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"The HUM", a persistent Low Frequency Noise
As I sit, writing, my left ear is filled with the Classic Hum. Both my ears used to hear it, but after an ear infection in the right ear, leaving no measurable loss of hearing as determined by yearly workplace hearing tests, I no longer hear it in the right.
Certainly, others must hear it.
My wife, largely complete loss of hearing in one ear, high frequency Tinnitus in the other, and myself, excellent hearing as tested by yearly workplace physicals, started hearing the HUM on the same day, in the same location, over a decade ago. We hear it exactly the same in a number of places separated by hundreds of miles. We have experimented by asking if the other could hear the HUM, whether in certain parts of the structure we were in (home we rented in the Country, home we owned in the City) if it was louder, quieter, or audible at all, and had an extremely high degree of concurrence.
It appears to be a real world event, not Tinnitus, but IMHO, the American Medical Community is trying to pawn it off as Tinnitus. I've seen a few references to the National Institutes of Health claiming, on flimsy questionnaires sent out, that the HUM is, indeed, Tinnitus.
My wife heard it, simultaneous to me hearing it, for a decade, I still hear it, but if you mention this to doctors, they look at you like you have snakes coming out of your head. My ENT has been sick, so my appointment with him has been delayed, he's back to work but catching up. I see the ENT due to a cancerous thyroid he removed. But recently, my right ear has been acting up. It makes a spontaneous rumbling noise that I can voluntarily reproduce. But telling this to my family doctor, that I can voluntarily make this rumbling (not the HUM) and also mentioning the HUM, since I hear it in my left ear but the right ear is acting up, on both counts, I don't think he believes me, or understands. Yet, yesterday, I found an article that says that some people have voluntary control over a muscle attached to the Tympanic Membrane. That's my voluntarily induced rumbling (not HUM).
So, there are some forms of Tinnitus, "Pulsatile Tinnitus (PT) is a symptom that affects nearly five million Americans. The sensation of hearing a rhythmic noise, such as a heartbeat, swooshing or whooshing, from no external source, is, at best, a little unsettling; for many, the near constant sound exceeds annoyance and becomes completely debilitating" that can cause noises in your hearing, but decidedly is not the HUM. I'd be interested in reading what others have to say on these experiences, if you don't feel like outing yourself, you could always say a friend of yours.......
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Is there an HLAA in RI or around Boston?
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1 ReactionAgree about hypersensitivity which is the symptom that could really keep one isolated. Walking on a sidewalk when a truck goes by and sounds like a jet taking off could make a person think twice about going out. Surviving in a restaurant where voices are hugely elevated (add music) requires a lot of tolerance. I’d like to know more about hyperacussis - it doesn’t seem it can be treated. I force myself to take on these challenges but it’s not easy (and exhausting). Thanks for sharing these stories.
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2 ReactionsI've tried using EarPeace ear plug in a restaurant but it doesn't really help because then everything is muffled, eating sounds are intensified, and I'm afraid to talk. My audiologist also warned to use ear plugs sparingly as they can end up making Hyperacusis worse.
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1 ReactionYes. HLAA chapter information can be found a at: https://www.hearingloss.org/chapters-state-orgs/
Several years ago HLAA held a national convention in Boston. I recall having a great time there. The 2023 HLAA national convention will be held in New Orleans next June.
Thank you
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2 ReactionsHi @videojanitor, I notice that you wish to send a private message. You will be able to send private messages to other members, like @julieo4, in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't send private messages. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe.
We have several knowledgeable members talking about Meniere's Disease in the ENT group here:
- Meniere's Disease https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/menieres-disease-2/
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1 ReactionI have hyperacusis and know exactly what you mean. I also have tinnitus and hearing loss as well as musical ear condition. I never know when to use ear plugs. I want to block some noise to protect from pain and further noise related hearing loss. On the other hand the ears should be allowed to put up with a little increased noise to re build tolerance to a reasonable degree of noise. Hearing aids are another problem because they amplify noise so that we can hear. I must say that my hyperacusis has improved by reducing the use of ear plugs, allowing my ears to experience sounds that are tolerable but at the top level of my comfort zone, and increasing this over time. As well getting used to hearing aids on a low setting eventually helped my hyperacusis. I also use masking which helps tinnitus and may also help hyperacusis. Wouldn’t it be nice if medical science had a better solution to these hearing problems.
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2 ReactionsI’ve had the hum in one ear for a couple of months. Today I woke up and it’s in BOTH. I thought there was some heavy equipment running outside, until I realized it’s ME, Very strange and quite distracting I must say.
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1 ReactionJulieo4 check Science Daily Tinnitus News for new info on hearing sensitivity.
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1 ReactionYes, it would be nice if medical science had better solutions to issues related to the ear and hearing. Unfortunately, it's a relatively 'new' science. Until the mid 80s, the prevailing scientific/medical view was that hearing loss killed the auditory nerve. People were told, upon medical examination that that nerve was dead. We had nerve deafness and nothing could be done to help us.
It started to change when the national organization 'Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc.' was founded in 1980. SHHH is now known as The Hearing Loss Assn. of America (HLAA). People with hearing loss pushed for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) in 1988. From that time, grant money was targeted for research in this area. Cochlear implants, which were laughed at by the medical field because they were 'impossible', piqued the interest of many people with severe/profound hearing loss. Those people agreed to be test subjects, and change began to happen.
Most important, medical science learned that the auditory nerve had not died in most instances. It was not being stimulated by the inner hair cells in the cochlea (inner ear). The brain was not getting the message!
By bypassing the damaged inner ear, an implanted device was able to connect with the brain. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been changed dramatically by cochlear implants. Many more people could benefit from them.
I've been involved in SHHH/HLAA since 1983. It's been an incredible experience to watch things changed. I will be ever grateful for the changes I've experienced due to medical research. I was implanted in 2005. My sensorineural hearing loss had progressed to the profound level. It started in my early 20s. Needless to say, I feel blessed to have benifitted from the advocacy 'the people' did through this wonderful organization known as HLAA.
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