The Noise.

There are two types of tinnitus, objective and subjective. 

• Objective tinnitus has a cause that can be located, and in some cases, even heard by others.  
• Objective tinnitus can be cured in many cases.  
• Subjective tinnitus is thought to be a result of the brain trying to replace tones that have been lost due to hearing damage.
• Subjective tinnitus, to date, has no cure.

I have subjective tinnitus.  Only I hear it, and it's as if my own mind has turned against me.  It creates the noise and pain of the headaches that have disabled me.


Everyone hears tinnitus differently. Mine is a high-pitched, very loud ringing in both ears, with a noise in the left ear that sounds like a chain dragging behind a car. I hear this all the time. It's never gone, and is always just as loud as anything in the real world. That is to say, my mind perceives the noise no matter what else is going on, and nothing in the real world is as loud. I hear the noise over sirens on emergency vehicles, fans, rain or any other sound you can think of.  I also have what I call "sub-rings."  This is a period of ringing at a different frequency than my normal tinnitus and may last from a few seconds to several hours.  The longer they last, the more worried I become that they won't stop, but will become a new part of my tinnitus.


One of the first things I found about dealing with tinnitus is:  Never stay in a quiet area.  I know that sounds backwards to what most people would think, but trust me, you don't want the only thing you hear to be the ringing in your head.  Let's call it something; when I say the noise, you'll know I'm talking about my tinnitus. 


I've tried leaving the TV on in the background to help cover the noise,  I've used white-noise generators, listened to stories on tape and anything else I could think of.  Some helped a little, some a lot, but they all have drawbacks. 


I didn't know it, but as I was trying to help my own tinnitus using louder and louder sounds, my poor wife started having problems with tinnitus.  It was clear I had to find something where I could control the sound level, so that she wasn't subjected to sound levels that were damaging her hearing.
(edited by InsomniAmy)