Tinnitus

[seanbrown86]

Insert from mini - This post has travelled to the health board however
this site does not allow people to post advice about medical treatments, but does allow friendly discussion between people, a lot of the money orientated boards go a little off topic at times due to the fact that a friendly community has built up, as long as people are not posting medical advice/tretment that's fine. The following posts are for information only and not medical advice, always consult your own medical care providers:)


Hi

I've being suffering from tinnitus for about 10 months now, and its getting me down a bit. Most of the time I can't hear the ringing because of background noise, but every now and again when theres any sort of silence or of course at night when I try and get some shut eye I can hear it. Now is there anything I can do about this whether it be a canny old granny cure or a some new drugs (Herbal or manafactured). Though the main thing about tinnitus thats annoying (in my case anyway) is that whenever I swallow I get this crackling sound in my ears which is a right royal pain in the !!!!.

Cheers
Sean

[Fran]

Sean -

What has your doctor said to you about it?

[Woby_Tide]

The doctor probably said

"*ring*...will alleviate....*ring*....and take plenty of.....*ring*..." ;)

sorry that's bad taste shouldn't make fun as I think I have it mildly aswell from using walkmen too loud too often

for the stuff when you are trying to sleep is there not something you can buy that creates 'white noise'. I remember once reading something about it (either a machine or headphones) that do similar ot those whale noise things a while back but instead with just pur background like leaves rustling, distant traffic but just enough to trick your hearing/senses into ignoring or not hearing the tinnutis

as for the cracking when swallowing, I'm a bit worried if it's very quiet(well actually it doesn't need to be overly quiet) when I swallow I can hear crackling/popping noises, I just thought it was natural as the sound of muscles/ligaments/bones etc. doing what they do but the sounds will echo round your bones/skull cavity hence it's a bit 'loud'

as I say purely non medical, I will see if I can find the stuff about the "white noise" machines

[Dumyat]

you need to get this checked out by a doctor...tinnitus can be the symptom of other things....if it is just purely tinnitus then white noise machines can help(you get them from the audiology dept once you are referred by your gp).... ginko biloba from the health food shop is supposed to help but my husband didnt get any improvement from it.

Those 'white noise' machines work on the same principle as 'fiery jack' does for rheumatism.

[seanbrown86]

I saw my GP 6 months back and I was referred to a specialist. She gave me some spray, which turned out to be for hay fever (whether she thought it was going to act like a placebo I don't know). I went back a fortnight later, told her that nothing had changed, she then proceded to insert a camera up my nose which is one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever suffered (though probably not as bad as an endoscope). Said she could say nothing wrong and sent me on my merry way saying that nothing can be done.

Its very strange because when I press near my jaw under my left ear I can hear a clicking sound. It also seems to become louder for no apparant reason, then die back down and then it comes to the point where I can't hear anything else but the ringing.

What is annoying me the most is the fact that there is nearly zero funding for Tinnitus research, it may not be as common or lifethreating but from what I've heard it causes people to commit suicide, lose sleep and go mad. I've already had an 15minute conversation with myself over different hair colours, which was strange to say the very least.

I have tried that Ginkgo Biloba which has had no affect though I am going to continue taking just incase one day I wake up and it just disappears.

[Fran]

Sean -

I would try another doctor as yours doesn't seem to have given you an answer or enough help. Ask to see someone else instead and explain all the things you've said here and tell them how it's making you feel and that you have to have some help with it.

You might find some useful contact through this website:- British Tinnitus Association (http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/)

There is also information on this website:- BUPA - Tinnitus (http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/Mosby_factsheets/Tinnitus.html)

[Tony H]

From what I understand it is a condition of partial deafness caused in part by excessive noise levels such as walkmans, explosions etc.

The most popular form of remedy are the white noise generators, but a drug called carbamazepine can be used. This drug is very rarely used due to the adverse side effect.

[seanbrown86]

I'm going to uni this September so I'll try the local docters there.

What exactly is the side affect(s) of carbamazepine, I'm wiling to undergo and try anything.

Cheers
Sean

A large dose of a real quality brand Aloe GEL Drink for about 3 months then slowly on to a maintenance dose will help significantly, it helps reduce inflammation, ( itis means inflammation)
Side effects of carbamazapine r horrid, it is used escentially as an anti convulsant.

The best Aloe products r produced by Forever Living Products ( PROOF magazine research)

Rita lloyd

[zoltan_2001]

From what I understand it is a condition of partial deafness caused in part by excessive noise levels such as walkmans, explosions etc.

This is very true, I have suffered from tinnitus for around 3 years now. The ringing in my ears started when my eardrums got damaged due to excessive sound levels. (At the time I was around a lot of explosive demonstrations). I've since had it checked out, but have been told that my eardrums will never recover, so I doubt the ringing will go either! :'( :'(

But don't worry about going crazy, sanity is way over-rated anyway! ;)

[Paul Varjak]

Rita Lloyd said:


itis means inflammation


ITIS does mean inflammation, but the condition is called TINNITUS - with the suffix -ITUS rather than -ITIS.

The suffix -ITUS means 'to make' and trhe prefix TINN- means 'ring'. So TINNITUS literally means: 'to make ring'.

[seanbrown86]

So these white noise machines how much would one roughly set me back. Or better yet can I get one on the NHS (being a poor cash strapped student).

Cheers
Sean

[bluesy]

Been a sufferer for about 2 years now, & it ain't good!

Had an MRI scan last Wednesday, this was at the behest of the consultant who did suggest it would probably only be a 5%chance that something would be found that is repairable.

Hope they find something to fix but, I won't be holding my breath.

You have my sympathy, because it is a nightmare.

[Savvy_Sue]

So these white noise machines how much would one roughly set me back. Or better yet can I get one on the NHS (being a poor cash strapped student).
You could try de-tuning a radio, putting the volume low, and see if that works. It used to send my son to sleep without keeping me awake. If it doesn't work, that doesn't mean a white noise machine wouldn't work, but if it does work you've saved yourself either money or a long wait!

Definitely ask your GP for a referral to ENT / Audiology. You should find them much more supportive.

[Salad]

The radio noise is more or less white noise so it should be the same thing. You can also use the free audio program http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to make some on your computer.

[gremlin]

hi saw this advertised in this months Zest mag.

"Many sufferers of tinnitus have also found relief using a pillow speaker connected to a radio tuned off station."

just pop under your pillow - might be worth a try at £2.99.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/module.asp?CartID=040805173639340&moduleno=28857

j.x ;D

[seanbrown86]

What about those discreet (sp?) little ones you can put in your ear (like hearing aids), it'll be useful for when I'm in lectures.

Cheers
Sean

[Savvy_Sue]

"Many sufferers of tinnitus have also found relief using a pillow speaker
Those suffering from late night incompatible radio preferences syndrome might also find relief with a pillow speaker ... as might those of us with a sleep facility on our bedside radios who wake up when the radio switches off ... Looks like a real bargain!

[KG]

Somehing which hasn't been suggested here is 'ear candles'.

Okay - so I sound mad now. But ages ago, when I had problems with ears and was getting headches I used some of these and they not only helped my headaches and sore ears, but also reduced my tinnitus.

Basically the ear candle is a long, hollow tube of wax (not ear wax :P). You lie on your side and stick one end of the candle in your ear so it sticks up like a chimney. You light the other end and burn it down slowly until you reach an inch or so above your ear.

I bought a pack of these from Neals' Yard (alternative remedies shop) and got my boyfriend to supervise (don't try this on your own...). Alternatively you can pay a practitioner to do this to you, which might be a good idea the first time round.

The idea is that the candle acts like a 'chimney' and draws all the 'bad stuff' out. As my head / ear problem was probably related to problems with my sinuses the gentle sucking whcih would have been caused by the chimney effect for about 10 minutes was probably the thing that benefitted me.

But I'm no expert...

KG

[Savvy_Sue]

You don't sound mad at all, KG, I have heard of ear candling as an alternative therapy and it was interesting to see a description, complete with a plausible explanation of why it might work!

Did you get long term relief or was it just temporary for you?

[KG]

You don't sound mad at all, KG, I have heard of ear candling as an alternative therapy and it was interesting to see a description, complete with a plausible explanation of why it might work!

Did you get long term relief or was it just temporary for you?

I didn't notice any tinnitus for about three months after my 'ear candling experience'.

Have it back now, but not as bad as before (think it was aggravated by other iinfections before). Bought a multi-pack of ear-candles as it was as cheap as having a practitioner do one session (around £16 from Neal's Yard) but just haven't got round to doing it again as tinnitus not been bad.

KG

[Geallu]

Hello Sean
My father suffered with tinnitus for a long time. After trying just about everything ??? we tried homeapathic medicine...and bingo...gone!! Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of it, but I am sure the pharmacist will be able to help. I hope it works for you?
Good Luck

Geallu

[futumsch]

Hi Sean. I have suffered from tinnitus for 18 years now. I had a bad motorcycle accident and my doctor prescribed me Brufen as a painkiller, which has aspirin in it, which I later found out has a side effect of causing tinnitus.

I find all sorts of things will affect the loudness of my tinnitus, from high atmospheric pressure, cold or windy weather, after lying down all night and stress. I have simply tried to ignore it, because if you concentrate on it, you will be 'in tune' with it all the time and it becomes more of a distraction. Those white noise machines are more of a distraction than the tinnitus itself to me. The best thing I have found to get to sleep, is to listen to a good radio station, like the James Whale Show on Talk Sport. Or even cricket on radio 4.

I believe that some tinnitus is caused by the hairs in your inner ear lying flat and picking up the sound of rushing blood. I remember 5 or 6 years ago, a programme called Discover Magazine on the Discovery channel, someone in Austria, had developed a cure by putting resonating ultrasonic probes beside your ear, and the focus of the ultrasonic waves would make the hair cells in the cochlea stand upright again, and rid the tinnitus. I had seen several repeats of the programme,
but I cant find any reliable source. If anyone can verify this, it would put my mind at rest. There are also cures by ultrasonic masking and 'reprogramming' nerves, but I think just for joe bloggs, distracting yourself from the sound seems the best method to me. even if I am a bit Mutton Geoff. Ay What?

[Spendless]

Sean
Please get you GP to refer you to an ENT specialist.

My tinnitus was being caused by a small (and thankfully benign) brain tumour.

What I have is rare but PLEASE get yourself checked out.

Good luck.

[amd]

I have had tinnitus now for about ten years and it is a real downer. ! !I first got it through an ear infection passed on by the phone sharing we had to do in the place I worked at the time - the phones were never clean! ! A course of antibiotics cleared it up and I still remember the bliss of the first morning I awoke to absolute silence!! ! !

A couple of years later I found myself using those little plastic squishy ear plugs to drown out the noise from a local church bell chiming every 15 mins through the night whilst on holiday for 3 weeks abroad. !Only had the 1 pair, so I washed and re-used them..... bad idea !- more tinnitus. ! Didn't worry, got the antibiotics - but this time it never went away!! ! Had all the tests - but the damage has been done. ! !

Saw a TV prog about this a while back - the little hairs inside your ear which pick up the noise-waves don't just lie down, they are often permanently fused together - presently irreversible. ! Suppose it depends how you got it in the first place.

A recent head cold had me waking up in a panic in the night to a deafening increase in the ringing level - something we all dread!! ! !Straight to the docs within a couple of hours - I made him see me - and a course of decongestants and I was back to 'normal' within a day!!! !

I can cope as it is now, you CAN get used to it. !But the fear of it getting louder is so depressing... ! The things you wish you had known when you were young!!

Doesn't everyone have crackling in their ears when they swallow? !

[Savvy_Sue]

I believe that some tinnitus is caused by the hairs in your inner ear lying flat and picking up the sound of rushing blood.
I don't know about it sorting out tinnitus, but there are particles in your inner ear which sometimes get misaligned. One of my problems was vertigo on lying down (!) which was very disconcerting. My ENT consultant manipulated my head and held it at some very strange angles for a short period and bingo! no more vertigo on lying down.

Now I just have to learn to walk straight ...

[_Alba_]

Hi All,

Read all the posts about tinnitus and kinda pre-diagnosed the buzzing in my ear that started out of no where last w/end.

Thought it would happily go away but still keeps on going (even longer than a duracell bunny). Kinda !!!!ing me off big time now and its getting in the way a lot. Also hear "cracking" while on the phone and thats a real pain in the bum.

Made an appointment with the doc tomorrow and im hoping that he wont send me on my way with no help like I think he will.

Hopefully itll die down or stop shortly or itll no doubt drive me round the bend ;D

Any miracle cures appreciated

_Alba_

[trafalgar]

Hi _Alba_

Best advice is don't do anything until you've seen the doctor.

You really shouldn't mess with ears unless you know what the problem is.
Good luck at the docs
:)

[Spendless]

Hi Alba

Traf is right - make sure you see your doctor.

Strangely enough my tinnitus stopped when I became pregnant with my daughter.

But I don't recommend this as a cure ;D ;D ;D

[trafalgar]

Hi Alba

Traf is right - make sure you see your doctor.

Strangely enough my tinnitus stopped when I became pregnant with my daughter.

But I don't recommend this as a cure ;D ;D ;D
LOL that should come under extreme solutions ;D

[_Alba_]

Might be hard getting pregnant as a bloke but could be a possibility :o

For the last week ive kinda worked out if i keep busy i dont notice it. if i sit down to have a read of the paper or listen to some music the buzzing gets louder.

cheers folks.

[_Alba_]

Went to the docs the other day and he didnt have much of a clue. Musta been in their all of 3 minutes untill he said he would refer me to a ENT specialist.

Good news but itll probably take months for an appointment lol

Cheers

_Alba_

[amd]

Hi Alba
Presume your doc had the good sense to have a good look inside your ears - surprised you weren't prescribed at least an antibiotic in case of some kind of infection... I know docs are a bit more restrained in their use, but if this thing is caught early enough then the effects may not be permanent. I did have the antibiotics first - but was abroad when the infection set in and it was a couple of weeks before I saw a doc. By the time I got to the ENT specialist the damage was done and there was no cure for me!

You could also try another possible remedy - something bought over the counter - Pseudoephedrine - a decongestant found in various meds - like Sudafed, I think!

Explained this already on here... - didn't actually realise I had a cold - the only symptom was the tinnitus getting louder, doc prescribed 60mg tabs. The pseudoephedrine worked within a day and got the noise levels down again. Didn't need to finish the course, so keeping the rest of the tabs handy just in case!!

[cathy]

the barefoot doctor was on with a guy with tinnitus
and he asked him had he had a traumatic experience before it started sure enough the guys brother had died in a road accident.
doc said its due to kidneys going into shock and they rule the ears
sounded like a load of cobblers to me and to the guy
but he got him to do some exercises and in 4 weeks the tinnitus had gone after having it since 1996
might be worth a look see in his web site

[_Alba_]

amd, I would have thought he had a close look inside to check for infectiona nd stuff, but will get some of that Pseudoephedrines just incase :-)

Im not paying as much attention to the rining as I once did so im gradually getting used to it now after a couple of weeks. pain in the !!! getting to sleep tho regardless :-)

Cheers

_Alba_

[Savvy_Sue]

pain in the !!! getting to sleep tho regardless :-)
that's where the white noise can come in handy. Detune a radio, leave it on low and see if that helps!

[allycat]

Why not try Hopi Ear Candling?? It is a particularly soothing therapy and may help to clear any blockages in your ears. Look under Complementary Therapists in your area. Make sure they are qualified and/or registered with some professional association like the Association of Natural Medicine.
Good luck
Allycat xx

[margaret]

Aha! But what if you don't have Therapists in your area?
I have Menières Disease and the tinnitus can get so bad that I look round to see if anyone can hear the terrible noise coming out of my left ear!!!!!!!!!!

[-TangleFoot-]

I think I've had this for years; only recently have I been referred to the local Ear Nose and Throat department. Haven't heard from them yet, though.

That idea about ultrasonics seems promising. What would happen if I stuck my new Ultrasonex toothbrush in my ear? ;)

Also heard about that ear-candle thingy in Scientific American... I looked it up again on the web; sure enough, it was in an article on 'bunkum (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0001547E-EECE-1FD3-A7EA83414B7F012C)'.

[plumpmouse]

I'm going to move this over to the new health board. i realise this an old thread that has been bumped up but I feel it would be more suitabley placed over there

[islandman]

I have suffered from tinitus for about 40/50 years and I think the best way of describing the sound "I" hear, is similar to the high pitched whistling you get from those electricity sub-stations. Even as I write this, I can hear the high pitched noise over the sound of the droan of the computer.

[-TangleFoot-]

That sounds about right. I always thought it sounded like those fluorescent light-tubes though; sub stations seem lower-pitched to me.

[dbs]

If I buy an CD radio clock alarm and leave the radio off channel all night or play relaxing music will the alarm still work to wake me up in the morning for work?
Not sure to buy the above or portable CD radio or a noise generator because I need a good nights sleep.

Also do they tend to have a 3.5mm mono jack plug socket so I could buy a speaker pillow.

[Savvy_Sue]

If I buy an CD radio clock alarm and leave the radio off channel all night or play relaxing music will the alarm still work to wake me up in the morning for work?I can't see why not. Our radio alarm clock has the choice of either radio coming on or alarm going off to wake us up, so as long as yours has this facility it should work - shouldn't it? Have to say ours is quite old now, and has an integral phone, so ASK in the shop and look at the instructions if you're in any doubt.

Not sure to buy the above or portable CD radio or a noise generator because I need a good nights sleep.Do you have a cheap radio you can experiment with first? The pillow speakers aren't expensive, IMO, at least not from Maplins, and I think they're wonderful! I don't know how much noise generators are, but can't help thinking that if a cheap radio does the job, it's going to be cheaper? But then I do have radios all around the house!

Also do they tend to have a 3.5mm mono jack plug socket so I could buy a speaker pillow.I think most of these things do these days, because of the expectation that "s/he shall have music wherever s/he goes" but it's something to check at the time of purchase!

[tomstickland]

I've had tinnitus for years and years, from a combination of blocked sinuses and exposure to excessive noise levels (out of choice). I don't notice it except when in the quiet. I'm used to it now and I just add it to the list of things that happen to you as you get older. Like worsening eye sight. However, it hasn't stopped me having fun or enjoying life.

I use ear plugs nowadays if going out to clubs etc.

[dbs]

Went to my local Curry`s but unfortunately they have got no CD,radio clock alarms for sale at the moment, so could not get any answers to my questions.

Went to a larger Curry`s but they only had a top of the range model priced £70.

I really would like to play relaxation music on the CD because it is not the tinnitus that keeps me awake but my busy mind a habit I have started doing so I can ignore the tinnitus which works great until I go to bed then I a cant switch off and relax to go to sleep.

I have tried a radio off staion but it does not help me to relax.

Next plan is to go into my local Argos and try and get some answers when they are not busy because they have a good selection.

[Savvy_Sue]

A personal CD player and a pillow speaker works for me when my mind's doing overtime at bedtime! Can be heavy on batteries, but I think I could get a mains adapter if I wanted.

[dbs]

A personal CD player and a pillow speaker works for me when my mind's doing overtime at bedtime! Can be heavy on batteries, but I think I could get a mains adapter if I wanted.

Good idea got a personal CD player and plenty of rechargeable batteries going to order a pillow speaker what music do you find best to help you sleep?

[tomstickland]

Re the earlier post about ear plugs, I defintely made things a lot worse by reusing ear plugs at a factory where I worked 10 years ago. Even the act of using ear plugs is bad I believe, since it pushes any wax deeper into the ears.

In general though, my tinnitus is pretty low level - I only notice it when there's no background noise and it doesn't stop me sleeping etc.

[Savvy_Sue]

Good idea got a personal CD player and plenty of rechargeable batteries going to order a pillow speaker what music do you find best to help you sleep?I use a 'Relax and Sleep' CD from Meditainment (http://www.meditainment.co.uk), got it from Amazon after seeing it on a shop shelf. It's brilliant - I've very rarely heard the Sleep track all the way through!

[ka7e]

I don't have tinnitus but I have quite sensitive hearing. I used to find it difficult to drop off to sleep with intermittant street noises etc until I bought an alarm clock similar to this (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=5101&langId=-1&searchTerms=2569817&go.x=8&go.y=15) at Argos. It plays a variety of sounds (I like the sea - sound of waves breaking and receding) for up to 60 mins. The sounds are on quite a short loop so they become background white noise after a few minutes.
The RNID site actually has it's own version, here (http://www.rnid.org.uk/shop/products/tinnitus/tinnitus_alarm_clock_with_night_light.htm) , but it's much more expensive and appears to be battery powered.
Slightly cheaper travel version available here (http://www.shop-com.co.uk/op/~Lifemax_Nature_Sounds_Travel_Alarm_Clock-prod-11206976-41920270?sourceid=309).


[

[dbs]

I don't have tinnitus but I have quite sensitive hearing. I used to find it difficult to drop off to sleep with intermittant street noises etc until I bought an alarm clock similar to this (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=5101&langId=-1&searchTerms=2569817&go.x=8&go.y=15) at Argos. It plays a variety of sounds (I like the sea - sound of waves breaking and receding) for up to 60 mins. The sounds are on quite a short loop so they become background white noise after a few minutes


[

This alarm is good but cannot be used with a speaker pillow