How to deal with internal noise in your head?

Tone Depth · « **on:** 9 Apr 2009, 04:50 am »

The one thing an audiophile, audio enthusiast, or music lover doesn't want to hear from their doctor: "You've got a hearing loss."

I've noticed a constant ringing in both my ears for some time now, and made an appointment with an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist to get them evaluated. His audiologist ran a fairly comprehensive suite of tests of my hearing, and the results were a slight dip in sensitivity in the 4KHz region. Otherwise normal hearing.

Apparently, since my brain isn't getting a suitable base level signal from the inner ear hair follicles in the 4K range, it adds noise to maintain it's bias. The result is the ringing, similar to how I remember my ears felt after leaving some of those rock concerts when a teenager.

The recommendation was to learn to ignore the ringing sensation. He also gave me samples of an over the counter dietary supplement Lipo-Flavonoid Plus (Unique Ear Health formula).

So, anyone else have a similar experience? If so, what have you done to compensate?

Martyn · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 05:59 am »

I have a rather more significant dip in the mid range. Seems I was born with it - I just didn't know about it until a few years ago. I too have some tinitis. It comes and goes, but is much worse after I've been exposed to loud music or noise. After a listening session that was uncomfortably loud, the ringing once took weeks to subside. So now I avoid the temptation to crank it up too much; I also try to avoid traveling in loud cars and have bought a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for when I have to fly.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 06:03 am »

I and another recording engineer friend both have tinnitus - it seems to be an occupational hazard, even if we keep the listening levels lowish as we both do. Perhaps it's due to those times we have to turn it up to hear some detail - maybe I swallowed part of a filling or have a damaged filling, as the literature suggests, since lead, mercury and nickel, if they find their way into our bloodstream can cause tinnitus.

I did a google on lipo-flavonoid and came up with this:
http://www.treatment2012.com/lipoflavonoid.html
which contains a link to a reasonable priced supplement ($20 for 4 months supply).

I intend to pursue this. I have nothing to lose!

groovybassist · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 06:28 am »

I have tinitus in my left ear and I think it's coming on in my right. It's a very high-pitched whistle. The best way I can describe it is it reminds me of the sound old crt TVs used to make when they were on, but didn't have a picture on them. Most of the time I don't pay attention to it, but it's very noticeable when I go to sleep. I associate mine with the fact that I attended lots of loud concerts and played in a band myself when I was younger (without ear protection of course). Before I realized it was tinitus, I used to think I had this super-acute hearing that could literally hear the ambient noise level in a room - no joke! I realize now just how wrong I was. To date it hasn't kept me awake - let's hope it stays that way! I feel for ya'.

-Mike

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 06:50 am »

Thanks for the sentiment, Mike, but it doesn't bother me as much as you might think - partly, I'm sure, because it snuck up on me slowly over the years and I am used to it. It is not all that loud, but it does get audible in a silent environment. I have been aware of it for about 15 years.
It consists of a whistle very close to 10kHz, fortunately the same frequency in both ears! I can't imagine listening to an out-of-tune pair of frequencies

Come to think of it, that very fact seems to suggest that the origin must be chemical/electrical, i.e. neural, I think.

WerTicus · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 06:57 am »

id recommend a short course of euthanasia.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 07:09 am »

Quote from: WerTicus on 9 Apr 2009, 06:57 am

id recommend a short course of euthanasia.

Why? Have you tried it?

WerTicus · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 07:18 am »

as an audiophile its got to be hard to take something like this...

orthobiz · « **Reply #8 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 10:00 am »

I have ringing and it sucks. Probably concerts and headphones back in the day.
Main problem is loud noise is actually painful.

I can hear up to about 12500, maybe a little higher, on the Rives Test CD. My kids think it's weird, "you mean you can't hear that?"

I definitely respond to good music played on a good system, but when I read descriptions of the PRaT and subtle changes that a cryo'd cord has made, I'm lost.

I go to a fair amount of live music every year and wear 25 dB custom ear plugs: what a difference! No after ringing, no fatigue, it's great. And I definitely, definitely do not listen too loudly in the man cave.

Paul

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #9 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 10:09 am »

Try ear candling.

turkey · « **Reply #10 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 12:32 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 9 Apr 2009, 10:09 am

Try ear candling.

Did the voices in your head tell you to recommend this?

turkey · « **Reply #11 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 12:34 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 9 Apr 2009, 10:00 am

I definitely respond to good music played on a good system, but when I read descriptions of the PRaT and subtle changes that a cryo'd cord has made, I'm lost.

That's ok, they're not real anyway, and you have to be a prat to talk about PRaT.

TjMV3 · « **Reply #12 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 12:57 pm »

Quote from: Tone Depth on 9 Apr 2009, 04:50 am

The one thing an audiophile, audio enthusiast, or music lover doesn't want to hear from their doctor: "You've got a hearing loss."

I've noticed a constant ringing in both my ears for some time now, and made an appointment with an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist to get them evaluated. His audiologist ran a fairly comprehensive suite of tests of my hearing, and the results were a slight dip in sensitivity in the 4KHz region. Otherwise normal hearing.

Apparently, since my brain isn't getting a suitable base level signal from the inner ear hair follicles in the 4K range, it adds noise to maintain it's bias. The result is the ringing, similar to how I remember my ears felt after leaving some of those rock concerts when a teenager.

The recommendation was to learn to ignore the ringing sensation. He also gave me samples of an over the counter dietary supplement Lipo-Flavonoid Plus (Unique Ear Health formula).

So, anyone else have a similar experience? If so, what have you done to compensate?

I occassionally get a slight ring in my right ear, it's not permanent or consistent. My chiropractor works on my neck and several times, when the slight ringing was present, after he does my neck; the ringing disappears. So there are other causes for such things, other than strictly ear/hearing loss or damage.

It's no coincidence the ringing immediatly disappears after he works on my neck.

TjMV3 · « **Reply #13 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 01:00 pm »

A better question is.....

What key is the ringing in your ear?

C' mon musicians, let's see how good your pitch indentification is?

TjMV3 · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 01:02 pm »

Quote from: WerTicus on 9 Apr 2009, 07:18 am

as an audiophile its got to be hard to take something like this...

That's why I'm not an " Audiophile ".

Make it easier to have a sense of humor

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 01:16 pm »

The saddest thing that I read constantly in different audio forums is when someone is selling gear due to hearing loss. There might be many root causes for this, but I blame it mostly on constant/ambient noise that in the long run will cause hearing loss at later stages in life....but not all people develop hearing loss later in life. One of my girlfriends had an audible ring when she was around 26 years of age and she did not go to loud rock concerts and the like.

I say one's hearing is a great asset that we do not appreciate until we face its gradual loss. So, lets keep the volume low when we get started in one of those long extended listening sessions.

PS: there will be incredible number of people who will face hearing loss due to all the Ipods that were sold and are sold. You need to see the amount of people whose tunes you can hear across a crowded and noisy NYC subway. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

DustyC · « **Reply #16 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 03:26 pm »

This topic pops up every once in a while on most audio related sites. I must admit that it's pretty brave to admit that you have some hearing loss or tinnitus. You're not a great candidate to judge the total merits of audio gear in that case, and if my hearing got worse, I can't justify buying anything more expensive.

All is not lost though. The brain learns to "hear around" the ringing. Although its tough to listen for low level resolution when you have a case of tinnitus, a lot of other aspects of recorded sound can be judged for their quality.

Much like a loudspeaker that has a big cabinet resonance somewhere that's only audible when excited by a narrow range of tones, the ear can't judge when the frequency is within a hearing loss notch, but is still able to discern most of the spectrum.

2bigears · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 03:43 pm »

hey,i got the ring ,from too much skilsaw work in the years past,

.got the big panel speakers on order

BobM · « **Reply #18 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 04:09 pm »

short answer - shoot the bitch!

Long answer - divorce the bitch

Real answer - if the doctors don't know then I sure as hell don't. But there may be some eastern medicinal cures that could help, like ear candling and such.

Good luck,
Bob

charmerci · « **Reply #19 on:** 9 Apr 2009, 04:20 pm »

I've got a "terrible" solution - but it works. Live in a very quiet environment for about four months. i.e. nature.

Unfortunately, when you get back into a normal noisy environment, it'll return fast.

I think I heard - but I'm not sure - that aspirin helps.