The Return of the Ear Noise

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Gael Hannan
November 25, 2013

Are you hearing noises? In your head? That nobody else is hearing?

Welcome to the tinnitus club. Actually, I’m not the official meet ‘n’ greeter of the club because I’m somewhat new myself.   While  you may have had discordant symphonies playing between your ears for a long time,  my head-noise switch has only recently flipped back on.

What is this beast that flies inside our head, tormenting us?   Apparently it’s not a disease, but a condition that stems from a wide range of  causes, including ear infections, wax build-up, allergies, noise damage and oxidative stress.  The term tinnitus comes from the Latin word meaning ‘ringing’. (This is a rare occasion where the English word is not derived from the Latin, but is actually the same word.) Tinnitus has different pronunciations, and if you’re wondering which one is correct, take your pick of the following: /ˈtɪnɪtəs/  or  /tɪˈnaɪtəs/.

Regardless of how one reads it or says it…TINN-uh-tiss or tin-EYE-tis…. the official definition is ‘the perception of sound within the human ear when no actual sound is present’. Wikipedia goes on to say that despite the origin of the name, ‘ringing’ is just one of many sounds a person may perceive.

Perceive, now there’s a sugar-coated term for what we experience. I have my own, very different, definition of tinnitus: ‘a roaring sound highlighted by tinkling bells and honking horns that respond neither to tears nor threats and which are not treatable by anything in the drug cabinet or wine cellar.’

I thought this current hearing-related hell was something new, a more-or-less constant sound  with varying degrees of loudness and the intermittent musical accompaniment of bells and horns. But apparently I’ve gone through this before; in re-reading my blog The Tinnitus Bell Tolls, written two years ago, I had the same issue then. The good news is that at some point it went away, so I’m hopeful that history will repeat itself.

I don’t mean to sound like a whiner; what I’m going through ain’t nuthin’ compared to the experience of many people, apparently. It’s just that it would be more bearable if my head were playing something nice or seasonal, something I could hum along with. Instead, it sounds like an orchestra playing – but without a beat, without rhythm, without a tune and without most of the musicians.

I’ve scoured articles by my colleagues at HearingHealthMatters.org and have found some that may be of interest to those suffering from similar cranial cacophonies. (Cacophony – what a perfect word to describe some tinnitus: a harsh discordant mixture of sounds – din,  racket, noise,  caterwauling,raucousness, screeching, jarring, stridency, grating, rasping.
Dr. Robert Traynor writes about Caffeine & Tinnitus: Is It Possible There is No Connection?  He also wrote a three-part series on Homeopathic Medicine & Tinnitus Treatment. David Kirkwood provided information on an album by rockers against tinnitus such as Blackeyed Peas and Coldplay, produced in support of the British Tinnitus Association. And in a guest blog, Cristi A. Moore talks about tinnitus support groups and tinnitus treatment. There is also an item this week on Hearing News Watch about some encouraging research on a treatment for tinnitus.

If you have tinnitus, chances are you’ve spent a great deal of time combing the internet for answers. Some frequent ‘solutions’ include:

  • Getting lots of rest. There’s probably something to this because last week, the noise seemed to be worse on a day that I had not had enough sleep.
  • Reducing caffeine intake. Gahhh, my one remaining vice! I’m faithful to my husband, kind to small children and cats, don’t do drugs, and haven’t been drunk for decades. And they want to take away my coffee, too!?? Ok, fine, I’ll try it.
  • Wearing hearing aids. That’s not an option; I’ve been wearing them for a million years already.
  • Sound therapy and masking techniques: there is some great stuff out there and if this continues, I’ll be sussing them out.
  • Focusing on something else.  That’s working for me – I’m focusing on writing this article, and only when I stop to listen am I really aware of the sound which, at the moment, is a faint hum with occasional, emphatic bops on the bongo drums.

As long as I don’t perceive the noise in my head as a voice telling me to go out and do something bad, then I can cope with this.  I will tell my doctor and talk to my audiologist.  I will get lots of rest and I will drink less caffeine.  I will check out antioxidant supplements.  I will make sure my sinuses and ears are clear of congestion before a flight or take a decongestant before boarding. (I fly a lot and suspect this current bout is related to several flights I took last month.)

And I will no longer think of tinnitus-sufferers as being members of an elite group, because the club doors have opened; I have seen the light and I have heard the sounds.  Them is now us – and we live in hope of help.

 

  1. Have constant tinnitus from Meneires disease. It’s a bother but at least it isn’t cancer.

  2. Good article Gael. Nice to have some literature attached to this so we can pass on to others who struggle with Tinnitus.

    1. Thanks Leslee I have this condition but it is less when one gets the proper rest . The sad thing is there are few days when it remains silent ,

  3. Another cause of tinnitus is ototoxic prescriptions. You need to let your physician know or look up your prescription on Google. Sometimes the tinnitus goes away but it also could become permanent.

  4. I also have this annoying thing, and my ENT and audiologist suggested I sleep with my cochlear implant on and keep a fan on. It works…sort of. The other thing I noticed, when I DO sleep with it off (as I get a REALLY bad headache if I have it on ALL the time), I have to wake up before putting it on, or else I will have a horrible ringing in my ears PLUS a headache. Silly me, I did that this morning, put my implant on right away before I was fully awake!

  5. I’m experiencing an interesting twist on my “normal” and fortunately subdued high pitch whistle … the pounding of my heart. While I’m immensely reassured to hear things are working away, it is making sleeping a bit of a challenge. Kind of like living beside a rock ‘n roll concert hall, without the benefits of star gazing.
    I’ve found that exercise is a good remedy.

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