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Tinnitus - Stop using masking = Bad for Brain Long Term
I am a deaf/hard of hearing elder woman with tinnitus caused by ototoxicity (multiple antibiotics treating C.Diff post surgery). I also have vestibular migraines and centralized vertigo because of the damage done to the cochlear and nerves of the ears. For treatment, I have been progressively using hearing aids with masking noise to tone out the tinnitus that has plague me since 1986. Problem is I now have progressive loss of word recognition and may need cochlear implants. I no longer use the masking since research now shows damage to the brain/limbic area of the brain from the assault of constant feedback of the masking noise which is louder than the tinnitus itself. Others around me hear it since they complain about the noise they hear coming from my hearing aids. I now hear just my tinnitus, which is a hissing sound - on the piano located 3 octaves above middle C - E flat. I am a pianist. Since having the masking turned off, I have had only one night of sleep interrupted by a loud episode of tinnitus explode in my dream/REM sleep. After 5 minutes, I went back to sleep. NEW research is closing in where it is located, how to treat it in different ways and what not to do and what one can try depending on why a person has the noises in their heads. I will never rid of mine since damage from the antibiotics, the MVAs caused damage to my brain, and other assaults all add up to a symptom that I will need to control and not eliminate in my lifetime. I am working with my Audiologist to come up with new ways to deal with this thorn in the side for now. Anyone else who wants to add their thread is welcome. Eloise (Headache Nurse)
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It sounds like you have found a way to cope with multiple stressors. I never knew people listen to masking at night. I have a masker option with my hearing aids but of course take them out before I sleep. The best thing I learned about using a masker is it should not be louder than the tinnitus. The masker is actually a backedrop to the tinnitus. Because as your story tells me; tinnitus is in the brain, not in the ears. You write "all assaults all add up to a symptom that I will need to control and not eliminate in my lifetime...."
The psychological aspect of that experience is profound. If you find a supportive audiologist that is half the battle. I live with 4 autoimmune illnesses and all of it I cope with knowing they are going to last for a lifetime. We find what joy we can find in each day. I am also a former RN (poet, yogi, baseball fan)!
It is a drag having to deal with so many difficulties. For once, it would be nice to have silence with NO noise....but that's not going to happen. Even when I swim, I still have the high frequency thrill. So like you say, I ignore it and do other things to fill my day.
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1 ReactionI have had tinnitus for years. I just live with it but some nice if it ramps up, I have found that there are sounds on YouTube that helps me the most which are the crickets. You don’t use earbuds and you have the sound a little lower than your ears hissing. It greatly helps me get to sleep when it happens.
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2 Reactions@clee1946 I have to tell you I agree about those crickets! This is how I've helped myself the most on those nights that tinnitus is getting to me.