Tinnitus
Tinnitus & How To Live With It By Jane Shaw September 2001 janeshaw@dsl.pipex.comLast Reviewed January 2006
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| "Tinnitus < tin-night’-is or tin’-it-is > is the name given to the condition of noises ‘in the ears’ and/or ‘in the head’ with no external source. Tinnitus noises are described variously as ringing, buzzing and humming” (quote from British Tinnitus Association). The name comes from the Latin word ‘tinnire’ which means to ring. Tinnitus is a condition that affects around 10% of the UK adult population and it is quite a common symptom of M.E. Dr Charles Shepherd believes that the auditory nerve suffers from interference in M.E. sufferers, the brain detects this interference and Tinnitus is the result. Tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, but the feeling of having to listen harder to hear things makes you more aware of the Tinnitus. If you do have a hearing loss it is not caused by Tinnitus, but those who do have a hearing loss are slightly more at risk of developing Tinnitus. The sorts of noises described by Tinnitus sufferers are ringing, buzzing, humming, whistling, rushing, hissing and roaring. You may be able to perceive more than one noise at a time and may have different noises in each ear if both ears are affected. When you first experience Tinnitus, it can be extremely distressing, I can remember being hysterical with mine, screaming, pulling at my ears, crying, I really thought I was going mad! I could not sleep and could not concentrate. I do have a hearing loss and I became much more aware of this when the Tinnitus developed. There are no tests available for Tinnitus, you can have hearing tests, but they cannot tell you if you have Tinnitus, but will show if there is any damage to the ear. Tinnitus is usually diagnosed by describing it to the doctor as it can only be detected by the sufferer no one else. I used to get so annoyed by the noise and felt that it totally surrounded me and you feel that other people should be able to hear it too. You feel like saying to people, “just put your ear next to my ear and you will be able to hear it.” Your GP may refer you to an Audiologist to have your ears tested and to be taught Tinnitus Management. Tinnitus has been recognised as a medical condition since the 19th century, but still there is little known about it and there is no treatment for Tinnitus. There are things you can do to relieve it or make it less obvious though, such as the following; The first thing is not too concentrate on the Tinnitus, don’t try and listen to it or check that it is still there as you will become more aware of it then, try to ignore it, develop an attitude of indifference, it is only a noise. The next piece of advice usually given to Tinnitus sufferers is to keep busy and do something that involves your concentration fully and keep your mind occupied, this can be a physical or mental activity. This advice is of course difficult for M.E. sufferers to achieve. Another piece of advice that is difficult for M.E. sufferers is not to get over tired. Avoid really quiet situations; make sure there is always some background noise such as music as this helps to stop you focusing on the Tinnitus. Also avoid really noisy environments such as noisy pubs, discos, heavy traffic and noisy work environments, as these can make the Tinnitus worse. Work places should provide ear protection and it should be used at all times. Stress can aggravate Tinnitus so try to keep calm and practice some form of relaxation such as the Alexander Technique or Yoga. You could also try some relaxation tapes/ listening to soothing music; please read Daniel Smith’s Meditation For M.E. for some other ideas. Dr Charles Shepherd (as mentioned above) also covers relaxation techniques in his book titled Living with M.E.: The Chronic, Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome. Some foods can also aggravate Tinnitus, common ones being caffeine and salt, chocolate, red wine, citrus fruit and quinine, so cutting your intake of these may help. Medication can also bring on Tinnitus or make it worse, so check the side effects of any medicines you are taking and if you think they are causing problems ask your GP if it is possible to try something different. Asprin is well known to cause Tinnitus and should be avoided; other problem drugs include diuretics and some anti-depressants. You can get different devices to help you to cope with Tinnitus and learn to ignore it; your Audiologist will be able to advise you about these. For more information on the condition of Tinnitus, please refer to the website of the British Tinnitus Association. I would like to take this opportunity to thank British Tinnitus Association for their support with my compiling this article. Please do contact me at if you would like to discuss any of the issues in this article because you do not need to suffer alone. Please Tell-A-Friend about this article if they are having trouble coping with Tinnitus. |
| Other M.E. Support Articles By Jane Shaw |
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