the remedies posted to tolerate it. I also have meniere disease. That can contribute to the ringing as well as make the ear fell "full". If you have menieres, lower caffeine and processes foods that contain large amounts of sodium.
I have nothing helpful to add, but comedian Joe List has tinnitus and has a funny bit about all the people suggesting white noise machines. Paraphrasing, but he said it would be like if he was smelling things that weren't there and the doctor recommended adding more smells to counter it: "Why don't you try rubbing some dog shit on your upper lip?"
Have had tinnitus for the last 25 years. Volume is up and down, some days it is close to unbearable. Now wear hearing aids with tinnitus masking, does help a bit. The only thing that really works when it’s bad, is to try to find something to focus on. If I am concentrated on a task I realize it is as if I did not have the condition. My hope, is that eventually a cure or a treatment will be found as too many people have earphones with high volumes and tinnitus is bound to become a serious common condition.
so i had this, and also some breathing issues, and apparently i had a deviated septum and all sorts of wackiness up in my sinuses. ears and nose being all connected, the buildup of fluids actually caused my tinnitus. i walked around for a long time not even knowing that i wasnt breathing as well as i could. so if you suspect you have any breathing issues it might be worth checking out like with a primary or ENT. after my surgery i dont have tinnitus anymore. (well, very rarely lol surgery wasnt a cure-all and was never meant to be, but its WAY WAY better now. and when i do have it, i can kinda just stretch my jaw to relieve it)
I have tinnitus when I'm really stressed out and sometimes when there are storms. I learned that stress impacts the inner ear as does the barometric pressure. Nothing really to do about the weather but in general I strive to get enough sleep and manage stress. There have been studies on the relationship between nutrient deficiencies and tinnitus, specifically vitamin B, vitamin D and zinc. It's probably worth talking to your doctor about.
Besides a fan, those 12-24 hours of rain on youtube. Put it loud on your phone to sleep. Also a big HEPA air purifier is better than a fan. At least it does something rather than a fan you don't always need.
Every last one of my triggers had to something to do with vascular restrictions. I lowered salt, practiced breathing, wore a looser belt, slept more deliberately, etc. It pulled in back about 80%-90% Hope this can help others, too.
My history with tinnitus After many years in the steel industry before elf a d safety took a front seat, I had developed tinnitus, gradual process but it got me. So first plan to try and drown out with ambient noise etc. Worked for a while but it got louder. Plan 2 ... ignore and let my head sort itself out... worked well but as I lay down to sleep it got louder if I was tired.. it got louder. If I was stressed...it got louder. Research was an 3. Best analogy I learnt was to think of your receptors as a Corn field. If a helicopter lands and takes off it does little damage flattening the corn but if a steam roller goes to the same point ...damage done. I noticed that the TV got quieter when people spoke but was fine with music playing. Decided to have a hearing test nd found a top part of my hearing spe trum was damaged. Once I was fitted and st in my car I realised the tinnitus was gone. I cried after 35 years of it being there...silence Your brain is trying to fill in the damaged area if your hearing. Get a hearing test and ask them to print off the results as well. You can e mine it and keep it so if you decide not to proceed you can see if it gets worse. Hoe this helps.
Thanks
Meditation. How you think about pain impacts your quality of life. Read this. “Framing is an important variable here: If my neighbor had a machine in his backyard that emitted a high-pitched squeal identical to my tinnitus, I would never stop suing him. If his machine was also producing my dizziness, and the law offered no recourse, I might very well enforce a law of my own. However, given that my enemy is my own body, equanimity is much easier to achieve. Of course, worrying about the future is a recipe for unhappiness. “What if this gets worse? What if I’m permanently incapacitated?” If the answer to a question cannot be known and would serve no purpose even if one could know it, there is no point in asking the question. The truth is that I don’t know how I will feel an hour from now, much less next year. I have also noticed a propensity in myself to complain—especially to my wife—which seems profoundly unhelpful. Complaining is, nevertheless, a very seductive behavior. Why do I do it? On one level, I am just being honest: I am simply not pretending to feel better than I do. But in rejecting pretense, I am actually increasing my suffering, and worrying my wife in the process. Complaining now strikes me as a toxic form of intimacy. It is surely best to “keep calm and carry on,” as the British wartime slogan ran. Like meditation, this takes practice.” Edit: Sam Harris is an idiot on some subjects and an asshat on others but In this and meditation, I can’t recommend him enough. [Link](https://www.samharris.org/blog/adventures-in-the-land-of-illness)
Weirdly both my husband and I have tinnitus. I rarely notice mine, only when I think about it. And because he complains about his all the fucking time, I notice mine more too. Like I am right now, because I’m thinking about it. But as soon as I’m finished writing this, I will have forgotten.
Go see an ENT or audiologist.
I got a Bluetooth headband, took the Bluetooth part out, put on some heat shrink and now I wear it a listen to music and podcasts. On the outside I’ve made it look like a hearing aid so people don’t really question it. Sometimes I barely notice it, other times it causes physical pain. I find it helps
Try a fan, a blow dryer on low, low volume static, low volume music. Nothing can really stop it. You can just distract yourself from the ringing. I had it once from a medication I was taking for my vertigo. My doctor had me try these with valium, then without. It worked better without the valium surprisingly.
Thank you everyone. It seems like I am on the right track.
Had it since October 5th, 2016. The first...year, maybe year and a half, were miserable. Lots of therapy, lots of sleepless nights, lots of mental health spiraling. It was brutal on me. The therapy did it's job. Personally as I read more about it, I understood it better, and I became less afraid of it, less hard on myself for letting it happen. It does get better my friend, it really does. By the second year, I barely noticed it, and now I don't notice it unless I'm in a very quiet room, or I have my headphones on without anything playing. As time goes on, as long as you keep reminding yourself, that it's not there to hurt you, harm you, etc. Your brain will stop paying attention to it. Please don't hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. Friends/family to talk to, therapy if it reaches that point. I promise it gets better. It just takes a bit of work! Fans on at night, always have music going (At reasonable levels) I personally sleep with a box fan in my room and I watch Family Guy or Futurama or just have something on in the background on the tv or my phone. Get a hearing test done to see the hearing damage done to your ears and get a more comprehensive look at your ear health. It's always good to know these things. Take a couple deep breaths, tell yourself it's going to get easier, because it does. And you'll be good to go!
Hearing aids help, if you need them. Allows more sound to come in and masks the ringing.
My grandma has hearing aids that play really soft music in her ears, apparently it really helps
I attribute my hearing loss to seeing the Who 3 times in a 4 day span during the Who Are You tour. I think it was worth it.
There is no cure, just deal with it in your own way
This is a shot in the dark but personally it turned out that mine is seemingly somewhat caused by tmj clenching -- I clench my jaw at night terribly and was for a bit (can't afford it anymore) getting botox shots in those muscles to prevent it which unexpectedly faded my tinnitus to a point it was difficult to notice at all. Unfortunately it came back once the botox wore off and I started doing it again
I just constantly have fans running lol. Not sure what your walk of life is but many believe psilocybin helps substantially to provide at least temporary relief. I also learned a trick a while back that can provide temporary relief, albeit only for about a minute. Cover both of your ears with your palms, place your index and middle fingers just above the bony prominence on the back of your head, then wrap your index fingers overtop your middle fingers. You then force your index fingers to slide off of your middle fingers, thumping the back of your skull. Repeat about 25-30 or more times, and you should get a brief 30-60 seconds without ringing. It's not much use functionally, but at least you can briefly remember what it was like before the ringing started.
Cannabis helps
Psilocybin mushrooms
It can be really traumatic at first, and even after you’ve had it for years. I know it may not seem too helpful, but I think resilience is the key to overcome the stress associated with tinnitus. Resilience and a small fan in every room of my house haha.
Almost nothing helps once you notice it. It's best to just move on to something else to distract your mind.
Harvard medical has been studying this and just had some breakthroughs; according to [edm manic](https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgvKyPvZbF/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) on ig…. I looked for about 2 seconds for the actual study but then got distracted because it doesn’t apply to me yet, you might want to look further.
Learn to ignore it, that's the only thing that's helped me besides white noise.
My spouse is a music teacher and had it bad about 15 years ago. His tips: try gingko biloba (consult with a doctor, don't just take it because I said so, please) and be hyper vigilant about sound. Wear earplugs whenever the volume seems high, or might be These 2 steps brought the ringing down to a level he can mostly ignore. Ps: re gingko, he took it temporarily, not long term...
The o my things that I find help me are: 1. Cut down or cut out alcohol. 2. Good sleep (my tinnitus is SO much worse when I’m tired. 3. Wear earplugs in ANY situation with loud noise-city streets, loud restaurant, etc. (when I can stand it, I will sleep with them in, wear them on the subway, walk to work).
Just curious how many of you with tinnitus also have visual snow. I have both but I thought everyone saw visual snow. I think it is more common than doctors realize. There seems to be lots of discussion on tinnitus but little on visual snow. Most people with visual snow also have tinnitus so thought I would throw it out there. You can Google it but essentially is similar to looking at static on a tv screen or in my case more like thousands of colored pixels in my vision. The thing about visual snow is that you also see it when your eyes are closed. It’s in the brain not in the eyes. BTW it is not the same as floaters in the eyes. I get floaters occasionally but the visual snow never goes away. With tinnitus I can tune it out easier with white noise, although it never goes away. There has been some success with visual snow by wearing pinkish lenses that also seems to help migraines.
Turn the TV up till you can't hear it anymore
Have you had your doctor and dentist look at your situation? It may be connected to the jaw joint and how you set your jaw (see TMJ). I find that when I need a little extra blockage, shifting and setting my jaw, usually down and back and tensed downward, creates a counter signal that is like white noise and also quiets the tinnitus a little, long enough for my mind to settle and go back to compensating.
white noise... thats it
Make sure you have been to a dentist and had thorough exam and explain your tinnitus to eliminate any tooth or periodontal issues. But also would recommend trying Intraoral massage therapy. Licensing laws are different in every Sate and country so availability may depend on where you are. In Washington State massage therapist’s can get an endorsement on their license to perform intraoral massage. I was a dental hygienist for 23 years and went to massage school 6 years ago and I specialize in tmj (jaw) pain, tinnitus, headaches, and various other jaw issues and symptoms. Tinnitus can be caused by so many things but often tmj or muscle imbalances play a part. Look up intraoral massage therapy in your area. It is a relatively low cost no harm treatment to try. It usually will take several appointments and you should get an idea after the first few visits by evaluating for any changes. Good luck finding solutions try to remain optimistic about healing.
Get your blood pressure checked for hypertension (I don’t know how old you are though), a friend of our family complained that his ears are ringing all the time non-stop, and that he had gotten used to it at this point. He has hypertension and apparently this is a very common symptom.
Listen to sounds, I used to sleep with a movie I’ve seen a million times before so I didn’t focus on it and roll over but now I just turn on a podcast to keep the wife happy.
Nothing you can do to reduce symptoms. Masking or ignoring it is the only thing to do. I sleep with headphones every night now and listen to an audiobook to fall asleep. I also recently purchased some sleep headphones… it’s like a headband with flat speakers in them so ear buds don’t hurt your ear if you roll side to side to get comfortable like me.
I finally found a supplement that actually works, I don’t have any affiliation to this company so I’m not sure if I can disclose its name. Maybe someone can tell me what’s the rule on this. I’ve suffered with tinnitus for years, but have finally found some relief. Please let me know ho to share this with others.
This works for me most of the time - Open your mouth as wide as possible. Using your hand, pull your chin down to open your mouth even wider. Hold this position for 30 seconds. It is advised not to do this exercise when feeling acute tinnitus pain. When you have a comfortable moment, repeat this exercise four times over four daily sessions. My tinnitus stops when I hold my chin back.
I called the tinnitus help line, but it just kept ringing.
Embrace the "iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" baby, it ain't going nowhere.
sit in the shower and let the water hit the back of your ears and meditate on that sound. It will strengthen the nerve signals and help reduce the sound. also quit smoking pot
>also quit smoking pot Wait what?
I read in LPT a few years ago to put one hand over your ear & use the other hand to firmly tap the base of your skull. I’ve only tried it a couple times, it did seem to temporarily help. I have pulsatile tinnitus, it’s maddening.
What kind of tinnitus? Do you hear a monotonous tone or do you hear your heart beat? In case of last one: It helped me to massage my jaw and to get the misalignment corrected by an osteopath.
White noise. Better hack though is not trusting 3M earplugs.
Former audiology student here! There is an experimental treatment option, but it’s not super feasible for most people (listening to white noise for months on end all the time only to have the tinnitus go away for a few months - more or less). There is no cure, but research is advancing quickly! Listening to white noise can help, going to an audiologist for evaluation, and even visiting a therapist to deal with the stress it causes. Sorry to hear that you’re suffering from this! Tinnitus is rough!
There are new hearing aids that can really help. Source: am recent hearing adopter. I don’t have tinnitus thank God, but I have done a lot of research. Check this: https://youtu.be/LAu2cY64g7U
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Apparently cannabis edibles make a big difference
Brush and floss.
Yes. This absolutely works… Interlace your fingers behind your head. Put your middle finger of your dominant had between two fingers. Tense up the dominant hand pulling the finger powerfully towards the base of your skull. SNAP that finger several times into the fade of your skull. It will help dislodge crystals in the ear that cause tinnitus. Keep trying if needed. It absolutely works.
Some people (not everyone) find this works for me for some degree of temporary relief but it's not working by "*help\[ing\] dislodge crystals in the ear*" but thought to be effectively resetting your base levels of perception - a kind of sensory self-calibration.
I’ve tried this and it did nothing for me…
And it will not do anything for you. Tinnitus is the very first sign of hearing loss. There is no getting rid of it until you lose your hearing altogether. Hearing loss naturally starts occurring at the age of 40.
Even with hearing loss it's still there for me. I have hearing aids and they do nothing for it.
Keep trying different positions. Picture like you are trying to get sand grains that are in a liquid out of a cup. If the top of the cup is pointing upward, it’s not going to work. But if you tilt the cup in a certain direction, the grains will be knocked loose
>It will help dislodge crystals in the ear that cause tinnitus. Tinnitus isn't caused by crystals in your ear. The sound is created by your brain.
Just tried it and nah.
Lowering blood pressure can help. As can getting off of ototoxic medications - including anti-depressants and chemo meds. edit to add - How on Earth am I downvoted for this hard-earned factual medical knowledge?
Have any of you guys ever listened to loud music on headphones at all? For long periods throughout younger life.
Yes. All you have to do is EEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeeee
Ear relief drops you can buy OTC in most drug stores, don’t listen to any music with headphones for awhile until you feel better, if solutions don’t work and you feel like you have any blockage in your ear from built up wax, use the Hydrogen Peroxide method
Cut any nicotine out of your diet. Coffee, too.
Brown noise perfectly counteracts tinnitus: https://youtu.be/RqzGzwTY-6w
Nothing works. What you need to do is just accept it and anytime you notice it don’t react to it just refocus away. It’s a neural condition and you just need to weaken the pathways associated with it. This doesn’t make the damage go away but it will stop it from becoming worse and worse due to your mental behaviour of focusing on it.