When I Checked If I Could Hear My Tinnitus, I Noticed a New Form of Tinnitus

So, ironically, this week is my 4th Tinniversary.

I would class my tinnitus as mild. When I first got it I had a couple of bad months like everyone. I think I also had a bit of hyperacusis due to the tinny sound over the TV etc.

However, apart from a month or two last spring, I’ve not really been affected by my tinnitus. In fact, I got an email from here about a week ago and thought to myself “My tinnitus is so good, I bet it goes completely in a year or so!.”

Anyway...

So probably Thursday last week I was sat at work and thought I could hear my tinnitus… stupidly I checked and thought, “yes I can”. Even went to the toilet (small individual cubicle) and could hear a new form of tinnitus.

Now, I say new, but it is also kind of familiar, which kind of makes me think I might have had it a while, just not noticed it/or it’s gotten louder.

The problem I have it that it appears to be sneaky. It is in my left ear. If I close that ear it gets louder (of course), yet if I close both, it gets quieter.

I can hear it when I walk around, when I am outside, yet if I move into a quiet room, I can only really hear my “normal” tinnitus (come back normal tinnitus, all is forgiven!!).

I can hear it in my office… a big office. The problem is there’s so many things that make a similar noise (electric type things), then I don’t know if I am hearing it or not, so my brain keeps asking me.

The big bummer for me is hearing it outside. When walking along a quiet road I hear it, it goes when a car passes (drown out) then slowly comes back again.

I can also hear it in my car (when driving at 30mph and the music changes). Today, on the way to work, I turned my music all the way off and started to convince myself that I couldn’t hear it. I then got out my car and walked in to work without hear it. Forgot something, went back to my car. Still good.

Photocopying something that took ages, so when to the toilet, and there it was! Now I can’t unhear it!

Before going for a walk yesterday I was sat ready to put my shoes on (quiet room). Couldn’t hear it. Moved my arms and legs to put my shoes on... hear it!

My masking (fans) makes it louder/more intrusive (as does the TV at times and eating). Maybe cos my fan dulls my normal tinnitus and just leaves this “new” one around, I don’t know.

Not really sure what I’m asking.

I’ve never had a spike before (just normal fleeting tinnitus for a few seconds).

Does it sound like a normal spike? Reactive tinnitus?

I go from positive to negative thoughts to confusion, defiance and defeated.

A bit lost.

 

Hi there

My tinnitus is very changeable too. I get everything from escaping steam that reacts to my every movement, to a dentists drill in one ear, or else a loud ringing filling my head. Plus some other tones that I could go into! I've tried to stop understanding or controlling them, and told myself that variety is good, and if I don't like what it's doing now, just wait an hour or two! Hope this helps.

 

It's the positive vs negatives that's getting me.

Negatives;

• I've never had a spike before, somewhere deep down thinks it is permanent
• I keep reacting to other noise, not like loud noise, bit quiet noise like the general hum of an office
• I don't know how to stop "checking" it or thinking about it (pink elephant)

However, positives;

• Most spikes do go down/get used to them
• I mask it successfully at night without changing my routines; it hasn't affected my sleep (although waking up with anxiety, but that's to be expected)
• Although I heard it leaving the house this morning, its quiet so far. They fact it can be quiet means it can go away (leaving my baseline tinnitus)
• I'd slipped back into bad habits (headphone use, not excessive, but enough!) and poor diet. If this tinnitus stays and takes 10-20-% of my quality of life, I'll get that back from somewhere else (health etc!).
• I've habituated the first time (easy) and a second time (more intrusive tinnitus). This current spike is louder and just as intrusive as the second... so it'll be harder this time, but easier that a lot of people on here, and they've managed it!