Am I Lucky? Do I Have Mild or Moderate Tinnitus?

First got tinnitus in 2008, it was audible only in a quiet room. Over the years it became apparent only if I listened out for it.

Fast forward to 2017, it's became apparent again, however only noticeable in a silent room, or if I'm in a quiet environment long enough. It's a hiss and a light eeeee.

Throughout the day it is barely heard. I put this down to since 2008 I knew T could become louder and permanent, so I've avoided loud noise since, although I have gone to a few loud places since - I've took regularly breaks and wore ear plugs (2 concerts last year)

My question is, I'm I lucky? Do I have mild or moderate T? Also, my reaction to it was severe - I've been in hospital with depression due to obsessing over this noise? It's been months now and I'm still in the same boat!

I have an appointment at the t clinic next week.

 

Hi @Paulmanlike. Depression often accompanies tinnitus. I am sorry to hear that your depression required h a hospital stay. I understand how hearing sound where there should not be any can be difficult to handle. I am not a doctor, so I cannot say with certainty if yours is mild or moderate, but if it helps you figure it out, I hear mine always. I have tried earbuds playing music from my iPhone and I cannot block out the ringing I hear, regardless of how high I set the volume (I do stop at a point as I do not want to cause additional damage), even to the point where there person I was trying to explain the problem to said "I can tell how loud you have it, I can hear the music form here".

There is hope; there are many success stories on this forum and am sure you will find help, comfort, and hope in the various posts.

I wish you luck with your appointment. Please let us know how it works out, we are always here to support if the answer you receive are not what yo were hoping for, and to celebrate any good news you receive.

 

Thank you @Kolisar

Of course I will keep my experiences with the t clinic posted.

I can't even tell my frequency, sometimes there is a slight hissing sometimes not, then this light ring that seems worse in the night, like a eeeee but not particularly a very high pitch. But it's not constant, it's always there but like eee.........eeeeeeeeeee....eee.

The closest I could describe it too would be that of a boiler from the central heating, the higher pitch you hear.

 

@Paulmanlike
Sounds like a morse code type?... no? Meh.

I used to get that. No more.

 

It's just an intermittent eeeeee unfortanlty Not a long pause in between them tho.

I don't know if it's harder to habituate as i can't hear it all day, everyday? Miss sitting in a quiet room though enjoying the peace....

 

@Paulmanlike
Ditto
And so much more!...

 

Someone in another post (I can't find it now) shared this link to a site that should help find your frequency http://generalfuzz.net/acrn/ . I have not tried it yet, but hope to use to to identify the tones I hear (multiple pitches, along with hissing).

 

I tried that link, with no success. Still mega hard to find my frequency!

 

I don't think you're lucky. Lucky people don't get tinnitus, at least not that lasts. The fact that you can only hear it in a quiet room seems to indicate to me it's mild.

 

Lucky.

Very mild

 

It seems as those your sound level is very mild but your emotional response is severe. And that's okay, there is no right or wrong way to have tinnitus. If it's severe to you, than it's severe.

But that said, oh my goodness I would seriously love it if I only heard my tinnitus in a quiet room. It would be far easier for me to habituate if I didn't spend all day, everyday having to hear a high pitch screech that gets louder in response to different sounds. Or if I didn't have severe hearing loss, which makes it difficult to hear anything but my tinnitus.

Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side?

 

Thanks for replies guys....

I remember leaving a night club when I first got T, it was LOUD, I guess I should be thankful that it reduced to this even though it never went away entirely...

 

You are damn lucky !
I would never go to concerts or any loud events if I were you . Thats the sacrifice you would have to make .

 

I don't plan too, I've been weary since my onset since 08 although I have once or twice with protection and being very cautious.

 

I know a few people with mild t that still attend concerts with no problems. T is a very individual condition.

 

Doesn't bother me not going, I won't risk making it worse since my reaction has been severe enough to it to land me in hospital.

 

When I got it first time , it was so damn loud !.
It became very silent and I almost forgot about it . I went to concert once in 2012 and it back with the vengeance for 3-4 months !

 

Did it eventually go away? Mine wasn't hearing loss induced, at least not immediately after. I think it might have been my high blood pressure, or a med, combined with lots of headphone usage. It seems to go down after a long period of preoccupying myself and being in a room with the same sound(s).

 

Mine is noise induced T ..I still have it since 2011.

 

Sounds mild indeed... mine was bang out of nowhere and got louder until it settled to today's volume.

Just carry on being careful, have background noise when you need it and work on your reaction...

 

What kind of concert? Was it loud? Did you use plugs?

 

I got T because of apple ear phones.

 

I would say you are less unlucky than people with more serious afflictions, but hesitate to ever tell someone they are "lucky" for having a malady they find distressing.

 

I'm going to the T-clinic tomorrow in the UK, they will give me an assessment and recommend one of their products for treatment (if I decide to pursue it)

The one of particular interest to me is ACRN therapy - the only therapy that claims to reduce the volume of tinnitus. You can read about the science behind it on their website.

I'm hoping that because my T is "mild" it may become even less so that I won't obsess over it more.

 

If it doesn't bother you day in day out . I normally would leave it alone . But it's your call.
I generally have mild T and I don't want any meds or therapy .
If I have spike then it's a difference case .

 

What happens during a spike? New tones or the same one but louder?

 

I know Sean but what I was thinking, if mine is mild enough anyway then maybe I could get near complete remission of tinnitus; to a volume that is barely noticeable In the night.

 

More or less same tone with loud volume .