PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING:

If you do not know what tinnitus is, and are prone to obsessive-compulsive behaviors, have any kind of psychological struggles, or are prone to being influenced by information, we would encourage you to NOT read up on this topic below.  It is a condition that is VERY susceptible to causing people to experience it based merely on being aware its existence. 

PLEASE TAKE THE ABOVE SERIOUSLY: WE DO *NOT* USE FEAR TO PROMOTE ANYTHING ON THIS SITE.  IT IS A SINCERE WARNING DESIGNED TO HELP SAVE PEOPLE FROM ANY UNNECESSARY SUFFERING DUE TO BEING INFLUENCED BY AN IDEA THAT NEEDN’T AFFECT THEM.

If you are currently suffering from Tinnitus, you will understand why this statement was made, in a moment.

This kind of scenario applies to a great many conditions.  Most people suffering from *any* kind of condition are suffering from real, tangible and provable dysfunction based on pathogens, toxicity, or other mechanical issues with the body.

But the body-mind connection should never ever…ever…be under-estimated.  It is extremely powerful.

There are countless examples of the ability of a person’s thought to be influenced to a degree of causing that person to experience things that otherwise would not have been experienced.

That said, on to some really great news for those suffering from tinnitus, and what the author of this article has done to reduce and just about eliminate tinnitus for himself.

First off, know this: I sincerely believe, the VAST majority of the time, this issue IS “treatable” and fix-able.  If you will maintain an open mind, and continue to research what is suggested, you will with high probability find relatively quick relief to your challenge.  Contrary to other reports, this need not take months to correct.  Correction can happen much faster, in part via understanding what are often the core causes of the condition.

In that vain, as both a means of comforting you, and in setting you on the path towards resolving the problem for you, I’d like to make a bold statement that I hope you’ll take to heart and keep in mind as I present what I’ve learned, and what I’ve done to resolve the issue myself:

“EVERYONE has TINNITUS”

To define this, tinnitus is basically a ringing in the ears.  There are countless other symptoms, such as a low tone as apposed to a high-pitched ringing, ocean-like sounds, and a wide range of others.  Often times, the more suggestions as to what these sounds can sound like…CAUSE THE SUFFERER TO THEN EXPERIENCE THEM.

Hence the warning at the top of the page.

And, knowing that, will hopefully be a positive sign about how readily you yourself can HELP YOURSELF in this process of getting past this challenge and doing so successfully.

This is being written by a person with first-hand experience with tinnitus.

My experience came after subjecting myself to a very loud concert in a small bar a good while back.

During the concert, I had some napkin material that I jammed in my ear, but the concert was loud enough that it was not sufficient (it was a “screamo” concert, a sort of modern heavy metal).  I found myself plugging my ears physically for most of the concert, and afterwards had no muffling sound of my ears…I could hear everyone just fine…and no ringing that I could discern.

However, the music was so loud, that this did not alleviate my concerns about how it could impact my hearing.

Most of the concert-goers I noticed did not have ear plugs.  Many of them were teens.  (I am in my mid 40’s)

And I had been to countless concerts before without any plugs, though chose to wear them as I became older and was concerned about any possible damage to my ears.

I awoke the next day concerned about the volumes I was exposed to.  I had been semi-paranoid for many years now about my ears, after watching a couple of my grandparents lose their hearing as they aged.

Please note this above-described mind set of paranoia; is part of what’s important about getting better: I was “paranoid for many years” about my ears.

This paranoia led me to a concern about my ears that next morning, that led to the “discovery” of a high-pitched ringing in my ears.

I listened for any evidence of hearing damage…and I believed I found it via the ringing in my ears.

Please re-read that before we continue.  It is extremely important to understanding how this “condition” can be managed very effectively.

I went to another concert about a month and a half later.  I wore real ear plugs this time, not napkins, and had trouble with one of the plugs fitting one of my ears.  I held it to my ear for much of the concert, but on occasion I removed it to re-fit it during the concert, finding the music to be extremely loud (the band “Rush” in an outdoor arena in CA).  In fact, during the intermission, countless people in conversation were shouting “WHAT?!?  I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!” joking about the fact that the concert was so loud, they had experienced the muffling I reference above.

This muffling is an internal protective action your ear makes, as it forms a protein coating over the tiny hairs within the ear that help us detect sound vibration.  It is a normal occurrence, designed to help manage the impact of the volume on the delicate structures.  And it works exceedingly well, including for countless rock stars who subject their ears to these kinds of volumes for almost their entire lives, and do not suffer any injury from doing so.

Sure, some of them do suffer hearing loss.  But look how many do NOT, despite many years worth of exposure.

Anyway, during this second concert, I afterward experienced NONE of the ringing the next day, that I did after the other concert above.

Why did this happen considering my exposure was basically identical, AND I’d been suffering from tinnitus a month 1/2 earlier?  (The episode before “went away” after several days; you’ll understand why in a moment, and also why I use quotes around the words “went away.”)

Wouldn’t added exposure just make it worse?!?  Perhaps create more ear damage,  I thought?

The difference was…and please keep an open mind and pay attention, because it has the power to resolve your struggle…I was traveling at the time, and *completely consumed* by what I was involved in after the concert, and the next day.  My focus was on my whereabouts, navigating different surroundings, being with new people, etc.

In other words, I was *completely* focused on, and distracted by, OTHER THINGS.

There was ZERO tinnitus.

When the tinnitus “returned,” it was during a time when I was nowhere near being exposed to high volumes, but instead, was under a lot of stress and possibly also contending with an infection and/or lack of nutrition.  I was unquestionably dealing with stressful health issues and discomfort at the time of re-noticing the tinnitus.

These things, an infection/toxicity and lack of nutrition *could be PART* of a “cause” of the symptom of tinnitus, but will more importantly, add to my inability to manage it as well due to mental and physical stress.  This is an important thing to keep in mind. 

MEANING…tinnitus can be in part a mechanical issue due to a physical problem of multiple sorts…BUT…that does not mean the body and mind cannot resolve and manage the conditions *NO MATTER WHAT* its origin.  I believe this firmly, and that statement alone I hope will encourage and bring hope to any current sufferer of this condition.

Another fascinating little tidbit to add to your path:

When I thought back, I realized that even as a small child, before my exposure to loud concerts, I experienced this and other sounds while in complete stillness, such as just before sleep while lying in bed.  The high-pitch and other sounds did not concern me, they were simply always there ever since I could remember, and part of “normal silence” to me.

This REACTION to the perception of tinnitus…the ability to simply accept it, not worry about it, not REACT to it…is a huge part of the healing process.  SO much so, that understanding this concept alone is often enough to completely rid a person of this condition!

So again, re-read the above paragraph.

For some people, they can make the adjustment rather easily.  For others, it may take a little time to adapt.

But having learned what I learned about the nature of tinnitus, I was able to relatively quickly NOT react to hearing it.  AND, very importantly, to STOP TRYING TO LISTEN FOR IT.

In my experience, and that of many others (search and you will find this to be true)…if you stop trying to find/hear the tinnitus, the symptoms simply stop appearing.

Try to listen for it however, and there it is again.

Because it’s apparently ALWAYS there, and in ALL OF US.  It is believed to be a natural part of “brain noise” or other biological functions.  And the brain is smart enough to designate “non-important sounds” to the background, where they are not noticed, because they are not paid attention to (more below).

You’ll note it gets worse under stress AND note you’re not losing your hearing…your hearing is actually EXTRA sensitive and attuned to some or all noises around you.  Hyperacusis is how this is defined, if we MUST label it.  The important thing to consider is that we should not label something that is entirely NORMAL at all…labeling it further gives us the mind set that something is actually wrong…when it is not.  It’s simply a matter of adjusting.  The brain puts non-important noise in the background.  People who live in the city can’t “hear” the traffic and sirens any more.  Ask them!  They’re oblivious!  It’s the same concept here.  The trick is to teach yourself (and you CAN) how to stop being afraid of the sound(s), don’t REACT, and KNOW they will pass.  You already experience times of not noticing the pitch/noise…you can LIVE that way simply by teaching yourself to focus on other things.  This may sound silly and simple but it’s absolutely true…if you STOP LISTENING FOR THE TINNITUS…IT GOES AWAY on its own.  The brain designates the non-important sounds to where they belong; out of your conscious attention.

A wonderful man on You Tube; you will find him associated with organizations relating to tinnitus, and he was one of the first people that helped me resolve mine on my own, without ever purchasing anything or joining any forums, by explaining the hyper-aware nervous system theory, that I knew applied to me, and likely applies to a great many people (hence enhanced sensitivity to noise, etc.):
Julian Cowan Hill

 

Next, The Jastreboff model: just understanding the concept is EXTREMELY therapeutic, and was for me, as I was researching the matter.  The following quote is taken directly from their site, and the link is below it:

(BEGINNING)

“Reading, and rereading these articles has a strong therapeutic affect, experienced by all our patients. They report that 80% of the TRT effect is generated by KNOWLEDGE (my emphasis added) of the Jastreboff model of  tinnitus / hyperacusis TRT”

(END)

http://tinnitus.org/home/frame/THC1.htm

And a fascinating study on their site that helped me even more, with link to the study below (I took relevant portions that I felt were the most powerful, with the link below so you can read the full report):

(BEGINNING):
Two separate groups of persons were studied: normally hearing,
healthy, adults who experienced tinnitus rarely or not at all, and hard of hearing
adults, veterans of military service.
A sound-proof chamber was used. The ambient noise level was
probably between 15 dB and 18 dB (re: 0.0002 dynes per cm2). Exact
measurements could not be made due to the limitations of the sound level
meters at hand.
In a previous study we investigated the influence of tinnitus of the
doughnut type of receiver worn over both ears. Normally hearing persons were
placed in the sound proof chamber and the tinnitus experienced with and
without receivers was compared. They were unable to determine any
difference and we concluded that the ambient noise of this chamber was not an
intruding factor.
Eighty adults, apparently normally hearing males and females, from 18
to 60 years of age were included. The selection was predicated on a denial of
past or present aural disease. They reported no deafness or tinnitus, and
considered themselves in good health. They were representative of a sedentary
population, including physicians, dentists, teachers, students, administrators,
clerks and housewives.
Upon entering the sound-proof room the subjects are instructed to make notes
of sounds which might be detected. No suggestion was given that the source
of sound might be within the subject himself. The time of observation was
usually limited to five minutes or less. Written details of their observations
were obtained.
One hundred hard-of-hearing patients, consecutively admitted to the
Clinic, composed a control group. Their histories, otorhinological
examinations and pure-tone audiograms were obtained. A diagnosis of
deafness, its type, and the presence or absence of tinnitus and its description
were recorded. See Table I.
A total of 39 different sounds were described by both groups. Of
these, 27 sounds were named in the impaired group, and 23 sounds were
n~med in the normal group. The sounds described as “buzz,” “hum” and “ring”
were enumerated most frequently in both groups, comprising at least 50% of
the responses of each group. Eleven sounds recorded ‘s were identified in
both groups.
(CONTINUING):
…Audible tinnitus was experienced by 94% of the 80 apparently
normally hearing adults when placed in a testing situation having an ambient
noise level no greater than 18 decibels, re: 0.0002 dynes per cm2. It
appears that tinnitus is present constantly but is masked by the ambient
noise which floods our environment. This ambient noise level for ordinary
quiet living conditions usually exceeds 35 dB, and apparently is of sufficient
intensity to mask physiological tinnitus, which remains subaudible.
It would appear, then, that tinnitus will not be eliminated by any
treatment but at best can only become subaudible. This, of course, would
be welcomed both by the patient and the physician.
(CONCLUSION)
The kinds of head noises described by patients with impaired
hearing as a symptom associated with their deafness and those sounds
described by normally hearing healthy adults, elicited while in a sound-proof
room, appear to be similar.
(END)

The above was taken from:

http://tinnitus.org/home/frame/H&B_Nov00.pdf

And lastly, I am attempting to obtain an audio link where a sufferer recorded his interaction with a tinnitus specialist, and once again, simply explaining how the ear works…how the tiny hairs rarely are actually “damaged” by noise,  due to a protective protein coating that is generated when loud noise is experienced (most people suffering believe they have damaged their ears due to noise exposure) and how the *brain* is the real hearing mechanism of the body…not the ears.  After all, it is the brain that we believe takes the mere signal the ear receives, and converts it into what we perceive as sound.  This is why surgical attempts to resolve tinnitus via ear surgery are so unsuccessful; it is the brain that is giving us the perception of sound.

UPDATE: The link is working again and is here…be sure to listen carefully, it is enormously helpful:

http://trevoraird.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Trt.mp3

I personally found all of the information above first brought my stress levels down about the matter, and then effectively made the issue a near-non-issue.  I sincerely believe it will for you as well, it’s simply a matter of taking the time to understand and incorporate it into your life.

Tinnitus can definitely increase with illness, and therefore concurrently with stress as referenced above, and I have personally experienced a direct correlation between candida/fungus die-off and brief episodes of pronounced ringing in ears.  It passes, and as long as one does not associate panic or fear with the temporary unpleasant symptom, it is easily managed, and does reduce and/or vanish with continued efforts at reducing the fungal load of the body.  It is my approach to treat tinnitus symptoms, in this regard, as a “guiding friend.”  The tinnitus is telling me that something is a little “off” in my body, and needs to be worked through, and the symptom of tinnitus has always…without exception…passed in a very short time.  🙂

P.S. UPDATE, APRIL 2012:

I am experimenting with a new technology that holds promise to further minimize tinnitus, while suggesting a very interesting source of this issue, and one that I have long suspected.  I will elaborate on it as I experiment, it looks to be very promising.

UPDATE OCTOBER 2012:

Ibuprofen is being tied to both hearing loss and tinnitus.  Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in Advil, Motrin and other drugs.  Read your label.  Initial research suggests the effect is reversible upon discontinuing the product.  It is likely acetaminophen (Tylenol) can create the same effect, but *is definitely* also being tied to hearing *loss*. 

A listed side effect of a great many prescription meds is hearing loss and/or tinnitus.  Please research carefully any/all meds you are taking.