My first post. Want to start by saying hello to fellow suffers. I have been lurking on this forum for some time now having contracted tinnitus about 3 months ago. I am not optimistic it is going to go away anytime soon… including seeing my doctor. Because I have a background in science, I tend to dive into the deep end and of course tinnitus as I have learned is the veritable black hole of maladies. I kind of look at it like... a broken stereo amplifier nobody knows how to fix. Of course its organic nature makes is most difficult to repair as we all have learned together.
Because individual health is a critical factor to how we get this in the first place, a few words about me. I am a health nut and just turned 62 and don't even have grey hair. When I contracted this, I had a complete physical including full panel of blood work. Everything looks perfect… blood pressure, low cholesterol, normal blood sugar etc. I am uber fit and avid cyclist and grew up swimming competitively and honestly had heard of tinnitus but always thought it was for somebody else until that day arrived for me. I have good overall hearing and hadn't had tinnitus thru six decades of life. My tinnitus seemed to result from an episode of not feeling well and I am a guy who always has felt pretty good because I guard my health so carefully and do about 2 hours of cardio a day. So this has been a huge adjustment and I am trying not to be too depressed about it but it is the proverbial elephant in the room as it no doubt is more most of us. I will say further that 50 years from now, resolution to tinnitus and many other diseases will be passé. We sadly live in the stone age of medicine.
There are many here that know a lot about this disease and I would like to ask your technical opinion. Not sure exactly what good asking the question is... but it may at least direct me toward a given avenue of research.
Below is one of the best videos I have seen which addresses brain chemistry and emotion and basic cause and effect of tinnitus:
Btw, I want to caveat the above video and emphatically state, I don't subscribe to what they are selling in the video as a viable solution to tinnitus... because if it where legit, it would be more widely utilized and it isn't. So I am very dubious creating a sound signature combative of cortex misfiring is feasible or effective in the least. In fact comprising such an algorithm seems highly impractical because it doesn't seem possible to even deduce such an algorithm... impossible to discern what signature to put in place to reverse tinnitus would be specific to any of us... and if auditory misfiring is even mechanical or rather a chemical imbalance etc that couldn't be changed by sound subjection. Nonetheless, I do believe in my case, my issue may be more brain based or my auditory cortex gone amuck for unknown reason and will briefly explain why.
My tinnitus is like a high frequency hiss. My tinnitus varies from what I would call enraged...like locus on a hot summer night on a dark road in the country with the car windows down....and most distracting... to my tinnitus subsiding to almost inaudible... or a very feint tingling of very high frequency notes. So my question to those more expert than I certainly... because my tinnitus is so variable... and my hearing is generally good...highs, lows and mid range frequency response seems pretty good in both ears... my thought is...one days or rather hours of relief when my tinnitus simmers down closer to normal hearing function, my cochlea has to be performing more normally. This would suggest no or little hair loss within the cochlea. So it seems to make sense that my auditory cortex which apparently can even be evaluated with a CAT scan... seems to be the culprit of what is wrong in my case or at least what I suspect. Btw, I have done the usual things from neck adjustment to modify my diet with virtually no influence. Further, I have no idea why what I believe my auditory cortex is more haywire hour to hour or day to day either. Seems like I have almost a sensitivity to brain chemistry that triggers this hyperactive chatter talked about in the video. So that is my premise. If my tinnitus once in a while almost goes away, my cochlea must be OK and my issue must be associated with my auditory cortex. What do you think?
If anybody who has taken a dive into the research on this would like to either agree or refute my thinking, I would sure appreciate it. I have to say that I am pretty astounded that more drugs for example aren't available to perhaps quiet the auditory cortex... or promote more uniform communication between brain and cochlea... or an intervening stimulation or even a companion pace maker of electrical stimulation or similar. No doubt this technology will come with time and of course we all wonder when.
Thanks for any thought and I am grateful to all of you for your words of advice.
Because individual health is a critical factor to how we get this in the first place, a few words about me. I am a health nut and just turned 62 and don't even have grey hair. When I contracted this, I had a complete physical including full panel of blood work. Everything looks perfect… blood pressure, low cholesterol, normal blood sugar etc. I am uber fit and avid cyclist and grew up swimming competitively and honestly had heard of tinnitus but always thought it was for somebody else until that day arrived for me. I have good overall hearing and hadn't had tinnitus thru six decades of life. My tinnitus seemed to result from an episode of not feeling well and I am a guy who always has felt pretty good because I guard my health so carefully and do about 2 hours of cardio a day. So this has been a huge adjustment and I am trying not to be too depressed about it but it is the proverbial elephant in the room as it no doubt is more most of us. I will say further that 50 years from now, resolution to tinnitus and many other diseases will be passé. We sadly live in the stone age of medicine.
There are many here that know a lot about this disease and I would like to ask your technical opinion. Not sure exactly what good asking the question is... but it may at least direct me toward a given avenue of research.
Below is one of the best videos I have seen which addresses brain chemistry and emotion and basic cause and effect of tinnitus:
Btw, I want to caveat the above video and emphatically state, I don't subscribe to what they are selling in the video as a viable solution to tinnitus... because if it where legit, it would be more widely utilized and it isn't. So I am very dubious creating a sound signature combative of cortex misfiring is feasible or effective in the least. In fact comprising such an algorithm seems highly impractical because it doesn't seem possible to even deduce such an algorithm... impossible to discern what signature to put in place to reverse tinnitus would be specific to any of us... and if auditory misfiring is even mechanical or rather a chemical imbalance etc that couldn't be changed by sound subjection. Nonetheless, I do believe in my case, my issue may be more brain based or my auditory cortex gone amuck for unknown reason and will briefly explain why.
My tinnitus is like a high frequency hiss. My tinnitus varies from what I would call enraged...like locus on a hot summer night on a dark road in the country with the car windows down....and most distracting... to my tinnitus subsiding to almost inaudible... or a very feint tingling of very high frequency notes. So my question to those more expert than I certainly... because my tinnitus is so variable... and my hearing is generally good...highs, lows and mid range frequency response seems pretty good in both ears... my thought is...one days or rather hours of relief when my tinnitus simmers down closer to normal hearing function, my cochlea has to be performing more normally. This would suggest no or little hair loss within the cochlea. So it seems to make sense that my auditory cortex which apparently can even be evaluated with a CAT scan... seems to be the culprit of what is wrong in my case or at least what I suspect. Btw, I have done the usual things from neck adjustment to modify my diet with virtually no influence. Further, I have no idea why what I believe my auditory cortex is more haywire hour to hour or day to day either. Seems like I have almost a sensitivity to brain chemistry that triggers this hyperactive chatter talked about in the video. So that is my premise. If my tinnitus once in a while almost goes away, my cochlea must be OK and my issue must be associated with my auditory cortex. What do you think?
If anybody who has taken a dive into the research on this would like to either agree or refute my thinking, I would sure appreciate it. I have to say that I am pretty astounded that more drugs for example aren't available to perhaps quiet the auditory cortex... or promote more uniform communication between brain and cochlea... or an intervening stimulation or even a companion pace maker of electrical stimulation or similar. No doubt this technology will come with time and of course we all wonder when.
Thanks for any thought and I am grateful to all of you for your words of advice.
