About a week ago it started. At first I thought that it was coming from the computer. It gets worse when I lay down. I am now looking for an EMT doctor. Anybody else have this. I remember my mother being tortured with ringing in the ear. Can I ever get relief?

Sounds like a possibility is tinnitus. I've had it for decades, the sound of mine is similar to a high-speed dentist drill and is 24/7 and it's louder at some times than others. I have grown used to it. Some are luckier and it may go away or be intermittent. Lots of snake oil remedies out there, but so far as I know, no cure. Seeing a doc is a good idea. Hopefully yours goes away. Wish ya luck.

Unfortunately you are probably stuck with it. The main thing I would worry about is some sort of cause. I know someone that got really bad tinnitus when they had a bad reaction to a medication and lost their hearing in one ear. As far as the tinnitus itself, whatever psyhcological trick you can use to get used to it is probably the only relief.

Thanks for your informative reply. I guess I can look at the bright side. I am almost 79. Therefore, I won't have it for decades.

That's a positive way to look at it. I have had it since I was 40, I think. One of the things that always bothered me is all the people that promise a cure. There is no known cure. Hearing aids may help while you are wearing them. There is a theory that tinnitus is a result of your ear turning up the gain because of hearing loss.

Mine got better when they were trying to fix my ear. One of the potential side effects of that surgery is much worse tinnitus, so I won. Didn't fix my ear though. Back when it was much worse, I used to try to change the tone of it. Mine was more of a high-pitched squeal

I've had a bit of tinnitus for decades. A couple tips, though YMMV:
--It's worse when I'm tired, and so getting enough sleep is helpful.
--Light background noise helps distract, or cover up, the ringing sound. I like to have music at low volume, or you may find white noise to help when trying to sleep.
--I believe some people have reported that alcohol exacerbates tinnitus. Since I quit drinking (for other reasons) I haven't noticed as much ringing in my ears.
--See an audiologist!

Hope this can help, if even just a little bit. They are working on medical/technical solutions, but I'm not aware of anything truly useful just yet.

I have had tinnitus for decades. Like freeranger said, sometimes it’s louder than other times. I’ve just gotten used to it. I hear okay which is good. Seeing an audiologist is a great place to start. Good luck to you.

I have had tinnitus in my left ear since my early 20s, when I was target shooting with some friends and I was standing too close to the gun (not in my hands) when it was fired. No ear protection. A very high pitched ringing, maybe around 10,000 Hz. I mostly can tune it out, but in the last decade, it's gotten louder and more annoying.

As others have said, you'll probably just have to live with it. On the other hand the sudden onset of tinnitus with no obvious trauma is a reason to get it checked out. It could be triggered by an infection, for example.

I had never heard of it until last year and my brother who is two years younger (65) asked me if I have tinitus. WTF is that? He told me -- and I listened -- and what do you know? I have it. Now I can't get rid of it. The trouble is that it drowns out high pitched real sounds like my dog wining and some of my wife's speech. It gets me in trouble because they both accuse me of ignoring them

Today I will see the ENT doctor. One of the depressing things about getting old, is you can spend half of your life waiting for the doctor.

Like the others, have had tinnitus for many years. Well, it got me a10% rating from the VA so I guess that's something. Pretty much just live with it. Background muzak does help. I've also progressed to old age (71) hearing loss and have hearing aids. Has no effect on the tinnitus, at least for me.

scott s.
.

I walked into the doctor's office. I applied the one hour rule. If the wait is more than an hour, I walk out. I walked out. I don't like doctors that double and triple book.

So now, instead of waiting another hour you wait at least a couple of weeks to see someone else!

I saw the ENT doctor today. He cleaned out the wax and checked my sinus. He gave me a prescription for a nasal spray. I take a baby aspirin a day. He said that there is a possibility that is causing the problem. The most likely cause is hearing loss. I am scheduled to take a hearing test.

I saw my grandfather lose his hearing to farm machinery so I've always been pretty careful with hearing protection... got tinnitus anyway.
Exersize makes it worse, but oddly easier to tolerate... especially outdoor exersize.
I've always got bone conduction headphones on with a podcast or music to help me ignore the constant whining.

My favorite song, I listen to it all the time:



:

I've heard it is related to concussions.

I've had it for many years. For the longest time I heard it in the quiet of the night and actually thought it was crickets chirping outside. Then eventually in my in my early 20's wondered why there'd be crickets chirping in the middle of winter.

ENT is a good choice for other reasons. But there is still much really unknown and undecided about tinnitus. My ENT is pretty pragmatic. He told me that I should not expect anything to solve it. But that sometimes some things seem to work for some that do not work for others.

At one time the B12 injections I take for another issue seemed to mitigate it for a while. As do high doses of antibiotics... sometimes and also temporary. Hopefully your tinnitus won't be as permanent. But I think that is unlikely. Other than times you don't notice it for a while.

Now in my mid to late 60's the quiet chirping is more of a high pitched buzz. Most annoying even during the day as I type this.

The concussion thing is interesting. Never heard of that association before. However I did get concussed when young and a teen. But I was also exposed to loud noises from flying and target shooting and all sorts of other loud stuff. Sometimes I blame those foam earplugs I use to wear a lot. But my tinnitus was beginning earlier than when I started using those.

I have a dilemma. About 9 years ago I had quadruple bypass surgery. I have been on 81mg of aspirin. The doctor said that there is a possibility that it is causing the problem. He said that if I stopped taking it for two weeks, I would then know. He said that I should discuss it with my cardiologist. I am now looking to buy a white noise machine. When I am outside riding my bike, I hardly hear it if at all.

I'd say the aspirin is a red herring. I use to use aspirin all the time for aches and pains. I had tinnitus then. I quit taking aspirin for a period of about 12 - 15 years, I still had tinnitus. My cardiologist just put me back on low dose a year ago. I don't think my tinnitus is worse or better for it.

But who knows. Maybe it'll work for you. There is a belief that tinnitus can manifest from different things. It's sort of a general term for a symptom. Not that any one and only thing causes tinnitus.

My cardiologist said that being that I had bypass surgery, I cannot stop taking the aspirin. To do so, I would have to take a more potent drug. I will stay on the aspirin.

I'd like to blame my hearing loss on being around F16's for so long, but that's why they do a hearing test when you get out of the Air Force.

Something that I cannot explain. When I go outside, the hissing sound is for the most part gone. When I return home it continues to be gone for about an hour. Then it comes back.

I had a hearing test today. I have significant loss in both ears. Also the doctor said that I had asymetrical hearing loss. He ordered an MRI to rule out Acoustic Neuroma. I cannot help remember what my father once said. It is not good to get old.

welcome to the party