to think you can live a happy life with tinnitus

I’ve had tinnitus for about 20 years (I’m 37) and also have hearing loss and have just been diagnosed with Ménière’s disease. I barely hear my tinnitus now to be honest, I notice it more when it stops as I just tune it out. It drove me nuts initially and then I think just time meant my brain learned to filter it out. Best of luck OP, you’re going to be ok.

I have tinnitus and I’ve come to block it out - only really notice it in bed when it’s very quiet. White noise helps.

Yes, they've sorted it.

It was sorted in the free test (good)

But husband was so desperate, he couldn't leave without buying them (cost was £5k)

Just a warning.

So I'd slways see if there's anything NHS can do first in case it's something more simple but my husband has had it over 20 years, been written off by NHS on it, and was climbing the walls in frustration.

I've had Tinnitus all my life, well as far back as I can remember (childhood), and vertigo for about 20 years. I didn't know it was a "thing" until I was in my twenties and my Nan got diagnosed with Meniere's disease. I thought everyone had weird noises in their ears.

Most of the time I can block it out but its's much worse if I'm tired, been swimming or go from a loud space into a quiet one. I have a fan on at night in the summer and a white noise machine in the winter, that helps. If it's particularly bad I put some classical music on with earbud headphones.

Tinnitus hasn't stopped me doing anything in life, Vertigo has stopped me going on funfair rides etc and I couldn't use the spiral stairs at work.

Annoyingly my Tinnitus now swaps over from the normal ringing or high pitched buzzing to Pulsar Tinnitus where I can hear my pulse inside my ears. That drives me crazy and I haven't lived with it long enough to develop coping strategies yet.

Do you mean never submerge/get water in your ears? Surely it isn’t never wet at all… how do you shower?! (I’m glad it works for you, it just seems so awkward!).

Sorry, I just realised yours is from infections too.

Basically I presented in a&e having gone deaf. It was a big infection and hole. They sent me to ENT as I’m allergic to antibiotics who gave me some different drops which could only be used for a week, after that I had to heal alone. Took about 5 months. Then they microsuctioned it twice and advised me never to get my ears wet ever again. It’s worked 🙌🏻 so far of course. That was 2 years ago. I’ve lost some frequencies but all in all I was massively pleased with the outcome, rather than sad I was left with tinnitus, if you see what I mean. I reframed it I guess? Good luck (and don’t get your ears wet!!! Ever!!!)

My husband had tinnitus for years. Was desperate for a solution despite NHS saying there wasn't anything they could do.

He went to Hidden Hearing. Whilst the initial test was free the aids are ££££. However, they've sorted it. He wouldn't leave the test without buying them - He didn't want to take them.out.

He doesn't even like taking them out at night!

I have tinnitus and some hearing loss from infections.

I listen to music all day long, and the sound of my children whinging mean I dont hear it (joking but it’s true) At night I can hear a big road so there’s never a moment it’s quiet enough for me to hear it. I cope just fine; barely registers with me.

I've had tinnitus for about 20 years now, and more recently partial hearing loss.

It is a variety of weird sounds, some constant, some intermittent and loud.
I remind myself that it is a comms error in my head, NOT something evil from outside attacking me - I have to be very careful not to succumb to that, I think that would threaten my mental health.

There's an old Irish saying: 'When trouble comes knocking, ask it in', which is how I deal with my tinnitus and also chronic pain - I face it full on instead of distracting myself from it.

I focus on it very hard -I try to find words to describe each sound, try to identify the pitch of the hum/whine and imitate it [quietly, in private!], and make up identifying labels, like the 'next door are moving their furniture around again' sound, or the 'there's a HGV parked outside with the engine running' sound.
The most annoying is the 'relax, it's not actually a picture falling off the wall at 4am' sound because it wakes me up and startles me.
It domesticates and tames it.

Your tinnitus is part of you, and I hope you manage to find your own way of dealing with it. It's definitely liveable with, so don't get discouraged.

I developed tinnitus after covid. Had all the checks and usual advise etc etc and have learned to live with it. Definitely gets worse when I'm tired or have a cold/virus of some sort. I'm aware it comes from the brain signals and I know to do something such as reading / do a crossword / bake a cake or basically anything to tell my brain I'm too busy to take any notice of it !

My father has been living successfully with Tinnitus for over 40 years.
I remember in the 80’a he struggled with it as the dr’s saying ‘ nothing we can do’ affected him negatively.
He paid for treatment by a homeopath which reformed how he coped. I don’t think for a minute that the small white pills he took did it, but the cognitive belief and hope ment his mind blocked it out. Best money he ever spent.
When I talk to him now he says it is like white noise, that he does not notice until he actively searches for it.

I'm 65, have had Tinnitus every second of every day since 2007, when I had a car crash. My life has been fine

I've had tinnitus for around 25 years - I'm 59 now, was diagnosed mid-30s. Mine is in both ears and I have a hearing loss of 20% in my left ear, 25% in my right ear. I've also had several horrendous 'attacks' of SSHL which over the years have resulted in my 'actual' hearing loss increase after each episode. The last attack was so bad I had to have steroid injections in both ears and there was a chance I may not get my hearing back at all 😵‍💫😲

So...yeah...knackered ears!

With the tinnitus I no longer notice it much of the time (it's raging now, but only because I'm talking about it so it's become prevalent in my mind!!) I'll be able to 'switch it off' once I stop thinking about it.

Nighttime is worse, but I use a white noise app to help me shut it down so I can sleep.

If I'm ill, however, or stressed, I can't shut it down at all. Possibly because my energies are all about getting well, or dealing with the stress. At these times it's unbearable, but as (thankfully!) this doesn't happen often, and I know it will improve, I just sort of 'ride it out' 🤷‍♀️

Goodness, yes. My audiologist was brilliant. I went from being quite angry and desperate to accepting and largely untroubled practically overnight. I rarely think about it actively any more, only when threads like this come up.

I’m so sorry your DH didn’t get the help he needed.

@Guesswhosbacktellyourfriends if you have fluid in your ears have you tried an Otovent balloon device? I had grommets about 25 years ago now but when I’ve had episodes of glue ear since the GP and ENT said to try an Otovent first. You can buy them from Amazon or get it on prescription (same price really though), and it’s basically a special balloon with a nozzle and you blow the balloon up switching between each nostril. It sounds weird but they really work, although don’t be surprised if initially you can’t inflate it - it will still work.