Specific ~180 Hz Sine-Wave Tone Can Turn My Buzzing Tinnitus Sound On/Off

Dear everyone,

My name is Rinz. A tinnitus veteran of 20 years. I posted a couple of times on the forum over the last years. Basically I have been able to lead my life normally without being bothered (too much) by tinnitus. However, since yesterday morning a new buzzing sound appeared in my head which is now constantly there.

I have posted earlier that (since 2019) I have become sensitive to particular frequencies (they seem to get louder in my brain; maybe hyperacusis?) for example frequencies around 330 Hz somehow get amplified. This was no huge problem, because I could try to avoid these frequencies if I encountered them (like not play a certain key on a piano or something).

However, I now discovered the craziest thing with the new buzzing sound (which is quite penetrating and irritating) I can make it almost completely disappear if I play a sine-wave tone of around 180 Hz. So, I play the tone, the buzzing is off, but the moment I turn the sine-wave tone of, its there again. This, to me, seems related to my sensitivity for particular frequencies. What I mean is, it seems not simply to be a "new sound" (perhaps instigated due to trauma or whatever) but it really seems related to particular parameters of my hearing system.

I have to say that I have been under some stress for the last month as I have been moving from one country back to my home country. So, I was willing to accept (before discovering I could simply turn it off) that it was due to stress and I should be patient and life will return to normal after a while (which is my normal coping strategy).

Why I think this buzzing might not dissipate so easily, is because the other "frequency sensitive" parameters have not improved since I discovered them. In other words, I did not get "less sensitive" to frequencies around 300 Hz. However, if they were not there, it was also no problem (I didn't hear any buzzing or something).

So, the new part is therefore that I hear buzzing in absence of a certain frequency (roughly 180 Hz, so maybe sine-wave sounds around 178 Hz~182 Hz). What does this mean in your opinion? Could it for example be that a specific hair cell (or set of hair cells) is damaged (say the hair cells around 180 Hz) but if I present a sound in a similar frequency range, those hair cells start buzzing and make the damaged hair cells fire once again?

I mean, maybe I am wrong (I am not a doctor or audiologist) but I thought many scientists believe that tinnitus sounds are caused by the brain expecting a certain input but in its absence start pumping up the gain to listen for that specific input and this is what causes tinnitus. So, somehow my brain might have started to get deprived for sounds around 180hz and it its absence turned open the gain for this specific frequency?

I just wondered whether some of you have the same experience that turning on/off a certain frequency really blocks or instigates a buzzing sound in your brain.

QUESTION: Would you recommend that I turn on 180 Hz for the night so I can get some sleep? or do you think it might be unwise/dangerous for me to continuously listen to a sine-wave sound of a specific frequency? Could that damage my system even further?

Lastly, what are your thoughts of it disappearing by itself? I have had loud buzzing sounds in the past though they were not as irritating or present as this one (and I did not check at that time I could turn them off using a certain frequency).

Thank you very much for any insight you could provide. Naturally, I will visit a doctor/audiologist next week any tips on foods/drinks to use (or to avoid) in the mean while with respect to damaging hair cells?

Kind regards,
Rinz

 

You could always make some noise in Audacity and center it around 180 Hz.

I think getting good sleep makes more sense, just keep the noise low enough that it isn't causing damage (so enough that the tone is gone).

I know what low frequency is like, and it is unfun and impossible to sleep with unlike high pitch ringing.

 

Hello Rinz,

I may have experienced something remotely similar. While comparing my tinnitus to various sine waves to find out which frequency it's at, I noticed that my tinnitus disappeared when playing these tones.

I figured it would be a good idea to play these tones intermittently through earbuds all night. Unfortunately these tones didn't stop me from waking up in the dead of night from the noise in my head. Additionally I was developing a dysacusis that made it very unpleasant to listen to music.

The dysacusis went away some time after I stopped using these tones. The tinnitus is still there.

Your mileage may vary, especially since I played not 180 Hz but 10 kHz tones if I remember correctly. Like I said, I may have experienced something remotely similar. And I am not a doctor, nor otherwise qualified for anything.

 

Hi Rainer,

Thanks for your message. Did you also experience that some frequencies make it worse like a standing wave in your brain?

How is your situation now? Did you get used to the tinnitus again?

Thanks for your answer in any case.

Rinz

 

Does anybody know how it's possible that if I play a simple 180 Hz tone, the crazy buzzing in my head goes away? But once I turn it off it seems I am living next door to a loud club. I have never experienced this in my life. And I am a tinnitus veteran of more than 20 years now. I really hope it goes away or I can habituate to it.

Anybody have the same or similar experience?

 

Hello again.

You mean, like your 330 Hz phenomenon? I'm not aware of that.

Not really, to be honest. In the previous month I had seven good days, "good" in the sense that I would be content if it stayed that way even if the noise isn't totally gone. I always hope that that was the end of it, but alas, it always comes back in an annoying way .

de rien

 

Yes, but considering it goes away I'd say you are overwhelming the damaged area with a signal.

Which... is probably bad to do as that area is already damaged.

Brown noise, if it helps, would be a better bet so long as it's low volume (to even out the impact).

I have something similar, and yes, I started getting dysacusis too.

 

Thank you Matchbox for your reply. I will look into brown noise then!

 

I am just wondering... Does no one have the same thing as I have now?

I play a low sine wave sound around 180 Hz and my buzzing disappears. If I stop playing it, it immediately returns and it's kind of pulsating.

Really? Nobody on this forum has this experience? It's so weird. I have no idea what is happening. Also sometimes when people talk and their voice includes this frequency it's like on off on off on off while I listen to them. It's really really strange.

What could cause this? I have no idea.

 

People generally try not to live here.

Many people like me have certain rings that if the right frequency is played, it goes away (I have one at 4 kHz, another at 380 Hz but that is intermittent).

I also managed to hear a sawtooth wave which definitely made me worse (I was experimenting with my dysacusis)... in the lower frequencies which "was" masking some buzzing I had.

I think if you damage the lower frequencies, that damage imo seems to be more severe and aggravation isn't a great idea.

 

The phenomenon of the tinnitus "suppression" after hearing a matching tone is called "residual inhibition". There is a treatment based on that premise, the Levo System. Basically they mimic your tinnitus sound and then you play the sound while sleeping. I tried it myself, it didn't help much but I think certain people did benefit from it. There should be data in this community. If I were you, I would be VERY careful on playing a sound while asleep by yourself. If you have hearing loss, for example, you may be turning up the volume to hear a particular tone beyond a safe volume and that would cause further damage.

On the other hand, I am experiencing a very similar experience to you regarding my tinnitus. I used to have a high-pitched sound, but now I have a new tone at around 330 Hz, which, like you, seems to "resonate" more with some sounds. I sometimes hear it on the street louder than in my home. Do you still experience this? This new tone came on after a mild sound exposure in my case, I'm still hoping it might go away or decrease. I am familiar with tinnitus, but this "resonance" thing seems very odd to me.