Tinnitus

As a fellow- sufferer I try to avoid complete silence. I have the radio on, especially last thing before I go to sleep, which helps.
Tinnitus is something I dreaded, but I am surprised by how little I notice it.

I have had tinnitus for many years. I prefer to have the radio on for a background as total quietness seems to make it more noticeable. Strangely it improved for a few months when I started wearing a hearing aid but is now back to full ringing mode. It is quite debilitating. I wish you well.

Yes, I'm a long term sufferer too and I try to avoid silence too. Ive also noticed it gets worse with ear wax.

Dh plays sleep sounds all night on the Alexa. He says ut really helps.

Rosiebee, you have my sympathy. I have Covid related hearing loss with severe tinnitus in one ear. It’s especially bad when I lie down. It’s been suggested that wearing headphones whilst listening to music, (something easy listening rather than rock!) can help. You will have to wear them in bed which will take a little getting used to.
Good luck- it’s tough isn’t it?

At night when it’s quiet I put the radio on quietly which focuses attention on that rather than the dreadful tinnitus,

I have had tinnitus for about 15 years now plus hearing loss, THOSE were the start of my MS apparently.

I notice it more so when its quiet or if i am excited or stressed ( either emotion ,)

I have managed to master not 'tuning' into the hissing noise. In the beginning, 15 years ago, it almost drove me MAD, i had to resort to medication because i was getting soooo stressed.

Im not going to write too much about it because by doing so I'm tuning into the blasted noise and I'm refusing to allow it to master me like it did years ago........

I had it badly, along with some deafness, for a couple of years. Then - I had my ears cleaned and it went. I couldn't believe how loud everything was!

I have tinnitus from hearing loss. Listening to music, sounds from the calm app and doing yoga/deep breathing has helped me

I find stress makes it worse hence doing a lot of gentle yoga and practising deep breathing

I can't remember ever not having tinnitus. In fact I used to think that was what silence sounded like before I'd heard the word tinnitus!

It has got a lot worse with age which apparently is normal as our hearing gets worse. I've now got new hearing aids which I can turn up and down (independently) and I notice the difference simply because there's more noise around to drown it out!

Like the others I find having the radio on as background noise helps a lot. And being outdoors where it's rarely completely silent. It seems better anyway outdoors - my tinnitus is a high whistle with 'white noise' thrown in Perhaps there's fewer noisy radio waves with walls to bounce off!

I've had it for about 30 years, I have learnt not to 'listen' to it. It is worse when I have a head cold, my hearing is affected by it. I like music playing as long as it not too loud or with lots of drum beats.

Without the radio or music on, I have a sound in my head like the boiler is coming on that deep humming. For ages I kept going and checking the boiler hadn’t come on by mistake, it had got so loud, I cannot imagine living without that permanent noise, it can be exhausting at times, when you can’t sleep in the middle if the night.

My tinnitus does not affect sleep but it does mask high pitch frequencies, bird song, childrens voices that sort of thing and it does make conversation in noisy environments difficult.

I have it too, can’t remember not having it either. It’s related to hearing loss now, although I have a feeling it’s due to fluid in my inner ear, it’s so much worse when I have a cold.
I’ve had scans and tests but not much can be done . Like others have said I don’t like to be without some background noise. I can ignore it when I’m busy. It’s horrible though.

Just reading this thread is making my tinnitus worse, so I definitely think it is good to try not to focus on it. Actually as well as being on this thread I am also listening to the weather forecast, so it is not just a case of having the radio on, or being busy.

Have a look on Amazon at Bose Sleep buds 2, lots of good reviews re helping tinnitus sufferers, expensive though. I haven't got tinnitus but am thinking of getting some for when I go away to help me sleep in a noisy environment.

I've had Tinnitus for about 14 years, following a car crash. It's been there 24/7. never once gone away. It's a hissing noise in both ears, also a sound like radio interference as well sometimes. I always keep the tv/radio on, for background noise, and at night (when everywhere is silent), I try to think of something else. It drives me mad some days.

I have tinnitus also. I also have sounds that resemble people chatting on the radio. Haha they are not telling me to do weird things. I think it may be auditory hallucinations. I also hear muffled conversations and music. Help! Is this associated with tinnitus?

I have a Lectrofan micro, which was quite cheap. It makes various kinds of "white noise" type sounds that can override the noise in my ears. I use it when I'm on the computer, as lots of laptop work seems to make my tinnitus worse.

Am sitting here in bed listening to the high pitched noise of three washing machines on top spin! I have bad tinnitus for so long I cannot recall when it first began. I usually do have the radio on which pushes it into the background but never stops .

I’ve suffered bilateral tinnitus since summer of 1993.
Drove me mad at first and was exacerbated by stress, especially in my working days.
I’ve got used to it now. It’s just another noise to put up with.
Until you experience it, I’m afraid folk have no idea how debilitating it is so it’s good to hear others’ experiences.

I use a bluetooth headband, a bit like the sweat bands worn by tennis players. I can listen to the radio or audio books in the night very comfortably without disturbing my partner at all. This really help mask the tinnitus. It was quite cheap, from the big river company.

Oh Grannynise I like the sound of that headband.
I've had constant tinnitus since I suffered a bad head injury age 19 (49 years ago). Like so many others on this thread I have radios on all over the house.

Noises have been clattering about in my head for about 15 years and I also rely on Alexas all over the house.

At present I am listening to ‘Spa Music’ I also like ‘25 minutes of Tibetan Bells’. I downloaded the app CALM on my mobile and pay a year’s sub to be able to play sleep stories every night or meditations. Distraction works for me at subduing the constant clatter.