Do you have tinnitus?

I get it constantly although some days are worse than others.

I just get on with it! Music and keeping preoccupied does help.

Its very common I believe.

I thought it was common as well but I've just read the NHS website which says that long term tinnitus is only shown in about 1 in 100 people! Although saying that I don't think I've ever gone to the doctor about it so maybe their numbers are wrong. Damn those loud clubs...they seemed good at the time ?

My H has it and I know it drives him mad. He finds a low sodium diet and Ginko Biloba help. He also has a speaker fitted into his pillow so it helps at night.

Ooo I might try those two. I put some music on when I go to bed otherwise all I can hear is the ringing!

| health information | health factsheets

Published by Bupa's health information team, February 2008.

This factsheet is for people who have tinnitus, or who would like information about it.

Tinnitus is the sensation of a sound in the ear or head that is not being produced by an external source. There are many different disorders that can produce such symptoms.

• About tinnitus
• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Further information
• Sources
• Related topics

It's quite common to have mild tinnitus, and around 12 in 100 people are occasionally affected. According to Clinical Evidence, the review of studies that many UK doctors use, one in 200 people have tinnitus so badly that it affects their ability to lead a normal life.

Tinnitus is hearing sounds in the absence of an external source. You may have what you think is tinnitus when in fact the sounds are really there. For instance, the sound of blood flowing in narrowed arteries in the neck, or the "murmur" of turbulent blood through a defective heart valve can give tinnitus symptoms. Problems with the inner ear can also be to blame. Having anaemia or problems with your Eustacian tube (see illustration) can also cause you to hear abnormal sounds.

Doctors call these objective symptoms, as there is a clear sound-producing process going on. If you have tests for your hearing problems, your doctor will try to pick up one of these causes, which may be treatable.

Tinnitus is a condition where these objective sounds have been ruled out.

The sensation of tinnitus is the sound of high-pitched whistling, buzzing, ringing or hissing. It can also be quite a complex sound, like the roar of an ocean. The sounds may be constant or come and go.

Whatever the cause of the tinnitus, it's almost always made worse by stress, which can be physical, psychological or emotional. Some people are able to live with the sound of their tinnitus quite happily. In others, the sound seriously interferes with their quality of life. The sound can be in one or both ears, or elsewhere in the head.

The outer, middle and inner ear

Most tinnitus is caused by a problem with the inner ear, which converts sounds to nerve signals, the auditory nerve, which carries these signals to the brain, and the parts of the brain involved in decoding those signals into what we sense as sounds.

Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss. For this reason it's more common in older people who have age-related hearing loss.

Exposure to loud noise at work may also cause tinnitus. If you work with pneumatic drills or in noisy factories, you may be more at risk of having tinnitus.

Other possible causes of tinnitus can come from your ear, auditory nerve (which carries signals from your inner ear to your brain), infections, side-effects of medicines you have taken and because of problems with your jaw or teeth. These include:

• Ménière's disease, which results from an increased pressure in the inner ear and also causes deafness and vertigo
• otosclerosis, a condition in which the small bones of the middle ear become stiff and immobile
• ear infections and inflammation
• hard wax blocking your ear
• middle-ear infection (the type that's often known as "glue ear" in children)
• acoustic neuroma, a benign (non-cancerous) tumour of the auditory nerve
• high doses of medicines including aspirin, quinine and some antibiotics, water tablets (diuretics) and chemotherapy drugs
• head injury or whiplash
• problems with the joint between your jaws (this is called the temporomandibular joint), which can also lead to pain in the head or face

If you have tinnitus, you are more likely to be depressed. It's not clear whether this is because tinnitus makes depression more likely or if being depressed makes you more likely to have tinnitus

I have had for as long as I can remember, i just thought it was 'normal' and that everyone had it. I'm so used to it now, but then I guess I've never known any different.

Mine came on 2 years ago and it's been at a similar level ever since. You have my full sympathies as it can be really miserable - I find white noise can be helpful when I'm trying to sleep.

Thanks. I'm wondering now whether to mention it to the doctor next time I go, just in case it's something else which can be fixed! Now that would be fab ?

I'm another one who's had it every day for as long as I can remember. It was horrible when I was younger and I used to have to sleep with a walkman on to block it out but now it would be weird for me not to hear it.

I've had it for years but am lucky that I can normally ignore it. Until someone mentions tinnitus ?

I have it too... I got it about 1½ years ago and it is driving me nuts at the moment. It is always loud but I find that when I have a cold it gets worse and I think I have one coming on now. I have not found anything that eases it and my doctor said that there is no cure so if anyone has any advice I would love to hear it.

Hazel - I'm the same about being ok and ignoring it until someone mentions it ?

I think it's always worth mentioning to the GP just in case as there are lots of reasons why people have tinnitus and some can be helped, others can't.

Usually I don't notice it unless someone says, but just recently it's been worse. Although I am feeling rather stressed which could be the problem!

Mine is definitely worse when I'm tired or stressed so I bet you're right x

I've had it for years and have learnt to ignore it (most of the time). It gets alot worse when I'm stressed. What does drive me mad is that I've got crackling in my ears as well, when someone talks or there's any noise at the end of the noise my ears crackle, very irritating.

I have mild tinnitus. Also probably from clubbing and too many very loud gigs. My dad has it and it's quite severe. It really affects his hearing. I don't know if he's found anything that helps though.

I've suffered from tinnitus since I was about 9 - I had loads of bad ear infections as a child and as a result was left with tinnitus and a slight hearing loss. It was worse when I first had it as I noticed it all of the time - but now like someone else on here said, I only notice it if someone says the word "tinnitus" or "ringing in the ears". For me it's a kind of cross between a high pitched ringing and a static-y buzz - a really odd sound, but after 20 years I'm used to it!

My partner has it - he finds it very annoying. I bought him one of these at xmas: https://sleepypeople.com/soundasleep/ - it's got a speaker in the pillow, but it's really comfy. He thinks it's great.

I'm the same - I know I'll go to bed now with my ears buzzing!

I've got tinnitus, I get it as a high pitched note, I also get crackling when noise reaches a certain level. I believe I have it due to my otosclerosis (where the little bones in the ear start to fuse together) though.

I have it from what my ENT thought was an infection which damaged nerves in my ear, it came on suddenly with dizzyness and I also have some mild hearing loss on that side (dizzyness gone now though).

I sleep with our tv on most of the time. It is not too bad unless I'm tired or stressed, or someone mentions it ?, but I do sometimes struggle to hear on that side, especially if there is background noise.

My ENT didn't offer a solution, unless my hearing loss gets much worse.#

Nikki xx

Sorry for bumping this topic, but I'm currently suffering from tinnitus which drives me crazy. I thank everyone for sharing your experiences, but I'm in search of a solution, and any updates are appreciated.