Low Frequency Tinnitus

Hi, I have just joined this forum and I am now trying to find someone that has also the low frequency tinnitus. I have the high frequency tinnitus in my left ear (whistle / ringing) quite loud and I have the low frequency tinnitus in my right ear (car engine and glass vibration).

From what I have read, most of the people here have the high pitch variation. In my personal case, the low pitch variation affects me much more.

I totally ignore my high pitch tinnitus but I am obsessed with my low pitch tinnitus.

Anyone else has low pitch tinnitus? Like an engine, a vibration?

Thanks!

 

You just described me!

I have been struggling with the drone/generator sound for 3 years now.

It's absolutely horrible.

When on a low side it's somewhat bearable but when it goes up my whole head vibrates with the noise.

I know that high pitch is not a breeze but this is much much worse I believe.

This is where the pitch comes into play.

I fully understand what you are going through.

 

Rachel, I just joined this forum because of your post. I've had a high pitch ringing in my ears for years, that I was used to and could ignore.

But my new form, which started in April, is mostly low frequency sounds and they are much worse! I have the same sounds and sensations you describe, a low motor noise that can make my whole head vibrate, etc. I also sometimes have what sound like pipe organ pedal tones, which randomly change octaves, and other times a bass drum pounding away. I consider it a good day if the sounds are soft or medium loud and if my ears stay pretty open. A bad day is when the sounds get really loud and one or both ears close up. I haven't yet found any kind of pattern to this... It seems totally random.

I am able to sleep though, because I also have fibromyalgia and for that I take 1 Tramadol and 1 mg of Klonopin at night. You might want to try a sleep aid of some kind... It really helps, and good sleep is essential. Good luck!

 

I am so GLAD to have discovered this site. A few years ago, I started hearing what I thought was an idling train or big truck engine near our house. I had been hearing a high pitched squeal for 50 years or so, but this was different. I got on my scooter and drove down to the nearbv switching yard where there was also a truck stop, looking for the source of the sound. Nothing. Finally, today, with this site, I have come to realize that tinnitus can be low pitched as well as high pitched, and the engine/generator sound some of you describe is IT! I may not be able to do anything about it, but at least I know I'm not crazy. Not on this point, anyway.

 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one with both high and low tinnitus problems. Like many other people, I had high tinnitus first in one ear, and then the low frequency tinnitus buzzing started decades later.

In desperation, I found a doctor willing to cut the inner ear muscles, in the hope that the buzzing was caused by them spasming. After the operation, I had packing in my ear for a week, to allow the eardrum to heal. I still heard the buzzing after the operation, but by the time I had the packing out, I found I had some relief from the buzzing during the day. I was able to stay in a quiet room without hearing it. Although the buzzing still returned late at night, and also if I lied down during the day.

But when the outside temperature cooled, the the air conditioning at work and home was no longer needed. I experienced extended period of times of very little background noise, and that seems to have caused the buzzing to return again. Although I can't say for sure if that was the cause. Maybe it would have come back anyway. In any event, it's almost constant, unless I have low frequency background noise to drown it out (or suppress it, I'm not which is really happening).

My puzzle is, what caused this partial relief. Was it the fact that having packing in my ear for a week, settled down the neurons or brain, long enough to temporarily change my brain pattern? I'm almost wanting to ask the doctor to put in packing for a week and see if I obtain relief again. But it would still likely be a temporarily solution.

Has anyone tried wearing an snug fitting ear plug of some sort (silicon or customized), for an extended period of days, to see if blocking noise would have an effect? I have worn a silicon plug for a whole day in the past, but eventually I have the desire to take it out, because it becomes to irritating to the ear. Someday, I'll try to force myself to keep it in for a significant number of days, and see if that achieves anything!

FWIW, I've read a paper that theorizes that there are sections of the ear structure, that basically not much is known about, which could be the cause of some forms of tinnitus. Also, a lot of medicines can cause tinnitus. But since it's considered a rare side effect, people aren't warned about it. For example, both Lyrica and Neurontin were triggers for my very low frequency hum. Although I had experienced the hum before taking those medicines, it had mysteriously gone away on it's own. I also notice, that this hum, gets worse, when I simply lie down! So at least for me, my extremely irritating hum, is probably due to several factors.

The more I mention to people that I have tinnitus, the more people I discover that also have it. One woman told me, hers started, simply due to a minor fender bender accident!

I'll bet if you take people who live in a noisy city like New York city, and put them in a very quiet environment, you'll find that a lot of them have tinnitus that, they aren't aware of. Because I do absolutely fine in a an environment that has constant background noise. At night, when it's quiet, my low frequency hum revs up to very annoying levels (in only one ear, thankfully). Summer is my happy season, because of the air conditioning that is running, wherever I am. I suspect that the only solution for a lot of people, is to try and find environments, which can distract the brain, so that people don't notice their tinnitus as much.

 

I'm new here too. I also have the low frequency, humming type of ringing in my left ear. I had it in 2016 for about 2 weeks than in 2017 for some days and now for a week.

What makes me really scared that back then when the noise stopped it stayed that way, but now, these week it started on Monday, I actually thought that somewhere in the blockhouse one of my neighbour's operating a washing machine. It stopped on Wednesday, came back Thursday night, yesterday no buzzing, but today, from waking up, I've been having the humming. I haven't slept more than 2 hours for a week, and reading all your stories, I know that it's going to be even worse, but I'm miserable. My whole head is vibrating, and I don't know what to do. Tomorrow I'll go to the audiologist, but I'm not too hopeful.

I'm 31, tomorrow is actually my birthday, I can't really think that I could live like this without any relief.

 

If you can't sleep, find a doctor who knows how to prescribe correct sleep meds. Without that for me, the noise would be way too loud for me to sleep much. And if you don't get good sleep, you will be more likely to be anxious and suicidal.

My noise used to drive me to suicidal thoughts. But then I remember that whenever I take a trip to a noisy city like NYC, my hum basically doesn't bother me at all. So if I have to retire from my job, where I have noise background, I'm moving to a city. Because my home is too quiet. At least during the fall and spring. During the summer and winter, my air conditioners and heat provide good background noise.

Meanwhile, a silicon ear plug at home works good when it's very quiet. Foam earplugs don't provide enough of a mouldable tight fit. Does putting your finger in your ear help you?

 

Yes, it does. If I cover my ear very, very tightly creating a vacuum, it stops. If I put my finger in it and press it quite a bit, it stops too. I tried foam earplugs, and nothing, still vibrating as hell. I'm actually at the beginning of examining this thing, I'm pretty sure I will end up at a psychiatrist.

 

I think this condition needs to be more recognized by ear doctors. In any event, here are some of the situations when my hum started and stopped several times. While I might have mentioned all of this in a previous post, I'm going to add one more thing at the end, which is new.

During my first bout, which seemed to occur out of nowhere, I convinced an ear doctor to give me a muscle relaxant, as I thought my problem was an inner ear spasm. I took Flexeril, and it appeared to help. Eventually I stopped it (I can't remember how long I took it) and the hum stayed away.

About a year or so later, the hum occurred again, after I tried taking Lyrica or Neurontin, to help with cornea pain. I stopped the meds, because neither helped the cornea pain, and the hum disappeared. The cornea pain resolved on its own, thankfully.

Then I developed a constant headache (NDPH), which was caused by a routine procedure (perhaps a bad reaction to the meds that were given to me). The only thing that could treat the headache was Neurontin. I knew that I was taking a chance that the hum would return, but I couldn't function with a constant headache. The hum returned.

After I had surgery to cut all my inner ear muscles in that ear, it temporarily made the hum much less of a problem during the day, although I heard it when I lied down to either sleep or rest. After about 6 weeks, the constant hum returned.

2 weeks ago I had hernia surgery. Bizarrely, the hum was greatly decreased afterwards, just like after the ear surgery. Unfortunately, this effect only lasted after 4-6 days. What caused this? I have no freaking idea. Was it the anti-nausea meds? Was is it the anesthesia? The shot of blood thinner (Heparin), combined with Advil (which also thins the blood)? I would love to have the flexibility to try different meds and supplements, and throw everything at my condition, to see if the hum would go away. When I get through healing from my hernia surgery, I might go back to the doctor that did my ear surgery, and see my new observation from the hernia surgery, might help him to consider experimenting with other meds. FWIW! - Mark

 

I’ve still got low frequency tinnitus. Strange thing is that the low frequency tinnitus is usually worse in the morning (when my anxiety and stress is higher) or after exercise or after listen to music on headphones. Other times it’s faint and I can only hear it when I’m in quiet environments. The only way the low frequency tinnitus disappears is if I cover my affected ear.

 

Quick intervention here, because I feel for Team "Low Frequency Tinnitus".

11 months ago I woke up with a very low brrrrrrrrrrr noise in my right ear. I had an acoustic trauma 4 weeks before that, so pretty sure it is from that + building up for many years with loud unprotected raves and in ear headphones.

First 4 weeks were hell on earth.

I then moved down into the kitchen and slept there. Our kitchen has a ventilation system that is on 24/7. It is not loud but loud enough to keep my brain busy, it seems.

The moment I started sleeping in the kitchen, the low rumbling stopped.

11 months in now, and I've had the low rumble come back every now and then.
One way I can bring it back is by sleeping on my right ear (the low rumbling one), so by closing it off an entire night from any external sounds.

So - TL;DR: No, it is absolutely not dumb to assume that the low rumbling tinnitus will go away or you'll find a way to cage that beast. Absolutely not dumb.

In the mean time I also got high frequency static hiss and reactive tinnitus (MacBook fan noise and dishwasher triggers it). I'm currently following treatment with neuromodulation at Brai3n institute in Ghent, Belgium + as per their advice I am taking Deanxit which I am calling a miracle drug (for my tinnitus or the way I cope with it).

You'll get over it, I promise. Keep fighting. So many people have this.

 

Hi all! Joining the low frequency team now since April 30, 2021. It sounds like a distant lawn mower or engine going on. My anxiety and stress have been high but am also experiencing a lot of ear pressure and pain. Lots and lots of popping. New headache. I’ve had the high pitched ringing coming and going for years (since I was 8) but this new sound is scary and sort of bothers me.

What happened in April was my allergies and stuff got super bad. I recently switched to a new allergy medicine. There are also lots of people on my neighborhood suddenly taking out lawn mowers. I heard like ten in one day.

I have an ENT appointment on May 14th to get a hearing test done and a proper diagnosis. Yesterday my doctor pulled out a lot of earwax but that didn’t make a huge difference. Anyway I am glad I’m not the only one who hears this. So far going outside for walks and listening to white noise/music helps, although neighbor has been noisy for weeks making a new pool.

During the day it’s easier to deal with but at night it can be a bit of a pain.