Pete Townsend got over his ear ringing. He couldn't play for years... I wonder if you would get any hints from examining his problem.

Dreadful Mox. I hope you don't become "sinusoidal."

Maybe you should try drinking a nice white wine for a month or so, just to see if that's it.

I know, I know. *Blecchhh* ...it beats the hell out of "rain bird" syndrome you are currently experiencing.

Keep drinking the red wine. It's doubtful that it's the etiology. Go see an ENT to get to the bottom of it. Oftentimes, tinnitus has a simple underlying cause that can be treated.

Hey Moxie. Random dude from Ky again. A fish tank in your bedroom will help you sleep. For some reason the bubbling noise seems to be close to the same noise people hear with tinnitus. It sorta overrides the ring with a more pleasant noise for some people. It helps quite a bit for some people. A small freshwater system might be worth a try. I own a business that does setup, and design of saltwater coral reef systems. If you want to try it, I will be glad to help you pick out the best systems for the price you want to spend. Only real value there is that I have bought most everything and know what works and what doesnt, so you wont waste money.
I think that it works because the nerves that are sending wierd signals that make a ringing noise are stimulated with a real noise that people can sleep with. Not a doctor so I really dont know for sure how it works. Just that it does work.

Do u get any skin lesions on your ear? (If yes, consider Ramsey Hunt syndrome.)
Are you taking a lot of aspirin? (Supposedly, aspirin overdose can cause tinnitus.)

Mine gets worse as the day progresses. It's from a lack of sleep and my being slightly overweight.

Lost 30 pounds so far. That and the bloog pressure drop has helped.

The ADD can be (partially) dealt with with drugs. Adderol seems to be useful in this regard.

As for tinnitus, while I'm guessing that you've already found this place, the "assume" rule requires I offer it:
http://www.ata.org/

Gingko biloba extract helps with my own tinnitus, when I remember to take it.

mox,

my fiance has the same problem. i don't know if you were ever a rocker in another life but that seems to be the culprit with many. i don't know of a day remedy but at night if you play a blank tape at full volume the white noise will cancel out the frequency being emitted in your ears. i hope it works out for you, i can't begin to imagine how maddening it must be.

Moxie,

Note:

get a hearing test from an audiologist,

determine if the tinniuts is masking a hearing loss.

also note, I have nerve deafness (some environmental some heredity) and I 'hear' a tone/whistle all the time. Some folks get relief with a whitenoise generator (think water over rocks), I second the fish tank/water garden idea.

For some people some background 'noise' can help.

but first get to an audiologist asap.

Hope that helps,

Richard

Mox, as someone who suffers from ear infections as a result of seasonal allergies in the spring and fall, I can tell you that tinnitus is serious shit.

The white noise palliative that a few have offered does work but it's only a temporary fix. You need to get to an ENT as soon as possible to isolate the cause. It could be something as simple as trapped mucus in your inner ear that can be treated with Neomycin and Polymxyin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone ear drops. This diagnosis is somewhat unlikely given that you report the problem has been going on for a year (How are your sinuses, by the way? A history of allergies, by any chance?)

Get to a ENT or go to an Urgent Care center as soon as you can. Tinnitus can become permanent and lead to severe hearing loss.

Hi Moxie -

The House Ear Institute in Downtown Los Angeles is the top place in the world. They know more about this stuff than anyone.

They did Rush's hearing implants.

GL

Everything they've already said about seeing an ENT soonest applies (although I'm a little astounded that you haven't already, if you haven't).

beyond that, acupncture has helped a fair number of people.

Have you heard of Dr. Nagler? He uses the process of "masking" or "tinnitus retraining therapy" to cure tinnitus.

William Shatner has become a very public spokesperson for the process, as he says that his tinnitus ruined his marriage and very nearly drove him insane. The masking process takes a while (I believe 1 to 2 years) in which you wear a hearing-aid device that transmits a sound that's just lower in frequency than the tinnitus, and when your brain adjusts to block it out on a subconscious level, it also blocks out the tinnitus.

"TRT is a method of retraining the brain to process the loud meaningful tinnitus signal ... as a signal that is not loud and not meaningful - so that the tinnitus can be naturally and effortlessly habituated."

TRT is not considered a "cure" for tinnitus, but it does make tinnitus a non-issue.

Shatner went to see a doctor in Maryland -- Dr. Pavel Josterboff.

Well if you weren't married I would say come to Florida spend a week at the beach with me, and it will go away. (It probalby wouldn't but would be fun anyways) :)

Visiting an ENT is probably your first order of business. However, I used to suffer from intermittent tinnitis. My doctor mentioned that excessive caffeine could be the cause, so I stopped drinking anything containing the elixir of life. Within a few days, the ringing went away for good. Of course, I didn't notice until the throbbing headaches went away a week later. Now, I simply moderate my intake of caffeine. It works for me, because I haven't had any recurrence within the last five years.

Still, persistent tinnitis can be a symptom of bigger problems. Go get it checked out ASAP.

Nathan-

I think the swimming pool was the culprit when it came to ruining his marriage, not the ringing in his ears.

Unless the ringing kept him from hearing the splash and the screams.

Ditto the ENT - and perhaps an even more specialized ear doctor. Unfortunately, there's no help for mine. I fully understand your sleeping problem.

I've found keeping a radio on at least takes my mind off of the noise. But while trying to sleep, I've learned more about space aliens, remote viewing, coming environmental disasters, and the coming shift in the earth's magnetic field than I ever wanted to know.

I wish you luck.

Like a couple others above me, I would say the suggestions for radio or aquarium in your room would greatly help with sleep. Soothing music or just the aquarium itself would have the lulling effect needed to help you sleep.
I have heard of this before, but I am sorry I have no ideas on how to help it. Also, yes do see an ENT. Might be able to help you out.

won't comment too much on the ADD. Plusses/minuses of Ritalin for adults pretty well documented. Friend of mine takes it. Says the difference in concentration is between the middle of the midway in a carnival to an otherwise empty room with you and only one object in it. Increasing doses required for the same effect over time.

tinnitus I know first hand. Heriditary in my case (from my Mom - she has it too). I've had it on/off since about age four. I thought I could hear radio waves as a little kid (cause no one else could hear the noise I did)... *Only* thing works for me is relative quiet - cut out loud concerts / clubs... Seriously. in my case one concert is usually worth 2-3 days of ringing afterwards... Headphones used to listen to music and drown out ambient noise are a big no-no too in my case. Your call. Your life. Depends how much time you wanna spend listening to the "ringing" in your ears...

"I think the swimming pool was the culprit when it came to ruining his marriage, not the ringing in his ears.

Unless the ringing kept him from hearing the splash and the screams."

--------------

*choking with horrified laughter*

I saw the comment re: Shatner and the swimming pool and didn't get it, so I googled it. Now I am pretty much doubled over with laughter. Dude. You are so. very. wrong.

Order: get your hearing issue checked out by a specialist. Recommendation: try closing off your ear canal (press lightly on the little flap) - it may take awhile but if you get to it right away the noise should subside quickly.

i have tinitus as well. i guess mine isn't as bad as yours because it doesn't keep me from sleeping. the thing that gets me most is the subtle ringing in some songs. it sort of mimics my tinitus and i guess i have learned to ignore the tinitus somewhat. but when it's in music i can't tell if it's real or not.

Jerking off a lot reduces tinnitus.

I've had the same thing recently, its been driving me nuts. Mine is caused by a blocked eustachian tube, which causes unequal pressure on my eardrum, leading to hearing difficulty and a constant ringing or rumbling in my ear.

Mine recurs every once in a while and I can clear it up by taking Claritin - D for a few weeks.

A simple test to see if it is a blocked tube is to pinch your nose and blow gently like you're clearing your ears for diving. If you feel pressure in both ears your tubes are clear, but if you only feel it in one, or neither, at least one of your tubes is blocked.

If it's blocked try the claritin-d, make sure its the d not regular, that doesn't seem to work.

It does take a few days to a few weeks to clear up.

It does make me crazy though. Loud noises make me dizzy and I can hear virtually nothing in my ear.

Good luck.

MikeC

I'm absolutely no help to you at all, Mox. Have had the bloody ringing for, wait I'm counting, okay, a really long time, and everything I've tried throughout the decades has failed. A doctor DID tell me that being around shooting and exploding things was probably the reason, but he was a military doc so I paid no attention. Well, truthfully I couldn't hear half of what he was saying but sort of got the gist of it. If it's ANY consolation, 10 or 15 years from now you'll be merily doing your thing one day, and pow, it'll go away for a while and you'll feel so very alone, I mean, you'll pause to wonder what's missing.

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I occasionally get ringing in my left ear. I hate it.

It looks like you got some great suggestions, but if all else fails, might I suggest acupuncture?

Lay off the Oxy? Afterall, all us conservatives are merely Rushclone Bushbots.

Giving up Red isn't so bad - you just need to replace with a nice keg of Homebrew. Hand delivered by the brewer (roadtrip! Rev up the T-bird!)

I finally went to an ENT for my ringing and dizziness (no one notices bc I'm blond) The audiolist did many test involving electrodes, hot air , cold air, noise. I thought that they would find somehting useful, but alas, there is no organic cause. Just deal with it. They were looking for Meniere's Disease and/or a "growth" (translate tumor). So no news was good news. They did tell me that tinnius is the most debilitating nonfatal ailment. Keep your sense of humor above all. and good luck

Try a joint as big around as your thumb.

It might not stop the ringing, but you're unlikely to care about it as much.