Hearing Loss/Tinnitus

Have tinitus in both ears for 10 years now. I always wear custom made earplugs on concerts and when I go out to keep it in check. I don't think it got much worse over time.
Depending on the source of damage tinitus can be reversed or at least made more managable. I got mine from a too loud show when I was a teenager. Also, a lot of it comes from mental state, when I'm stressed out I hear it a lot louder.

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For any of you with tinnitus/hyperacusis or related ear problems, stay positive.
Here's my story:
Ears were pretty much fine up until end of Dec/start of Jan last.
Went out with a friend, ended up in a late night, obscenely loud music, stupidly did not wear my earplugs so as to wing for my buddy.
Bad move.
Ears ringing as I left the club, went away after a while but about a week later I noticed some sensivity in my ears, especially the left, some distortion of high frequncy sounds and some noises/pressure in my left ear.
It fluctuated over the coming weeks and I hoped it would go away by itself.
It didn't. I got a bad ear infection, went to the doctor, went on several rounds of antibiotics for it, had an MRI done and turns out I had Mastoiditis.
Still on antibiotics for that, but it seems to be clearing now and my ears have, thank Christ, started to improve.
The tinnitus is reduced by about 60/70% in intensity and some days it's barely there.
I still have hyperacusis and that can be stressful but it's improving as well, maybe 20% better than it was a few weeks ago, and another related issue I had (Eustachian Tube Defect) seems to be improving too.
Some of this improvement is probably due to time, which can improve and sometimes completely resolve such problems.
But I'm sure my improved health (thanks to regular gymwork, steam room, herbal teas, vitamin d, fish oil, Zinc, vitamin B12 & B complex, Magnesium and NAC) has played a part too.
Not getting worked up about it, is also key.
I've stopped worrying about it to the same extent as before, when I was stressing myself out on a daily basis, trust me when I say that achieves nothing.
It's the worst thing you can do, instead you have to trust in your body's ability to heal itself when given the time and opportunity to do so, with good nutrition, sleep, exercise and a low stress environment.
This is what I've been doing and it's improving, slow and steady, patience is the key.
So anyone that's going through similar problems with the ears, stay strong, and take my advice above.
Trust that it will get better and do all the right things and it's amazing how your system can repair itself.

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A girl kissed directly over my eardrum the other day, causing temporary hearing loss. Even though it was a "joke" on her part, my hearing did not return to normal for several days. Apparently this little game can cause permanent damage. At the time, this did not stop me getting the bang. But I was angry enough afterwards to sever all contact.

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I thought I had a really bad ear/throat inflammation that wouldn't go away. Turns out it was anxiety related.

This is not medical advice.

If anyone has the following symptoms:
- recurring inflammation in throat
- Jaw popping/clicking/TMJ
- ear inflammation/pain
- possibly other neuromuscular symptoms like muscle discomfort, unexplained syncope, etc

You may want to consider looking into stress relief techniques and avoiding stimulants (coffee etc, as TLOZ suggested) for a while. A good ENT should be able to recognize if it's most likely anxiety related.

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I've been having tinnitus in both ears for almost four years now. It started after an ear inflammation that lasted for two days, after which the noise in my ears started. Fortunately for me, it's very silent and I only hear it at night, before I go to sleep and everything is quiet around me. But it never caused me any problems sleeping. My hearing is fine; I only have a slight loss at 6 kHz.

Tinnitus is one of the most common ear conditions around the world; my otorhinolaryngologist told me once that over 20 million people in the US suffer from it. I sympathize with everyone who suffers from sleeping problems caused by tinnitus, I can't imagine how it must feel.

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(05-09-2016 10:55 AM)Khan Wrote:  I've been having tinnitus in both ears for almost four years now. It started after an ear inflammation that lasted for two days, after which the noise in my ears started. Fortunately for me, it's very silent and I only hear it at night, before I go to sleep and everything is quiet around me. But it never caused me any problems sleeping. My hearing is fine; I only have a slight loss at 6 kHz.

Tinnitus is one of the most common ear conditions around the world; my otorhinolaryngologist told me once that over 20 million people in the US suffer from it. I sympathize with everyone who suffers from sleeping problems caused by tinnitus, I can't imagine how it must feel.

My girlfriend suffers from it quite badly at nighttime and sometimes gets woken up by it.
Although mine is more prominent at night, it's pretty mild and doesn't affect my sleep from what I can tell.
And you're absolutely right, now that I've experienced how incredibly debillitating tinnitus and hyperacusis can be, it's given me a different perspective completely on it.
While I believe my advice above is useful to anyone with ear problems, for people who have it really bad, Christ that must be incredibly difficult and like you I really sympathise with those people.
Before I got a handle on my problems, I was at my lowest ebb for many years, it's one of those conditions that can send you into depression if you're not careful, it's certainly been one of, if not the most challenging health problems I've ever had to deal with.

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I'm gradually improving, although it's a slow process, two steps forward, one step back(sometimes two steps back!), but i'm getting there, slowly but surely.

I'm thinking of putting together a datasheet on Tinnitus and related problems, if forum members are interested?
I've read so much about it and gathered so much information on it in recent months, that I reckon I could provide some useful information to any forum members who've been struck down with Tinnitus, Hyperacusis or the myriad of related ear issues that can strike, especially if like me, the partying and loud music have taken their toll and you need to know how best to look after your ears.

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I have awful hearing and tinnitus form years of abusing the shit out of my ears.

Playing live music for almost a decade, shooting guns, going to concerts, going to drag races, and rarely every wearing ear protection (only during band practice in close quarters, and when firing a gun).

I don't do anything to mitigate it - I just let it be shitty and let it get shittier. Whatever.

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(07-06-2016 05:32 PM)amity Wrote:  I'm gradually improving, although it's a slow process, two steps forward, one step back(sometimes two steps back!), but i'm getting there, slowly but surely.

I'm thinking of putting together a datasheet on Tinnitus and related problems, if forum members are interested?
I've read so much about it and gathered so much information on it in recent months, that I reckon I could provide some useful information to any forum members who've been struck down with Tinnitus, Hyperacusis or the myriad of related ear issues that can strike, especially if like me, the partying and loud music have taken their toll and you need to know how best to look after your ears.

By all means, I'd be very interested in reading a datasheet on tinnitus.

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I haven't gotten round to doing the Tinnitus datasheet yet, hopefully I will get in done in coming weeks.
In the meantime, here's a useful article on loud music related Tinnitus or hearing loss:
https://www.xlr8r.com/news/2016/07/heari...your-ears/

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DO NOT GET A COCHLEAR! I'm not going to publicly explain myself but I'm the most qualified to give advice on this thread just PM for details. When you get a cochlear you take important nerves out of your body, you can't put them back and take my word for it the technology is Never as good as audiologist think, as well meaning and passionate as they are, don't let their enthusiasm fool you.

Also, this may be a hard pill to swallow but everyone gets tinnitus, Just varying degrees of it. Just entertain the possibility that overcoming tinnitus is a mind over matter deal and go from there. I don't have any proof to back this up, its bro science, but entertain the possibility. I used to worry it would never stop and drive me crazy. Don't let those thoughts defeat you, your better than that. If you want to take a drug to cure a condition that nobody knows what causes it, go for it but I recommend you approach it from a mental aspect, it will pay huge dividends in other areas of your life when you finally realize how much stronger mentally you really are.

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You might get used to tinnitus, like you don't pay that much attention to it after couple of months. You still have it, but you can go on with your life. Atleast in the mild cases.

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I have had mild tinnitus since I was a teen. Can't blame it on loud music since I avoided it (loud noises were always painful for me). After a mild ear infection (both ears) the tinnitus got a lot louder. Got checked out by a specialist and my ears are fine. Had a comprehensive hearing test done and thankfully, I have no hearing loss.

The doc suggested I try supplements. Per her advice, it is a hail mary at best as there is no proof that the stuff works, but it doesn't hurt to try. She gave me a brochure on the stuff. Turns out I was already taking all but one of the ingredients. So I bought the missing component at Amazon and added it to my supplement list.

I have had a slight improvement, but that may just be due to time and not the pills.

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There's a short term 'cure' for Tinnitus that made the 'Best Of' list on Reddit:

Quote:Place the palms of your hands over your ears with fingers resting gently on the back of your head. Your middle fingers should point toward one another just above the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of you middle fingers and snap them (the index fingers) onto the skull making a loud, drumming noise. Repeat 40-50 times. Some people experience immediate relief with this method. Repeat several times a day for as long as necessary to reduce tinnitus.

There's various theories for why this works. Some people think that it directly stimulates the ear via vibration through the skull. The nerves no longer receive signals from the killed off 'hairs' that normally pick up certain frequencies so instead send 'ghost signals' to the brain which is interpreted as the ringing white noise of tinnitus. When those nerves are directly stimulated they recalibrate and stop sending the ghost signals.

Anyway, I've found it works for me.

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(05-11-2015 07:41 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  You probably can't hear higher end frequencies. Makes music especially classical sound less vibrant and rich.
Watch this video. What frequency range cuts out for you? I'm around 15khz now. A year ago it was 16.5khz

Interesting video, thanks. I could hear 17kHz perfectly, 18 kHz was borderline, and note that at 19 kHz they stated that YT compression is affecting the sound.

Not entirely sure whether they're right about it, but I'm older than 24 years.

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Don't hold your breath but........

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Anybody have ear clicks from inner ear muscle spasm? I've had them since this spring, and they are very annoying and can become painful. The ear will click throughout the day sometimes 30 times a minute, quite loud and distracting. Its worse when lying down. No treatment for it that I can find and only ear plugs dampen the pain if it gets sore. Saw an ENT about it and no treatment, just get used to it advice. 400 mg of magnesium a day help dampen the intensity somewhat.

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^^ I have them all the time. I would check to see if you have TMJ. I did a water-fast for a few days and it went right away. I wanted to get surgery, but the ENTs are very reluctant to help. Botox works wonders, but I've heard it can decrease your bone density and make your joints weaker over time. There is also a minimally invasive feature called arthocentesis which is an outpatient procedure that its often successful.

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I do have TMJ and its being treated. Doesn't slow the clicks down but get rid of the feeling that there is earwax in the ear when there isnt.

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kbell:

Do you have tight neck muscles?

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You can go to a chiropractor but I don't know if they can do much for you. I would definitely look into arthocentesis. Do you have reduction moving your jaw? There is a 90% success rate with arthocentesis with reduction.

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(07-28-2016 10:05 AM)Speculation Wrote:  There's a short term 'cure' for Tinnitus that made the 'Best Of' list on Reddit:

Quote:Place the palms of your hands over your ears with fingers resting gently on the back of your head. Your middle fingers should point toward one another just above the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of you middle fingers and snap them (the index fingers) onto the skull making a loud, drumming noise. Repeat 40-50 times. Some people experience immediate relief with this method. Repeat several times a day for as long as necessary to reduce tinnitus.

There's various theories for why this works. Some people think that it directly stimulates the ear via vibration through the skull. The nerves no longer receive signals from the killed off 'hairs' that normally pick up certain frequencies so instead send 'ghost signals' to the brain which is interpreted as the ringing white noise of tinnitus. When those nerves are directly stimulated they recalibrate and stop sending the ghost signals.

Anyway, I've found it works for me.

I tried this when I went to sleep yesterday. It reduces the intensity of buzzing in my ears, which is quite refreshing. But the effect only lasts for maybe 20-30 seconds. After that, it's back to normal.

Did anyone else try this?

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Yes. One is more so do the shoulder surgery. But the clicking predates that. The ear muscles are in the inner ear that bother me. Are they affected by neck muscles?

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@kbell I have ear clicking and pressure problems in both ears daily with low level pain on most days(in one ear markedly more than the other)
Also have hyperacusis but that's a different albeit partially related issue.
I'm seeing an osteopath at the moment to try and eliminate any structural or bone alignment issues that might be contributing to the ear clicking/pressure issues.
It seems to be slowly improving but it's a very gradual process.
I've stopped taking cow's milk on his advice, says I need to keep off it for several months as it's effects build up on the system.
I might well end up seeing a cranial sacral specialist afterwards, as there is some evidence that it can help with such problems.
I think it's a matter of trying several different types of treatment to see which one helps.
Also time itself can help resolve or at least improve these kind of ear problems, from what I've been reading.
There's no doubt it can be a frustrating experience, particularly on the bad days when it really kicks off, but you just have to hang in there, try to stay positive and keep doing all the right things, and hopefully, with time and treatment, things will improve.
That's how I'm approaching it anyway.

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Yes. One is more so do the shoulder surgery. But the clicking predates that. The ear muscles are in the inner ear that bother me. Are they affected by neck muscles?

^- Yes. See how I knew you did?
Anything that pulls on those muscles aggravates them.

Conversely, anything that relaxes the shoulder and neck muscles will improve it.

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