I got tinnitus it seems outta nowhere

[chillyinCanada]

Will have to try that. Will be interesting in a dry suit (which I am sure you do).

Lol, no I don't.

You cold water divers are crazy. I gave it up long ago.

 

[Jwoobs]

I've had tinnitus for probably a decade now, and it's a constant frequency high pitched ringing. But mine was from shooting a revolver without hearing protection. Now I wear hearing pro any time I have to raise my voice to talk to people. Concerts, mowing the lawn, the boat ride out to the dive site, etc...

It can seem to vary in volume, but the pitch is constant. But again, I know for sure mine wasn't from barotrauma.

I have gotten a full feeling in my inner ear before, but I skip diving if I feel that. It also doesn't seem to change my tinnitus in any way.

 

[Hojo in SC]

@Hojo in SC and @VikingDives
Does/has your tinnitus fluctuate? or have you had a uniform ringing since it began?

@wetb4igetinthewater

I would say that it does not fluctuate, the only change is in my mental focus level. Like right now , as I type this I hear the tinnitus, a few minutes ago I was working on a project any my mind was very focused and I didn't 'hear' the tinnitus.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've had tinnitus for probably a decade now, and it's a constant frequency high pitched ringing. But mine was from shooting a revolver without hearing protection. Now I wear hearing pro any time I have to raise my voice to talk to people. Concerts, mowing the lawn, the boat ride out to the dive site, etc...

It can seem to vary in volume, but the pitch is constant. But again, I know for sure mine wasn't from barotrauma.

I have gotten a full feeling in my inner ear before, but I skip diving if I feel that. It also doesn't seem to change my tinnitus in any way.

Just the one frequency?

I have a host of different levels in my left ear and 2-4 in my right ear.

 

[uncfnp]

And sometimes it is intense enough to seem almost a physical sensation rather than only sound.

And of course if I think about it it gets louder.

 

[Jwoobs]

Yup, just the one frequency. 4,000 Hz. Not an MD, but my understanding is that the sensory hairs or your cochlea actually get damaged, and your brain fills in the missing information with ringing. So I would guess that only a certain range of my hairs got damaged, so my brain is only filling in a single frequency.

I did one time get a roaring sound in my ear when swimming up a free-flow from 70ft. But I maintained my ascent rate at a safe level, so that may have just been anxiety or maybe bubbles getting into my wetsuit hood. It went away when I surfaced, as best as I can recall.

 

[chillyinCanada]

And sometimes it is intense enough to seem almost a physical sensation rather than only sound.

And of course if I think about it it gets louder.

Yes, what fun. Now that I'm paying more attention to it, because of this discussion, I notice some fast clicking noises too, not just the different tones and levels.

But I've embraced it as part of me.

It's entertaining. If and when it's distressing play soft music or get out the white noise machine. I used the white machine for almost 2 years. I even took it on trips with me. Came in handy to help with barking dogs and crowing roosters.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yup, just the one frequency. 4,000 Hz. Not an MD, but my understanding is that the sensory hairs or your cochlea actually get damaged, and your brain fills in the missing information with ringing. So I would guess that only a certain range of my hairs got damaged, so my brain is only filling in a single frequency.

I did one time get a roaring sound in my ear when swimming up a free-flow from 70ft. But I maintained my ascent rate at a safe level, so that may have just been anxiety or maybe bubbles getting into my wetsuit hood. It went away when I surfaced, as best as I can recall.

My guess was the roaring wasn't the tinnitus though it may still have been your brain trying to tell you something.

 

[TonyBottomTime]

@chillyinCanada
that method with using two fingers you mentioned, is that one of those Valsalva alternatives I keep reading about?

 

[davehicks]

Welcome to Tinnitus! For most people it just suddenly starts one day. There does not have to be a traumatic trigger. The one thing that medical science knows about this condition is that they don't really know much. There are currently no reliable treatments. There are just guesses to the physical cause.

For your case I'd say there is probably no compelling reason that it was caused by the uneventful diving you subscribed. Go ahead and continue diving. You did your due diligence and got all the tests. I did all the same things when I got it. Now go ahead and live your life.