Well, nice forum! Hi.

I came across this site by accident, but I decided to sign up and introduce myself. I'm a 30-something-year old male. I'm not sure how long I've had tinnitus in my left ear for--I noticed it around 2005 but it's possible that I had it before but hadn't paid attention to it. Most of the time it's a constant high-pitch buzz/whistle. I don't really hear it when there's noise around me, but I can definitely hear it at night. Sometimes, however, it clicks when I walk, and sometimes the pitch goes up and down. But most of the time it's just a straight pitch.

I saw a doctor last year. I was reluctant, just like I was reluctant to sign up here. I don't want to create this feedback mechanism where I start paying more and more attention to the problem and as a result start noticing it more often. Right now I don't really have trouble sleeping or anything, but I did get an audiology test and my left ear's hearing is slightly worse than average. I also did an MRI--everything was fine.

And that was it. An audiology test, an MRI, and I was told to go home.

I also have TMJ. Sometimes my jaw clicks when I open it wide (on the left side as well), and at night I apparently grind my teeth. For some reason I thought maybe my TMJ and my tinnitus are related. I tried wearing a night guard for 3 months, and neither improved so I gave it. Maybe I should start wearing it again and be more patient.

Anyways, that's me. What I wouldn't give to experience utter silence again. Don't get me wrong--life is good. But hearing nothing would be very nice.

Thanks.

 

Welcome! I have to say its reassuring that you have had T since 2005 and you've been dealing ok with it and you say life is good.

Hoping soon I can get to a place like that. I miss silence too...

 

Hello!
Please don't think I'm being rude, but I sincerely believe that if you're comparatively okay about your simptoms, you should leave this forum and never come back, before you see some scary and desperate stories and become as anxious and miserable as some of us are.
The truth is, life is life, there's something constantly going on in our bodies, something clicking, something whooshing, it's normal and most people just never pay attention to it. Even tinnitus is normal, and a lot of people have it and just get used to it and never care.
So if your doctor tells you that you are all right, maybe it's better to trust him and not store your head with trifles.

As for the silence, it's grossly overrated . Before I realised I had tinnitus I never really cared about it, and I'm not even sure I ever heard true silence in my life, there always was some faint... ehm, hum, I guess. The question is, should I really start caring now?

 

Good for you. I absolutely agree. I think the best advice is stop whining and take control of your life. I have age-related tinnitus and I refuse to let it take over my life.

 

You never heard 'nothing'. Your brain just made it seem that way. That is the basis of tinnitus retarining and it works. Silence is over-rated anyway.