Hearing things, the hum, tinnitus?

[Heathwood]

Hi folks, just reaching out to anyone who has any experience of what I’m suffering

[Pothole]

Hum, whistle, machinery type sounds...constant...for about 15 years now.

[Heathwood]

So sorry, my 7 year old jumped into bed for a cuddle and I must have accidentally hit submit.

To explain, a few weeks ago I noticed a humming noise in my house. Really deep, almost a vibration and really interfered with my ears/inner ear. It’s since become much more persistent and manifests Itself mostly in the evening and at night, although I do also hear it during the day sometimes. Seems to be different volume / severity too.

I initially thought my elderly neighbour had purchased a giant fan or something as there is a sort of oscillation to the noise and we live in a semi. However, the other night I left the house and sat in the gym, which is an outbuilding behind a detached garage. The noise was no quieter. I have also tripped the electricity off just in case it’s something electrical in the house - no difference.

My wife can’t hear the noise at all. I haven’t asked the kids in case it is an external noise and they tune into it. I’d feel so sorry for them if that happened as it’s driving my bonkers. I’m struggling sleeping and in just a few weeks it’s really starting to affect my quality of life.

I’ve had a bit of a google, reading about tinnitus and ‘the hum’. I was initially convinced there was an external source to the noise but I think I need to be open to the possibility that it’s somehow in my head. Not sure how I can live with it if it is. It’s such a deep noise it’s extremely intrusive, but that may just be how I’m experiencing it.

I plan to speak with a hearing specialist but does anyone have any sort of understanding, experience or advice based on what I’ve explained?

Thanks for any help

[Johnnytheboy]

I've had high pitched tinnitus for years, like the noise an old CRT TV made with the sound off.

Occasionally in the last few months at night I've heard 'the hum' and initially assumed it was a distant tractor or plane, then the penny dropped.

I find it comes in waves, it'll be quite bad for a few weeks then come back with a vengeance.

[Phil Dicky]

My Mrs has this problem and we too have spent time googling "The Hum'. Interestingly hers goes away if she puts her fingers in her ears. Which to me suggests an actual sound. She has got ears like a bloody bat though.

[Pit Pony]

Despite the fact that factories are supposed to have machine noise limits, I have got mild tity-ni-tis, and early onset of deafness. I have clearly lost the ability to hear the extremes of sound. But I'm insistent that I don't need assistance.

At night, when it's quiet, I can hear a 1970s Telly that's not tuned. It's not loud, but it's more than a hum.

[Pothole]

Phil Dicky said:

My Mrs has this problem and we too have spent time googling "The Hum'. Interestingly hers goes away if she puts her fingers in her ears. Which to me suggests an actual sound. She has got ears like a bloody bat though.

Not really a proper test as the action of fingers in the ears may create a white noise effect which attenuates the sound. Get her to try earplugs and sit still for a few minutes.

OP: see your GP in the first instance

[SturdyHSV]

I have had a mild high pitched tinnitus for many years, it almost feels like a slight pressure on the ears, again as mentioned a bit like the noise an old CRT made when on with no input.

Over the last year I have heard 'the hum' on and off, some instances more intrusive than others, I only notice it laying in bed so was briefly of the mind there was a noise coming from somewhere, but realistically it's just how quiet it is in the house otherwise.

If it's irritating of an evening I'll just put a fan on in the room, the airflow is pleasant and the presence of any background noise however quiet makes the hum largely unnoticeable.

[selym]

Yeah, I have the high pitched squeak that you get when you pop your ears sometimes. I've had it maybe 5 years, it can be a little annoying every now and then but not to the level that some poor souls experience. I had an MRI where they identified a loop in a blood vessel by the listeny bit (!) that could be dealt with by what sounds like trepanning - flipping a hole open in my skull. Big nope!

[Slagathore]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC31299...

Some good information there.

Might be worth seeing if any is applicable to your onset.

[Heathwood]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I haven’t heard a thing all day, then started to detect some hum literally as the clock turned 7pm. Maybe I’ll just move house and see if that makes a difference (I’ve been procrastinating over that for ages anyway - maybe this is a sign!)

[CLX]

I suffer from both. Tinnitus and hum. A lot if people believe the hum is external. Just google 'low frequency hum' . There are loads of results. I tend to agree, as I don't always hear it when I'm in different locations.

[phope]

I've had tinnitus for years now and got my first hearing aid back in 2010 at age 36

Now onto two hearing aids as the other ear is also getting worse - the hearing aids try to filter out/compensate for the tinnitus and are reasonably good at it

I just describe it as a continual background hum and whistle...it's very noticeable when in a soundproof booth at the audiologist or lying in bed at night for example. I can't remember when I last "heard" true silence.

I was upgraded to app controlled bluetooth hearing aids courtesy of NHS last year - they can change presets/equalizers for the aids to take account of room type, loudness, background noise, etc. My wife is an optician and can get me discounted aids from the audiology side of her employer but these NHS ones work well enough

[Johnnytheboy]

Bit of light relief from the Daily Mash, back when it was funny:

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-techno...

[Bungleaio]

I also have the noise of a crt. I’ve had it for years and it probably is a result of clubbing back when I was younger.

I’ve never sought any professional advice but it during the day with background noise I don’t really notice it. A bit like a ticking clock I have to listen for it but when it’s quiet it’s very noticeable. Generally I need something on in the background to sleep.

I can’t remember what silence sounds like.