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Author Topic: What's your tinnitus like?  (Read 17587 times)

southpaw

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What's your tinnitus like?
« on: April 14, 2009, 09:20:28 am »
What's your tinnitus like?

What's it sound like?

Is it continuous or intermittent?

How do you cope?


Mine is constant (24/7).  It is a high pitch "eeeeee" sound.  Kinda similar to the old EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) tone.
Not sure how to cope with it.
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AN 3mm x 3mm x 2mm diagnosed March, 2009.
Symptomatic since June, 2006.
Currently in the watch & wait holding pattern.

NancyMc

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2009, 09:25:30 am »
Yes, that's it.  Continuous but  not too loud.  I try mind over matter, focus on other environmental stimuli.  I thought it would make me nuts when I found out I was supposed to have it post diagnosis.  Then I listened for it and learned to make it part of my personal space.  Mine may be less significant than yours, however.
Good luck.
Nancy
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Increased from 1.1 x 1.9 to 1.9 x 1.9 cm as of 10/27/08
Right SSD, tinnitus, compensating balance
Dr. McKenna at Mass Eye and Ear and Dr. Barker at MGH
Translab April 8, 9 hours, 18 mm Tumor all gone SSD some facial weakness

JerseyGirl2

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2009, 09:34:04 am »
Mine's continuous, but steady and not too loud. Sort of like the sound you get when you hold a seashell to your ear. Thankfully I can ignore it 99 per cent of the time and it's not too big a deal. I empathize with those for whom it's a major problem -- I know that must be difficult.

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Translab surgery and BAHA implant: House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, 1/2008
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no facial, balance, or vision problems either before or after surgery ... just hearing loss
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salamander

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2009, 09:52:33 am »
Mine is continuous.  I have no hearing on the right side, but plenty of tinnitus.  It gets worse when I have a bad headache.  It also gets louder after being around something noisy - like a vacumn cleaner or hair dryer.  It sometimes changes it's sound to the beat of a noise like a ringing phone or music.  It is quite annoying, but I try to ignore it - no other choice, right?  I almost always have the tv on in the background but I can still hear the tinnitus over the sound. 

During the silence of nighttime I consider it white noise  ;)

I am struggling to define how loud it is. 

One of the perks of ANs. . .the gift that keeps giving.

Samantha
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2.9 cm right side AN;
Retrosigmoid/Sub-occipital surgery 11/08;
SSD(w/tinnitus), facial weakness, dry eye, eye weight, headaches.
Some movement of face at 7 months

Mickey

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2009, 11:46:22 am »
I`ve had tinnitus for around 30 years.. Presently W+W have gone for Neuromonics treatment. Of all the things I`ve tried over the years, this has done the best for me. Its hard to explain how but my tinnitus is 50% more bareable now. You may want to look into i. Good luck, Mickey
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kathylittlejohncobb

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2009, 12:12:14 pm »
Mine is also continuous, a humming that rises and falls.  Sometimes there are "pings" and occasionally I will hear a tone that sounds like good wind chimes, but just for a second or two.  When tired, the sounds seem louder and sometimes turn into crickets chirping.
When engrossed in something interesting, I can become unaware; that's always good!   :)
Kathy
 
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cindyj

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2009, 01:00:30 pm »
Mine's also continuous and does sound like the Emergency Broadcast thing - that's a good description that I hadn't thought of.  As with so many here, it does get louder and change somewhat in a loud environment.  However, I've grown used to it and usually don't notice much - life drowns it out for me :D 

There are websites that have info offering ways to possibly minimize the noise, couldn't say whether any of them actually work or not...

Cindy
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rt side 1.5 cm - Translab on 11/07/08 Dr. Friedman & Dr. Schwartz of House Ear Institute,
feeling great!

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ppearl214

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2009, 01:20:59 pm »
mine's intermittent and enhances with stress or if I'm overtired.  Typically, a high-pitched, monotone whine....

... but, except for one time. Capt Deb has warned me about... the crickets! I had NO clue and noted back to her... 'yeah, right, crickets sounds'.....

.... until the one day it happened.  All of a sudden, (no joke!), chirping sounds in my ears.. and I was indoors! 

Freaked me out! :) Couldn't do anything but laugh as the fearless Captn had told me about it....

...yes... crickets!

Be well all!
Phyl
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EJTampa

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2009, 10:30:11 pm »
All of the above, plus one.  High pitched sound - EBS is about right.  Mute button doesn't work  :(.  Sometimes I suddenly get a very loud pulsing, about 3 or 4 short bursts.  It actually makes me jump!  The most aggrevating thing is that every sound that comes in my good ear is echoed as louder tinnitus in my deaf ear.  If I scratch the side of my face (good side), I get loud but muffled scratching noise tinnitus!  It is way strange.  So in a room with lots of equipment, I get a deafening roar (well, I'm already deaf, so maybe that's not a good description now :)) in the deaf ear.
 
I only had the EBS pre-surgery.  Everything else is value added, and they did not charge me extra for it.
 
I also have a new noise in my good ear.  Depending on how my head is positioned, I get what sounds like a stead clicking or dripping noise.  Very loud, and you can almost feel it too.  It's definitely related to pulse, because it always stays in perfect rhythm with my heartbeat.  Click-Click-Click-Click-Click...KABOOM!
 
Ok, no kaboom.
 
Ernie
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-1.3 X 0.8 cm AN in the right cerebellopontine angle extending into the internal auditory canal.
-Retrosigmoid Surgery with Dr. Bartels and Dr. Danner at Tampa General 3/5/2009.
-Had to cut hearing nerve to get "sticky" tumor, so SSD right side.

Patsy1960

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2009, 10:18:16 am »
Mine started off as a cicada sound like millions of cicadas, now in the last two days its more up and down cicada versus a constant same tone.  Mine has yet to be confirmed as an AN as Doctor is putting off MRI because of supposed sinus infection.   But the Tinnitus is what sent me to the ENT. Its driving me crazy dont know how people block it out personally.
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stoneaxe

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2009, 11:28:47 am »
I think of it as my very own brass section... ;)

I have a few differnt levels of tinnitus. I have a continuous tone that is accompanied by another that silides up and down in tone slightly. That is 24/7 and I can ignore it as white noise for the most part very easily. Those are joined on occasion by much louder beeps, boops, crickets, cicadas, sax, clarinets and others I can't identify. No rhyme or reason to what sets it off other than heavy exercise and pressure (planes and underwater)...it doesn't just happen then though sometimes it will just turn on. I'm glad it isn't like that often...that would drive me nuts. The last is actually somewhat pleasant, like Kathy mentioned above...sounds like good wind chimes...dings of different pitch and tone. They come on for no reason and may last for just a few seconds or at most a few minutes.
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6mm AN treated with Proton Beam Radiosurgery in March 2004
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Kathy M

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2009, 12:42:46 pm »
Mine started out like a bee and some metallic tapping noises post-op and is now just a constant noise with no particular distinguishable sounds.  Kinda like a loud seashell sound that I remember hearing as a kid - it's been a long time since I've been to any beach to listen, but that's what it reminds me of.  When I'm watching TV, I notice it a lot more.  Otherwise, it is just part of the background noise that I've gotten used to.

Wow, I didn't even think about it much until I read your post!  Guess that really does mean I'm used to it now.

Kathy
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AN diagnosed 11/14/08, 3+cm, Retrosigmoid 1/13/09, Univ. Hosp., Cincinnati, Drs. Tew and Pensak
no facial nerve or eye issues!
3 more surgeries related to staph infections & osteomylitis over next 13 months.  New diagnosis of breast cancer.  Treatment completed 08/27/10.  Moving on!!!

CHD63

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2009, 12:46:10 pm »
Ditto to the others.  I, as well, can usually push it to the back of my conscious thinking when absorbed in something.  The two worst times are in noisy environments, e.g. restaurants, concerts, etc. and when first trying to go to sleep at night.  At night is the usual time for the triangles to start playing!

But since I can no longer hear like I used to anyway, it is becoming part of the "new me."

Clarice
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Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
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Kathy M

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2009, 12:52:10 pm »
Hey, I just re-read this thread and see that Catherine (JerseyGirl) hears the seashell-noise too!  I'm glad to know that 30 years after I listened to my first and only seashell, I still remembered what it sounded like!!!!   
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AN diagnosed 11/14/08, 3+cm, Retrosigmoid 1/13/09, Univ. Hosp., Cincinnati, Drs. Tew and Pensak
no facial nerve or eye issues!
3 more surgeries related to staph infections & osteomylitis over next 13 months.  New diagnosis of breast cancer.  Treatment completed 08/27/10.  Moving on!!!

sgerrard

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Re: What's your tinnitus like?
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2009, 08:26:05 pm »
Crickets. Crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets, crickets.

It is continuous, and noticeable anytime I want. Most of the time, I don't. :)

Steve
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8 mm left AN June 2007,  CK at Stanford Sept 2007.
Hearing lasted a while, but left side is deaf now.
Right side is weak too. Life is quiet.
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