Tinnitus

[AndyRM]

I suffer from this quite badly (and it's entirely my own fault due to years of abusing my hearing). But recently I have noticed a curious thing which I've not experienced before and the wider internet has shed no light on, so logically I thought I'd ask if anyone here has.

I'm currently staying with my parents and living in their loft (34, unemployed, technically homeless, living at home, what a catch eh?) . Whenever I'm up here and not distracted I can 'hear' buzzing, sort of like you get at electricity sub stations. I don't get this anywhere else in the house, and this has never happened in any other location. It's also a new 'sound' as there are 4 which I routinely get, but they've never been specific to one place.

Any thoughts? I'll be getting my hearing checked as soon as I'm able, but would welcome all theories, no matter how outrageous.

 

[Drago]

Funny you mention this. I suffer intermittently with a form of vertigo and tinnitus associated with it. Normally it's not too bad but today its turned up to 11.

As for your symptoms, who knows? Could it be that you're sensitive to something in the environment?

 

[Mark Grant]

I also have tinnitus 24/7, I think mine is pretty much the same all the time but I do find it much more invasive when I'm not distracted doing something else or listening to radio, tv etc. Also it appears much worse if I wake up in the night when everything is quiet.
Could it be that when you're in the loft and all is quiet this particular buzzing becomes more apparent?
When my tinnitus was diagnosed the doctor said 'Classic noise damage.'

 

[AndyRM]

Funny you mention this. I suffer intermittently with a form of vertigo and tinnitus associated with it. Normally it's not too bad but today its turned up to 11.

As for your symptoms, who knows? Could it be that you're sensitive to something in the environment?

I had thought that, but there's nothing up here that there's not in the rest of the house.

 

[tom73]

Lack of background noise can make it worse away from the rest of the house maybe it's quieter up in the loft.

 

[AndyRM]

I also have tinnitus 24/7, I think mine is pretty much the same all the time but I do find it much more invasive when I'm not distracted doing something else or listening to radio, tv etc. Also it appears much worse if I wake up in the night when everything is quiet.
Could it be that when you're in the loft and all is quiet this particular buzzing becomes more apparent?
When my tinnitus was diagnosed the doctor said 'Classic noise damage.'

I'll have a wander around the rest of the house, and see if I notice anything; I've not yet, but then I haven't been 'listening' for it.

I'm not particularly bothered by it to be honest, I'm used to living with the consequences of my stupidity. I was only really worried when 3 days after a gig (Mortiis, not for the faint of heart) the echoing was so unbearable I assumed it was infrasound and I thought I'd end up like these chaps.

 

[AndyRM]

Lack of background noise can make it worse away from the rest of the house maybe it's quieter up in the loft.

It is, but not when it's raining as heavily as it is now.

 

[Rocky]

I also suffer from tinnitus and as Tom says, it's worse when it's quiet. I have noticed that as I've got older, I've lost the ability to pick up middle range frequencies (such as human voice) but am very sensitive to high and low ranges. If someone leaves the extractor fan on in the bathroom at night, the low pitched rumble wakes me up. I wonder if there's any background noise from neighbouring houses you are sensitive to.

 

[gbb]

I've told this story a few times in similar circumstances to your post....and my thought is, have you any major roads nearby ? Sounds odd maybe but...is the buzz in your head...or external.
Years ago I sat in my living room, all was quiet but I detected a faint buzz from one end of the room. Odd, what's that , I cocked my head, it seemed to be coming near the corner. It bugged me so I got up and stood 2ft away from the wall, looking, listening, where the heck is that coming from, I just couldn't pin point it. I'm stood right In front of a hanging painting on the wall....I still cant figure it, its here, but theres nothing here to make a buzz ?
I reached out, dont know what prompted me to do it, put one finger on the painting frame.....and the buzzing stopped.
So it was resonating, probably minute background vibration from the A1 perhaps, about 1/2 mile away. Never happened since.

 

[AndyRM]

The buzz is definitely in my head - when I put my fingers in my ears I can hear nothing else but the buzz.

No major roads within a mile, and no houses particularly close by either (my parents live in the sticks).

 

[Rocky]

The buzz is definitely in my head - when I put my fingers in my ears I can hear nothing else but the buzz.

No major roads within a mile, and no houses particularly close by either (my parents live in the sticks).

It may just be the tinnitus......you have my sympathy. At times it can be quite distressing. I also found that ear plugs make it worse - apparently you can get an app which plays low level white noise which could relieve the symptoms.

 

[gbb]

Ear syringing time ?
Last time I had mine done, it was so nice to have less tinnitus, an unexpected bonus.

 

[AndyRM]

Those are good suggestions, neither of which I've tried, I'll give them a go.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

I too have tinnitus and sometimes worse than other times. Sometimes I will pick up on a noise and think whats that ? Could your buzz be the transformers used in low voltage down lighters (ceiling lights) ? Any low voltage lighting will have a transformer which will buzz or hum.

 

[DCLane]

It may just be the tinnitus......you have my sympathy. At times it can be quite distressing. I also found that ear plugs make it worse - apparently you can get an app which plays low level white noise which could relieve the symptoms.

It's called Tinnitus Relief App: Sound Therapy and worth it, even the free version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sic.songs.audio.tinnitussoundtherapy&hl=en_GB