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Can you imagine anything more annoying than hearing a mosquito buzzing around your head and not being able to catch it? A dentist's drill might be a close match. Now imagine what it would be like to have crickets chirping in your ear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Experts estimate that more than 30 million Americans hear a constant noise in their ears.807 Roughly one in eight men between the ages of 65 and 74 experiences some form of tinnitus (pronounced TIN-a-tus or tin-EYE-tus).808 Women and children are not spared the unwanted sound effects, which some describe as hissing, humming, chirping, whooshing, whistling, squeaking, or roaring.
Many tinnitus sufferers hear a high-pitched ringing, while others say it sounds more like steam escaping. Others complain of radio static or an electronic whine inside their head. One person described it this way: "I have an ocean between my ears every day, 24-7." Whatever the sound, it never lets up--but nobody else can hear it, either.
"My husband has a constant buzz in his ears and also hears a sound he likens to a dishwasher running. This particular sound bothers him most when he goes to bed or wakes up at night, and it wakes him frequently. The doctor says lots of people have tinnitus and the problem isn't serious, but it has my husband on the ropes."
According to the medical establishment, "Many patients with tinnitus believe that they have a serious medical problem. This is rarely the case."809 We beg to differ. People with tinnitus look normal, but the affliction can be as crippling as arthritis. Some individuals are so distressed by the sounds they hear that they become severely depressed and contemplate suicide. A study has found that even moderate tinnitus can interfere with cognitive ability, making it harder to focus and achieve peak performance while working on demanding tasks.
Tinnitus can be caused by many things, including very loud noises. More than 15 years ago, Joe was preparing to cohost a radio show when a student engineer made an error and created a feedback loop through Joe's headphones (the kind of screech you sometimes hear through speakers in an auditorium). The sound was so loud and so close to his ears that from that day to this, Joe has heard a ringing and hissing sound. Some days the noise is so overpowering that it is hard for him to concentrate. For people who cannot imagine what you are going through, it is difficult to describe how disconcerting it is to have a fieldful of crickets inside your head all the time.
We fear that millions of teenagers and young adults may be setting themselves up for tinnitus and other forms of hearing loss by exposing themselves to high volume levels while listening to iPods and other music devices. There are so many loud noises in our environment that the cumulative effect can damage our ears and increase our risk of tinnitus. We're talking about everyday things in our lives like blenders, vacuum cleaners, motorcycles, leaf blowers, and lawn mowers. All of them are loud and can contribute to hearing problems.
Compared to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, tinnitus seems like a trivial complaint. But ask anyone who suffers from it and you will discover that it can have devastating consequences on the person's quality of life. The constant ringing or hissing not only affects concentration, it also can interfere with sleep. Many people with tinnitus are depressed, and some even contemplate suicide. There is no cure and no perfect treatment. Nevertheless, there are some options worth considering.
- Avoid loud noise, including common household appliances like blenders, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, and power tools. Concerts, sporting events, and airports call for ear protection. Noise can make tinnitus worse.
- Beware of prescription medicines and over-the-counter remedies that can trigger tinnitus or make it worse. Even the quinine in tonic water can be a problem for some people.
- Some people benefit from antianxiety agents like alprazolam (Xanax) or antidepressants such as nortriptyline. These drugs are not without side effects, however.
- Seek professional advice about new technology that combines a hearing aid with a masking device. This equipment may help improve hearing and reduce the ringing. Try to negotiate for a trial period to test the hearing aid so you can make sure you are satisfied before shelling out thousands of dollars to purchase it.
- Give ginkgo biloba a try. Although the research is not very supportive, ginkgo may help and it is relatively inexpensive. Make sure that it won't interact with any other medicine you are taking.
- Consider melatonin. This natural compound appears to be quite safe and may help tinnitus sufferers get some much-needed sleep.
- If all else fails, your physician might prescribe misoprostol. A few small studies have found it useful for about one-third to two-thirds of tinnitus patients. Its price and side effects are daunting, however.
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I started getting ringing in my ears about 2 months ago--Web MD had a blip that said this might be a thyroid problem, another site said my allergy medicine -Zyrtec- might be the culprit. The sound is like a whistling noise. My regular physician said I should see an ENT-- does anyone have any thoughts or ideas re: the sudden cause? I haven't had any head injuries, been to a rock concert, etc., so I'm really puzzled! thanks!!!
My mom has been complaining of this for several years now - especially the whooping sound or a zipping sound. She is 75. As with gh, as far as I know she hasn't experienced any loud noises to cause this. I know it is upsetting and frustrating to her, she can't hear and is often more preoccupied with the sounds she is hearing than what someone is saying. She has been to a hearing specialist, but they haven't done anything for her.
My tinnitus developed from a sudden bump on my head in my car. I've had it for three months now and sometimes it is very distressing. I've changed my diet, cut out all caffeine, alcohol, overly salted foods, starches and sweets and it still persists. The ENT kind of brushed it off as being common today and said there is a sound in silence.
Yes, there is, but not like this hissing tinsel sound. I am in my 50's and feel too young to have such a condition. If anyone has any insight into relief of tinnitus from a bump on the head, please post it here. Thank you!
I have learned that tinnitus can be caused by medication, OTC as well as prescription.
HELP! I'm desperate for a cure.
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: IF IT IS TRIGGERED BY MEDICINE, DISCONTINUING THE DRUG MAY HELP. THERE ARE NO SURE-FIRE CURES.
I have read the comments from other people and find them discouraging. Mine started in Oct. with no related causes. My doctor put me on antibiotics and decongestant, neither helped. Is there really no cure for this? Do I have to live with this the rest of my life? I an 68. LT
To LT: I have had tinnitus for many years: Hissing sound, ticking like a clock etc. and view it - for me personally - as a permanent condition without cure.
Found that stress and being tired makes it seem appear suddenly and also can make it worse. Meditation, which I have used since 1980, incidentally helped me to learn to ignore the tinnitus sounds so they don't bother me. I used Autogenic Training, the precursor of Biofeedback, to learn meditation. I am 70 yrs. old.
We had a good friend that took his life yesterday because he could not get any help for Tinnitus. He had been to so many doctors in the Charlottesville area and they dismissed him. It is sad to think that the only relief he felt he had was to end his life.
I am thirty-one now and have had tinnitus for 11 years. At times it can be downright annoying to have this "tuning fork ring" and "ceiling fan whoosh" in my head; but I can always imagine it to be a lot worse, like no hearing at all. I have been seeing an ENT for years and though there is not a cure, we have found that reducing stress and having at least nine hours of sleep have kept the noises to a minimum.
There are days that it becomes unbearable, but on those days if I play the radio throughout the whole house, it can muffle some of the inside noises and help make me a little more sane for the day.
I'm 82 and wear hearing aids. About a month ago I started hearing ONE melody, continuously in both ears, that I have never heard before. It has no words, and is more like when you hear monks chanting in a chapel. It is not too bad to listen to, all male voices in harmony, except 24/7 is a little too much. I'm either a composer, but nobody else can hear it, or I'm losing my marbles. I suspect it is tinnitus. Does anybody else have an experience with music like this?
I had shoulder surgery in March of '09 and was put on powerful pain killers. I went off the pain meds about three months later when I discontinued physical therapy.I had frightening anxiety when I was stepped down to the last one which I got off of in 24 hours. I started hearing the sound like power lines hissing. I have had it continuously for a year now. Sometimes I don't notice it or maybe it isn't as loud. I have been under stress for about 6 months and it seems much worse. I think it wakes me from sleep, and I know it makes it hard to get to sleep sometimes. I have used a riding mower for years and never had a problem, so I really believe the pain drugs caused my problem. I was taking a Benadryl type sleep aid and I quit taking it because I feared it might make it worse. I need relief.
Thank you for the update. I still haven't heard from anyone hearing music in their ears continuously. I read the suggested book, Musicophilia, but that pertained more to people who had lost their musical ability, or had gotten some all of a sudden. I have neither. I just hear "monks" chanting all the time, sometimes loud, other times soft. It starts out in the morning as buzzing and then goes into this chanting. I think I'm coming undone!
I have tinnitus and wonder if a drug called quinidine started it.
When I wear hearing aids I can sometimes hear a faint like radio in the background. I would rather hear the monks. Try taking your hearing aid out and listen than put it back in. I am now trying putting a little baby oil on a Q-tip and dabbing in my ears to see if that will soften the ringing.
I am now 70 and the ringing mask what people say. If you loose one word in a sentence you have lost the whole meaning of what someone says. So you ask them to repeat and they get upset.
Good luck with your "monks"
About 8 months ago I was attacked by this Tinnitus, only I was hearing singing crickets, I approached my MD just to learn of this disease, he went straight to work getting me to see specialists, just to learn you are stuck with it so get over it. I had quite a few visits to PA Hospital, Logan Hospital and the QEII Hospital, but to no avail. With thanks to your lovely site especially the bit about soap in the hands to help with cramps in the hands and fingers.
Thanks for now
Alfred
About 6 months ago my 52 yr old daughter developed tinnitus (AKA "ringing in the ear").
This was brought about by her co-worker who blew a very loud whistle right next to her ear while in her classroom. As a result, she has been incapacitated in that she cannot sleep, think clearly and is missing work.
She has seen several doctors, has had an MRI and has been told that there is no cure for it.
Is there any medication to take? She has been told about "maskers" which are very expensive, acupuncture, etc. HELP is there anything she can take or do to relieve it?
I am 54 years and have had tinnitus for nearly 20 years. It is a steady high pitched hum. Sometimes I stick my finger in my ears and swoosh them around to calm the pitch. I have seen a chiropractor, physical therapist (who massages the muscle at the jaw line that links to the inner ear), consulted with an acupuncturist, and have seen an ENT.
I am thinking about getting a white noise machine for bedtime. There are Veteran hospital trials for soldiers whose tinnitus is the result of loud explosions and/or stress. The trials involve sending radio/magnetic waves through the brain. These clinical trials can be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tinnitus.html. Am thinking of signing up for one if and when it comes to my area. Thank you for publishing all these comments. I am sorry so many people are experiencing this awful condition. My was sudden on-set. I did listen to loud rock-music in the 70's and did drink pepto-bismal as needed. Did these activities cause my tinnitus? Who knows. Just wish I could get rid of it!
I've had Tinnitus for several years now with it worsening the past several months to where it is driving me crazy. I am pretty sure living with parrots initiated my Tinnitus since parrots can be pretty noisy.
My symptoms are pulsing cricket noises in time to my pulse. This makes it extremely difficult for me to concentrate, especially when I am on the computer, trying to read or do some work.
I had an audiology test done last year and was told there is no cure for Tinnitus. A hearing aid was recommended to possibly help mask the "crickets" but I didn't want to wear a hearing aid w/ no promise my symptoms would end.
I practice bio feedback with little results. I have noticed massaging my gums briefly helps relieve the symptoms.
I am going to try Ginko Bilboa in hopes it helps. Melatonin does help for sleep but there is a hangover effect if it's taken too late at night, so it isn't much help.
I'm sorry about the person who committed suicide as a way out of the constant noise.
just heard that lipoflavenoids might help. anyone try it yet?
I, too, have had tinnitus for years, and it has gradually gotten worse. I have no idea why I have it unless it could be caused by medications.
Right now I am on Lyrica, Propranolol and HCTZ. The tinnitus now pulsates with my heart beat, which makes me think something is wrong with my heart, but my doctor says no. I can hear it all the time, although, of course, I notice it more at night when things are quiet, and it hinders me going to sleep. I also have headaches a lot and have had an MRI because of that, but no problems were found. Still looking for some answers.........
I suffered "Sudden Deafness Syndrome" in my right ear in 1980. I had micro-surg. to see what was wrong... Nothing! Since that day in 1980, I have had unbearable noise in my head/ear. I actually remember the day I consciously committed to living with this, rather than the alternative. I've found that MSG, nitrates, sodium, metallic noise, restaurants, loud music, loud movies, etc. make it much worse.
A custom plug was made for that ear and did nothing to help the tinnitus. I did and still do find relief by putting a yellow foam plug in my GOOD ear, thereby reducing the incoming noise that travels through the bone around the back of my head. My heart goes out to anyone who suffers with this. Other people can't understand because they can't see it or hear it.
Blessings!!
Amazing that millions of people suffer from tinnitus and there is no cure. One ear started gradually and the other months later. Both ears have different sounds, one low pitch and the other high pitch. I heard that a multivitamin/mineral supplement along with vitamin C (bioflavinoid type) helped.
I always took these intermittently but found the strong multi vitamin would make my heart beat very fast. I started crushing the vitamin (or emptying the capsule) and putting it in chocolate soy milk (to drown the taste) and took a little after each meal so I no longer have problems with the rapid heartbeat. I take a vitamin C at lunch along with the drink. It has been a couple of months and I believe it is helping.
I use the Solgar brand of vitamins/mineral and also Solgar bioflavonoid complex C 1,000 miligrams. The Whole Food store multivitamin/mineral is almost an exact replica of Solgar at half the price.
Best of luck to everyone. Please let us know if there is a remedy. Does anyone know the place in the ear where the ringing comes from? I would be willing to have it removed from the loud high pitch ring ear and just rely on the other ear for hearing. I am 68 so I hope that age will diminish it since so many older folks cannot hear very well. I would welcome losing my hearing if the ringing would stop also.
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: YOU'LL FIND MORE INFORMATION ON TINNITUS IN OUR ONE-HOUR SHOW, #808 TREATING TINNITUS:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/04/02/808-treating-tinnitus/