I haven’t found any references to this technique in a brief tour of the google, but something I’ve stumbled on seems to help a little. I have tinnitus, have had it for years. Mostly, I have a hiss. Sometimes, a tone or two, of various frequencies, and sometimes all of the above. But occasionally, I’ll have a high-pitched steady tone, and I’ve discovered that if I whistle that exact pitch, fairly loudly, the one in my ear will stop. Not every time, but almost. I am speculating that the part of my hearing system that generates that tone gets activated by hearing that tone, and that somehow interferes with the production of that pitch in my head. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience, if audiologists have noticed it, and if anyone is pursuing it as a sort of cure or at least temporary treatment. I presume it could also just be some idiosyncratic effect that works for only me, but maybe there’s some help for someone, since it might work for others. Anyone ever hear of anything like this?
Well it’s similar to this stuff, and you’d think they’d have tried that particular approach as well: Hope for Veterans with Military Service-Induced Tinnitus | Defense Media Network
Of course, you’re describing a cure for one particular mode of your tinnitus, and I’m guessing from your “Not every time, but almost.” that you haven’t actually made a rigorous study of how often it works for you. So even if it does work for a significant number of sufferers it seems calling it “a cure for tinnitus” is overselling it.
there are different causes of tinnitus.
auditory masking may affect some types for some people some of the time.
Well, of course, I’m exaggerating for effect. But, is anyone aware of any research into this phenomenon? I doubt that I’m truly unique in this regard. Yes, “almost” every time I try this, it works. I can’t escape the feeling that there’s something to it, beyond my own impressions.
Similar? It seems to me he is describing the same thing. Such tone therapy has been a standard treatment for tinnitus for quite a while now.
Heck, I specifically came up with the idea of whistling to stop my tinnitus when it got really bad from reading this stuff. It works–for a few minutes.
What works better is just pressing on my ears and popping them a lot.
The best treatment for tinnitus is to learn to love it.
Really.
You may have cured your tinnitus but by posting about it now you’ve reminded all of us that also have tinnitus that we have tinnitus and we’ve all started hearing the ringing that we usually ignore.
Exactly. I can ignore it much of the time, but I am quite aware of it at this exact moment. Thanks a lot.
Me too! Thanks a lot OP…
I usually just ignore it. Thanks for reminding me.
Yeah, me three, as I try to learn to love it, and fail. Again.
It comes and goes, with me. If I hear ‘white noise’ it reduces, if I hold my nose and blow my hearing gets better and it reduces, if I’m really engaged in something - an article, a book, a movie, a conversation, a hike, a good time - it goes completely.
It always, always comes back. At least it doesn’t cause considerable pain. I’m fortunate that, so far, I rarely have back pain (after seeing an osteopath when I was young) and the knees only creak a little bit. I’m not a diabetic, I’m not allergic to anything I come into contact with regularly. Even though my tinnitus in both ears is distracting and frustrating at times, it could be worse.
My tinnitus keeps my heartbeat.
Constant faint “zing-zing” with the beat of my heart.
Makes me real happy to hear it. Because if I didn’t…
Agreed. My fortune, with regard to my tinnitus is that it sounds like this memory from childhood:
We moved to Mississippi, and my parents took us to many country churches on Sundays. I remember little more of those nights than that they were spent in sweltering, overly-lit, off-white-painted, closed, airless wooden rooms.
Then freedom crowned the evening when the final (plaintive) singing ended and someone opened doors. Only then wafted in AIR! Wonderful, cooling evening AIR! We rose in concert from wooden pews with one purpose: to go out into the night, under a sky profuse with bright stars, where the crickets sang.
I don’t think about my continuous tinnitus, but when I do, it’s those crickets (or were they frogs?) singing my freedom.
This memory is followed by the long drive home, sleeping in the corner of the back seat with the car window down just enough to hear freedom’s song until, lulled to sleep by the dashed board lights and passing pines, I felt the car slowing in front of the house.