Tinnitus!

I have it in one ear. Like you, I find it doesn't bother me too much during the day. I've had it for several years.

I do hear it at night or when I'm not active, especially when lying down. It's intermittent, though, a fast buzzing sound for a few seconds, then it stops. Sometimes it stops if I shake my head. Mostly I try not to concentrate on it, especially when trying to get to sleep.

I too have it in one ear. Started around 4/5 months ago. If I’m busy or out and about I hardly notice it. It’s worse when I’m sitting quietly or trying to sleep. Some days are worse than others.
I use a pillow with a Bluetooth speaker to help mask the buzzing/ ringing at night. I listen to audio books and drift off to sleep.
I keep hoping it will go away but I think I’m stuck with it and it’s a question of getting on with it.

I’ve had tinnitus for around 30yrs. In both ears. It’s constant and is a high pitched tone with an underlying rumble like lorries revving. During the day I can pretty much ignore it. At night it’s a different matter. I listen to nature sounds or white noise if it’s really bad. I bought something called cozyphones off the dreaded Amazon. They are flat headphones in a fleece headband. Not perfect and I had to sew around the headphones inside to stop them from moving. Fairly cheap and worth a go.

Both ears, and I've had it all my life. I was puzzled that Simon and Garfunkel wanted to sing about it... I thought that hissy whining was the sound of silence!

A few years back it suddenly switched on much, much louder in just my left ear, so I mentioned it on a visit to the doctor. He sent me straight away for an MRI head scan, as apparently it can possibly be a sign of a brain tumour.

All was clear so it was then off for a hearing test which showed loss of hearing in the higher registers. Perfectly normal at my age! I also have very narrow ear canals - apparently the probable reason for always having had it.

I now wear hearing aids which have evened out the hissy whine - and I can hear a lot, lot better.

I still usually have a radio on when indoors, but outside is ok. With birds, traffic, wind noise, etc the Great Outdoors is rarely silent.

I was diagnosed at our local hospital some years ago and given a device which plays all sorts of soothing noises (can’t remember the name). It did help, but I notice that it becomes worse if I am stressed or not feeling well. I have got used to it over the years, it becomes part of you, but it is sometimes annoying at night when (we live in a bungalow) I hear a noise which convinces me that the fridge is about to blow up.

I’ve had tinnitus for 45 years, and it doesn’t bother me at all. I listen to Radio 4 as I’m falling asleep - it does help neutralise the ringing, but it’s as much habit as therapy.

I have pulsative tinnitus which is loudest when I lay down to sleep. Have to get off to sleep on left side to calm it.
I’ve had it for about 8 years, have had hospital hearing tests and a head scan - all ok.
It does become a part of you, it’s like I have my own music in my head. I try not to concentrate on it and find I can go weeks without thinking about it now.
In some people it stops and starts - but mine has been consistent.

Pulsatile - not ‘pulsative’.

I have it in both ears. Mine is a sort of hiss, sometimes with a high pitched whistle and often sound like a distant ocean.
I believe it started about 40 years ago. I am going to have a hearing test when it's safe to make an appointment.

Dh has it in both ears and had the head scan too. His is worse during the night and he uses an Alexa Echo playing 'Sleep Sounds of Nature' to mask it while he sleeps.

This is all very helpful. I’m beginning to get used to it and will try to embrace it as much as I can! I think the worst you can do is get stressed about it. Still hoping it might go away but if this is the new normal, sobeit.

I’ve had it a long time can’t remember how long, but it’s much worse now. I’ve just an an awful few days of really loud noises, especially in my right ear. I try all sorts, nasal sprays, hot water bottles, steam inhalation’s, not sure if any of it works, but it’s much quieter at the moment.
I’ve also had a brain scan which proved to be normal thank goodness, and have small ear canals too which doesn’t help. I think I may have glue ear and would like it investigating, maybe when COVID is better. Does anyone have a quick fix for when it’s really bad ?

I had it for a year or so, along with partial deafness. It nearly drove me mad. Then, I had my ears cleaned properly with suction, viola - gone!

(voila)

I’m sorry but I don’t think so Katy.
Distraction is all I can recommend. Music, TV, trying not to think about it - and to resist actually pushing against your ear as there are many tiny delicate parts in there.

I’ve had it in both ears for over 40 years, I must say I don’t notice it most of the time unless I’m in really quiet surroundings.

I often lie in bed and ask DH if he can hear it it’s so loud.

In my left ear it’s as if I’m holding a shell to my ear, in my right a high pitched but gentle whistle.

Mine started straight after I had a hearing test! Mostly I don’t really notice it, but just reading this thread has made it seem really loud. Normally I can just distract my attention from it but not at the moment.

My Mother had this for years, and couldn't find any relief at all. The 'buzzing' was worse at night.

I hear William Shafter also had tinnitus, but don't know if he found any solution.

Another sufferer here, had this for many years in one ear, with moderate deafness. I hear it all the time, even as i type this, but its always worse in the quiet of the night.
I use radio 4 as a distracter which helps me focus on that instead of the constant buzzing and whistling.
Sadly dont think there is much one can do other than tolerate.

The high pitched whine which is constant I can tune out, but like you Puzzler61 I also get bouts of pulsatile tinnitus, which is absolutely dreadful, I can only describe it as like a pile driver going off in my ear. I too had various investigations and when my ENT consultant found a heart murmur as well as a carotid bruit he became wildly excited at diagnosing something outside his field! However the murmur turns out to be functional only, and my carotids are only 40% blocked, so more or less normal for my age. Fortunately it comes and goes, I feel despair when it starts up, and huge relief when it fades away again after three weeks or so.

I understand your frustration and desperation B9exchange. ?

I’ve had it for about three years, both ears, like white noise. Most of the time I don’t notice it, sometimes it’s more noticeable, if I’m anxious definitely. I have the radio on during the day and am not particularly bothered at night. I think it may be coincident with some drugs.

I’ve had tinnitus for 44 years. It started when I jumped out of bed to deal with a crying baby. Whether the 2 are connected I don’t know! It’s a constant high pitched scream in my right ear sometimes accompanied by the sound of my pulse. I’ve learnt to live with it although on occasions it drives me mad. It has got worse as I’ve got older and on occasions appears to be more central - in the middle of my head. Ive had various weird & wonderful investigations including in the early days having a jug of water poured in each ear in turn while counting backwards in threes from 500 ?. Not sure what that was all about..... and a brain scan looking for possible bleeds which could cause it. It’s worse when I fly, drink too much alcohol or have a cold. I have a radio on all day & most of the time I don’t notice it apart from now when I’m writing about it and it’s screaming at me. Ive never tried anything to distract it. I had a brain injury in an accident when I was 11 and wonder whether it could have been triggered from that. I’ll never know

I've had it for 20 years in both ears, fortunately the same sound and same volume in both, as differing tones/volumes would be worse, imho.

My hearing is perfect, just had a hearing test at Specsavers recently when there for an eyetest. Knowing my hearing is OK is comforting to a degree but it doesn't stop the constant high-pitched buzzing.

The noise increases if I don't get enough, or interrupted sleep and also if I have any other illness. I also think some foods set it off as well, but don't spend enough time tracking this as I try to get on with my life as concentrating on the constant buzzing becomes very annoying.

During the night when everything is much quieter than daytime, it appears worse but it's really just general background noise has decreased. I have a radio and/or music playing 24/7 throughout the house and in the car and find this helps but 'nothing' blocks out 2 x constantly, barking neighbour's dogs...they are horrendous, not only for me, but other neighbours as well. We all yell and scream for them to be quiet, it becomes quite a chorus of human voices at times.

Tinnitus started for me after a virus which left me with several chronic conditions, all untreatable unfortunately. Such is life....