Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Corbeille on 18/08/2004 19:44:20
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I have developed a low pitched hum in my right ear which is not heard above normal daytime ambient sound but is clear when I go into a quiet room. It sounds like somebody has parked a lorry outside the house and left the Diesel engine running. I have suffered from bouts of anxiety all my life, so true to form I focus on the hum, worry about it and have not had a good nights sleep for the past couple of months. I am absolutely knackered. I an waiting for an ENT appointment but have been told it could take a few months to be seen. Any ideas what's causing it and how it is treated?
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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Sounds like tinnitus, but it can come from a variety of sources. Definately see your doctor and mention if you've taken any new medications, received a head injury, or ingested anything mildly toxic. (drugs included) I had tinnitus before I ever had issues with anxiety, but the anxiety made it worse.
In the meantime, if it gives you problems when you're trying to sleep, try playing soft music or running a fan / white noise generator while you're in bed. It really helps.
There are a couple of threads on tinnitus back a ways in the forums, check them out.
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My husband has tinnitus most of the time, but it gets worse periodically. after several years we've managed to work out we think triggers it or makes it worse.
Anxiety is a biggie. alcohol, caffeine and hayfever too. and I'm afraid lack of sleep also made it worse. sleeping with music or a fan or something is good. He sometimes uses a herbal sleeping remedy when lack of sleep itself starts to make it worse.
it sometimes seems to correspond with blocked sinuses, and its been suggested that somehow the mucus is amplifying inaudible sounds that are already there, so if you have this problem it could be worth trying to remedy that onen too.
hope it gets better soon
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Thank you both for your advice and good wishes. I looked at the tinnitus threads and have spoken to friends about it. There seems to be a lot of us about. I'm starting to think that everybody has some level of tinnitus and there's no such thing as silence! Only some of us have it worse and some of us notice it where others don't. I have had (or have been aware of ) a mild "white noise" tinnitus for about ten years. I got used to it and it never really bothered me after a while. The low pitched hum is more recent (about three years) and would appear after I got out of the car and into a quiet room. I first thought that it was traffic outside as it went away quite quickly. The problem now is that it appears mostly as I wake up but also as I try to get off to sleep. Being Mr Anxious I keep myself awake longer until I just drop off exhausted.
Reading other threads about insomnia, I feel a bit of a whinger compared to those who stay awake for days and still go to work.
I used to sleep reasonably well until I started working a shift pattern. 12 hour days and night shifts with only a couple of days to adjust back to days. It was like permanent jet-lag. Most of my colleagues became ill with nervous exhaustion and depression. We worked in a mainframe room without any natural light! I finished my last night-shift in September 88 and since then have occassionally felt that the body clock was out of kilter.
This is a great forum and the makes a good read, I'm determined to get on top of this problem, as my motto says,
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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Welcome to the forum Corbeille. I'm sorry to hear about your tinnitus, and can certainly sympathize as I've had a squeal in my left ear for many years now. Alcohol, caffeine, lack of sleep, congestion (caused by anything) are all well known factors in making tinnitus worse. Sometimes I can't decide what causes it to get worse. Sometimes it gets better even when I'm really abusing myself (staying up all night and living on coffee).
You might go to a doctor (ear specialist - not a GP) and see if they can spot any problem that cana be treated.
Good luck!
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
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Thanks Tweener, I'll try lots of self abuse and see if it makes any difference [:0][:0][:0][:D]
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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It makes a difference, but usually not a positive difference.
Need any help with the self abuse?[?][?]
Oh....that wouldn't be "self" abuse anymore would it.
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
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Is this the kind of self abuse that involves hurting another part of the body to help you forget about the original problem? i suggest getting your thumb aquainted witha hammer...
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I prefer to create a pleasurable sensation to make me forget. If I'm sitting, rolling golf balls underfoot is nice. So is stroking an animal's fur.
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Yea, if I'm doing much of anything I forget about the noise. The self-abuse I'm talking about are the times I get interested in something (like a good book) and stay up most or all of the night and then have to drink 4 or 5 cups of coffee the next day just to stay consicous at work. That really kicks up the noise level in my ear. But, even when I get plenty of sleep and don't drink any coffee I still have the noise.
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
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[i]It makes a difference, but usually not a positive difference.
Need any help with the self abuse?
depends Tweener,
are you a bloke or a bird[?][}:)][;)]
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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You decide:
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhome.kc.rr.com%2Fjstricklen%2Fjps.jpg&hash=167d2031ab1c990bb43131e8980a6870)
How about you???
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
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Zoiks!!!! You're a big ginger tomcat[:0]
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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Yup, that's meeeeeow!
You still didn't answer my question! Let's have a picture!
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
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Sorry Mr T, a million squillion apologies, I just want to keep my film star looks private for now. I am an IT professional by accident ( a Cisco twiddler) so I appreciate how privacy doesn't exist on the internet.
Maybe you can all guess which film star I look like?
you can't crack me I'm a rubber duck!
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quote:
I am an IT professional by accident ( a Cisco twiddler)
So sorry to hear that!
I too am an accidental IT "professional" (in quotes because it's really more a job than a profession). Oh well, it pays well and is stable and marketable at time when that counts.
What film star do I look like????
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John - The Eternal Pessimist.