Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Tinnitus

58 replies

Ggina55 · 23/06/2020 20:35

Does anyone have any tips for relieving tinnitus. I have had a ringing sound in my left ear for the last few weeks. I have no idea what could have caused it except I do listen to movies with earphones at night. Could this have been the cause? It’s driving me crazy and I can’t seem to relieve it :-( any advice or other people’s experience would be helpful

OP posts:
hotstepper4 · 24/06/2020 07:35

Definitely get it checked if it's in one ear only. There's something called an acoustic neuroma, it's very rare so very unlikely but always best to get checked.

I have bilateral tinnitus and have done for over 6 years. The first couple of years were the hardest, it made me very ill mentally but I got through and now honestly most days I don't notice my tinnitus at all much. When it's particularly bad I sometimes wear a tinnitus masker which is like a hearing aid, except it just plays white noise into my ears. These were lifesavers.

At night I sleep with a white noise machine, really recommend them, there's loads to choose from on Amazon.

It will be ok there is life after tinnitus!

Wishihadanalgorithm · 24/06/2020 07:45

Mine is due to a small perforation in my ear drum. Apparently it will heal (when?) but I have been back and forth to the hospital since September about it. I would suggest going to the doctors and see what is causing your tinnitus.

romdowa · 24/06/2020 07:48

I've had this for years due to menieres disease and agree with other pp, definitely get it checked out. It could be something really simple such as a bit of fluid in your ear but it's worth having it looked at just incase. My sympathy though , it is very annoying and I have to have the tv on at night to sleep to drown out the ringing and whooshing

Fluffrick · 24/06/2020 10:29

Hi Ggina - you might want to have a look at some of the advice and information on the British Tinnitus Association's website - www.tinnitus.org.uk - or try their helpline on 0800 018 0527 to have a chat with someone about the ringing sounds.

chomalungma · 24/06/2020 10:57

Ignore it.

Well - don't really. I developed it. I had oil to clear out the wax, ears looked fine, got a referral for hearing test - which was fine as well.

There are underlying health conditions that can give you tinnitus - but if those aren't suspected, it's just 'one of those things'.

If I don't think about it, my brain doesn't notice it. Whatever is causing it is still there - but my brain doesn't process it.

It's fascinating though - is it a physical issue with the ear, or something to do with the neurones in the brain and how they process it.

It can be really annoying.

TheGirlWithAThornInHerSide · 24/06/2020 11:08

One day I woke up completely deaf in one ear, feeling like it was bunged up. Went to docs after a few days, who said "probable ear infection, looks like it's cleared up, but now you probabaly have Eustacian tube disfunction. Should get better". I was prescribed nasal steroid spray.

Hearing mostly came back in that ear, but was left with some tinnitus and high-frequency hearing loss. Have trouble hearing people talking to me on that side. Particularly in crowded places (remember those?!). Saw ear specialist for a hearing test and had MRI to confirm nothing more serious.

Diagnosis : "idiopathic" hearing loss : i.e. they have no idea what happened!

The ear doctor said that if I'd gone to the doctors straight away, and had been prescribed a course of strong oral steroids, that might have helped. But most GPs don't know this.

OP: get it checked out.

TheGirlWithAThornInHerSide · 24/06/2020 11:13

@chomalungma > It's fascinating though - is it a physical issue with the ear, or something to do with the neurones in the brain and how they process it.

It can also be associated with hearing loss. It can be the sound made by the hairs in your inner ear having been damaged or dying :-(

Don't ignore it at first, not until the doctors tell you to.

grey12 · 24/06/2020 13:10

There's a video on YouTube about curing tinnitus. I've never had for more than a couple of hours so I have never tried it. But why not?!

grey12 · 24/06/2020 13:17

Here is the link to the video I saw before. It's worth a try.

But if it continues do go to the GP. Good luck Smile

magicmallow · 24/06/2020 13:19

probably the earphones, my tinnitus always gets aggravated by this. Don't stick your fingers in your ears, e.g. to scratch - it can make it worse (temporarily). Avoid alcohol, stress etc. Avoid loud noise if poss. Mine seems to come and go esp. when stressed out.

SerenDippitty · 24/06/2020 13:20

Are you on any medication? I had tinnitus when I first started taking citalopram.

Happynow001 · 24/06/2020 15:37

Hypertension/high blood pressure may also be a cause OP. Consult your GP.

lifestooshort123 · 24/06/2020 17:15

Join the Tinnitus Support Group - UK on FB. You'll get loads of tips and everyone is really supportive and kind. I've had mine for years and have learned to accept it - it's my pesky lodger, I'd love him to move out but think he's here for the duration.

Ggina55 · 07/07/2020 20:35

Thanks everyone for your comments, very helpful. It looks like I need to make a doctors appointment which is terrifying but it’s been 3 weeks now and no change. I tried ear drops and sinus tablets too in case blocked sinuses were causing

OP posts:
Ggina55 · 27/07/2020 21:23

@Wishihadanalgorithm did you have pain in your ear as well as I have no pain it’s just a noise and sometimes I can’t tell if it’s in both ears and other times it’s definitely only in my left ear....

OP posts:
Ggina55 · 27/07/2020 21:25

@SerenDippitty no I’m not on any medication

OP posts:
SchrodingersImmigrant · 27/07/2020 21:31

My mum had it for couple of years. Then she went for physio and special massage due to her back issues... It was her neck... It stopped after 1 session.
Maybe it's something innocent like this?

Ranoutofgoodnames · 27/07/2020 21:35

I second getting it checked - if there is a cause then you can fix it! If there is no cause you can learn how to cope with it.

I have pulsatile tinnitus which is a bit different and sounds like waves. I can’t get rid of it annoyingly but after a while it kind of became background noise and now I only hear it if I listen to it or have a bad headache.

But get it checked xx

Ggina55 · 27/07/2020 21:45

@ByeByeMissAmericanPie did you have to see the doctor about your tinnitus in one ear?

OP posts:
1Morewineplease · 27/07/2020 21:54

I’ve had it as long as I can remember.
I’ve learned how to tune out.
I can’t bear being in a quiet room. So the radio or the tv is always on.
I sleep when I’m just too tired.

Undead76 · 27/07/2020 22:07

OP the chances of it being an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwanoma are TINY beyond belief, so please try not to worry about that. Unilateral tinnitus is actually also pretty common. It can actually become bilateral over time, which is what happened to me. If it makes you feel better, ask to be referred for an MRI scan which will most likely rule out a tumour.
The sound can move from one ear to another, to both ears, to the middle of the head etc and still be normal.
There is no cure, but that is not to say there are not treatments which may help you. Some people get relief from certain supplements but there is no absolute proof that they work and most probably have a placebo effect. There are certain neuromodulation treatments using electrical devices that play 'tones', the idea being that brain plasticity will help your tinnitus to reduce. There are some clinical trials underway at the moment with new drugs for tinnitus.
The main thing you can do is try, as far as you can, to divert your attention away from the tinnitus by keeping soft background noise around you all the time. Even when you sleep. Invest in a good sound machine (sound oasis are good) and a pair of sleep headphones (a soft head band with flat speakers in them for comfort while sleeping) and find a sound that helps your tinnitus. This will give your brain something else to focus on while you sleep. I leave mine on all night long at a barely audible level. It really does help and stops the panic associated with tinnitus when you can't escape the noise.
The more you focus on the tinnitus, the worse it seems to be, and you are just strengthening that signal every time you focus on it. Don't strengthen that neural pathway - distract distract distract yourself.
Think of it like a candle flame. If you have a burning candle (tinnitus) in a well lit room during the day with lots of noise, a tv playing, people talking, lights on, general hubbub, you can barely see that candle flame, it's just one light among many lights. BUT, turn off the lights, turn off that tv, lie in a dark quiet room, and suddenly that same candle flame (tinnitus) becomes the ONLY thing you can see. It's just the same with the tinnitus noise. Keep yourself surrounded by gentle noise, a soft radio, low tv noise, a fan etc, and your brain will eventually filter out the tinnitus. Yes, it will still be there when you focus on it, but like the noise of a fan or car engine, your brain eventually gets to a point where it does not hear it unless your attention is called back to it.
I have had tinnitus for over 5 years now, and in the beginning I was literally suicidal, lost 2 stones, was on antidepressants etc. I thought my life was over. My tinnitus came from playing loud music through headphones.
Through the coping strategies I have mentioned, I have learned to cope. There's still not a day goes by when I don't wish I could get rid of it, but I CAN live with it, and so can you.
Good luck.

NotTerfNorCis · 27/07/2020 22:13

It could be allergy-related. I had severe tinnitus as a teenager which I relieved by taking Sudafed. Still get it a bit now, but nowhere near as bad as it was then.

Wishihadanalgorithm · 28/07/2020 17:24

OP, I had really bad pain in my ear. Due to the perforation in the drum my ear also leaked clear fluid for a couple of weeks too. It was gross.

User87471643901065319 · 28/07/2020 17:39

www.tinnitus.org.uk/Pages/Category/types-of-tinnitus

www.healthyhearing.com/help/tinnitus/causes

Do you have any cardiovascular symptoms as i read only yesterday that they can be connected if you do. (Doesn't always follow so don't worry but just thought I'd mention it in case). Also low thyroid can cause tinnitus.

Warsawa31 · 28/07/2020 17:40

I've had it for three years, hopefully yours won't be long term but if it is, your brain gets accustomed to the sound and it isn't as loud. In the meantime like others have said white noise - you can buy some earphones in a headband that you can sleep with so if you have a partner you Share bed with it won't keep them awake.

Try to relax it will likely pass and if it doesn't it's really not too bad after a while