tinnitus

[acker]

ANY clues/ suggestions/ links/ help;
i developed mild tinnitus at least 3 months ago. never had any industrial noise damage. but i have lived inner city for 25 years - i think the constant 'city hum' has contributed to it. have had noisy work environments but wore ear protection. my hearing is pretty good.
i'm 40 and developed thyroidism and severe fatigue after a few years of stress.
i wear ear plugs or earmuffs up the street (city) most of the time because the some (loud, sudden) noises spook me, plus my thinking is that if i reduce or eliminate city/ traffic hum, this will prevent the tinnitus from worsening.
i also rode a noisy motorcycle for many years for many miles - could this be a contributing factor?
it's 'annoying' but probably liveable if it stays the same (or improves) - but i can't take much more of this cricket orchestra. and they're playing an electronic instrument in my left ear that is very trying. yikes!
i mentioned it to dr and she didn't seem bothered, we ran out of time and she said next visit. ok.
(do i need 'hearing test'? brane scan?)
i think i need to move out of city, but not well enough yet...
help..!
thanks

[SassyLassie]

Tinnitus can be caused by a lot of things, some of which are: meds, loud noises, ear wax build up, allergies, vitamin deficiancies, and even having the nerves in your neck impinged. I would use a good, food grade supplement, try acupuncture, this helps a lot too, and also, if you haven't already, see a chiropractor. If your neck is out of alignment, and the nerves are impinged, this can definitely cause that horrid "ringing"

[peggy64]

And you can always try one of my favorites.....magnesium.  A deficiency in this mineral can cause this as well.

[margypops]

Meds can also bring it on , and when the meds are stopped the tinnitus continues for a while then eases off .....

[acker]

i had acupuncture yesterday. it seemed to lessen the severity, and make the tones somehow more bearable. the tones also seemed to even out; there was more noise in left ear, and it is diminished some. i'll have another treatment in a week. ended up with (on each side) 3 needles in ear, 1 behind jaw joint, 2 in the hand, 3 in the foot. cool. i'm pleased with the result. i didnt quite know what to do with the relative silence!

[allmymarbles]

I have tinnitus that comes and goes, but is always with me to some extent. I recently learned that it can be related to hypothyroidism. Which I have.

[acker]

THANK YOU! i haven't seen any of this anywhere else...
sorry it didn't work for you
i know why van gogh was driven to snip his ear off!

[gymdandee]

Loud noises damage the hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear.Secondary to poor blood supply as atherosclerosis of the smaller vessels begins to occur. A number of studies have found ginkgo biloba to improve tinnitus and hearing, if the condition is treated early. Ginkgo protects these delicate nerve cells against excitotoxicity (a major cause of the damage), improves blood flow, and slightly thins the blood, which also improves flow through the
microvessels of the ear. The dose is 320 milligrams a day of a high-quality extract.
Another product, Vinpocetine (extracted from the periwinkle plant) also protects these nerves and dramatically improves blood flow The dose is 10 milligrams a day for one week and up to 20 milligrams a day if needed. It should be taken before noon to prevent insomnia.These same nerves are also very dependent on the B vitamins, especially vitamin B-1 (as benfotiamine 200 milligrams), riboflavin, vitamin B-6, niacinamide, folate, and methylcobalamin. Other antioxidants also help prevent the progression of hearing loss.
These include curcumin, DHA, hesperidin, quercetin, vitamin E (Unique-E) and vitamin C
(buffered). ENT physicians also offer a masking device, which has variable results
With all this said I have tried almost all of the above and it hasn't helped! I live with it.