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Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

sciencealert.com

21–30 of 262 posts

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#21
post #2

I remember reading somewhere a Doctor found a way to 'cure' ringing in the ears temporarily for almost a year in some people by doing something with a tuning-fork. But after that article I heard nothing more. I just looked it up and seems it may not be a reliable method.

Don't know about the tuning fork one, but there is a method where by if you poke some muscle on the back of your neck repeatedly, it stops for some people. This is apparently due to that muscle being the thing that makes a noise, and poking it eventually physically exhausts it temporarily. Obviously that only works if that's your cause.

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#22
post #17
post #2

I remember reading somewhere a Doctor found a way to 'cure' ringing in the ears temporarily for almost a year in some people by doing something with a tuning-fork. But after that article I heard nothing more. I just looked it up and seems it may not be a reliable method.

I can play a pure sine wave tone with a tone generator app, and dial the frequency up until it precisely matches my tinnitus. I originally did this just to determine that frequency. But I noticed a side-effect: if I then turn off the tone generator, my tinnitus would disappear! Unfortunately that effect only lasts for a minute or less, so it is not really practical to get relief this way.

That is fascinating.

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#23

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

I'm on the exact same boat. Same age and got it randomly this Summer. Are you able to modulate the pitch by moving your jaw sideways or wide opening it? Would be great to bounce off some ideas. I'll drop you an email if that's OK.

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#24

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

I got it about ten years ago and it drove me absolutely insane for a few months until I just accepted that I would have it. Then a weird thing happened: my brain stopped paying attention to it. Now I mostly only hear it when I think to myself, “do I still have tinnitus?” and try to listen for it. It’s still there, I just don’t care anymore. I had no idea that even what you hear can be such a subjective experience until I went through this, but it makes sense. You do this all the time when you tune out ambient sounds and conversations to focus on something.

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#25

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

You'll get used to it. 42 male here. Started at 12-13 years of age. Barely notice it anymore. Some things (lack of sleep, extreme stress, some medicines/drugs) accentuate it a bit, but it's annoying at best, not interfering. I also produce music, so I don't think it has affected my hearing. So you'll be good. Stop worrying.

Oh, use a fan based white noise machine (or a loud fan) during sleeping, really drowns it out.

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#26
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From ANC? Active Noise Cancelling? Doesn't seem to be a thing?

Yes it feels like I got it from ANC. Might not "be a thing", just coincided with my ANC use. It is my data point.

Did it start around the covid/ WFH time? There are a few theories

1. Airpods or ANC

2. WFH ->. Less movement -> stiff muscles around neck and head -> head trasnfer frequencies changing

3. Covid vaccine

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#27

I'll save you about 30 ad views: > The Oxford researchers proposed that the large spontaneous waves of brain activity that occur during deep sleep, or non-rapid eye movement sleep (non-REM), might suppress the brain activity that leads to tinnitus.

I thought you were exaggerating so I went back and counted: I stopped at 50 and I wasn't even CLOSE to reaching the end of the page!!!

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#28

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

I've had tinnitus longer than I can remember (33m) and I also have moderate visual snow also as long as I can remember. Sadly, I have no tips on tuning it out, but I'd do anything for a cure

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#29

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

Just wondering do you think you got tinnitus or was it there and you suddenly started noticing? I don't know I got it around 20y ago but I'm honestly unsure if it was one or the other because it became worse and worse the more I started focusing on it. Eventually it subsided. I can still hear it if I listen for it (as I just did now and I can hear a distinct 'bruising' kind of sound) but there's literally months between I even think of it or notice it. There have been studies that lots of 'normal' people notice tinnitus when they enter a sound-proof room. What helped me was just taking long showers - I literally couldn't hear a thing during the shower and some time after. And it seems the 'drown out' period would last longer. And just knowing something would stop it somehow made me ease more into it and maybe reduced the fear that had been programmed into my brain. I also did omega 3 and gingo biloba (just low doses) and felt like it had some effect. Was there any trigger and how 'loud' do you perceive it?

Re: Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep

#30

I've got tinnitus, 38 male. Got it randomly one day this summer. It's impossible to describe how depressing it is to hear a sound non stop in your ears, night and day, wherever I go or whatever I do, it just never stops. The brain started filtering it out a bit after months, but it's always there and you're often reminded of it when you're in a slightly more silent environment. There are days where it becomes especia…

I'm really sorry to hear that.

I once read something about the prevalence of depression in people with tinnitus. I was surprised by it, but I didn't really consider how disruptive it must be when you're accustomed to not having it. By contrast, I've had it basically my whole life. I remember laying awake at night, listening to the deafening ringing, thinking about how weird it was that silence isn't silent. It wasn't until later that I knew my experience isn't the norm.

I'd love to have a treatment or cure. Especially for folks like you that truly suffer from it.

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