FWIW, William Shatner has suffered terribly from tinnitus. He's now a spokesman for the American Tinnitus Association. The ATA's website is here. Shatner's PSA for the ATA is available here.

My tinnitus started after a bad ear infection that caused some hearing loss in my right ear. Fortunately, the tinnitus is intermittent (so far). My right ear will go deaf and the ringing will start. After a few moments--just long enough to think the ringing is here to stay--things return to 'normal.'

On the upside, I have ingrained into my memory the experience of a ENT specialist uncapping a tube of artificial earwax, squeezing a generous amount onto his latex covered finger and then slathering that goop into my ear.:eek:

Thanks, I will check out the site.

By the way - the hissing just stated back up. That is depressing.

I also have it.

Mine is bothersome when there is no external sound,, like when reading the fora. If the TV is on or at parties, I tend to ignor it.

Lately, the "tone" has changed from a steady sizzzzzzzz, to a choppy mix of buzz's, beep's, crackles, pops, & sizzles.. It may be from my BP meds??

I suspect that it started back at Ft Sill in 68', 13E20.. "We don't need no stink'n ear plugs"

Or scuba school in KW, 69'. By the end of the class, I could free-dive to 85 ft and hang for about 20 seconds. We would anchor dive to get down faster,, eg: jump over with the 18 lbs anchor and ride it to the bottom. You needed to clear your ears very-very quickly...

Also,, anyone remember the concoction the pre-18D's made to clear your sinuses?? It was a liquid you put up your nose,, it REALLY REALLY cleared out your sinuses and eustation tubes.. I want to say home made actifed??

JJ

Listening to the drown of the universe in the back-ground...

Ear Plug...? what stinking ear plugs?
 

Other than Basic, AIT, and jump school (C119s), I believe mine really started with the C-123 Jato assist...LOL:eek:
I don't believe we used ear plugs "til about "76 or '77. By then it as too late.

Mine is new, but I did many loud noisy things like you describe one of them was flying helicopters for several years, another was just being an 05B with a headset on and cranked up). I am sure that they all contribute, but like I said - this problem did not start until this summer - I left the military in 87.

After reviewing the aforemintioned web site - it doesn't seem to be something that anybody understands, nor can they fix, other than keeping your ambient noise level up higher than the "hissing" - so that you don't notice. That would have to be pretty loud noise for me, the sound of my Silverodo's engine & tires on the highway at 70 mph can't compete with it. This morning it sounds like a high pitched air leak, like you would heer from an 1/8th inch tube - just blowing. I did have an hour or two last night though that was quiet.

One thing that is new to me, at least in the last three years is blood pressure medicine too

I can't remember if mine started after seeing Jimi Hendrix in '69 (3rd row right in front of him) or while I was in the Army, but I also can't remember when I didn't have it. Never a quiet moment, sometimes louder than others, but always there. Sometimes I use it to block out the wife........

Tinnitus is not infrequently found among "shooters", not just Rock Concert goers or folks who've had ear infections. E.g. Range Instructors, QPs, and LEOs. A word to the wise - don't wait to properly use ear plugs and muffs until you already have hearing loss and/or tinnitus. If you do, it's too late.

For those of you RETIRED and have a VA rating for Tinnitus, if it was caused by war, an instrumentality of war, or under conditions simulating war - add it to your claim for Combat Related Special Compensation. https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/crsc/index.html I had it documented after an RI threw a grenade simulator that went off next to my head and that event in my VA claimed then bumped my CRSC 10%. Going thru the VA C&P process, the hearing specialist mentioned to me that with Vets having Tinnitus in only one ear, they evaluate based upon the type of weapon issued and the dominant hand. (i.e. Rifle shooters tend to present the "bad ear" on the "weak side"). That is the ear tending to suffer the most damage. If you are a "one eared" tinnitus sufferer and didn't wear earplugs while shooting - which ear suffers may help you demonstrate a CRSC claim if the facts fit.

JAGO

I developed tinnitus in my right ear about 10 years ago after a particularly bad bout of flu. It's never left. I used to be a 98G, so I think listening to high pitched static 8 hours a day played a roll. The first 6 months, I thought it would drive me nuts, but I've slowly adapted to it. It has gotten a little worse over the years. I remember it temporily getting worse after walking up to a hot range with no ear protection.

They say that there are maskers-white noise makers that help some types of tinnitus. If you turn on the faucet and the running water somewhat masks the sound, you're a decent candidate.

Mitch, if you start feeling anxious or depressed...try to relax and accept it-because no amount of stress will make it go away. I also recommend you go to your ENT to get it checked out. Who knows?

Thanks for the advice - all of it. You have had it for 10 years and you didn't go crazy - I guess I should be able to match that. Just hard to come to grips with it. Most of us are control freaks and just naturally assume that there is no problem we can't fix - that is what is depressing - this is something that apparntly, I can't fix.

Will go see the doc all the same see what he has to say.

Mitch

started 2 years after ETS
 

My ears started hissing and ringing in 1972 and haven't stoped. Sometimes it sounds like my head is in a bag of crickets other times just a low hissing. Now and again the noise will turn into a high pitched whisle all of a sudden.

I can't sleep unless there is some back ground noise. I run an air filtration machine in the bedroom and that helps.

So far I have just ignored it most of the time. Once in awhile it gets the best of me and I go into hiding.

Of course I have hearing loss but then I'm 59 and everthing else is wearing out. Can't say I can blame the military service for this as I have had lots of jobs with loud noise and a lot of recreational shooting.

Pain and discomfort just reminds me I'm still alive.

The logic of drowning out noise with more noise seems, illogical - but it seems to work. It's not the noise; it’s the awareness of the noise. During the day, I rarely notice, but at night, like right now, it is blaring, sounds like 80 db almost.

Hey I wonder if Crown Royal would have positive affects, makes more sense than adding more noise to the noise – if I have to drown it, maybe I’ll drawn it with some Crown.

Hey one more thing Jon, the big super axe swooped through at work today, I ducked – it missed me. :)

After years on the range, (with no hearing protection) then shooting trap 6 nites a week. I developed a continuous low humming in the right ear.

About three years ago, I developed Meniere's disease. Along with the other symptoms associated with the disease, the low humming in my right ear turned inot a screaming jet like sound.

I and my ENT developed a regime to combat the symptoms of the Meniere's. It has also lessened the severity of the tinnitis. There are actually evenings when I can't hear it at all.

The procedure we used for the Meniere's involved using a diuretic to drain the fluids building up in the inner ear. Curbing the use of or stopping altogether Alchohol, Tobacco, Salt, Caffeine, Chocolate and certain sugars.

I havent had a flare up of Meniere's in over a year and a half. And, like Ive stated my tinnitis is almost bearable. Im sure this procedure wouldnt apply to those that have suffered damage to their eardrums. This would best be left up to a qualified professional. Im just stating what worked for me.

From my own personal experiance Crown Royal definitely works. I have also tried scotch, beer and cheap wine with equal success.

Great news on the axe, I was waiting to hear from you.
Continue to keep your head down

Damnit! I got hit by an IED and now my ears wont stop ringing. Just got back from Audiology and scored a 75 on my left ear. :boohoo, you guys are right sleeping is the worst part