to think you can live a happy life with tinnitus

I’ve had mild tinnitus for as long as I can remember. As PP said I thought it was normal for most of my childhood! I don’t really notice it except occasionally at night, so I listen to a lot of podcasts as background noise. Highly recommend the flicking technique someone linked - that was a game changer for me!

Yep. Had it 7 years, block it out and only notice it occasionally now or when it suddenly stops/changes. Time outdoors really helps as it's not quiet.

I've had it since my 20s, now 57. It's been better and worse during that time. For several years it seemed to be largely controlled by Prozac (which I took for depression, for other reasons). I really noticed the tinnitus again when I had to stop the Prozac. I do find it difficult because I like silence, but I've mostly learned to accept it as part of the silence. I find sleep the hardest but now, after trying lots of different things, I always fall asleep listening to audio books, or sometimes soothing music like Delta waves. I take ginkgo biloba too which I think dulls it a bit.

I’ve had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. I can mostly block it out and I only really notice it when it’s really quiet. Mine is like a constant ringing noise. I can’t remember ever not having it. Would love to have complete silence just occasionally though

I've had tinnitus for years too. I also have moderate to severe hearing loss which I am doing my best to ignore. I will have to go the hearing aid route but I'm not ready!

I've had tinnitus for 7 or 8 years, after I had shingles in my ear and it wasn't diagnosed early enough to treat. So I was left with some nerve damage and the tinnitus. At first it really bothered me and I was very upset. It was loud and I was aware of It constantly. It was and still is a high-pitched whistling/squeaky sound. I couldn't get to sleep at night for ages. But now I hardly notice it any more. In the daytime with other noises around to distract me, it's now rarely a problem. I do notice it at night, but I think my brain is now able to acknowledge it and then move on, rather than focus on it.
If I have a cold, or any eustachian tube dysfunction, the tinnitus gets worse & more noticeable, and my ear hurts a bit as well, but again I think I have learned to notice the feelings and then try to let them go.

I think I have always had tinnitus to a degree, I actually thought it was normal to have ringing in your ears until I was about 25!

Unfortunately it got a lot worse with a really horrible ear infection last year and although I can tune it out most of the time, it does get me down when I tune into it and I do think my hearing is affected but haven’t had a test yet. It’s my left ear and quite loud when I tune in!

I definitely think you learn to live with it and can tune it out. Because I’m thinking about it, it sounds really loud but I wasn’t bothered by it until I read this🤣

I’ve had permanent tinnitus for 9 years, since bad concussion. Sometimes I don’t notice it, but when I do it doesn’t bother me, I think I prefer the lack of silence now.

I have tinnitus. It started when I had my first child and is still here 13+ years later.

Sometimes it is less than other times. Recently I spent quiet time in the same place two days running and was astounded to be able to hear a clock ticking the first day but not the second due to tinnitus noise.

I think it is something you learn to live with. Never please f or normal, but hopefully bearable and manageable.

I don’t hear mine very much unless I’m really stressed. The only time I ever think about it now is when I read posts on here about it.

i've had it probably my entire adult life and im 57.. and only recently have i received a referral too ENT department to see if theres a cause for it? I assumed it was just something you have to live with.

i suffer chronic migraine, and its gets worse when i have a migraine coming, and its also worse when i am tired and stressed

I’ve had it for 31 years you learn to tune it out

I only hear it when there’s no background noise and I’m not distracted by anything. I have the radio on a lot. It’s also louder if I’m ill with a temperature. And I can hear it now you’ve mentioned it! 😀

Mine started a few months ago. It's a constant hiss. I only notice it when I'm at home or somewhere quiet, and it doesn't bother me. It's almost like internal white noise - just a pity it doesn't mask external noise the same way!

I also have tinnitus and ETD caused by damage from a medication. The first few months it really upset me and I had to have background noise on all the time, but now it barely bothers me at all. It's become like breathing, only conscious of it when I think about it.

My dad suffers from tinnitus.

He says the only thing that has helped is wearing hearing aids.

Sympathies OP - it must be awful.

Likewise. Sometimes the fact I'll never hear silence bugs me, but the rest of the time it just is what it is. I've had it for 20 years now so 🤷

DH also has it, and has hearing aids for unrelated upper pitch hearing loss. The hearing aids get rid of the tinnitus when they're in.

I hated it so much when it started, and like you was so upset when I thought about being stuck with it forever- but I’ve become accustomed to it now. I often don’t notice it for a day or so, and when I do I don’t really mind it.

In fact sometimes I tune into it on purpose if there is other noise/stress going on and it helps me block out other stuff.

Ive also grown to find it quite comforting in some ways- wherever I am and whatever is going on it’s always there if I want it… it’s sort of become my sound of calm.

I didn’t do anything to reach this point, it just happened over time (years).

Honestly yes like it's just there now, I hear it if I try to hear it or someone tells me to listen, they've just heard something, can I hear it moments but I really don't give it a second thought except like I said before when it's 'louder' and I know I need to destress:-)

yes, usually. I think mine is actually quite bad and yet it features at about 1/10 on the richter scale of life problems, if that helps?!

Oh and I learnt this finger flicking trick that I find helpful when I get one of those sudden attacks of it sounding louder or changing pitch

https://youtube.com/shorts/YyT9ZwWy5Jc?si=xyviN58oP2JlpAu1