lfine Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 I know this is a big topic and lots have been written about it on the net but thought this was the appropriate forum for this. Like many, I have tinnitus caused by a variety of incidents through my 50+ years. I'm guessing that quite a few users of the forum do, too. I try to deal with it a variety of ways starting with white noise to sleep with up to just trying to no longer pay attention to it. Some days I feel like it doesn't even register with me and some days it's pretty loud and irritating. I thought this might be a good place to open up the discussion on how others deal with it, realizing there's no quick fix. So much of it seems to be "mentally" dealing with it at this point. Anyone have any advice on that aspect of it? And if you've read this and don't have any of it, please continue to protect your hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 36 minutes ago, lfine said: white noise to sleep or trying to not pay attention to it. Those are the only two ways I've found to work I went thru a phase, for a couple months, where I swore I had a mosquito in the bedroom (when I was trying to sleep). Kept my wife up night after night, until I discovered there was NO MOSQUITO - it was just my ears buzzing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Mine don't buzz, it is a high pitched whine. Like a child saying EEEEEEEEEE! at the top of their vocal range. Sometimes the pitch changes, but it is always there. Years of working in DC power plants with the constant humming/whining of transformers at 60 cycles. White noise helps, leaving a radio or tv on helps, learning to ignore it is the best solution that I have found. You can't ignore it 100% of the time, but if you can try to think of something else when you start noticing it, it becomes a bit easier to ignore. I have not tried the pills and homeopathic remedies that you see advertised on tv, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Mine sounds like crickets. Tried the pills. No help. Waste of time and money. I do the white noise, TV etc. Wish when I was 10 my Dad had realized the need for protection. (The shooting kind) Interesting thing recently: I am trying to quit using Advil. (Ibuprofen) I have cut down to a couple before bedtime. Since my dose/usage have dropped dramatically, I have noticed that my ears ring at a much quieter level now. Internet gives one side effect of Ibuprofen as - ringing in ears... Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBurgess Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 I have a single sided deafness with a pretty loud ring in the deaf side (sounds like a cross between a leaking air compressor and a whistle) during the day I have very little problem with it but at night it is more of a issue. What I have found works for me at night is to wear a earplug in my good ear so the ring in my bad ear becomes the background white noise while I sleep and it doesn't change if I roll over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 I've got the high pitched whine like GrumpyOne but its always the same pitch, just the volume changes. Even though I've shot for years, I did not have tinnitus until I had a severe ear infection. I was working as an RO at a Level 2 match where the weather went back and forth from a drizzle to sunny and very humid. By Saturday night my ear was swollen shut and I was in the ER. Money spent on hearing specialists and various prescriptions has always been money wasted. For the most part I've learned to ignore it. It now bothers my wife more than me. Half the time it drowns out my wife's conversations. On a bad day, I need to turn up the volume of the tv loud enough that it drives my wife out of the room. Could be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grendel Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Mine started as a buzz and progressed over ten years too a high pitch and my solution to live with it, where to accept this is now a part of being me for presleep i shift my focus to something else, preferably my breathing and relaxing my body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 I seem to have a mild case which comes and goes, seems worse after eating something with a large amount of salt on or in it. Try not to do that but sometimes you are fooled while eating out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfine Posted March 17, 2018 Author Share Posted March 17, 2018 Mine is a high pitched tone. Occasionally changes a little but not often. So I guess that means I lost/damaged the hearing in that frequency(s). Most of the time I can ignore it or have learned to just hear it as background noise but sometimes it comes to the forefront. Glad to hear from some people who have tried the pills, etc and that it doesn't work - saved me and countless others from wasting our time and money. I remember reading about William Shatner being a voice about this and a youtube video talking about getting it when an explosion on the set of an early Star Trek episode went off too near. It's more of a fundraiser bit about the American Tinnitus Association but its still hopeful. (No, I'm not looking to raise money, just surprised to hear his story.) It's on youtube at this link. He bring up the good point that many service men and women returning from combat suffer this. Strangely enough, although I find it sad i also find it comforting to hear that many others are in the same situation. So much of dealing with this seems to be mental that I welcome any advice for dealing with this from that aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 1 hour ago, lfine said: So much of dealing with this seems to be mental ...................... In my case the ringing is just loud enough to drown out the voices in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Flatland Shooter said: the ringing is loud enough to drown out the voices in my head. What are "the voices" telling you to do ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowdyb Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Mine is the constant high pitched whine. I have had it since long before shooting, likely caused by years of a certain medication I was taking. Turning an audio book on my phone and setting it near me at night on a low volume is about the only way I can fall asleep now...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beef15 Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Very high pitch whine. I have had it for as long as I can remember, variously been told ear infections, butcher job tube install from ear infection, meds, by doctors. Audiologists always insist shooting did it if I truthfully fill out their questionnaires and pay no mind to the fact I had it before I ever recall being around a gunshot. Anyway, I guess due to the long term presence I pretty much have to focus on it to notice it, any noise at all or other thoughts to occupy me and it's there but not troubling, unless of course I need to hear something high pitched, which happens as a heavy equipment tech. My white noise generator at night is an air filter, I don't think it's the tinnitus but I do have a hard time sleeping in the house without that sound after a few years of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBurgess Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 On 3/17/2018 at 12:30 PM, Flatland Shooter said: In my case the ringing is just loud enough to drown out the voices in my head. man I wish, the voices in my head drown out the ringing :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toysejr Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Mine started after being carbon monoxide poisoned when is was 10, I am in my late 50’s now. I have learned to mostly ignore it, sometimes it gets louder after eating high salt content food or being trackside all day at drag races, I shoot photos for events. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 10 hours ago, toysejr said: gets louder after eating high salt content food Wow, never heard that before. I'll have to eat a bag of potato chips and see if my tinnitus is worse (be worth it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Nine replies back ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgh Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 There are many causes of tinnitus. Mostly it comes from age with or without chronic noise exposure. If shooters have been using good ear protection, then the tinnitus is probably not due to shooting. The serious type of tinnitus is what is called "pulsatile tinnitus". Swish ... swish ... swish ... swish. You get the picture. That could indicate you have a serious vascular malformation that will require attention. I have non-pulsatie tinnitus that only varies in volume. I'm going to keep an eye out for that salt-tinnitus thing. I recall hearing about that association somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 17 hours ago, Steve RA said: Nine replies back ! Had to take my shoes and socks off for that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Just eat your potato chips ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 potato chips help you count??? Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 They might very well do that, however he had mentioned eating some chips to see if salt in any way affected his tinnitus, which some of us had mentioned did with ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfine Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 Never saw it before but there are a lot of sites mentioning high levels of salt leading to increased blood pressure leading to tinnitus worsening. A lot of these sites are also selling their own supplement mix, as well, so you have to take their advice with a grain of salt, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Just strive to reduce your salt intake and don't worry about the supplements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 7 hours ago, lfine said: high levels of salt leading to increased blood pressure leading to tinnitus worsening. Now THAT makes some sense. Higher blood pressure is the culprit, not my potato chips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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