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Conditions

Tinnitus

Tinnitus

Sufferers of tinnitus can hear noise within their ear or head that is not coming from an outside source. It can be quite common amongst sufferers of colds, but can also be caused by exposure to loud music. Up to 10% of the population suffer from tinnitus and it can range from nothing more than an annoyance to a much more serious condition that can cause problems when sleeping or concentrating. Old age is the most common cause of tinnitus, but it can occur in any age group, and can be self-inflicted by over-indulgence in thrash metal. The most common cause is damage to the hearing nerves that causes a random series of signals to be received by the brain, and interpreted as sound. It can also be caused by ear wax, anaemia, and in rare cases by more serious medical conditions such as tumours. There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are various coping mechanisms that you can discuss with your GP.

What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

Im 15, i have had a ringing in my ear for about a week now and its really horrible, its worse when i wake up, concerntrate and go to sleep. Please tell me this is it just an ear infection and how long will it last?





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Guys, I completely cured my tinnitus with a visit to my dentist. It seems my tinnitus was caused by some dental problems. I had to undergo a root canal procedure and now the constant 'woosh' I had in my ears is gone. I realise this is not for everyone, but if you've got a bad tooth it might be the cause. I still don't understand what teeth have to do with ears and how these seperate body parts are connected. Perhaps it has something to do with nerves in the teeth or small veins in the jaw?





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I have had tennitus for i don't know how long. its started to irritate me because now im in secondary its hard to get to sleep on the night because of the ringing and beeping in my ears. It once happened when I left my Radioo on andd it beeped fro ages and i didn't realise then I turned it off and the rest of the time i've just heard ringing and beeping please help me.. :)





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hi im in my early 20s and for the past month i have been getting ringing in my ears sometimes lasts all night i never get it during the day only at night and its becomming more frequent, i also work in a call centre and have noticed recently that im struggling to hear customers on the other end of the phone its becoming extremely annoying im under a lot of stress at the moment so i dont know if this could be why and im suffering from a lot of headaches recently too what do i need to do ? whats wrong with me ?





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tinnitus is really depressing me now. I dont know if im going deaf or what. I sometimes and i mean sometimes, listen to music a bit louder than recommended, but not anymore. I had otitis media back when i was around 7. My tinnitus is a radio static type sound with a little bit of high pitched sound, not ringing. The reason why I'm really scared is im only 13, and i dont wanna go deaf, really early. I love playing and listening to music.





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I wouldn't worry about it or let it get you down. I had tinnitus as young as 4-5 years old. I found learning really difficult as I could not hear the sounds in words properly which resulted in just making up my own spellings of words! I'm now 15 and my spelling is awful but my tinnitus has gone. It will annoy me for all my life at what the cause of it was or how it went but you never know yours could disappear tomorrow!

Ermm... i think i have A diffrent type im not sure. its like my mind has remembered diffrent sounds, saves it like on a brain ipod or something and it plays when im sleeping or when there is silence in a room. it usually causes me a fright cause myself to hear my heart beat. It is like tiny little men are decide to play halloween tricks a few days too early!





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Im 16 and as far as I know I have had it all my life. My mum told me what it was when I was about 5 because I always complained about it. It has never been a real problem until last week when I started college and it went for about 2 hours really loud. It was so painful I had to leave the room and sit on my own for 20 mins. I think it was because of all the electrical equipment around me that was buzzing. I always get it when Im near a desktop computer or a fan or anything that makes the classic "whuring" sound of a modern day room. I can happily live with it, however it would be nice if someone found a way of stopping it. :]





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I Think I Have This I Get Ringing As I Rake My IPod Out I Listen To Very Loud Music Always Full Volume I Have It Right Now It Is Really Anoying I have Had It For About 2 Years now But I'm Quite Emmbarased To Go To The Doctors Please Help Thanks :)





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I have a different type of Tinnitus I hear my own heart beat in my right ear. The level of noise goes up and down but when its loud its really annoying.





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I get that sometimes. It comes with an adrenalin rush and stays for a while. It may just be your pulse when you get scared or exited. Hope it helped :)

I am 16 and I have had tinnitus ever since a bullet for my valentine concert at Wembley arena in December last year. I can't remember where I found it, but for short term relief, Something you can do is place the palm of your hands against your ear, with your middle fingers at the back of your skull/top of your neck. Push onto your ears so there is a seal around your ears (not too hard though!). Now what you have to do is take your first finger and place it on top of your middle finger and then snap it off of your middle finger so it hits your head. This should sound fairly loud, like someone banging a drum next to your ear. Do this for about 30 seconds and then the ringing should be gone for a while. It works for me, but I'm used to the ringing now. Hope this helps!





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OMG! I just tried it! it does work! not for long, but it does! it feels like whole new world, not hearing that noise for a while, wow. thanks





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Tinnitus is the medical name for the perception of noise in one ear, both ears or in the head. The noise comes from inside the body rather than an outside source. Read More »

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