Do I Have Tinnitus?

[LG8]

hi, new here

I'm trying to decern whether I actually have tinitus, or whether what I'm experiencing is normal.

What I can here is an incredibly high pitched sound. I can't really tell which ear it's in or if it's in both, but it's really, really faint and barely there.

I've been looking around the forum and notice that most of you have it really bad to the point where it's a serious irritant and drives you mad.
Mine isn't,
If I sit and think about it I can hear it I think. but I never notice it throughout the day, and I'm doubting whether it's actually there or not or whether I'm being hypersensitive (I have extreme health anxiety)
Sometimes I feel I can't hear it at all.

Any ideas?

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Jason C]

Tinnitus*

I doubt you have T, have you been exposed too loud noise??

Before I got t back in may this year I would often lay on my bed after a shower in complete silence and I could always create a kind of noise in my head from the silence (if that makes sense) I would describe it as the sound of silence. I know now this sensation is the brains natural noise, it isnt tinnitus and if anything broke the silence it was gone instantly. I did worry about getting tinnitus and just like you I had a fair amount of health anxiety.

If you have t you know all about it.

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi LG8,

Have you taken any medications lately? Ringing in the ears may be a side effect.

 

[Jomo]

The fact that you cant tell what ear its comming from sounds like you have T...its really not in your ears...its in your head...you sound like you have a very mild case but i would still see an ENT right away...take this as a warning since it is light and protect your ears. Best of luck.

 

[MikeL1972]

The fact that you cant tell what ear its comming from sounds like you have T...its really not in your ears...its in your head...you sound like you have a very mild case but i would still see an ENT right away...take this as a warning since it is light and protect your ears. Best of luck.

Exactly! Once ear wax is ruled out as the culprit, tinnitus shifts to being a cerebral condition.

 

[Michael Leigh]

If I sit and think about it I can hear it I think. but I never notice it throughout the day, and I'm doubting whether it's actually there or not or whether I'm being hypersensitive (I have extreme health anxiety)
Sometimes I feel I can't hear it at all.

@LG8 I understand your concern but don't agree with what you are doing. Many people will hear faint tinnitus in a very quiet environment, this has been proven and is well documented. Try to get out of the habit of deliberately focusing on the faint sound that you are hearing as you could make it become more prominent. It is for this reason anyone with intrusive tinnitus should try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings particularly at night by using a sound machine.
Try to have some background music playing at low level or nature sounds to help prevent you focusing on the faint tinnitus like sound that you hear. In time you will forget about it. If you listen to music through headphones keep the volume low or better still don't listen to music through headphones.

Michael

 

[Candy]

Lots of people have some level of T, if it's mild it doesn't affect them and they carry on leading a normal life. I have a friend who has that type of t...very faint, basically it's not an issue...he forgets he has it.
Most of us on here have t that cuts through every sound and is largely present throughout the day...many get used to this, it's called habituation.