My ears are ringing. Again. Still. Always. Tonight the pitch is high and steady. A high E, about four octaves above middle C. The sound reminds me of my waitressing days.
When I was at Ottawa U, I worked in a neighborhood resto-bar that was only slightly classier than a tavern. We served pitchers of beer, lots of pizza and cheap rail drinks. I waited on tables and tended bar and wore heels most nights because I was convinced I made better tips when I did. The music was loud, the game on the TV louder and the mix of college kids and bar flies, louder still.
I liked the disconnect between spending my days waxing poetic about philosophy and my nights telling my regulars the joke of the day. Every night I showed up with a new joke. The dirtier, the better. But I digress.
After my shift, I’d most often walk home and finally kick off my uncomfortable shoes to lie down and listen to the ringing in my ears, as it echoed in rhythm with the throbbing in my toes.
That ringing is called tinnitus. Tinnitus is the perception of sound or ringing in the ears. So you’re basically hearing something that’s not really there. Fun, huh?
According to the Mayo Clinic, about 15 to 20% of people suffer from tinnitus. That seems like a huge number to me. It’s not a symptom of anything major, just annoying as fuck. Oh, and it gets worse with age. So, you can imagine how much louder the ringing in your ears might be if it’s been happening since your early 20s.
Chances are, you’ve experienced tinnitus-like ringing in your ears at least once or twice. You know that ringing or buzzing sound in your ears after you leave a noisy club or after you’ve spent the night at a really loud rock concert? Tinnitus sounds like that – you just hear the sound all or most of the time. The noise can vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal, and you may hear it in one or both ears. In some cases, the sound can be so loud it can really mess with your ability to concentrate or hear other sounds clearly. Some people experience it all the time, for others it comes and goes. I fall into the come and go category although it’s with me most of the time.
Things that exacerbate tinnitus are stress, lack of sleep, aging, and various disorders ranging from Meniere’s disease (an inner ear disorder) to excessive use of medication over a lifetime. Whatever’s causing your tinnitus, it’s good to consult a doctor to make sure it’s just good old wear and tear and not an indicator of some underlying condition.
So, you’ve consulted a doctor and your tinnitus is just a sucky, you’re getting old, you partied too much, listened to too much loud music in your lifetime affliction. Now what? How do you cope?
I’ve found a few things that work for me.
Acceptance – I know that sounds woo-woo but as soon as I started “embracing” the noise, it got better. It’s still there, but I don’t find it as annoying. It reminds me of the sound of crickets chirping at the cottage so I visualise the stillness of the night and the peace I feel when I hear those little critters celebrating summer.
Drowning it out – I listen to music and sounds in the same pitch. The White Stripes “My Doorbell” works really well for me. Meg White’s drumming and exuberant use of cymbals, covers the ringing in my ears nicely.
Yoga and Meditation – that one is tough for me. When your mind has a tendency to wander, it’s hard to be in the moment for more than a few minutes at a time. Still, stress exacerbates tinnitus and I’m usually much calmer after 20 minutes of yoga or 5-10 minutes of meditation.
Reminiscing – And finally, thinking back to days when tinnitus was the sign of a fantastic day at an outdoor concert or intimate concert at the Horseshoe in Toronto will at least make me smile and remind me that my tinnitus is perhaps just the sign of a life well-lived.
How do you cope? Have you found a sound or great tunes to block that shit out? Drop me a line. I’d love to know.
I’ve had it constantly for over 15 years. Tried every cute I could fine – no luck. It fluctuates depending on how stressful a day it is. I’ve come to accept it and just deal with it.
I’m sorry you can’t get any relief from it. A musician friend of mine was fitted for a tinnitus hearing-aid and it seems to be doing the trick. It works a bit like noise cancelling headphones and cancels out the ringing he’s hearing. More info to follow!
Ouch! I had no idea. I didn’t know it existed in fact. Does lo-hi hip hop work? it can be motivating without being distracting. Check out Chilled Cow on Spotify!
Hey Steve! Thanks for the tip about Chilled Cow! Listening to it right now. It doesn’t take the ringing away but it definitely makes it more bearable.
Hi Precious M! I’ve read your 3 entries and look forward to more. We’re in this together. I don’t feel alone. WRT tinnitus… I googled it for the first time 3 wks ago. Was worried as heck, confused, disturbed by it. Stress and lack of sleep, sans doute. My heart goes out to you. Je pense a toi. Tu es dans mon coeur. And suddenly, a wonderful memory of us getting ready to see Saint-Etienne, and having no less than a blast!
Hello Beautiful Christine! It’s so lovely hearing from you! I love knowing I am in your thoughts. You are often in mine. And, please, don’t worry about me. I am okay. Really. I chose to see my tinnitus as a sign of a life well-lived, a life that’s included seeing Saint-Etienne and having a fabulous time with you!