[mironathetin]

Sounds paradox to you?
I ask this because I am not sure, if I really have Tinnitus. I went to an Audiologist for examination with no result.

But since a couple of years I became more aware of a very high pitched sound in both of my ears. It is perfectly symmetric and it is not only a single frequency. It is more a (narrow) band around 13kHz.

I think I became aware of it, when I started to improve my iPod with high quality in-ears. Around the same time, my neighbourhood became a little more noisy (or my sleep may be less deep, don't know). So I also started to wear earplugs at night or in the underground trains, when I want to read undisturbed  (I have custom made plugs that are visually nearly unperceptible).

It could thus be, that this sound was always there and I only became aware of it. In general, it sounds familiar to me even from my early childhood (I am 47 now). When I leaned forward, so that blood shot in my head, I remember this sound. I call it my private sound of silence.

I did some research, and two things were standing out:
- An experience of John Cage. He composed a piece called 4'33, which consist of total silence. He got the idea, when he was in a anechoic chamber at Harvard University.
Cage entered the chamber expecting to hear silence, but he wrote later, "I heard two sounds, one high and one low. When I described them to the engineer in charge, he informed me that the high one was my nervous system in operation, the low one my blood in circulation."

Indeed, when I hear my sound of silence, I also hear my blood, especially when i turn my neck, so the blood vessels become a bit narrow. This tells something about the loudness of the sound.
So could this high pitched sound simply be the background noise of the hearing nerves? Then everybody should hear this, right? Do you?

- Second thing is, few people give thorough descriptions of their tinnitus. Is it a single frequency, is it permanent, how loud, in both ears or in one, constant or can you influence it?


My question especially to people who are not aware that they have tinnitus: do you hear any kind of sound in complete silence? Or if you wear earplugs? Or is is really completely silent?

My question to all others: please describe your tinnitus. How does it sound like?

 

[DaBomb77766]

Tinnitus is a bit different for everyone.  But basically, any sort of high-frequency ringing in your ear at all that isn't from an external source is by definition tinnitus.
 
For me it's just a constant ringing noise.  Sometimes it can get pretty loud and sometimes it doesn't bother me much.  But I can almost always hear it.
 
Right, forgot to add, there's no other definition of "tinnitus" other than that - it can be caused by many things, and as such it is a symptom, not an actual disease or anything.

 

[iamthem]

It's pretty normal to have ringing in your ears when it's quiet. For me, I can hear a really high pitched noise (~17khz) whenever it's quiet, e.g. with my IEM's in. I don't think it's tinnitus though, and I certainly don't have hearing loss (got that checked at an audiologist.)

 

[Magick Man]

I don't have it, but if I wait too long to have my ears cleaned I notice a faint high-pitched ring in my ears in very quiet places or when wearing ear buds (~15k Hz).

 

[basementdweller]

I probably have tinnitus, although it has never been diagnosed.  I do not have a constant ringing but every so often I do experience a high pitched noise in both ears to the point that it becomes annoying.  This only seems to happens during periods of silence and it usually goes away after a couple of minutes.  It is possible that my brain is simply tuning it out at a certain point.  I have always had this condition. 
 
In recent years I have had the misfortune of being too near multiple explosions.  Now, maybe once every month or so, also occurring during periods of silence, the agitation is loud enough (or so I perceive it) that I involuntarily cover my ears (does no good of course) and have to sit down.  I suppose both of these conditions are different degrees of tinnitus.  Oddly enough, according to the audiologist who doesn't want to say I have tinnitus, I have no actual hearing lose.

 

[kiteki]

"But since a couple of years I became more aware of a very high pitched sound in both of my ears. It is perfectly symmetric and it is not only a single frequency. It is more a (narrow) band around 13kHz."
 
"- Second thing is, few people give thorough descriptions of their tinnitus. Is it a single frequency, is it permanent, how loud, in both ears or in one, constant or can you influence it?"
 
A single frequency sounding like a high pitched TV test signal, lower than the ~16kHz sound CRT TV's give out when turned on or in stand-by mode, however around that volume or lower, in both ears, constant and not possible to voluntarily influence.
 
Not permanent, may take two to three days of quietness to 'disappear', not sure since it's fairly easily mentally averted or drowned out by music or daily life.
 
I think everyone feels "ringing in the ears" the next day after a loud concert, so it's perfectly normal.
 
I wouldn't say everyone has tinnitus, more like... some people, let's say a drummer, or someone shooting guns without hearing protection, may experience tinnitus at such loud levels it becomes displeasant.  They may contact a doctor, and be prescribed sleeping pills due to tinnitus, or something to that effect.
 
I once read it's a bone pulling away from another bone in the ear causing the sound, not sure if that's true or not.  Maybe there is a different kind of tinnitus which is damage to the hair cells, and then maybe there is the fine acuity of ones own nervous system, or tightening of blood vessels when turning the neck... I can't hear either of these.
 
 

 

[mironathetin]

Kiteki,
you don't even hear your blood flow?

 

[kiteki]

 
In peaceful situations, no I can't.  If I really concentrate I can hear my heartbeat.
 
With exercise, or adrenalin, I can easily hear my heartbeat, and a sortof low pitched rumbling noise in the ears which I think is the high pressure blood flow.
 
I don't think I can hear complete silence, unless the 'ringing' sound is given a few days of quietness to become so low, that my mind filters it out, so it's just not there unless I try to hear it.  Likewise my heartbeat, really can't hear it unless I try.  Not entirely sure since I'm not usually in such quiet situations.

 

[thelostMIDrange]

my tinnitus is ususally a single high pitch. the volume varies and it is there even in non-quiet moments. but it's constant 24/7 and has been there since i was a late teen and it was from concerts, playing music in a band, stereo and yes even headphones, all of it way too loud. I was addicted to volume. I loved it like nothing else. It took me away from life. It was a drug. The price is huge. There have many times I wake up in the night in tears because of the noise. Please everyone here, use your headphones at reasonable levels. headphones themselves are powerful enough to cause this and you will not be happy if you develop this. there is no cure, and it is permanent. a google search makes people think there are herbs or pills to cure this. Nothing has any affect. when the damge is done it's done.

 

[cpetrillo]

I have tinnitus in my left ear only. The sound is not a single tone but more of a high pitched hiss similar to "tape hiss" but higher. the level of hiss  will vary from day to day. The level seems to change while I sleep and whatever level I wake up with will be with me all day. The sound can range from barley detectable to so loud it becomes a real distraction throughout the day.
 
When this first became a problem I didn't know how I was going to live with it because it was that disturbing to me. I even gave up listening to music for a while. As the years go on you learn to cope with it. I can now usually push all but the loudest levels to the "back of my mind" and not notice it as I go about my daily routine (even listing to music) If I do happen to "notice" the hiss during the day I have more trouble ignoring it the rest of the day.
 
I believe my Tinnitus is the result of many years of gun fire without proper ear protection. Please take care of your hearing, Tinnitus is no picnic.
 
Emilio

 

[EYEdROP]

After a day of being in a noisy environment, ill be in a dead quiet room and hear my ears ringing for awhile. After the ringing stops, I start to hear crickets in both ears that never goes away. Its not a problem in every day life but I think everyone has some sort of tinnitus, its just that some have it much worse than others and it becomes an issue every waking moment of their life. I feel sorry for those of you with serious tinnitus because any sort of "noise" can ruin my music. I can't stand open headphones for this reason. 

 

[kiteki]

TheLostMIDrange and cpetrillo seem to have acquired severe/permanent tinnitus, from playing in a band and unprotected gun-fire, or very loud music.
 
My condolences to your stories, mine is faint and just goes away after two or three days, thanks for sharing, I do very much understand the "music is a drug" and that loud volumes feel good, that's why clubs and concerts are so loud I think.
____
 
EYEdROP, actually I quite like how the weak isolaton of earbuds let's the outside noise blend in with the music. 

 

[CaveManta]

I have a constant hum in my right ear, at about 150 Hz. I first noticed it about three years ago when I upgraded from junky $20 cans to some okay, but highly tinny $50 logitech cans. I have no idea why I just suddenly noticed the hum, but for some reason, I feel like I have had it all my life.
It sounds just like listening to a distant airplane's engine while sitting indoors. Sometimes, it seems to waver slightly, moving from 140 to 160 Hz. And also, it goes away almost completely if I am listening to music. But whenever a quiet part of a song comes on, my tinnitus comes back to fill the gaps.
It sometimes feels as if I have "super hearing," and am able to hear that "un-hearable." But it's actually the opposite. My tinnitus seems to slightly degrade the way I hear "soundstaging" in real life.
 
I believe that my tinnitus is caused by my blood flow, because there will be hours or days when I am free of it. And those are times when I am most relaxed. But I am not too often relaxed, because I have hypertension. That actually makes sense.
I'm commonly anxious, so my blood is pumping quickly, and thus "loudly" to my ear. But why not my left ear? I really have no idea. Maybe I somehow damaged my right ear while I was really young and forgot about it.
 
 
Apart from the constant 150 Hz hum in my right ear, I will get the occassional high-pitched ring whenever I spend a long time in a loud place. I believe that the high-pitched ringing is just what you hear when your ear is acclimating to a more quiet environment or maybe "healing" itself.
Tinnitus is just not very fun..

I should visit an audiologist someday.

 

[kiteki]

Quote:

I have a constant hum in my right ear, at about 150 Hz. [...] It sounds just like listening to a distant airplane while sitting indoors.

Yep, that's the blood-flow I can hear too, but only with exercise or adrenalin.  I can "turn it on" too if I want, like activating a muscle or something? but it doesn't feel very comfortable to do so for more than a second or two.
 
Oh, and I wanted to ask, does everyone hear "clicking" in their ears, every time they swallow?  I think that's air-pressure normalisation via the eustachian tube.
 

 

[CaveManta]

Quote:

Oh, and I wanted to ask, does everyone hear "clicking" in their ears, every time they swallow?  I think that's air-pressure normalisation via the eustachian tube.

My brother says that he hears a "clicking sound" in his ears whenever he swallows, and it bothers him. But whenever I swallow, I don't really hear a click. I just hear my ears pop slightly. It sounds kind of like a headphone driver inflating due to improper amplification. (Computer + Fiio E5 + Y Splitter + M50 + AD700 = Not good)
 
I'm just glad that my tinnitus "moves aside" whenever I listen to music. Except late at night, when my ears are tired, the tinnitus is ever more present. It seems to be more quiet in the morning, gaining volume gradually as the day goes by.
It does suck. But I tell you, nothing feels better than having tinnitus for many months and then having it go away for a whole day. It's like paradise.