Thread: Any Tinnitus sufferers out there?

I've had Tinnitus since birth or shortly thereafter. Rather than a "ringing" in the ears, mine has been a continuous high pitched tone that is ever present and impossible not to be noticed. Yep, 24/7 all of my life. It's something I have learned to live with and try not to focus on.

Does anyone else have Tinnitus, and if so, when did it start, what does it sound like to you? How is your hearing otherwise? Mine is fine, it's not related to hearing loss.

Chris L

This is bizarre. No lie.... I was driving down the street last night and thought about posting this very question. I was at a light next to one of those cars with the booming bass that goes through everyone else's car. Urge to kill but that is another story. I was thinking how the rude idiot with the noisy radio will have tinnitus soon enough if he doesn't have it already.

Lots of 44 magnum handgun shooting out in the boonies with a couple of spent shells in my ears for protection, 20 years of ironwork driving pins through connection points in beams and girders with no ear protection probably contributed to mine. I was in my mid thirties when I first noticed it.

I hear birds chirping off in the distance 24/7. Like you I've learned to live with it. Much of the time I don't even know it is there. When I lie down to go to sleep and turn out the light it kicks in more than when I am up and around but it doesn't bother me really.

I don't have ringing, but I get the sensation of running water in my left ear.

Six years ago I had one day at the range with my 30-06, a brick wall to my left, and no hearing protection. No big deal I thought... I went through 60 rounds IIRC, and it was too painful to continue. I've had this problem ever since.


To the OP: Perhaps a dumb question... If you've had it 24/7 for your whole life how do you know it's there? I would think that if it was always there you wouldn't know the difference...

Originally Posted by HNSB

To the OP: Perhaps a dumb question... If you've had it 24/7 for your whole life how do you know it's there? I would think that if it was always there you wouldn't know the difference...

I understand your question, but I know it's there because it's a sensation, a constant and unwavering high pitched tone and it's very obvious. It's not something that I have to stop and "listen" for. And, many other people I've asked through the years have said that they don't experience the same thing.


Loud noises make it worse so in that regard I'm conscious about avoiding loud noises. I wear ear plugs at movies. I still remember the time over ten years ago when I was walking with some friends on the 4th of July in downtown Minneapolis when some loser riding by on a bike threw a lit M80 next to us for giggles. That made the ringing in my ears much worse for a good week or more.

Chris L

Yup. I've got the steady, high pitch, low volume ring going. Started mid 20's (I'm about a week shy of 35). I just have to sleep with a fan going 365 days a year, that's the cheapest & so far best thing I've found for my situation.

Yes in my left ear since the side airbag deployed in a car I was driving when I went over a bump four years ago.

Originally Posted by hornm

Yup. I've got the steady, high pitch, low volume ring going. Started mid 20's (I'm about a week shy of 35). I just have to sleep with a fan going 365 days a year, that's the cheapest & so far best thing I've found for my situation.

That's interesting you say that about the fan. Tinnitus masking is using something external to create a white noise type thing. The tinnitus doesn't go away, but the brain focuses on the external noise rather than being ever conscious or at least less conscious of the tinnitus.

Those with tinnitus may want to check out this Stanford University site where you can listed to some sound files with a headset. I've been trying the sound of sitting in the rear of a Boeing 747. It doesn't drown out the tinnitus for me, but it does seem to help a bit. I was able to keep the sound playing in the background when I made calls from my PC (I use my PC as my office phone).

Here's the link

Chris L

Originally Posted by HNSB

Six years ago I had one day at the range with my 30-06, a brick wall to my left, and no hearing protection. No big deal I thought... I went through 60 rounds IIRC, and it was too painful to continue. I've had this problem ever since.

Perhaps a dumb question, but what gave you this idea?
I mean I can understand firing the first shot. Well, not really, but you didn't know how bad it would be. However, after having fired that first shot, what made you fire the 59 shots after that?

Originally Posted by Bruno

Perhaps a dumb question, but what gave you this idea?
I mean I can understand firing the first shot. Well, not really, but you didn't know how bad it would be. However, after having fired that first shot, what made you fire the 59 shots after that?

I was going on a hunt the following day, and my scope took a hard hit that morning. It took a long time to get it re-zeroed. I found out later that when it got hit the reticle got knocked loose, so it wouldn't stay zeroed.

I have it and have had it for as long as I can remember.Its just like you said a High Pitch ringing in my ears sometime it leads to a headache but sometimes it stops ringingfor like a couple mins and it feels wierd when it does and my hearing has never been the greatest so its never really changed my hearing