You might also want to look up Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. It’s a possibility.
(Just search on BPPV.)
The tinnitus returned after a brief blissful day of remission, but I have had no other episodes of vertigo. I have an appointment with a local ENT in about three weeks. commasense’s link to Meniere’s Disease frightens me, as the description of the disorder is pretty spot on for the sensations that I have. An old thread, “Ask The Woman With Meniere’s Disease” says hers got way better with medical treatment, but most everything else I read says there’s not much you can do about it.
Fuck.
Another annoying thing is that it isn’t so much a disease as a collection of symptoms with no established correlation, cause, or treatment. If you meet enough of the criteria you have it, but, as you say, there’s not much you can do about it.
For instance, my ENT said I should reduce or avoid salt, caffeine, and alcohol, but other research I found showed no correlation between consumption of those things and Meniere’s symptoms. So although at first I had made an effort to reduce them (I have never drunk more than about one drink a week on average, so that wasn’t much of a change), I slowly went back to normal and have experienced no change.
So I’d say don’t worry too much if you get a diagnosis of Meniere’s; it doesn’t mean much.
Resurrecting this old thread in case anyone wants to gripe about tinnitus. And first in line is me!
Two years ago I talked here a lot about tinnitus in my left ear, a full-feeling sensation ditto, vertigo, and hyper-sensitivity to sound. All that eventually just faded away, but it took a couple of months. I’ve had a few very minor bouts with tinnitus since then, but they were temporary and usually only came on when I was very tired. They were nothing to get excited about.
But a week ago, the full-on raging tinnitus and feeling of fullness came back again. It’s the left ear, just like before, and it’s a ringing, roaring hum. I’m also hyper-sensitive to sound again and back to wearing noise-canceling headphones so I can watch a movie with Mr. brown without distress.
I’m off to the doc later this morning just to make sure this isn’t an infection, which it probably isn’t, just like before. But she’s a new PCP for me, as my old doc just wasn’t very satisfactory. I retired and started with a new doctor closer to home, and she’s much more thorough. We’ll see how it goes.
Goodluck @teelabrown. I’ve got it in both ears. Not a roaring but an analog ringing. I say analog because the pitch goes up and down. And always a separate pitch in the background.
I am surprised that we can transplant organs, but can’t do jack about tinnitus.
I know, right? It’s a common complaint, especially among us older folks, but no one knows how to deal with it. Maybe because it’s inaudible/invisible to other people so science doesn’t feel it’s a priority.
Right after I went to the doc and later picked up a prescription steroid nasal spray, this episode started to subside. I hadn’t yet taken the steroid spray, and don’t plan to do so unless the tinnitus returns. I’m almost back to normal again. What the hell.
There is damned near nothing medical science can do for anything involving malfunctioning nerves. Which is where tinnitus comes from.
And yes, mine is annoying as hell. Woke up one morning in the summer of 2005 & there it was; my own personal continuous high-pitched whine of a background noise. Sometimes I’m unaware of it, but as soon as I notice that unawareness, it instantly returns. Suggesting it’s 100% constantly there, just not always consciously recognized.
Well, stereocilia. The tiny hair like receptors that turn sound vibrations into signals the brain interprets. So nerves, but interpreters that give the nerves information
I have TMJ ( treated but stll mildly there), occasional veryigo, and tinnitus. My jaw position doesn’t change much maybe a very slight raise in pitch. My vertigo is the common loose floatig crystals caused. I know some manuevers that can alleviate it. The ringing is a constant high pitc squeel. I think mine is from several years playing in abar/party band. We were loud and I stood in front of the lead players Marshall amp. If I knew then what I know now I would have worn ear protection.
I remember how everything sounded when we were done. Sort of a muffled roar.
I’ve qlways used a fan when ai sleep. If it goes off for some reason I wake up instantly. It does help with the tinnitus. I can’t stand to not have the fan at night. We’re watching the Tigers right now and it’s squeeing away. I think I wouldn’t notice it if this thread hadn’t popped up.
I’m, sadly, used to it. For myself, I guess, it’s better.
Long-time Meniere’s sufferer here. I’ve worn hearing aids for 8 years and see my ENT regularly for both cleaning and evaluation/medication. A couple comments (strictly based on my personal experience):
The impact of tinnitus is greatly reduced when I wear my hearing aids. I do not use any of the “tinnitus blocker” programs or anything. Just the improved hearing masks much of the tinnitus.
As far as I know, neither my diet (salt) nor my BP have any impact on my vertigo attacks. (And those attacks leave me vomiting on my bathroom floor for hours at a time.) Meclizine helps a bit. Fortunately, the attacks have been much reduced in the last three years.
Not only can I change the volume of my tinnitus by moving my jaw, I can change the type of sound itself…say, from throbbing with my pulse to a steady low frequency roar. I am absolutely convinced that having my Eustachian tube roto-rooted would help me, but my ENT is reluctant to send me to Duke University to have it done. He is outright dismissive of the procedure.
My advice…get hearing aids, even if you barely need them. Most impact I’ve seen so far, especially when compared to sound-generating devices.
I have to have hearing aids. The tinnitus covers up regular sound coming in. That’s how loud it is.
I do all my work meetings over the computer. It can CC what people are saying, and I can wear headphones.
The hearing aids also help my wife. I can adjust the volume through an app on my phone, so I can turn them up, and the music won’t be too loud for her.
Seconded.
In my case the hearing aids’ ability to amplify, and more than that to selectively amplify my weakest frequencies, helps to offset the “straining to hear” effect that increases conscious attention on hearing and hence perception of the tinnitus noise.
My aids also have a so-called tinnitus blocking feature which is an adjustable white noise generator. By carrying that round in my ears I don’t need to use external helpers like running fans or radio on or …
Like using a cane for walking, it’s no cure. But it makes life better. IMO the sooner anyone with tinnitus starts working against it, the better their far out years will be.
VERY good analogy. Hearing aids/cane. Hearing aids just simply won’t work in some situations. Neither will a cane.
I get this only occasionally, and it is not yet a constant irritant. I can’t remember who taught me this tip but it does work for me. It’s only temporary relief but I found it did actually work, surprisingly.
I put the palms of both hands pressed against my ears, such that your fingers align with the centre of your neck at the back of your head. Then just tap those muscle with your fingers. It will make an odd noise in your ears, hard to describe. But when I stop so does the ringing.
As mentioned, it’s only temporary relief, and I doubt I have it as bad as some are experiencing. But it’s something.
Anyway I find it helpful. I have nothing but sympathy for those suffering unrelenting discomfort. Wishing you all good luck!