What exactly is tinnitus???

[Upstate]

I am still trying to figure out this tinnitus thing.  The more I read the more confused I get.  I understand nobody else can hear this annoying noise in my head and I guess my brain is making this noise?  Is any of my inner ear/hearing anatomy involved?  Can someone with SSD have tinnitus?  Or is this just all my imagination? That just doesn't seem possible, that I would be imagining these strange noises.  It would also make it harder to deal with if all these sounds were not even real, just something I think I hear!!!

[TJ]

Upstate

What you are hearing is real.  According to my doctor tinnitus is caused by the tiny hairs in the inner ear being damaged and are sending false signals to your brain.  The sound comes is different from person to person i.e some have high squeal, or roaring noise.

So far I am not aware of medication that will stop it although there is a great amount of research going on.  Hope this answers some of the questions.

TJ

I have had severe tinnitus since my CK almost two years ago.

[CHD63]

Although tinnitus is truthfully "all in our heads," that does not mean we are making it up.  Tinnitus is the brain's attempt to produce sound when less sound (or even none) is coming from the ear.  If you look at the American Tinnitus Association website, you can find much good information specifically on tinnitus.  For one explanation, see:  http://www.ata.org/for-patients/faqs

If you do a search on tinnitus definition, you will see several good explanations.

I am SSD and yes, I have very annoying tinnitus.  I have no inner ear on my AN side so in my case, at least, it is not from damaged cilia.  Tinnitus is a brain thing that only we can perceive.  I say perceive because it is not noise starting from outside our bodies, but inside our brains.  No one knows exactly what I "hear" except by how I describe it.  Fortunately, I am able to re-focus my attention whenever I am busy with something, except when I am in an environment with much ambient noise (fans blowing, music playing, many people talking at once, etc.).  In those situations it is very difficult to concentrate on individual voices because of the confusion of sounds in my head.

You do not "think you hear it," you are hearing it.

I have found that my tinnitus is much worse when I drink too much coffee, too tired, and/or too stressed.  I try my best to remedy each of those things.  I recently resumed my yoga classes and they really seem to be helping me focus my attention away from the noise in my head.

Best thoughts.

Clarice

[Archer]

My Dr. at Mayo told me Tinnitus is my brain trying making up for sound it is not receiving and it thinks it should.  He said it thinks it is missing something and needs to have it so it generates it in order to be "happy?"  Since he explained it in that way I asked if he couldn't hypnotize me and convince my brain that it actually wasn't missing out on anything and then it would not generate what it wasn't missing.  For some reason he didn't think it was a very good plan.  Go figure.

[arizonajack]

Can someone with SSD have tinnitus? 

Yes.

I also have SSD in my right ear with tinnitus.

[arizonajack]

My Dr. at Mayo told me Tinnitus is my brain trying making up for sound it is not receiving and it thinks it should.  He said it thinks it is missing something and needs to have it so it generates it in order to be "happy?"  Since he explained it in that way I asked if he couldn't hypnotize me and convince my brain that it actually wasn't missing out on anything and then it would not generate what it wasn't missing.  For some reason he didn't think it was a very good plan.  Go figure.

There has been some success with hypnosis.

See:

Clinical Hypnosis for the Alleviation of Tinnitus from the International Tinnitus Journal:

http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/audiencia_pdf.asp?aid2=29&nomeArquivo=v14n2a10.pdf

If that link doesn't work, go to this one and click on the pdf english icon:

http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/detalhe_artigo.asp?id=29

Which also gives you links to current and previous issues of the journal.

And the following clinical study of Ericksonian hypnosis in tinnitus therapy at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Liège, Belgium.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225612

Appears to be helpful to some but do your homework and draw your own conclusion.

[Lynn Mc]

Clarice said it all.  Describes it perfectly.  Wish my brain would like to be quiet once in a while!

[james e]

Your brain is pretty remarkable, and it can create all kinds of issues, good and bad. It is your brain creating noise because of a faulty feed-back system. You do not need an ear to hear it. When you are sound asleep, and you are dreaming, do you ever see what you are dreaming about? My dreams are in color, they are 3 dimensional, and I hear conversations...pretty cool! That is my brain creating all that. My eyes are closed, I'm SSD, and all of that is going on inside my brain. It is also creating all those crickets...

James

[Chances3]

Hello Upsate,

Clarice really gave you an excellent reply and filled with great info.  I hear from both ears, but the operated side has been compromised greatly.  As Clarice pointed out, hearing is a struggle in certain environments.  What I have done to help CONTROL tinnitus is the following.  Stay away from nitrites, sulphides, MSG etc.  Stay away from processed meats like cold cuts and bacon, also soy sauce and other food products along those categories.  Stay away from caffeine and alcohol.  Try to get quality sleep, and wear ear plugs in very noises environments.  Unfortunately as many have posted, we are forced to live with this noise, but there are steps you can take to keep it from getting worse and to manage it. I hope that helps, I wish you all the best.

[Upstate]

Thank you all for responding.  I knew if I wanted real answers this was the place to ask.  And Archer, my brain must be VERY happy.  Too bad it's making the rest of me miserable.