Schalldampfer
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Has anyone had a diet-related tinnitus like I did? Is this normal? Or am I just convincing myself falsely that I don't have tinnitus?
I...have...tinnitus?
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El Duderino
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Great post. A lot of the alarmist posts are just that....alarmist. For example, all the talk about tinnitus possibly being an underlying ear infection. This is true but there are several more symptoms that would suggest ear inflammation than simply tinnitus.
Some of the red flags are mentioned in the above quote...unilateral, pulsating tinnitus = glomus tumor until proven otherwise. Tinnitus with concomitant hearing loss is also worrisome. The vast majority of cases, however, do not indicate dangerous underlying pathology.
El Duderino
| Originally Posted by Comfy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Around 15% percent of general population have tinnitus. Around 1-2% have real problems with their tinnitus. In most cases chronic tinnitus is occasioned by a slight high frequency hearing loss - what you hear are those damaged inner ear cells producing unnecessary sounds. This, while annoying, is not dangerous. And usually the brain adapts in around a year's time. The best thing you can do is to accept it and try to cope with it. Masking it with sound is the best you can do, along with reducing stress levels. It's true that coffee, alcohol, tobacco and stress all make tinnitus worse. It's also true that it's easier to hear an annoying tinnitus in absolute silence. Even healthy students hear tinnitus when isolated in experimental conditions in absolute silence. Having your radio on at low volumes (talk shows) helps, also keeping the window open. In very severe cases, if the associated hearing loss is important too, one might benefit from the use of a specifically calibrated hearing aid. The tinnitus that accompanies high frequency hearing loss is usually high pitched, constant, like a whistling or beeping noise. Sometimes people hear more than one sound. If your tinnitus is pulsating along with your heartbeat, and especially if it's located in one ear only, you should talk to a doctor. In conclusion, a very large percentage of tinnitus is physiological, and the best treatment is to learn how to live with it. Getting too obsessed about one's own hearing and using hearing protection when unnecessary, is probably the worst thing you can do. There is a whole lot of psychosomatic aspects to tinnitus, and some mental strength is usually very helpful. ENT doctors and audiologists specifically will help you if these tricks don't work. Cheers. |
Great post. A lot of the alarmist posts are just that....alarmist. For example, all the talk about tinnitus possibly being an underlying ear infection. This is true but there are several more symptoms that would suggest ear inflammation than simply tinnitus.
Some of the red flags are mentioned in the above quote...unilateral, pulsating tinnitus = glomus tumor until proven otherwise. Tinnitus with concomitant hearing loss is also worrisome. The vast majority of cases, however, do not indicate dangerous underlying pathology.
El Duderino
Schalldampfer
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Mine turned out to be largely caused by this long-standing cold I had. Took some medicine and went in for a long sleep last night, and I notice some improvement today morning.
fortney
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El Duderino,
I presume you are an ENT or Audiologist.
May I ask you a question?
If so...
I recently listened to a headphone amp at low volume with efficient headphones and although I did not "think" at the time that the sound was distorted, the treble was somewhat irritating and it felt as if my ear canals had a burning sensation. Subsequently my tinnitus, which is of traumatic origin, is worse.
My question is whether hearing damage can result from low intensity non harmonic waves >20 KHz?
Obviously I am not an engineer.
Thanks.
F
I presume you are an ENT or Audiologist.
May I ask you a question?
If so...
I recently listened to a headphone amp at low volume with efficient headphones and although I did not "think" at the time that the sound was distorted, the treble was somewhat irritating and it felt as if my ear canals had a burning sensation. Subsequently my tinnitus, which is of traumatic origin, is worse.
My question is whether hearing damage can result from low intensity non harmonic waves >20 KHz?
Obviously I am not an engineer.
Thanks.
F
Schalldampfer
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Did any of you have a cold-related tinnitus? If yes, did it go away completely when the cold went away?
Schalldampfer
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UAGH! I spent almost two months waiting for my amp to come in and BAM! Cold sets in to muffle my hearing!
Aardvarks
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When I was young yes it did, after a regular cold.
However I am now 48 and two years ago I got a real bad URI which was causing chest pain and a lot of head pain. My hearing was reduced perhaps 30db on each side. It took three courses of different antibiotics to shift it.
Sadly I now have a permanent tinnitus at about 12-14Khz. It is not intrusive most of the time. It gets worse with alcohol and much better with outdoor excercise. Also I take antihistamines during the hayfever season and this helps. I still enjoy all my music and can tell all the nuances that I ever could. I hav been left though with a real dislike of tiny high pitched sounds, especially from cheap cans and ear buds, TV speakers etc, but good quality gear still sounds great
| Originally Posted by Schalldämpfer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did any of you have a cold-related tinnitus? If yes, did it go away completely when the cold went away? |
When I was young yes it did, after a regular cold.
However I am now 48 and two years ago I got a real bad URI which was causing chest pain and a lot of head pain. My hearing was reduced perhaps 30db on each side. It took three courses of different antibiotics to shift it.
Sadly I now have a permanent tinnitus at about 12-14Khz. It is not intrusive most of the time. It gets worse with alcohol and much better with outdoor excercise. Also I take antihistamines during the hayfever season and this helps. I still enjoy all my music and can tell all the nuances that I ever could. I hav been left though with a real dislike of tiny high pitched sounds, especially from cheap cans and ear buds, TV speakers etc, but good quality gear still sounds great
Schalldampfer
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I've had this cold for a while now, and strangely enough, the tail end is kicking my rear quite hard. It has weakened my ears to the point that they periodically hurt physically.
El Duderino
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Hi. Yes, I'm in ENT surgery. That's an interesting question and what that an audiologist would probably be better placed to answer but, generally, hearing damage results from higher intensity, longer duration exposure. If you were listening at low volumes, I would not think this would result in hearing damage.
In actuality, audiometric assessments rarely assess hearing above 8000 Hz and the value of testing at higher frequencies has been questioned in several papers since these tests do not seem to be sensitive to picking up early onset hearing loss. Following on from this, it would suggest that low intensity, high frequency sound like you are describing wouldn't produce marked hearing loss -- otherwise, they would test for it regularly....
Your description of "burning ear canals" I have heard (and experienced) before when listening to high frequency sounds but make sure it's not an ear infection which could contribute to the worsening of your tinnitus. Whether or not your tinnitus was provoked by the high frequency sound--not entirely sure but it is certainly a possibility. Increased tinnitus does not always mean increased hearing loss. If it persists, I would however consider going to an audiologist for a new audiogram.
I hope this advice helps and here's my medico-legal disclaimer to state that this is not intended to be medical advice or instruction regarding further management!
El Duderino
| Originally Posted by fortney /img/forum/go_quote.gif El Duderino, I presume you are an ENT or Audiologist. May I ask you a question? If so... I recently listened to a headphone amp at low volume with efficient headphones and although I did not "think" at the time that the sound was distorted, the treble was somewhat irritating and it felt as if my ear canals had a burning sensation. Subsequently my tinnitus, which is of traumatic origin, is worse. My question is whether hearing damage can result from low intensity non harmonic waves >20 KHz? Obviously I am not an engineer. Thanks. F |
Hi. Yes, I'm in ENT surgery. That's an interesting question and what that an audiologist would probably be better placed to answer but, generally, hearing damage results from higher intensity, longer duration exposure. If you were listening at low volumes, I would not think this would result in hearing damage.
In actuality, audiometric assessments rarely assess hearing above 8000 Hz and the value of testing at higher frequencies has been questioned in several papers since these tests do not seem to be sensitive to picking up early onset hearing loss. Following on from this, it would suggest that low intensity, high frequency sound like you are describing wouldn't produce marked hearing loss -- otherwise, they would test for it regularly....
Your description of "burning ear canals" I have heard (and experienced) before when listening to high frequency sounds but make sure it's not an ear infection which could contribute to the worsening of your tinnitus. Whether or not your tinnitus was provoked by the high frequency sound--not entirely sure but it is certainly a possibility. Increased tinnitus does not always mean increased hearing loss. If it persists, I would however consider going to an audiologist for a new audiogram.
I hope this advice helps and here's my medico-legal disclaimer to state that this is not intended to be medical advice or instruction regarding further management!
El Duderino
fortney
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TNX, El Duderino, for your comments.
No infection and the burning sensation was only present when using the amp.
A gentleman from India on another forum advised me that the op amp might be generating high frequencies.
I think it was a secret message on the Sgt. Pepper album I was using.
(hi,hi)
F (former Urologist)
No infection and the burning sensation was only present when using the amp.
A gentleman from India on another forum advised me that the op amp might be generating high frequencies.
I think it was a secret message on the Sgt. Pepper album I was using.
(hi,hi)
F (former Urologist)
El Duderino
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Not a problem at all. A urologist...one of the happy triad (opthalmology, urology and otolaryngology...everyone else is miserable
El Duderino
| Originally Posted by fortney /img/forum/go_quote.gif TNX, El Duderino, for your comments. No infection and the burning sensation was only present when using the amp. A gentleman from India on another forum advised me that the op amp might be generating high frequencies. I think it was a secret message on the Sgt. Pepper album I was using. (hi,hi) F (former Urologist) |
Not a problem at all. A urologist...one of the happy triad (opthalmology, urology and otolaryngology...everyone else is miserable
El Duderino
Schalldampfer
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El Duderino... could you comment a bit on cold-induced tinnitus, please? I think I have one, and the cold symptoms disappeared around yesterday, but my tinnitus remains. About how much longer do you think it'll last? And also, is one more susceptible to tinnitus when he's under the influence of colds and other viral infections?
El Duderino
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I'll try and offer a few comments. Viral infection (eg common cold) can produce tinnitus. It's difficult, if not impossible, to say how long it will last but it can, as in your case, last beyond the resolution of your cold symptoms. If it is cold-related, it's a matter of waiting it out...
A lot of the time, however, the cold/flu/illness simply reveals what was already there. Basically, because you're a lot more focused on your ears with the cold symptoms, you "notice" the tinnitus and it seems worse, even if it was always there...
As far as your question about being more susceptible to tinnitus when you have a cold. Tinnitus is a symptom and not a disease so I suppose the answer is that tinnitus can be associated with a cold, viral infections, etc. Keeping in mind that this is advice, the main signs I would be concerned about would be if the tinnitus is one-sided, occurs with vertigo, is pulsating, occurs with hearing loss.
Hope this helps.
El Duderino
| Originally Posted by Schalldämpfer /img/forum/go_quote.gif El Duderino... could you comment a bit on cold-induced tinnitus, please? I think I have one, and the cold symptoms disappeared around yesterday, but my tinnitus remains. About how much longer do you think it'll last? And also, is one more susceptible to tinnitus when he's under the influence of colds and other viral infections? |
I'll try and offer a few comments. Viral infection (eg common cold) can produce tinnitus. It's difficult, if not impossible, to say how long it will last but it can, as in your case, last beyond the resolution of your cold symptoms. If it is cold-related, it's a matter of waiting it out...
A lot of the time, however, the cold/flu/illness simply reveals what was already there. Basically, because you're a lot more focused on your ears with the cold symptoms, you "notice" the tinnitus and it seems worse, even if it was always there...
As far as your question about being more susceptible to tinnitus when you have a cold. Tinnitus is a symptom and not a disease so I suppose the answer is that tinnitus can be associated with a cold, viral infections, etc. Keeping in mind that this is advice, the main signs I would be concerned about would be if the tinnitus is one-sided, occurs with vertigo, is pulsating, occurs with hearing loss.
Hope this helps.
El Duderino
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Yah, poor and broke prediatrician here - at the bottom of the food chain.
Now retired as well - I have been too sick to work for the past two months, and looks like I am not going back to work (after doing part-time while disabled for 8 years.)
My tinnitus started full swing last year, and in the past 2 months has increased dramatically. I'm so stressed I don't get the benign right eyelid twitch, I get the right middle ear muscles and bones twitching, with additional twiching on the scalp above the ear, and a muscle cramp in the right trapezius muscle.
It's an extremely high pitched continous tone (must be above 12kHz), in rt ear only, with no hearing loss. At first I thought I was hearing electronics that were powered up, then realized that with IEM's it was more pronounced, so the whine wasn't external.
I'm thinking it is time for more chiropractic and massage therapy once my insurance company decides to send me the money they owe me. Good thing I have the quiet meditation music already, and with the tenderness in my right ear the only IEM that have been comfortable the past few days has been my Customs.
I did have some mild tinnitus since I started Sulfasalazine 8 years ago(similar to aspirin), but if I want to be able to walk I have to take it. However, it's never been as bad as this past few days (2 months).
| Originally Posted by El Duderino /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not a problem at all. A urologist...one of the happy triad (opthalmology, urology and otolaryngology...everyone else is miserable
El Duderino |
Yah, poor and broke prediatrician here - at the bottom of the food chain.
Now retired as well - I have been too sick to work for the past two months, and looks like I am not going back to work (after doing part-time while disabled for 8 years.)
My tinnitus started full swing last year, and in the past 2 months has increased dramatically. I'm so stressed I don't get the benign right eyelid twitch, I get the right middle ear muscles and bones twitching, with additional twiching on the scalp above the ear, and a muscle cramp in the right trapezius muscle.
It's an extremely high pitched continous tone (must be above 12kHz), in rt ear only, with no hearing loss. At first I thought I was hearing electronics that were powered up, then realized that with IEM's it was more pronounced, so the whine wasn't external.
I'm thinking it is time for more chiropractic and massage therapy once my insurance company decides to send me the money they owe me. Good thing I have the quiet meditation music already, and with the tenderness in my right ear the only IEM that have been comfortable the past few days has been my Customs.
I did have some mild tinnitus since I started Sulfasalazine 8 years ago(similar to aspirin), but if I want to be able to walk I have to take it. However, it's never been as bad as this past few days (2 months).
I caught tinnitius from a Headroom warning about tinnitus. Seriously. I had just bought my first amp (Total Airhead) and I was reading the manual and came across their warning about not listening too loud. I was listening to headphones at that very moment, and when I took them off, I had tinnitus. It's never really gone away (that was 9 months ago).
Of course, I'm sure I already had it, but this just goes to show how psychological it is. Obviously, take good care of your hearing, but if you hear a slight ringing in your ears, don't freak yourself out.
Of course, I'm sure I already had it, but this just goes to show how psychological it is. Obviously, take good care of your hearing, but if you hear a slight ringing in your ears, don't freak yourself out.
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