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Hi everybody.
I've always had a quiet mid-freq humming in my ear when it was silent. But 2 days ago, in the evening, a high-pitched sound (approx. 13-14.000Hz according to my sound generation app) came to my head. Yesterday it was present all day. I hadn't been exposed to any loud sounds etc., so I went to see an ENT, and after some tests the doctor decided to give me Tebokan - some ginkgo biloba pills, and I shall come again in 4 weeks if it won't be 100% fine. I was slightly sceptical (after all it's just vitamin pills, available without prescription) but then I found they seem to help often according to various web sources.
But he told me not to expect a noticeable improvement no sooner than in 14 days. It is no problem for me to do daily things, but my ears are very sensitive now, so playing piano is very unpleasant. And you all know how depressing it is to stop practising and see skills you've worked for fade away
I was just wondering how many people here suffer from tinnitus. What do you do to ease it so you can play the piano? Has anyone managed to cure it completely? I just really hope I will manage to do it and that it is just a temporary issue, I just feel so ... wronged (17 years old who hates noise gets tinnitus, sees ENT straight away and can't cure it? come on ... )
Thanks for your comments.

Yes, started about 18 months ago and has been with me every day since. Some days are better than others. In the beginning it was very bothersome. Now, I just live with it and it is not so much front and center. I mostly practice with my piano closed and it is fine. If I play with the piano open for a long period of time it will increase the intensity of the ringing for a period of time. Lack of sleep seems to make it worse as well.

I find it does interfere with the harmonies of my piano to a degree. Much more so in the beginning.

Unfortunately, there is no cure at this time. Let us know if the Tebokan helps. I have tried a few things like B-12 and melatonin, but did not find them to help.

you are 17? is that right? if you are then you will most likely have a self limited case and you will be "cured" in the next few weeks to months (at the longest). just be sure to follow up with your dr to make sure there is nothing else that needs to be done. I see people all the time with this and 99% of the time it goes away on its own. don't worry about it, but do follow up with your dr!
if you have a digital piano, try turning down the volume. hope you feel better soon!

I've had Tinnitus from loud rock music since I was a teenager. Permanent. No cure. I've learned to ignore it. Nothing I can do. Hasn't gotten worse though.

djheinen: Yes, I am 17. Thanks for cheering me up When I turn the volume down, then the ringing overpowers it, but I will do my best and practise even a little every day till it's cured.

jazzwee: Sorry to hear that. But at least it doesn't get worse, I've read many articles about it going drill-loud over time etc. (the exact stories you want to hear in situation like this )

i got PAXILitis so yea.

It's when I read threads like this that I become conscious of it Otherwise, I only notice it when it gets extra loud (like upon exposure to loud noise). But after it settles down, you forget about it.

I think my hearing of some frequencies were reduced in one ear so I have a preference for using a phone on my better ear. But overall, this has been a constant and not deteriorated with heavy piano playing.

I even bought these sound software programs that you listen to for hours so your brain masks the sound. I think trying to cure it made me more conscious of it. I haven't thought much of it for awhile until I see the word Tinnitus...

So young people: WATCH YOUR VOLUME! This stuff is irreversible!

Ditto, although I think mine was from loud music and loud machinery (worked on commercial fishing boats, lobster boats, tug boats when I was younger).

I can ignore the ringing unless I'm in a completely silent room, then it drives me nuts (short ride for me).

I have definately noticed with mine ( that appeared a couple of years ago) without any doubt whatsoever, that certain foods eaten today will make it happen tommorrow.. I have done some experimental eating to check this out thoroughly, and these are the results...

Chilli peppers or foods containing them ( which I love) will make it happen bad the next day. So will chocolate, and for some bizzarre reason so will pringles barbecue flavoured.
Some folk also have it worsened by caffeine.

A good thing to do is make a diary and mark the days down that it is at its worst and note what you have eaten and drank just before these incidents, say in the preceeding 24 hrs..

Then look and see if there is a pattern, with me there was definately so.

At all other times, you must not focus on it, its not like a pain like toothache that you cannot learn to ignore...

dont be in total silence situations, if that can be avoided.

Rostosky: thx, I will try this out, caffeine make it slightly worse in me too, so my espresso machine is crying from loneliness along with the upright piano. Also foods containing a lot of sugar are quite bad(they cause me headaches normally, made me a healthy-diet fan over the years )
I would never guess that THIS would be my favourite music someday

This is much more informative.....( than just white/pink noise)

Tinnitus tamer download sounds cool for identifying exact frequency...

check this dudes tutorial

gotta be careful with those headphones. especially when your judgement is hindered by psychiatric medication thats supposed to make your life better

For 20 years I've loud ringing in my ears. It bothers me most when speaking to others. Their vowels get distorted. In a busy room I've to concentrate to what they say and read their lips, so that I can reconstruct their saying. It often takes a bit time to fully understand them, makes me look kinda stupid.

Here is a food do and dont for tinnitus , however, i would ignore the cheese bit that she keeps promoting, as most cheeses are totally full of salt..

I've had it since I was a teenager (one rock concert . . .), and it has gotten worse, and I notice it all day, but I have learned to live with it. I went to a specialist doctor, but haven't done therapy.

I haven't noticed any foods or pretty much anything at all that makes any major difference. I have noticed that when I'm particularly bothered by it, it has usually to do with some kind of anxiety. Generally, if I deal with the anxiety, then even though the sound is still there, I can sleep/work etc.

Some things that helped me deal with it include the fact that lots of highly functional people have it or have had it (Beethoven . . . ). Another thing that helps me is to think of it as analogous to the subtle visual 'snow' or 'white noise' you see when you close your eyes, and, when you look, also when they're open.

The very high pitches were the first for me -- near or above 20khz. Then came more mid-range tones which were not solid tones -- a bit like hearing beeping construction equipment in the distance (in fact, I thought for a while that there was actually construction going on in my neighborhood at night, but, distressingly, it turned out to be my tinnitus).

The latest -- and, marginally, worst -- began just a few months ago and it responds to (actual) sounds I hear. That is, it gets louder when there is something making sound. It's almost like an echo, but it is a single tone. As I hear sounds it kinda goes rrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRRRRRRrrrrrr. Only in my right ear . . .

I don't think the last tone came in response to loud sounds. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and began with a few very loud PBOOOOoooooooooo sounds that each lasted ten or twenty seconds, spread over about two days.

That's a lot of detail, but it's the story of what I've experienced.

I've learned to be thankful for any hearing at all . . . Needless to say, I avoid loud noises.

Lastly, it might sound odd, but I wear earplugs not only at night, but (when not at work) during a lot of the day. I found that some of my discomfort was not at the tinnitus, but just noise in general. Plus, I've found that to whatever extent I learn to live with tinnitus with earplugs in, then I notice it less when they're out.

One more thing. Especially if the frequency is mid-range, I would check to see if the frequency is the same as some constant noise you are exposed to. In the case of my mid-range tones, I've gotten some insight from comparing them to the frequency generated by my computer's fan. I think one of them, at least, might be caused by it. It seems too much of a coincidence that the fan is at the same frequency.

This makes sense, again, on a visual analogy. If you look at a normal light -- even one that is not super bright -- for a minute and close your eyes, you will see an after-image. If you were to stare at the light all day, no doubt the after-image would be more persistent.

I've never heard this theory from a doctor or other source (it's original to me); take it for what it's worth.

I don't know if anyone has noticed but my tinnitus is in one ear mostly it seems.

I wonder if you hear multiple frequencies if it's coming from both ears.

I had this software that did the opposite of Rostosky's video. This software allowed you to mask the offending frequencies with some pleasurable or neutral sound (like Airplane noise, rain, waves). The idea was to numb the sensors by overloading it with data in this frequency range.

Seemed to be helpful for short periods. It certainly made you forget about the sound.

It was the Tinnitus masking software that made me realize that most of the effects are in one ear since putting in one earphone seems to do the job.

No, only the frequency varies during the day (it is higher in the evening).
I hardly think that my tinnitus comes from an exposure to noise (actually I complain about things being noisy all the time when nobody around does. Sensitive ears I guess). But I have ordered -20dB earplugs already, they won't hurt, at least till it's cured (and cure it will! )

It doesn't sound like yours is the permanent damage some of us have. Since I also have temporary bouts of increased Tinnitus, then obviously there are other non-permanent causes.

If you haven't suffered from loud noise then you're probably in good shape.

My tinnitus is more noticeable in my right ear. I'm not certain, but it seems to have gotten worse since my piano love affair began. I now use earplugs everytime I play. I have also found that my other hobby (billiards) is too loud for my sensitive ears. I don't play billiards as often, but I try to wear earplugs when I do.