Tinitus question

Geez, I hope not. ???

 

MM is different for everyone, so take this with a grain of salt, but... I'm 4.5 years into this dreadful condition. At first my tinnitus was intermittent as well. If I remember right, it also didn't vary much in volume or tone -- pretty much a clear high pitch tone, not super loud. Over time, it has evolved and it's unfortunately 24/7 and seems to be here to stay. It does, however, change in volume, tone, and sound (ranging from pure tone to hissing or humming, also sometimes can be a few overlapping sounds). From hour to hour and day to day these characteristics change depending on where I am in this neverending cycle of ear filling and emptying. It's my understanding that tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss and is the brain's way of compensating for a "missing" frequency. I don't think intentionally knocking your hearing out would necessarily knock out the tinnitus too

You do learn to live with it, and I slowly adapt as it continually changes. Of all the Meniere's symptoms I'd probably say the tinnitus is the least of my issues, as annoying as it is. That being said, I miss the sound of silence.

 

PleaseNoDizzy is well informed. I have had MM for over 15 years. I had a laby 3 years ago. I have had tinnitus the entire time, and will most like have it for the rest of my life unless someone comes up with a cure?? The way my OTO explained it to me is what PleaseNoDizzy stated above...the brain is use to hearing noise and when you no longer have hearing (for me due to the laby) the brain will produce it for you or if there is a missing frequency the brain will compensate. I have to say my tinnitus is usually very mild and easy to ignore. When I am in a loud environment the tinnitus goes crazy so I am careful where I hang out. Probably not what you wanted to "hear" ...this is my experience.

 

Since April 2014, my ear has been ringing constantly. First it sounded like a loud fan, then it was non-stop pulsing and now it varies from mildly loud to quiet, depending on the day. But it is always there. I hate it, but I'm getting used to it.

 

I always have tinnitus but there are apps that claim to help or alleviate it, I don't know if they work but since its so bothersome for you, you might wanna give one a try.

 

I use a tens unit for my back pain it works great for that
Electrical stimulation (ES, or TENS ) for Tinnitus
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/hearing/tinnitus/TENS.html

Electrical stimulation can be used to treat tinnitus. In general, there are attempts to stimulate the ear itself, and attempts to modulate tinnitus through stimulation of muscles in the head or neck (generally termed "TENS").

Siedman and Jacobson (1996) indicated in a non-peer reviewed journal that ES is a possible treatment modality for patients with severe tinnitus. Hatton et at (1960) reported that only anodal (positive electrode) stimulation produced the suppressive effect. ES is provided through electrodes in the vicinity of the ear. The exact mechanism(s) by which ES suppresses/reduces tinnitus may be that positive electrical current produces hyperpolarization of nerve fibers, which inhibits and reduces spontaneous discharge rates (Portmann et at, 1983). As most tinnitus is thought to be central in origin, acceptance of this mechanism is contrary to general dogma.

Hatton et al (1960) observed that the intensity of tinnitus was reduced in 15 (45.5 %) of 33 patients with ES. Chouard et al (1981) reported that 30 (47 %) of 64 patients achieved success (as determined by reduced intensity that lasted for a few days to more than 1 week) following electrotherapy. None of the 12 patients who received placebo stimulation attained relief. The authors stated that if a patient failed to achieve improvement after 2: to 3 sessions, it is unlikely that this form of therapy will be successful. It would seem to us that reduction of tinnitus for periods greater than a few seconds after discontinuation of stimulation, while certainly desirable, would be very difficult to explain with known neurophysiology.

Engejberg and Bauer (1985) performed two experiments to examine the effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) on tinnitus. Experiment 1 had 10 subjects (18 ears) and improvement (defined as either a complete remission or a decrease in the frequency of tinnitus) was seen in 6 of them with tinnitus being eliminated in 3 ears. Experiment 2 employed a single-blind study design with 20 patients (experimental group, n =10, 17 ears; control group, n = 10, 15 ears). It was found that 9 of 10 patients with 15 (88.2 %) of 17 ears reported improvement following stimulation. These changes lasted from 20 minutes to at least 6 months. On the other hand, only 1 patient (1 ear) in the control group improved (a 13 % decrease in frequency of tinnitus).

A systematic review (n=69 RCTs) by Dobie (1999) reported that based on the results of two RCTs, TENS was found to be ineffective for the treatment of tinnitus compared to an inactive device. However, there have been newer ones.

Steenerson and Cronin (1996) reported their findings at a tinnitus conference (i.e. not a peer reviewed journal) of 246 patients with severe tinnitus of various etiologies treated with ES (a total of 6 to 10 sessions). One hundred and thirty patents (53 %) reported significant benefit (an improvement of at least 2 points in a 1 to 10 subjective rating scale) with 32 patients (13 %) having complete suppression of their tinnitus. At 3-month follow-up, 72 % had continuous benefit.

Herraiz et al (2007) found in 26 patients with the probable diagnosis of somatic tinnitus that TENS could improve the tinnitus in 46% of the participants. Patients used TENS at home for 2h, once per day during 2 weeks (alternating ramped burst, 150 pps, with pulse duration of 100 micro sec, amplitude 0-60 mA; average TENS intensity was 27 mA). Intermittent "typewriter" type of tinnitus was the most responsive.

Kapkin et al. (2008) conducted an RCT of 42 patients with subjective tinnitus who received TENS (n=31), or placebo (n=11). The comparison between the average sensation level of tinnitus before and after treatment in the electrical stimulation group was not statistically significant (p=0.424). A similar comparison for the placebo group was also not statistically significant (p=0.683). The rate of improvement following the therapy was 42.8% (18/42) in the electrical therapy group and 28.5% (4/14) in the placebo group.

Vanneste et al. (2010), in a case series (n=240), applied a real and a sham TENS treatment to patients with tinnitus. The stimulation was applied to the C2 nerve root area, and thus this study is of limited use in evaluating TENS in a general sense. Only 17.9% of the patients responded to treatment with TENS by demonstrating significant tinnitus suppression (p<0.001).

Mielczarek and Olszewski (2013) reported the effects of "direct current stimulation" (rectangular, positive polarization) in 119 patients, there was reduction in tinnitus with current frequencies similar to tinnitus frequency. It seems to us that any stimulus delivered at the same frequency as the tinnitus cannot actually be direct current (DC). We are also puzzled why applying high frequency electrical pulses to the ear should be effective, or different than true DC. Perhaps it is not as painful though. It would seem difficult to provide a true placebo control, with a protocol that involves delivering small electrical shocks. We would be more convinced if the placebo arm was equally painful -- perhaps negative polarization rather than positive, or higher voltage with far lower current Overall, we are not convinced.

Overall, these papers report generally positive results of ES or TENS for tinnitus. We find it hard to understand how this treatment could cause lasting effects. Whether these are placebo effects or organic, they seem worth pursuing.

 

I have had MD for over 25 years -- the tinnitus is always there... most of the time it just sounds like dull static... when I am stressed or not rested it gets louder and more high pitched... that's usually how I can tell a vertigo attack is coming and I try to stave it off asap. At first it did drive me bonkers and I used Valium 3x a day..... Now i just take Valium as needed if I feel an imminent attack... I am used to the ringing now.... I use an ear plug my ENT custom made me when I go to concerts or if I am out on the boat or motorcycle....

 

My tinnitus varies quite a bit. It seems to be louder in the morning and then fade over the day. However, I can't tell if that's because of increased ambient noise as I get up, move around, go to work, etc,