The Sound of My Own Brain? Ringing in the Head, Not the Ears

Hi Everyone

I’m 24 years old, and I’ve been experiencing what I think is tinnitus for the past week and a half. There’s 3 different sounds I’m experiencing. The first two are a sort of ringing in my left and right ears, but my left ear is slightly lower in pitch than my right ear. They sound like a cross between Morse code, a tea kettle and a computer hard drive (weird I know).

The other sound, which is far more sinister for me, is almost so high pitched that it’s not a sound. The best way I can describe it is like the sound of being switched “on”. At first I thought it was the sound of silence (I.e. were never truly in silence unless in those special chambers). I don’t know whether it’s the sound of the universe, the sound of the neurons in my brain. It’s like hearing mist. I don’t even feel like it has a volume, it’s just there - although I feel like when I clench my teeth I get a really loud ringing. I don’t know if that’s a different sound entirely, or whether it’s linked to the misty sound.

The majority of tinnitus sufferers seem to talk about noise induced tinnitus and a ringing in their ears so I guess I’m posting this to see if there’s anybody out there who gets what I’m talking about. Like a ringing in your head, not your ears. It’s not louder then the sound around me but it’s almost more “present”. I feel like I need a neurologist not an ENT!

Anyway I’m rambling a bit but I just want to say I’m really grateful for this community because nobody in real life seems to get it. I don’t want it to start affecting me psychologically because it’ll upset the people around me as much as it upsets me.

I appreciate any responses and best wishes to anyone going through what I’ve described, or worse (or any kind of tinnitus problem).

 

I would like to add that sometimes, my ear feels like it’s hot kind of. And I also have a strange kind of pressure in my head all on my right side. Like I’m upside down and the blood is rushing to one side. I’m really really scared and although a lot of people seem to be able to get over noise related tinnitus, I’m so scared my issue is psychological and I, going to go mad

My mum said she saw fear on my face today and it made me want to break down, so I’m afraid if I let this all out in person I’m going to destroy her. So I guess this is my only outlet for support. Just need someone to tell me I’m not going mad and that even this kind of tinnitus, whatever it is, can get better too

 

My head tinnitus was my first tinnitus too. It went away after 2 years but now I have the usual ear ringing :/ I think fasting helped the brain sounds.

 

Thank you so so so so much for replying you have no idea what it means How did you adjust, I feel like I can hear my brain fuzz over the sound of everything

 

I have about 4-5 constant tones which sound exactly like you describe, it's very odd. I have another 4 sounds that come and go that are a little more classic ringing/beep type.

Like you, my constant tone, although not the loudest, seem to be impossible to mask, as if it's that internal.

 

This is exactly how I feel right now Like nothing will mask it

 

Head tinnitus is extremely common, and I have it.

For most people, when intrusive tinnitus first begins, that's the worst of it. What you have been experiencing, not only for "head" tinnitus, including the terror, strange sensations, new sounds, etc. usually get better over time.

There is no "sound of silence" in an anechoic chamber, for most people. Even if they don't normally have tinnitus in thier lived, studies have shown that if they spend a short time in one of those rooms, they will start hearing things.

 

Hey thanks for your reply! How are you doing with it? How long have you had it for and what was your cause? If you don’t mind answering and it’s not too intrusive

Thanks, I appreciate it!

 

I've had Tinnitus since the service (1963). I' m wandering if anyone else has a jump in noise within 1 minute of nodding off when tired? My right side always has a noise louder the my left. Also a note about the drug Gabapentin. Don' t take it!
My daughter had suicide tendencies when taking it. It
is a horrible side effect?

 

Hi David!

I’m sorry I can’t really help with your question, perhaps post it as a new thread in the general talk or support section of the website. Or even in “Introduce Yourself”. I’m positive you’re more likely to get a better response than I can give here.

 

On bad days my head tinnitus sounds like the high pitched whining noise of an airplane's jet engine combined with the sound of the shrieking brakes of a subway train coming to a stop. What's also interesting about my head tinnitus is that I also get the perception of pain associated with the tinnitus similar to the pain you may experience when you hear an unpleasant noise (nails on chalkboard) and you squint and "feel" the noise. The good thing is that the perception of pain is only present on really bad head tinnitus that isn't mask-able by any sounds.

 

@NeoKortex88 That's very interesting. My tinnitus is exclusively “brain” tinnitus. I will have fleeting tinnitus from time to time, but the internal sound never stops (going on 3 months now). So you had this internal tinnitus stop after 2 years? Was it sudden, or gradual over that time frame? What was the fasting schedule that you used?

 

I don't know if what I can say will help, as my tinnitus doesn't feel like its in my head, but when my tinnitus got unbearably loud a couple years ago I experienced high stress, depression, and hopelessness. I asked doctors and psychiatrists if my tinnitus was an hallucination or something of the sort. They said that hallucinations are typically more structured and orderly in that hallucinations are typically sounds of music or a familiar voice or voices talking to you or narrating your life. Plus hallucinations aren't like a single, persistent thing, like a ringing every moment of every day. This helped to put my mind at ease, knowing it wasn't me going mad. Don't know if that helps. Hope it does though.

 

Sorry for the late reply, I was not aware that there was a response, in the form of a question.

I had weird things happening in my ears and head for decades, sometimes my hearing on one side would just become very muffled. I got bad tinnitus, the head type, three years ago in the summer of 2017. I don't know the cause, probably noise as I worked in very noisy environments for years, and used earphones and headphones a lot, especially when riding the subway to and from work. I also had a lot of dental work over my entire life including implants.

My tinnitus is variable ("fluctuating"), but often I can hear above street noise, even in NYC which is LOUD. I don't know how to measure the decibels of tinnitus, but I can say that it's a lot louder than the music that goes up to 80 dB.

I'm in stage three of four of habituation, which is a great relief. Much of the time, I'm not aware of the T, and when I do hear it, it's not a major problem. I am back to listening to music on a regular basis, on my Hi Fi, not headphones. I just bought a new CD player, last week, and have been enjoying the rediscovery of my music collection, and plan to add more in the future.

There's no way to predict anything with T, so don't waste your energy with analyzing it, because most people's T improves, as well as their ability to ignore it if it stays around. Just take care of your ears and take precautions when around dangerously loud sounds.

 

Hi @Luman!
I developed intermittent t last November, so it's been about 8 months. I strongly believe it is from some migraine meds I was given, everything else seems highly unlikely. It can be near quiet one day, louder the next (bearable), and loudest the following day (intrusive) - then repeats a similar pattern. It hasn't changed since the onset. Although I do get some relief from this on quiet days, I am concerned that it will be difficult for me to habituate. It seems to come from the head, although when it starts up in the morning it seems to come from my right ear, where I have had feelings of a mild ache in the past (though that seems to have gone away). I do have some sound sensitivities (speaker phones), but otherwise not a major problem. I'm glad to hear that you have achieved level three of habituation. I finally have an appointment with an audiologist on Thursday, which I'm hoping will be able to help me cope. What have you found helpful on your journey? Did yours improve at all since the onset? I though I was doing okay, but lately I wake up early in a panic and lie in bed ruminating my life. I just want to feel a sense of normalcy, even if it takes some time. Thanks for your time!
Sarah

 

Same here. In my head and can be loud one day and near silent the next. Normalcy comes with time and kindness to yourself. When I have a bad day I sit there and say at least it is probably going to be quiet the next. I do something a lot of people don't recommend with my tinnitus. I listen to it in the quietness. What I found is overtime your mind will drift off to thoughts of other things. I have OCD so I am bound to have it on my mind more often but if you don't it might be easier for your mind to forget.

 

Hi @TomBradyGOAT ! Yes, I don't mask mine either - most of the time it is bearable and I can turn my attention to other things, and 99% of the time the next day is quieter. Sometimes I find myself more anxious on the quiet days tho...

 

So I hear you on this. What is weird is when I don't mask in the quiet meditating I am not bad off just listening to it. My mind drifts off to other things. BUT if I am working and I hear it, it may make me anxious. How can I be fine with no noise for masking and paying attention to it but when it happens while I am doing something my brain can freak out. The mind works in weird ways.