Tinnitus Sufferers Long To Hear The Sound Of Silence

Readers of this blog will know that I suffer from Tinnitus and I have written previously about the impact it can have on your life.

This week is Tinnitus Awareness Week (6-12th February ) and it's a good time to remind ourselves of how great an effect the constant sounds in our ears can have on our mental health and our daily life in general.

Tinnitus can be incredibly isolating

The British Tinnitus Association describes Tinnitus as “the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound”.

How innocuous that sounds, doesn't it?

Weirdly, sufferers usually find that their sounds can be quite individual.  Some hear whooshing or whistling, others hear kettles, crickets or even music.

The perceived sounds can range from a low rumble to a high pitched squeal, from very quiet to loud volume levels.

As you might imagine, many people living with the condition find that it impacts their lives to such an extent their mental health is affected, often finding it difficult to accept they will never hear silence again.

At the time of writing, there is no cure for Tinnitus.  Sufferers tend to rely on alternative therapies and lifestyle adjustments to get through their day.

Personally, I have found the Tinnitus Forums on Facebook very helpful but these can occasionally be very dark places and you realise how devastating an impact Tinnitus can have.

This is compounded by the fact that those we live with often cannot fathom why we find it such a struggle.

And stories abound of doctors and ENT specialists being less than sympathetic, if not downright dismissive.

The Husband is used to my carrying musicians earplugs around with me.  If we go, say to a school concert,  I'll whip them out of my handbag and shove them in my ears to avoid a Tinnitus spike.

A spike is where something triggers a rise in the volume and duration of your Tinnitus.  It can be something like an ambulance siren passing by you on the road, a balloon bursting, a door slamming or someone shouting.

You can also trigger a spike if you have a sensitivity to certain foods or additives - possibly for example aspartame or gluten.

The most asked question on the forums is simply this "will I ever know silence again"?

Tinnitus can be incredibly isolating and, because it is so difficult for non-sufferers to understand, it is easy to feel alone.

It may not be cancer or heart disease but it can have as great an impact.

It is nice to see then, that NRS Healthcare, a leading mobility and daily living aid provider based in Leicester, has created a useful infographic to raise awareness of the condition.

Their aim is to help those living with tinnitus to understand that they are not alone in their experiences and suggest how they may be able to relieve the effects of their condition with certain types of daily living aids.

NRS Healthcare has also launched a competition on its Facebook page to win an Amplicall Telephone and Doorbell Indicator for those who are living with tinnitus.

Very useful for those of us suffering from mild hearing loss as well!

As you can see, the infographic features celebrities such as Will.I.Am and Barbara Streisand who suffer from this distressing condition.  Chris Martin from Coldplay is another sufferer, as is Ozzy Osbourne.

If you live with someone who suffers from Tinnitus, now is a great time to sit down with them and really listen as they tell you what it's like and how it affects them.

It's also a great time to take steps to protect your hearing (and especially that of your children) because, whilst we now think Tinnitus is a condition of the brain, there is no doubt that constant exposure to loud noise has an effect.

Let's hope by Tinnitus Awareness Week 2018, greater strides have been taken to bring Tinnitus even further forward into the public's consciousness so that we can all talk about it openly - and work together towards finding a cure.

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Relationship Dilemmas - What Was I Asked In Week 39?

As we head towards the festive season, our thoughts turn to the special person in our life and, if we don't have one, possibly attracting a new love to see in the New Year.  In my Relationship Dilemmas column I am asked about a wide range of topics including relationships, dating, parenting and health.

If you would like any advice, feel free to message me or pop a comment in the comment box at the end of this post. I promise to be gentle.

Here's just some of the questions I've been asked this week.

Q: Why does my girlfriend stay with me even after I keep getting caught lying? 

My girlfriend has caught me in a lie I can't even tell you how many times, whether it be lying about doing drugs (number 1 thing I get caught for) or lying about talking to other girls.  Granted I've never cheated and never would but I gave up all my friends to be with her so its nice to just chat with the opposite sex. She texts guys from school ABOUT school only though for the most part and I don't get mad at all...anyways I have a bad habit of lying and she should of definitely left me by now, why hasn't she?

A: I would be more worried about your drug habit which is surely affecting not only your behaviour but the way you relate to others. 

Does your girlfriend join you in your drug taking - in which case there’s a clear reason why she puts up with you. 

It sounds like you are quite young and have not yet learned to take responsibility for your behaviour but you will surely come unstuck at some point and find the consequences far more severe than a girlfriend who you seem to disrespect for being a doormat and putting up with your nonsense. 

If you are still in school is there someone you can talk to about your habit? Or someone at home you can confide in? 

Lying and getting away with it is also an addictive habit. Why are you craving so much attention? 

Your girlfriend may put up with all this because she loves you and people can only take so much and if you’re not careful you’ll find yourself single again. Or, is this what you secretly want?

Q: I am suffering from Tinnitus. Are there people who had it for a couple of months (3 to 6) but where it disappeared after that time?

A: Yes there are but it depends on the cause of the tinnitus. 

Some medications can cause tinnitus (for example Naproxen or other drugs in the NSAID family like ibrupofen) and the tinnitus may stop when these are no longer taken. 

When did your tinnitus start and had you made any particular life changes around this time? 

Other things to consider are your general state of health and whether, for example, you may be gluten intolerant or have thyroid problems. 

Are you suffering hearing loss? Are your ears full of wax in which case asking your doctor to gentle suction the wax out (NOT syringing) may relieve the tinnitus. 

Have you had any dental work? A root canal for example, or wisdom teeth removed. Do you have trouble with your jaw / bite? 

As you can see there are quite a few triggers. The most important thing to do is not to panic but to consider what you may be doing to contribute to the problem and make some gentle lifestyle changes.  
Then talk to a doctor who may refer you to an ENT or hearing specialist. 

You’ll also find some really supporting tinnitus groups on Facebook who offer wise advice and help you cope with your fears. 

Q: How can I make my 5 years old kid (girl) more disciplined? She won't listen to me, repeats the same questions that she already knows the answers to, and sometimes does things that bother me on purpose. How do I teach her to do the right things without pushing or punishment? Also, is punishment an option in this age range?

A: Little children are forces of nature and like to explore, have fun, make a mess. They simply don’t understand or remember rules.

They do, on the other hand, model the behaviour they see adults exhibiting. 

If you want your little girl to be better behaved, showing is better than telling. Reinforcing the positive things she does will be more effective than shouting at her when she does wrong. 

My two will just screen me out if I shout too long about something. Why don’t you sit down as a family and draw up some house rules then stick them on the fridge. Keep them simple, easy to remember and make sure there’s a reward at the end. 

Negative behaviour should be challenged when you catch it (e.g. biting, hitting other children). There’s no point waiting till after the event because the moment will be lost. 

Lastly, having a more disciplined child won’t necessarily make you feel like a better mother. Sometimes we want to instill discipline because we want to feel more in control. 

If your daughter is just being a normal naughty 5 year old, perhaps you just need someone to tell you you’re a great parent and to cut yourself some slack. 

They do get better…. eventually…

Q: Is it OK to say bad words during an argument with your loving partner? 

A: We’ve all done it. We’re human and nobody knows how to push our buttons like our partners do. 

It’s less about the words we accidentally say and more about how we deal with the aftermath. 

If what you said was out of order or unnecessarily cruel then I think you need to examine the deeper issues in your relationship. 

There’s a difference between effing and jeffing at someone in anger and deliberately wanting to hurt them with our words. 

Is this a regular thing? Are you depressed? Do you have some other problem that is making you short and bad tempered with your partner? 

Whilst it’s understandable to lose your temper once in a while, doing this on a regular basis is not and I sense from your question that you know are in danger of overstepping the line. 

There is only so much even a loving partner will take.

Q: Is it normal/ okay to be called names if you don't leave your partner alone during an argument when he asks you to?

A: If he asked you to leave him alone and he was angry, it’s hardly surprising that he called you names. Not excusable but understandable. 

That said, I wonder what you were arguing about? Were you accusing him of something - in which case a great way of not answering the accusation is to resort to name calling and demand to be left alone. It’s the exact way children behave when their parents tell them off. Were you lecturing him like a child? 

Is this the first time he has called you names during an argument? I’m not surprised that you were hurt and shocked if so. 

But it sounds to me that the subject the argument was about needs to be discussed when you are both calm. And perhaps both your behaviours during the argument should be talked about too. 

If you are seeking constant reassurance about his fidelity, or constantly checking up on him and that is what caused the fight then there are wider issues to be talked about here. Either way, there is talking to be done - but as adults. 

And you need to tell him that calling you names is not acceptable. But be prepared for him to list some of your less attractive behaviours too. If his behaviour towards you goes beyond name calling and veers towards verbal or even physical abuse, then please seek some counselling and help. You really shouldn’t put up with that.

Q: My boyfriend told me he cheated on his last girlfriend, and didn’t tell her. They broke up, but his ex still loves him. Should I warn her about him? 

My boyfriend dumped his 3-year-relationship-girlfriend, & three weeks later we started ours This year his ex will study in our faculty and we three will came acros His ex don’t know all details & still love someone that doesn’t exist anymore They met at his parents’ & his ex told him she wants him back

A: Was your boyfriend seeing you behind the ex’s back? Are you the person he cheated with or was there another girl? 

Either way, it is not for you to ‘warn’ this girl - because what you really want to do is to tell her to back off. 

The trouble is, your boyfriend has quite a lot of history with this girl and she probably feels that he is still hers, particularly if your boyfriend didn’t explain the reasons for the breakup. If anyone should be telling her it’s definitely over it’s your boyfriend. 

How did he meet her at his parents? Don’t you think that’s a little odd? 

You say she loves someone who doesn’t exist anymore but she has, to be blunt, known him for longer than you have. And why did your boyfriend feel he had to tell you she wanted him back? 

You cannot control HIS behaviour by trying to get her out of the picture but the fact that he has been upfront about her declaration suggests he is being honest with you. 

If he was that interested in her he would probably have kept that quiet. Or is he secretly enjoying having two women fight over him? 

I think you do need to ask your boyfriend what is going on, why he is still meeting his ex and whether he is committed to a relationship with you. 

But I wouldn’t sink to threatening this woman. If anything she deserves your sympathy. 

How would you have responded to these questions? You can find more advice on my problem page.

All materials included in this post are intended for informational purposes only. This post/information is not intended to and should not be used to replace medical or psychiatric advice offered by physicians or other health care providers. The author will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.

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My Tinnitus on Holiday (or Spike Goes To Devon)

We Tinnitus sufferers walk a daily knife edge upon which one slip can often start the old familiar hissing, ringing, crickets chirping - whichever sound drives you incessantly nuts.

Those who live with a Tinnitus sufferer are subjected to their loved one's fear of any ramped up or unexpected noise.  That is, if the sufferer is lucky enough to live with someone who understands how draining, annoying and depressing having Tinnitus can be.

For the uninitiated to the joys of Tinnitus (and I hope you stay that way), Tinnitus is defined as "the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds".

"The noise can be intermittent or continuous, and can vary in loudness. It is often worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you're trying to fall asleep in a quiet room. In rare cases, the sound beats in sync with your heart (pulsatile tinnitus)." (WebMD.com)

Generally I find I can put up with my Tinnitus (a high pitched hissing in both ears) but if I am subjected to a sudden, loud or unusual noise, I have what is known as a 'spike' - a period of time in which the noise of my Tinnitus increases dramatically and I panic about whether it will go down again or if this is my 'new normal'.

To someone who does not have Tinnitus (or 'T' as it is reduced to, although sadly not the noises it produces), it is extremely hard to be sympathetic or to get a sense of what it is to feel like you are a radio antennae constantly picking up static.

You only have to read some of the posts from sufferers in the Facebook Tinnitus Forums.

Well, I am hear to say you are not mad, you do deserve to be listened to and the Medical Profession seriously needs to, how shall I put this, get its 'arse into gear' to find a way to help relieve the untold misery many sufferers endure daily.

At best we have a whole army of pseudo medics offering oils, potions, meditations, white noise, vitamin supplements - you name it, it would probably have appeared in the market scene in Monty Python's "Life of Brian".  Believe me, if a gourd would help, we'd all have one.

Let me share the sounds that have given me a Tinnitus spike this week.

* church bells
* seagulls
* someone leaving the volume of our phone handset on full
* the car (travelling long distances always sets my ears off)
* car doors slamming
* bubblewrap
* a hairdryer
* hand-dryers in public toilets (I really hate those)
* kids screaming in the back of the car
* a steam train whistle

If you have hearing loss-related tinnitus which I may have (although I also have mild TMJD too), the brain is constantly on alert and seems to like to fill in the sounds you miss.  It also acts like a fire alarm when you get stressed and ramps up the sound of your Tinnitus to warn you.

Half the time I think it is the fear of your Tinnitus getting louder and more persistent that, well, gives you Tinnitus.  It's a vicious circle.  You hear a sound.  You worry about the effect and, ooh, listen - there's your Tinnitus.

It is so important to have a supportive partner who can tell you that you need to be calm because your spike will go down.

Actually it's quite useful to keep a diary of your spikes so you can prove to yourself that yes they do go down, except I suspect that it's of more use to change your focus.

That, in the absence of a medical cure for most of us, is the key to surviving with this blight.

I've read a fair few posts lately in the Tinnitus Groups from sufferers who say they don't like to admit to having it - or fear the reaction of others when the admission is made.

I have no compunction whatsoever about being honest about my medical failings and, really, keeping the problem to yourself does not help, nor does it help those who may also be suffering from Tinnitus but who are too shy to admit it.

Acceptance helps a little, as does having realistic expectations.  On holiday in a strange place it is quite likely that you will come across a range of sounds outside your usual experience. Carrying musicians earplugs helps so that you can whip out a pair and plug your ears if the noise is too loud.

A holiday is a time to make sure that you are diligent with your self care.  If you know your 'T' gets worse with lack of sleep then make sure you get enough kip.  Similarly, if you find caffeine or too much salt can affect you, don't go overboard on the espresso or take-aways.

Sadly, you don't really get a holiday from your Tinnitus but just remember this - spike may come on holiday with you - but I'll bet you can leave him behind when you come home.

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Are You Kept Awake At Night By The Hum?

For the last three nights, I have been woken around 5:30 am by a hum.  On the first night, I was so convinced there was a noise indoors, that I walked around the house in the dark checking to see if there were any fridge/freezers buzzing or machines left on.

Nothing.

Do you hear strange noises in the night?

It was windy outside so I wondered if the sound was coming from the vibration of  the cables criss-crossing our street.

Or was it emanating from next door's newly installed solar panels?

The Husband, who I regularly drive insane with my health niggles, says it is just a new tinnitus tone and I need to stop focusing on it and switch off.

Easier said than done.

It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't recently read about "The Bristol Hum", a low droning noise audible at night which has been plaguing some residents since the 1970s.

Then, experts were drafted in who put the hum down to factory noise, electricity pylons or tinnitus, although some suggested flying saucers or secret military activity. Eventually, the hum stopped as abruptly as it began, but by then there were reports of equally unidentified hums in other towns across Britain.

French scientists now say that the hum is caused by continuous waves causing the ocean floor to vibrate - a sound which apparently only 2% of the population can detect.

That, in my case, is a theory which doesn't, if you pardon the pun, hold any water.

Trying googling electromagnetic fields - EMF (yes I know I shouldn't) and you'll find loads of sites telling you how bad these are for your health.

Among the symptoms exposure to EMF is claimed to have caused are unexplained headaches, fatigue, digestive problems and sleeping disorders. Even the increase in immune deficiency disorders has been linked to EMF.

The most likely culprits for an increase in EMF exposure include wireless power meters (so-called smart meters), cell phones, cell towers, wireless routers, and cordless phones. Most of these types of technologies expose you to both electric and magnetic fields.

I have seen several reports recently in the tinnitus forums online about the negative effect smart meters and water meters have been having on the dreadful buzz sufferers have to live with 24/7.

Many of us are constantly exposed to WiFi.  Sleep problems, hypertension and depression are just three of the symptoms linked to our seeming inability these days to put our phones, PCs and tablets down.

The adoption of WiFi based gadgets and its infiltration into many aspects of our daily lives seems to be an unstoppable juggernaut.  We want cleaner, quicker, smarter and we want it now.

But I suspect that there may be an untold price to pay in the effect of this technology on our health.

It is possible, of course, that what I have is hyperacusis - defined as a reduced tolerance to normal environmental sounds. Sufferers also struggle to deal with quick shifts in sound loudness. Hyperacusis often accompanies tinnitus.

I have, despite my hearing loss at medium frequency, always had good hearing at low frequency.  I can hear a boiler come on next door and find the throb of a sound system's bass beyond annoying. The sound of our neighbours' washing machine which backs on to our lounge in the spot where the TV sits drives me nuts.

When these machines are designed, are the engineers actually taking the noise these things generate into account?  Hair driers, coffee machines, blenders - louder seems to be better.  But why?

Have we lost the ability to sit in silence?  (Those of us with tinnitus lost that ability ages ago sadly).

As for me, I am still not sure whether what I am hearing is external or a development in the musical cacophony of tinnitus sounds it is possible to experience.  It is also possible that my insomnia is caused by the approach of the menopause.

One thing is for certain, I won't be having a smart meter, or solar panels (please stop phoning!) and I won't be moving anywhere near a mobile phone mast or electricity pylon.

That might sound neurotic but trust me, when you feel as if you're vibrating like a tuning fork, it makes perfect sense!

I just hope I can reclaim my sleep because if I wasn't a 'morning person' before, I'm certainly not one now!

Have you experienced the 'hum'?

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Let The Bells Ring Out For Christmas - Except If You've Got Tinnitus

Spare a thought this Christmas for those of us whose ears are musical all year round.

We hear crickets chirping, kettles whistling, bells clanging, strange voices and a whole cacophony of sounds which the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra would struggle to replicate at full pelt.

Tinnitus sufferers don't want to hear bells at Christmas!

Add to this the problem that, for many Tinnitus sufferers, they are isolated by the fact that very few people understand how soul-destroying and draining a condition it can be.

Many Tinnitus sufferers live in a permanent state of heightened anxiety just waiting for something to set off their particular collection of sounds.

We travel with earplugs in our bags in case shop music is too loud.  We cannot attend a concert with 'naked' ears. Or, if we are brave enough to do so, we sit there just wondering whether we will pay for it tomorrow by a ramped up buzz (known to sufferers as a spike).

Car radios are a no-no.  The sound of a pneumatic drill or an ambulance siren when we are out and about may make us cover our ears.  Hairdryers, coffee machines, grass cutters, balloons popping - there is literally no end to the sounds which can set our ears off.

Simple things like attending a carol concert, a school nativity play or a pantomime become a sort of aural Russian Roulette.

Because the condition is so isolating, Tinnitus sufferers need to mix and socialise but the very thing they need the most can be the trigger for days of anxiety afterwards.

The great irony is that many sufferers are prescribed antidepressants to help them cope with their anxiety - and the tablets they are prescribed have been heavily implicated (at least anecdotally) in the increase or even causation of Tinnitus.  If you think I am exaggerating, a quick search of, for example, "Citalopram (a SSRI) and Tinnitus" brings up reams of stories from people who wish they'd never taken the stuff.

It is symptomatic of the fact that Tinnitus is so little understood by the medical profession, so infrequently acknowledged and so under-researched that sufferers are left to their own devices to seek for endless homeopathic or alternative cures, and fall prey to every quack who comes up with a 'miracle cure'.

We are left to cope with our problem alone and that, at Christmas, can be pretty miserable at a time when music is so important and such a part of the festivities.

So please be kind to those with this miserable condition.

And remember, they'll want fewer jingle bells and more of a silent night.

Further information:  if you suspect you have Tinnitus, please talk to your GP and contact the British Tinnitus Association who have lots of helpful information.

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If You Have Tinnitus, You Need To Make Friends With Spike.

My right ear is ringing worse than usual. I have just returned from the school run where a child screamed 'boo' in my ear.  To those of you who don't suffer from the nightmare of Tinnitus, I imagine you are now thinking "what a wet lettuce" and I used to agree with you, but when you have tinnitus (a condition that causes ringing or buzzing in the ear), a sudden loud noise like a shout or a bang can cause what we tinnitus sufferers refer to as a 'spike'.

Many Tinnitus Sufferers Are Too Afraid To Go To Concerts

A spike is like the Russian Roulette of tinnitus.  You have no idea how long it will last and whether the frequency of the noise in your ear will abate.  You see tinnitus sufferers get to know their 'usual' tinnitus frequency and level very well.  We are so tuned into it that we are like walking tuning forks.

Probably the greatest fear for the tinnitus sufferer is that something, anything, will cause the noise to get worse - and never go down again.

A cursory glance at any tinnitus forum online will show that, after desperately trying to find a cure for the condition, dealing with the fear of a spike is next up as one of the biggest dilemmas we have to put up with.

You literally never know when the next spike will come along.  You can go for weeks with  your ringing / buzzing / chirping at the level you know (and can more or less deal with) and then, bam, something causes your tinnitus to spike and you sink into a spiralling vortex of anxiety, worry, sleeplessness and, usually, self-blame.

I imagine loads of tinnitus sufferers spend hours berating themselves for what they see as poor choices and 'if only's'.  If only I hadn't gone to that concert, or to the cinema.  If only I could have foreseen that a small child was going to sprint across the playground and shout in my ear.  And then there's the 'shoulds'.  I should have know that driving with the car window open would cause a spike. I should have known that giving the kids balloons when they'd only burst them would cause this maddening buzzing.

I have written before about how difficult it is for many to understand how soul-destroying tinnitus can be and how the medical profession really needs to pull up its socks and come up with solutions and strategies to help sufferers manage not only the condition, but the life draining anxiety that comes with it.

Many of us no longer go to concerts even though we love music.  Fellow sufferers have given up playing musical instruments or going to the cinema.  We are all desperately trying to find an alternative medicine cure since there seems to be very little available for us. Lipoflavinoids?  Check. Acupuncture?  Possibly.  Pine Bark?  Vitamin B12?  Magnesium?

If there is something we can do for ourselves it is, and this is entirely counter-intuitive, to relax and almost breathe into the sound.  It is a vicious circle.  We focus on the sound and, surprise surprise, it increases and stays with us far longer than it would if we could only accept its presence and let it go.

If we think back to our previous experience of spikes, we remember that they usually abate when we have forgotten about the incident that triggered them.

Relaxing when you have Tinnitus is no small challenge but it can be done - either by practising meditation or buying a sound machine (which play white noise or relaxing sounds such as bird song or the sound of the sea).

Being kind to yourself is important too.  Eating well and trying to get enough sleep (again another major challenge for many sufferers) are important.

The goal is, I guess, not to be defined as a tinnitus sufferer but to get to the point where tinnitus is just something you happen to have and then the fear will be gone.

The next time someone shouts in your ear or blows a whistle or makes a sound which, for the majority, is perfectly normal and, dare I say it, fun, then we will be able to accept it and let it pass.

This is the stage we need to get to because, until we get there, many of life's pleasures are suspended, unavailable, maddeningly out of reach.

No, much though I'm afraid to say it, we need to make friends with spike.

Further information about tinnitus can be found at the British Tinnitus Association and if you feel you are suffering from it, please go and see your GP who may refer you for a hearing test and other necessary medical check-ups.  Ironic as it sounds, don't suffer in silence!

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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5 Things People With Tinnitus Want You To Know

My ears are buzzing. My tinnitus is back and it's so ridiculous.  The trigger?  A hand-drier in a toilet yesterday lunchtime.  Whether or not it affected the volume of my tinnitus cannot be proved;  what it did do was focus my attention on sounds I try hard to ignore on a daily basis.

I put my hearing aids in today.  I have been told that I need to wear them so that my brain gets used to full-on sound again, with the bonus that the increase in background noise may drown out the tinnitus - or at least change my focus.  And, honestly?  It did make a difference.  Depressingly though, I take them out and wheeeee it's back.  Yes I know I will need to wear them for months.  To retrain my ears but it's the emotional impact that is often hard to deal with.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, tinnitus can be described as sounds a person can hear from inside their body rather than from an outside source. Although it is often described as 'ringing in the ears', sounds can take the form of buzzing, humming, grinding, hissing, whistling or sizzling. Some people describe it as sounding like chirping crickets. Sometimes, the noise associated with tinnitus beats in time with a person’s pulse. This is known as pulsatile tinnitus. Tinnitus can often have a significant impact on day-to-day life, such as affecting concentration and cause sleeping problems and depression.

If you think tinnitus is some airy-fairy, minor physical niggle, take a look at the tinnitus groups on Facebook and you will be staggered by both the degree of suffering endured and the immense spirit that some sufferers manage to find.

Here's what I suspect many of them would like to say to you.

- these sounds are not 'in our imagination'.  Focusing on something else is a skill that has to be learned.  We cannot just "do something to take our mind off it".

- we may not sleep well.  This will make us tired, grumpy and irritable.  Some of us love to sleep because it's the only break we get.  For others, the quiet of a bedroom makes things infinitely worse.

- we miss silence.  Oh boy do we miss silence.  Sometimes sufferers report that their tinnitus may vanish for random periods of time (although it generally returns) and they get a glimpse of the silent bliss now denied them.

- we don't care if it sounds like quackery.  We will try anything to get some peace.  Obviously this makes us a ripe old target for scammers and snake-oil merchants but it's known that the placebo effect is immensely strong.  If we think Gingko Biloba, acupuncture, magnesium baths, vitamin B6 or anything else might help, support us.

- don't tell us "it's just stress".  We know that.  We're stressed because we have tinnitus, not necessarily the other way round.

Thankfully we have organisations like the British Tinnitus Association to offer support and guidance but the feedback I generally glean from the various forums is that tinnitus is rarely understood and frequently treated with a complete lack of sympathy from ENT Departments and GPs alike.

It is even harder for the loved ones of sufferers to understand and deal with.  The Husband is as sympathetic as he can be but his approach is to focus on something else - so, so difficult.

I guess sufferers feel, like I do, that tinnitus is a curse.  Why me?  must be the silent (ah the irony) refrain of many.  We search to understand what caused it and any sniff of a cure, however flakey, makes us light up like beacons with long-surpressed hope.

There are so many people suffering from this now, not least those returning from military service, those who have had car accidents, those who have had industrial injuries and those who suffer from hearing loss.

Yes.  Tinnitus is not fatal but the misery it causes sometimes is.  On that basis alone, tinnitus sufferers need to band together and demand more research and push for solutions that are clinically tried and have a proven efficacy.

I understand that such studies are underway, however, I hope the results and any cure follow swiftly behind.

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I'm Buzzing - My Tinnitus is Back!

It's back. The incessant buzzing in my ears. My Tinnitus is back. Who knows what triggered it. The usual suspects could be caffeine, red wine, chocolate, aspartame or sudden loud noises. The hairs in my cochlea could be bent. It could be too much ibruprofen. The buzzing has reduced slightly today after a good night's sleep (thank you amitryptyline) but in the name of silence how come so little can be done for a complaint which affects thousands in the UK?

Source:  www.idailymail.co.uk

That is the number one question asked in the Facebook tinnitus forums - and the question that has no answer.  There are trials being conducted - nebulous trials involving implanting iPod like devices in the sufferer's body.  There are drug trials - apparently anti-epilepsy drugs have shown positive results in preventing tinnitus in mice.  Great for the mice but useless for the rest of us.  Is that the choice? Listen to the endless cacophony in your ears or wander round like a zombie, zoned out on medication?

It is very difficult too, to describe to someone what it's like and thus sympathy tends to be short lived and advice focuses on the "well you'll just have to live with it and pull yourself together".  I am pretty sure my tinnitus developed as a result of listening to music too loudly on the Sony Walkman (in the days of cassette tapes) and I worry about people today who play their ipod tunes so loudly that the bass or treble can be heard by everyone else in the railway carriage or the length of the bus.  Then there are those who, as we walk to school in the morning, play music in their car so loudly it sounds like someone is beating the side of their car with a mallet or worse, those who take in-car telephone calls at a volume which ensures their entire conversation can be heard miles away.  "She did what???" - speak up love, there's someone in the Outer Hebrides who didn't quite catch that.

I am going to have to bite the bullet and start wearing my hearing aids.  I'm told it will replace the buzzing with sound at the frequency my ears are missing and so I'll gradually notice it less and less. Reports on whether hearing aids are effective in masking tinnitus are equally mixed on the forums but I will give it a go.  I did try them a few weeks back at a children's party.  This was obviously completely the wrong occasion to try them out and the sound volume was so loud, they were swiftly removed and hidden in my handbag.  

I have heard good reports about Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) which uses cognitive behavioural techniques to change the way you think about your tinnitus.  I am not sure that it is available in Cardiff or the Vale though.  

In the meantime, I'm trying to take my mind off it and if you're suffering with it today too, you have my heartfelt sympathy.  

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The Misery of Tinnitus - Ring Any Bells?

I am currently constantly accompanied by a high pitched buzzing in both ears - tinnitus. I've managed to discover by frantic Googling (never advisable), that the frequency of this buzzing is 4000 hz, should you wish to share the pleasure of my auditory visitor.

Tinnitus makes many lives a misery.  Source:  news.bbc.co.uk

Apparently, 20% of the population have tinnitus - but not all of them visit their GP. (Good luck with that in any case because my local practice has only just reluctantly retired its collection of leeches). A trawl through the many tinnitus forums throws up post after post by those who cannot fathom how they are going to cope with the mad cacophony of sounds - bells, whistles, whooshes and even the sound of jet engines which are so disruptive that sleep is a nightmare, concentration impossible and the thought of enjoying a day (let alone the sound of silence), about as likely as winning the lottery.

A common emotion seems to be self reproach and guilt where the sufferer has done something they believe has brought on tinnitus - for example shooting an air rifle without wearing ear defenders, or going to a rock concert without ear protection. I cringe every time we are passed on the walk to school by a car pounding with deafening music (and it's usually a hatchback) because I now know how easy it is to do irreparable damage to your hearing - let alone the dangers of constant iPod use. How often do we get a hot ear from using a mobile for a relatively short time? What is that doing to our hearing, I wonder.  

Many alternative therapies are cited. One statistic I read was that 40-50% of tinnitus sufferers who have acupuncture experience a reduction in their tinnitus. Then there are the supplements, alpha lipoic acid, vinpocetine, pycnogenol, zinc, gingko and on and on, all carrying claims of miracle cures. I am about to try vinpocetine having read several enthusiastic testimonies about its effectiveness and I may try acupuncture again as I am convinced it helped with the conception of our daughter.

Other tinnitus suspects in the frame are, variously, caffeine, alcohol, candida, aspirin, antibiotics and electromagnetic sensitivity (i.e. being affected by living close to a mobile phone mast or feeling ill when you use a microwave). It's amazing that, given how many people are reported to suffer from this annoying condition, more has not been done to come up with a cure.  

There is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and also Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which aim to help us adapt our behaviour and focus on coping strategies. Currently there aren't really 'cures' as such, rather ways of learning to live with the noise in your head so that it eventually fades into the background and you cease to notice it at all.

Mine has started up since I had my two new hearing aids and probably as a result of my dreadful habit of wearing earplugs at night. I was never an avid clubber but I can remember leaving discos (remember them) and concerts in the 80's with my ears still ringing the next morning and I am guilty of having the car radio on loud and singing at full blast (on my own you'll be relieved to hear - or perhaps not). Then there were the days of the Sony Walkman and the inevitable playing of tapes (how very retro) too loud - again, not heavy rock but girly stuff such as Whitney and, to the husband's horror, Wham. If I think back, there were plenty of occasions when I did not protect my hearing.  But as for the initial trigger?  Who knows.

That's the frustration with subjective tinnitus - unless you've had surgery on your ears or are taking a medication which is known to exacerbate the problem, discovering your triggers is well nigh impossible. Hearing loss is often implicated, but then so are ageing and even wax build up. Then there's the mystery of tinnitus 'spikes' i.e. times when the noise gets louder for no apparent reason. Stress is said to be the main culprit because the more you focus on the sound, the louder it gets.

There is a modicum of hope though. Reading the self help boards, there are many who have lived with tinnitus for years and who have simply become so used to their sounds that they cease to notice them. I hope this latest buzzing is just a factor of adjusting to my hearing aids. I hadn't worn my hearing aid for so long (I just had one initially for the right ear), that it was a surprise to hear my own voice, and that of the kids, clearly again! The husband was happy that we spent a whole day in Cardiff without him having to shout, repeat himself or explain.  

I just hope it's not going to be a toss up between hearing clearly and putting up with constant buzzing.

Do you suffer from tinnitus?  What do you do to cope with it?  Please let me know!  

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