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@ramfromtvl Welcome to Connect. I know tinnitus can be annoying. I live with it too. I had always been very careful with my hearing avoiding loud noise, but it was prescription antibiotic use that caused mine. I didn't know that could happen and antibiotics that cause this are classified as being ototoxic. Only a medical professional can evaluate your situation and tell you if your tinnitus is permanent.
Inside the cochlea in your inner ear are what are called "hair cells". These are actually nerve endings and they are bathed in fluid and can move in the fluid in response to sound waves that are funneled into the cochlea by your outer ear. I remember the photo in one of my science books that showed hair cells that were broken and shattered by loud sounds. That type of damage is permanent nerve damage and is preventable by avoiding loud sounds and wearing hearing protection for the times when loud sound cannot be avoided. That kind of damage over your lifetime is cumulative.
Sometimes I also have pulsatile tinnitus and can hear my heartbeat in my ear, and allergies and sinus congestion also make my tinnitus a bit louder. I don't focus on it, so it doesn't bother me very much. It is most noticeable when the house is quiet when I lay down to sleep. When I hear my heartbeat, I'm glad to know that it is there. Using something for white noise can help like a fan.
Here is a link about the different types of tinnitus that may be of interest.
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0101/p120.html
Replies to "@ramfromtvl Welcome to Connect. I know tinnitus can be annoying. I live with it too. I..."
Thank you for sharing your story and this information. Tinnitus is one of those things that is difficult to imagine if you don't have it, or tor explain when you have it. It takes some doing, including stress management strategies, including relaxation to live with it. In most cases, as we learn to live with it, it ceases to bother us. I hope that works for you.
I want to point out that when the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged by excess noise exposure, which is quite common, it doesn't necessarily cause 'nerve damage'. What happens is the hair cells, which send sound to the auditory nerve are damaged, dead or non functional. The nerve is fine, but it isn't getting the message it needs to transmit to the brain. This is why cochlear implants, which bypass the hair cells in the cochlea work. They stimulate the brain electronically.
I was told my 'hearing nerve' was dead decades ago. I lived with progressive hearing loss for years thinking nothing could ever help me. Then I discovered assistive listening devices that allowed my hearing aids (which I fought getting for years), to transmit desired sound directly to my ears without any background noise. That gave me hope which ultimately led to me getting a cochlear implant. My ability to hear when tested improved from 10% word recognition to 93% with the cochlear implant processor. What a miracle it has been.
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Great . Hope that it's not bothering you much now. I also have a clicking sound in my jaw. I don't know If it's TMJ or not. But it's really difficult to find the cause. And as long as it's not bothering I am going to ignore it and live happily.
Glad connecting with you