Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Those with tinnitus - how many 'sounds' do you have?

58 replies

Whatdoyawannado · 21/12/2021 13:08

Others who suffer from this seem to only have one 'sound' to deal with. I have about 4 and developed a new one over the last few days. I wish it would stop moving the goalposts. I was starting to adjust and 'live with it', now it's just horrendous all over again.

OP posts:
TheCreamCaker · 21/12/2021 17:37

I've had Tinnitus every minute of severy day, for 14 long years. The main sound is hissing, but I also get occasional whistling noises. When everywhere is quiet (in bed at night, mainly). it almost drives me mad

vampirestockingfiller · 21/12/2021 17:39

Just one, a high pitched drone kind of noise. It gets worse if I'm ill. I've had it since I was very little.

tootiredtobother · 21/12/2021 17:44

I had a Morse code type sound in one ear. luckily said that to the doctor who said, 'you don't get tinnitus in one ear', and sent me off for scans, turned out I had an Acoustic Neuroma, (cancer) wrapping itself around my 5th nerve, which eventually gave me the worst pain of my life, and still does. tinnitus has gone

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
optimistic40 · 21/12/2021 17:53

I used to have it, and it switched between some higher pitched sounds and lower. And one ear and the other. I had acupuncture for it and it went away after one session! It got really bad the night of the acupuncture, but I awoke to no tinnitus!

ProperCupOfTea · 21/12/2021 19:02

I think 5 in total, now you've made me consider it. I'm sure I started off with less.

Most constant is the high pitched 'ringing hissing squeeee' sound with some variation of tone and volume, really annoying and has to be drowned out with background noise like music or TV
A high pitch squeal like a whistle in an old fashioned steam kettle
A low level white noise hum, slightly crackly
Occasional very pure high pitched tone, like a tuning fork, usually in one ear and not for long
Low regular thumping - have just learned from comments that might be pulsatile tinnitus. Most common at night in bed as I fall asleep.

It varies from liveable with to really driving me crazy. Some medications seem to make it worse as does being over tired.

YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 21/12/2021 19:30

At the moment right ear has high-pitched screech and a medium pitch drone, left ear is high-pitched squeal and a low pitch hum but often other sounds join in 😡
I’ve had it for 24 years now, I mostly ignore it but it escalates if I’m tired or stressed.

DuckDuckNo · 21/12/2021 19:37

@optimistic40

I used to have it, and it switched between some higher pitched sounds and lower. And one ear and the other. I had acupuncture for it and it went away after one session! It got really bad the night of the acupuncture, but I awoke to no tinnitus!
luckily said that to the doctor who said, 'you don't get tinnitus in one ear'

Wait what? I've had tinnitus in my left year for 20 years. Only the left.

DuckDuckNo · 21/12/2021 19:37

How did I mess up the quotes that badly Confused

Starrrz · 15/11/2023 23:21

Did the rumbing tone settle down for anyone ?

Fawbs89 · 15/11/2023 23:26

I have the constant right ging and the woosh/beat of my heart.

Sometimes I get an extra high pitch ti g for a few seconds which deafens me.

I've had tinnitus for years now I have mostly adapted to it.

I mostly hear it at night but I've trained myself not to get worked up by it!

CobraChicken · 15/11/2023 23:31

DuckDuckNo · 21/12/2021 19:37

@optimistic40

I used to have it, and it switched between some higher pitched sounds and lower. And one ear and the other. I had acupuncture for it and it went away after one session! It got really bad the night of the acupuncture, but I awoke to no tinnitus!
luckily said that to the doctor who said, 'you don't get tinnitus in one ear'

Wait what? I've had tinnitus in my left year for 20 years. Only the left.

Yeah, you absolutely can only get it in one ear. My DH has it in his left ear only too! It was caused by sudden single sided deafness. Sounds like a dentist drill, apparently, but thankfully it stopped when he had a cochlear implant (while he's wearing it - he still has the tinnitus when he removes it, overnight.)

Twentynone21 · 15/11/2023 23:33

I‘ve had tinnitus since I had covid in 2020. have a low hissing sound and also high pitched hissing sound. It gets worse when I’m stressed. Have you tried a tinnitus app? It plays all different types of white noise and really helps.

Buttonmoonier · 15/11/2023 23:35

I get pulsatile tinnitus. Mainly in my left ear. Been checked out by a cardiologist as I also have POTS. I hate it though as it makes me hyperaware of my tacchycardia and I'm worried either my head will explode or I'll have a heart attack. Joyful.

AHeadForHeights · 15/11/2023 23:45

Just one: a high pitched noise like 2 or 3 whiskers of slightly different notes going off together. Sometimes it suddenly changes pitch or volume and makes me jump. The only way I can ignore it in bed is to listen to a windstorm type noise.

FictionalCharacter · 15/11/2023 23:52

I have a whole cacophony of noises. There is a high pitched EEEEE that is always there, plus lower pitched noises underneath that and a kind of cheep cheep cheep noise as well, and a noise a bit like an engine or machine droning away.

Those are the constant ones. I also have some intermittent ones that can be so loud and extreme they leave me reeling. One is a loud low pitched buzz or hum that suddenly hits me then slowly fades. Another is an intermittent very loud SCREECH SCREECH SCREECH that comes at irregular intervals. Last time I had that one I genuinely thought I didn't want to live any more. It was torture.

I've never got used to it. It's a really shit condition and I so wish it could be cured. A lot of people have no idea how bad it can be and that people have to live with it all the time they are awake.

Chipsatsunset · 16/11/2023 00:10

Just the one very high pitched wheee . I think it’s mainly noticeable in my left ear though. I’ve just been for a scan for mixed hearing lost in that ear so maybe there will be an explanation when the results are back. The noise stops completely with my hearing aids in. When I first got hearing aids for sensorineural hearing loss 5 years ago the first thing I noticed was the tinnitus stops when they were in. Tinnitus can be a sign of hearing loss according to the audiologist and many hearing aid wearers find it stops when their aids are in.

Brieaddict · 16/11/2023 00:45

Three. A very high pitched ringing in both ears which sometimes changes frequency; an occasional whooshing noise; and pulsatile tinnitus on the left side only. The latter was horrible when it started, I thought an insect had taken up residence in my ear.

CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau · 16/11/2023 00:48

I periodically have bouts of very high-pitched tinnitus but also particularly when I’m ill or stressed I get alternating C flat 3 and D flat 3. At random timings which makes it worse.

BringMeSunshines · 16/11/2023 01:36

For just over 20 years I have had one noise in both ears, a kind of electrical humming pulsating sound, sometimes louder than others.

When it first started I drove my DH mad and insisting we get the electricity fuse box checked as it was making a strange noise, of course he could not hear it, and it was checked by an electrician all fine.

It gets worse like a lot of people when I am tired or stressed, and I always have the radio on even low to just get the edge over the sound of the 'electricity'. It does drive you to despair at times.

chillin12 · 16/11/2023 01:40

Hello, I hope you will eventually deal with it well.

I have permanent tinnitus, which started over 10 years ago. I don’t know how I’m used to it now! But at first, it was just one or two sounds, and left me sleepless and horrified! I used to cry myself to sleep in the beginning, and was sp panicked! Then it did increase to multiple sounds at different pitches!

It took me months to get used to it, and honestly, I barely notice it now, unless in absolute silence. Even then, I don’t feel as bothered by it anymore. I don’t know how, but I think I’m just always surrounded by some sort of noise, even if it’s someone breathing, which helps drown it out.

chillin12 · 16/11/2023 01:43

Mine sounds like a factory machine running inside of my head.

OssieShowman · 16/11/2023 04:58

Usually one continual noise. Occasionally it goes like a pulse and feel like my ears are going to explode.

DeepEnd · 16/11/2023 06:57

A very high pitched wheee in the centre of my head is constant since either having covid or my third booster jab (both were quite close together so I don’t know which caused it).

Occasionally I get a crackling or pulsing tapping in one or other ear which is so uncomfortable and distracting I’m glad it rarely lasts more than a few minutes. That occurs once every few weeks.

The high pitched noise sometimes escalates to being louder with an extra swooshing noise.

I hate it and while I can tune it out most of the time I think it contributes to a low mood from the interference.

Starrrz · 16/11/2023 08:30

Does anyone get rumbling? I had labyrinthitis after the flu. And my left ear senms slightly blocked and the. Tinnutis is alot louder. When will it calm down :’(

awaynboilyurheid · 16/11/2023 09:39

I get a constant hissing noise and occasionally at night when going to sleep get pulsatile T but If I move my head around on the pillow usually can get that one to stop but I can’t believe I’m saying this I don’t always hear the hissing T now. I never thought I’d say that in the beginning,
When I first got it I lost a stone in weight could only hear the hiss and thought I’d never be able to go to concerts etc as loud noises seemed to make the Tinnitus just go louder to compete. It was an awful time but contacting the helpline in Tinnitus UK and speaking to others with T really helped me realise my brain would adapt , it’s loud now as I’m focusing on it and I really hope there’s a breakthrough cure for everyone with T but in the meantime just know you are not alone.