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Senior Ear Problems - Tinnitus
My Experience With Tinnitus - E.F. Male Age: 83
I developed tinnitus (ringing, noises in ears) and hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) about 15 years ago when I was exposed to a loud noise.
My symptoms of tinnitus are:
- Ringing in my ears
- Chirping sounds in my ears (like crickets or frogs)
- Roaring sounds (like a furnace running)
- Fullness feeling in my ears
As with most who suffer from tinnitus, the noises in my ears are most noticeable when the house is quiet, though I am always aware that the noises are there. Like the laugh track on my TV sitcoms, we hear it, but have learned to tune it out like background noise. I do the same with the noises in my ears.
I'm not sure the fullness feeling in my ears comes from tinnitus or hyperacusis. The feeling usually occurs after I wear my hearing aid for a long period of time or if I'm exposed to louder noises like a lawn mower. This feeling of fullness in my ears usually lasts less than 12 hours.
I have seen several ear doctors for this and none have offered much help of insight into the condition. As far as I know the condition is not treatable with medication. Techniques for dealing with the condition, such as using white noise machines at bedtime make the noise in your ears less noticeable. I have not used a white machine myself, but I do know they are available.
Conclusion
The longer I've had tinnitus, the easier it has become to tune the noises out though some days and nights are worse than others. If you have a severe case of tinnitus try to find an ear specialist with training in tinnitus. As I found not all ear specialists have extensive knowledge of the condition.