I have had it for many years and it's horrible. It changes from time to time. Different frequency and intensity. It has reduced my hearing in both ears. I have tried various things that are supposed to help but nothing has. I keep fans on around me at all times to help. I have Meniere's and so do most of my immediate family.

I have a "light" dose apparently brought on by anemia. My husband has a serious case of tinnitus and cannot be without a radio or tv on. He says silence kind of makes him crazy.

I wish I could have silence, but there is no such thing when you have tinnitus. I carry a radio in my pocket all the time when I am outside. I buy Sony pocket radios, four at a time, so I always have one.

I have it as well, but it comes and goes. It's not constant, but it's a definite buzzing in my ear.

I got my hearing checked earlier this year and she said I have good hearing. The real high tones (like a mosquito) are not quite as good, but who cares about those sounds.

I've had for years due to a brain tumor. I've gotten used to it so it doesn't bother me anymore. One time years ago I was complaining about the "crickets". A short time later the pitch changed and it was awful. I was wishing for the crickets again. It finally changed back thankfully.

Oh Marilyn,I feel for you.The anti inflammatories would cause the issue,but it certainly won't go away because the pills were stopped.

At least that is what I understand with me as well,only its from steroids for the Crohns and they've caused me to have cataracts which have to be removed in the spring in order to get over my problem....so no more steroids for me if I can help it.Good luck with that-hope that it eases over time for you.

That must be awful! For many months this year my right ear started making popping and squeaking noises. At first I thought I must have clogged sinuses or something without the usual cold or allergy symptoms. Decongestants didn't help even after taking them for 2 weeks. A couple of more months went by and it dawned on me one night-hopped out of bed to check my hunch on the internet-it was the rubber bands I'm now wearing with braces putting a lot of pressure on my jaw which is quite close to ear canals. Ah ha! I told the ortho at my next appt-it hadn't dawned on me to mention this before. She offered to slow down the treatment to ease that. No thanks, I've gone this far. 4 more months went by and one day it occurred to me that it had stopped completely. Still wearing braces and bands. I guess everything shifted just enough, I didn't realize tinnitus is something you just have to get used to.

Most days I have the high pitched buzz, kind of like the noise from high voltage wires, not really loud but noticeable. It doesn't interfere with my overall hearing that I have noticed. I expect it is from the ibuprofen that I take at least once a week, over the past several years.

Another kind was a steady pop-pop-pop in one ear. That turned out to be from an ear infection and disappeared with treatment.

Alisande, I often joke, when I do have difficullty hearing someone, that I blame Bob Seger. Everything sounded like I had cotton stuffed in my ears for 3 days after that concert (sat in the 2nd row)

I have a constant ringing for years. I use a sound machine at night.

I have it, and the other symptoms of Meniere's as well.

I have a slight case, I think--it's never been diagnosed, and I don't notice it unless there are no other noises around. (Maybe that's why I love to hear the peepers at night. :) It's more of a constant faint whine, than a buzz, but once in a while I'll get a jolt, which reminds me of the old TV test pattern of the 50s and 60s.

I first noticed it about three and a half years ago. The steroid aspect is interesting, because I'd developed adhesive capsulitis in my left shoulder a couple of years before I noticed the whine. I'd been given one cortisone injection before starting PT, then earlier this year I developed AC in my right shoulder, which necessitated another cortisone injection. I thought the tinnitus might be genetic, because my paternal aunt had ringing in her ears, but she'd also had several steroid injections for arthritis and inflammation in her joints.

I think I must have some hearing loss, because when the kids are speaking to me from another room, or when they are turned away from me, I can't always understand what they are saying. It's worse when I'm standing near the DW, or other source of background noise. I've blamed that on the fact that my late husband was in a band while we were dating and during the first few years of our marriage, with them often practicing at our house.

Otosclerosis is common in my mother's family, so that might also be the cause of my ringing ears. My mother had a stapedectomy when she was in her 40's, but one of my cousins was in her mid-thirties when she had the procedure. I'll be 60 on my next BD, so I consider myself fortunate.

I had my knee replaced two and a half years ago, and really had a good result. Now my hips are bad. I take two Aleve a day. I haven't talked to a doctor about it, but I hope that won't make my tinnitus worse. I have dysphagia...which is difficulty swallowing. I was getting ready to go to a doctor to see if they could do something about that, because it was really getting bad. I didn't want to eat out any more because I would sometimes get food hung up in my throat. Evidently the Aleve is alike an anti-inflammatory because the dysphagia has all but disappeared. I don't want to have my hips replaced because I don't want the down time. Also my husband is going to have his knee done this winter, and one of us needs to be able to walk and take care of the animals. So I am putting it off as long as I possibly can.

I found this interesting.

"If the patient has hearing loss (even if mild), hearing aids should be used. Success at treating tinnitus with hearing aids in these patients is about 50%." (epocrates, 2016)

Interesting thing happened to me recently. I had to have my back lower molar tooth removed because it cracked and part broke off. The oral surgeon had a difficult time with it and really had to exert a lot of pressure and pulling force. I thought my jaw was coming out and I think it did slightly move a bit out of its normal location. After he was done he said I might have some jaw pain and discomfort but it would go back to normal after the swelling went down. It was popping every time I opened and closed my mouth. I thought oh no not TMJ. Then I suddenly realized that I no longer had the buzzing in that ear! The tinnitus was gone on that side. What a blessing I thought. Well as things got back to normal and the swelling went down my jaw did go back and did stop popping but unfortunately the tinnitus came back too. So I wonder if it was the inflammation or the change in alignment that caused the tinnitus to stop.

There are many you tube videos that say you can listen to a series of sounds and it will cure it. I listened to some but that was enough to drive me crazy.

Mine started after having been under anesthesia a few times so it could be related to that or some of the medications.

I have had tinnitus since Jan. of '92. I can remember exactly where I was when it started. Mine is the high-pitched buzz in both ears. I am quite aware of it the majority of the time. When mine first started, it was necessary for me to have "white noise" at night to be able to go to sleep. I don't now. Mine is caused by having to take many antibiotics during my growing up years and also taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen quite frequently over extended periods of time during my thirties and early forties. I do wear hearing aids for hearing loss, but I can't say that it has helped any with the tinnitus. Mine has never stopped since it started - at least not while I have been awake.

lindyluwho, I too have it due to a brain tumor. Curious if we had the same type.

I must always have some type of background noise, but it has to be at a certain level, as anything too loud will increase the tinnitus. Noisy restaurants, stores, etc... are very difficult.

My tinnitus sounds are ringing bells and buzzing bees.

My Tinnitus is the high-pitched buzzing, somewhat like the sound locusts make on a hot summer day, but steady rather than rising and falling. I've had it a number of years now, no idea what may have caused it I do take pain medication regularly, and have for a very long time, and I've had cortisone shots in my shoulders. I don't think I've ever read where either of these things could cause the Tinnitus, so that's a rather interesting concept to me. There was a time when I would get severe headaches from it, but not so often anymore. I guess I've finally gotten used to it. My hearing has gotten bad over the last 5 or 6 years, but I don't know it the Tinnitus causes that or not. When I got hearing aids a couple of years ago, I got the kind that is supposed to help the Tinnitus. They would emit a serious of soft, supposedly soothing sounds that would cut the Tinnitus sounds. No such luck, it only contributed to the headaches. So needless to say, I never turn that feature on. Nor do I have any radio or TV on as background sound, it drives me nuts! In fact, it is not unusual for me to get very irritating headaches, even when trying to watch a movie or program I am interested in. No matter how interesting, it always sounds so good when I turn it off! ! !

Yeah, I know, I'm weird. .. . . .

Rusty

I, too, have tinnitus....resulting from a head injury many, many years ago. I've learned to live with it to the point that the high pitched whine is almost not "there". But...like gmatx...I can attest to the fact that medications increase the volume. I have chronic sinus issues and being allergic to most antibiotics...I try to quell the problem with OTC meds/remedies. Tylenol may help my sinus issues but it increases the volume of my tinnitus exponentially. But I'd rather breathe so I tolerate the increase. After reading all of your posts...at this point...I consider myself very lucky. My tinnitus annoyance is nothing more than a high pitched whine that I've learned to tune out...or down. Anything other than that and I suspect mine wouldn't be so easy to tolerate.

Mine began in one ear, then both ears after about a year -- all of this at least ten years ago. I relate best to Alisande's description of 'tape hiss'.

So many people suffer with this...anyone able to relieve it would have found a gold mine. I'm not even sure it is known what wears out or goes wrong to cause it.

I've had it for three years. It started after I had a crown put on an upper molar. I also get TMJ on the same side occasionally so I wonder if they're related.

You're onto something... at least the TMJ group agrees with the tinnitus and TMJ connection

I have a high pitched ringing all the time. Never goes away, never changes. It doesn't really bother me, it's just there. I can't quite imagine what no noise would sound like. Sorta like trying to imagine a total lack of color.

I don't know that there was a specific cause for mine. My father had it, too. Apparently he didn't know that it was 'wrong', he just thought everyone heard it.

DH had a childhood dentist who eventually took his own life. The tinnitus drove him mad.

I don't think mine is related to my teeth...I had them all pulled and got implants about 3 years ago. I honestly don't remember when it started, because, like I said....I always thought it was crickets, if I thought about it at all. It was only when I realized it wasn't crickets that it started bothering me. I have read about people who practically do go mad from the fact that you can't get away from it. I guess I am fortunate that mine is rather "low key"....I have a friend who has a whirring sound. That would be worse, I think. She also suffers from bad headaches. I have never had a headache, except a couple of times when I tried to quit caffeine and had caffeine withdrawal headaches. I agree....if someone could find a way to cure this, they would get very wealthy!

"DH had a childhood dentist who eventually took his own life. The tinnitus drove him mad."

Interestingly, tinnitus aside, dentists have one of the highest suicide rates.

I have heard of instances where suicide was the final decision to end the noise. My sister is really bothered by hers. She got hers very long after I had mine but she really freaked out about it. I have accepted it, if not you could go crazy.