New Here, Not Too New to Tinnitus

Hi. I'm 32 - turning 33 in a wk. Had T for a year now, wasn't so bad at first, I habituated and largely forgot about it. Now it's worse, and that got me worrying, so I scoured the net looking for anything of a resolution (or healthy form of relief). Most of us know what T is like, so I won't get descriptive about it. I'm probably (sadly) the cause of it myself, being an artist, and being in a very 'sound sensitive' residence for many a year, got me into the habit of using headphones while working. I didn't play the music too loud, but loud enough (and over enough time) that now I have T.

Have most found that overtime T gets better (less obtrusive)? This is my hope. It's been so obtrusive and hard to deal with lately, thrown me into an utter depression at the thought of being so young and already having ringing in my ears like this (scary actually).

What have others with an early onset of T found to have happen with it overtime?

***note I have stopped w/the headphones! I now protect me ears, but my life line is still my fan and Dohm white noise machine***

Wish you all the best!!! And hope you all good T days and few bad T days.

 

How bad is your tinnitus? And yeah, no more headphones...I recommend http://www.generalfuzz.net/acrn/, as it can help lower your t and mask it. Good luck mate!

 

I'm 18 and have tinnitus, and there are people who get it at an even younger age. It's best not to focus on it at all because once you do, it just starts a snowball effect of bad thoughts. (i.e. why do I have this? why me? I'm too young! What did I do wrong? etc.) Just know that it could be much worse and ONLY focus on the positive things in YOUR life and everything that's going for you. I know it's hard and i definitely get sucked into the bubble of bad thoughts but just pop the bubble and really just think about everything that IS going for you.

 

I appreciate the replies - Michael and Danny. Danny that is an interesting app they way it matches difference frequencies of noise. I'll play around w/it more. Michael, thanks for the response, you are right in so many ways!

 

There's a weird cycle with tinnitus. I can only tell you mine but it now includes what I believe are some valuable lessons from this forum. First, what my cycle was:

1 - I knew the word tinnitus meant ringing in the ears. 2 - I heard a beep or brief sound. 3 - I ignored the occasional beep because it wasn't ringing in the ears. 4 - I didn't understand it other than it was in my head. 5 - That happened infrequently at first for years, in all likelihood. But tinnitus meant ringing in the ears. Loop - Goto 3rd sentence.

Then eureka! It got worse and I knew it was tinnitus literally one night. I don't like not understanding something. I got lost in the noise and it appeared to get even worse.

-- more stuff happened but I'm trying to keep it simple --

I found this cool forum we're on. Posters said repeatedly what one part boiled down to - emotions, like focusing on the fear of the tinnitus, increase tinnitus. It appeared to be that way for me. A few nights ago, we were out with friends. They all got into a heated discussion (and normally, there's nothing wrong with that except ... I get blasting tinnitus). In a reflex response, I tossed my hands in the center of the table and signed STOP! I apologized and calmly explained the results of intense emotions increase tinnitus for me. Having been a bit of an activist earlier in life makes this tough to do - not getting into heated discussions.

Check it out with yourself and see if it rings true with you. Do focused and heightened emotions create an
increase of buzz in your head? It may not. But if it does, do something about it.

Good luck and I believe you're in a great and safe forum for what it's worth.

 

No problem, hope it helps! I use it to go to sleep.

 

Stress and depression can make tinnitus worse, so I'd recommend some calming exercises.

 

Hi am new to this forum I had this T for about 10 years and it just doesn't go away

 

Hey! Nice to have you here! 10 years!! That's such a long time and I wish it would just go away....

 

, I agree. I'd have to find a calm space (in my mind) to do calming exercises and I get that in part walking in the woods with the pup. If it's not raining, we get out once or 2x day. With other issues going on, I'm finally going to try acupuncture.

 

Yes acupuncture I heard it worked

 

What treatments are their for tentis?

 

Thanks everyone! Thanks Brianna for your wonderful words and some really wonderful advice. Stress has a huge effect on T.

The thing I find the hardest is getting sleep! It's so hard to get sleep! Sleep aids only get you so far.

Have any of you tried a Tinnitus Masker? The in-ear devices that produce white noise? Do these help? I'm looking at getting a pair (Yes I have bilateral tinnitus in both ears). This is for day to day - my office is has ambient noise, so I generally don't notice it - but our office might be moved to one that does not have ambient noise... any advice?

 

Have any of you tried a Tinnitus Masker? The in-ear devices that produce white noise? Do these help? I'm looking at getting a pair (Yes I have bilateral tinnitus in both ears). This is for day to day - my office is has ambient noise, so I generally don't notice it - but our office might be moved to one that does not have ambient noise... any advice?[/QUOTE]
I have a white noise masker and I would say, if you don't have reactive tinnitus they can help...But if your tinnitus reacts to the masker then well, you're gonna get a spike. William Shatner uses them and rates them. I got mine free on the NHS.

 

I don't think there's an absolute one-size-fits-all when it comes to tinnitus or habituation, but I think that with the right mindset (and perhaps with the many approaches that you can read about on this forum) tinnitus - as you say - can get less obtrusive/annoying over time. It's called habituation. Yes, the noise is still there, but you're brain has figured out over time that the tinnitus isn't a threat, but rather meaningless collateral noise and so it gets tuned out like the sound of an air conditioner or a fan or a grandfather clock that chimes every fifteen minutes, etc.

 

I hope I can habituate, luckily trobalt and keppra lowers mine down to a 1-2...I was a 10 beforehand, but I don't know if it's permanent. Luckily my hyperacusis is gone...I think that amplified my tinnitus as it amplified sounds, so who know? I know someone who is deaf with tinnitus and that is crazy how he can handle it!

 

I meant to add (before mistakenly posting my previous input) that even once you habituate to tinnitus, that's no guaranty that your tinnitus might not later change, get louder, add new noises and so on.

That has happened to many folks here and it's happening to me now after first onset back in 2006 (past 4 months or so since mine changed). Then, you are faced with having to habituate all over again. Maybe that will be easier now that you've done it once. Maybe not; maybe it will be as hard the second (or third) time as it was the first time. That seems like what it's going to be for me, unfortunately.

All the best!

 

Well, I hope by then Autifony's drug will be out! Let's hope it's fast tracked and will be out within 4-5 years!

 

Hi guys has any one ever experienced tinnitus and vertigo ?