HN Explorer

Ask HN: Has anyone gotten complete, permanent relief from tinnitus?

382 points by actinium226 ↗ HN
As far as I can tell, there's no universally accepted "cure" for tinnitus, but there are a number of "therapies" out there, some of which seem to prey upon people looking for relief but some of which seem plausible.

I'm wondering if any subscribers here have had tinnitus and experience permanent relief from the ringing? Not just reduction, but actual permanent relief that never comes back even when doing things that previously worsened the tinnitus.

If you can't tell, I'm trying to establish an "existence proof" here, if no one has ever gotten permanent relief then it seems like it might not be worth bothering with the "symptom reduction" therapies since they would most likely lead to focusing on the symptoms more intensely.

401 comments

[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 328 ms ] thread
tikkun
Yes, mine is not solved in theory but is solved in practice. The ringing is still there if I listen for it, but it’s effectively unnoticeable and I’m now unbothered by it.

The solution that worked for my was basically “acceptance and commitment therapy” - I think I learned it from a book written by a Dr Russell or something like that.

Would recommend, am very glad I did it. It seems kind of kooky though, it’s almost like you pretend the tinnitus is a part of you and you have a conversation with it and welcome it and all that kinda stuff over time, and then eventually it just kinda stops being bothersome. Doesn’t really make sense, but worked well.

tekkk
I think this is the only way as of moment. Just desensitize yourself to the sound until there's no effect on you.

One thing I tried as I was still anxious about the matter that I had damaged my hearing permanently, was sitting in a pressurized chamber with a lot of oxygen. Ridiculously expensive and did basically nothing. Possibly if you go immediately after it happens it might help but I'm doubtful of its benefits (the company was making a buck though as single-person business).

I just remember this lady who had hit a garbage can's lid too hard which had made her ears ring. How unlucky. She was quite stressed about it as well.

CapsAdmin
I've had it for as long as I can remember soI don't know what life is without.

I've had some curiousity from time to time, but that's the extent of it.

I truly believe acceptance is the best cure when no cure exists in this case, but it's also the most difficult method in all aspects of life.

ehnto
I know stress is an aggrevator of tinnitus for me, clenched jaw and tight neck muscles etc.

So in a practical sense, worrying about it literally made it worse by triggering those stress reactions which worsened the tinnitus.

It's that mechanism that acceptance helps me with.

I am not always accepting, but if I can calm myself down and just deal with it, it lessens drastically.

prokopton
I’ve had it since I was a kid too. Only notice it in small closed rooms. If I’m outside I don’t hear it.
RelativeDelta
It's impossible to cure.

The 'ringing' sound people hear isn't actually a sound. It is how the brain processes signals produced by damaged Stereocilia.

If the 'ringing' is constant it means the cilia are permanently damaged. While it would, in theory, be possible to use surgery on the ear and some sort of lazer to completely remove all damaged cilia to avoid them outputting a damaged signal, this procedure would be incredibly invasive and risky. I don't believe it's ever been done and i would find it hard to believe any Otolaryngologist willing to try.

deadbolt
There's a trick which I can't recall the name of, which involves thumping your fingers across the back of your neck, which temporarily resolves tinnitus in some people. I have very mild tinnitus, and have noticed that that does quiet it.

This is a question for everyone I suppose, but does anyone know why that works? Could it be possible to develop an implant or something which generates the same effect?

rewgs
It works for people that have tinnitus due to tight neck muscles. Tinnitus due to damaged ears is a whole different beast.
deadbolt
I went to a lot of loud concerts when I was younger and just assumed that I had tinnitus from those, and until now, I had no idea there were multiple causes of tinnitus.

I had assumed this was incurable but if my tinnitus is from tight neck muscles, that seems fixable. I'm going to reach out to my doctor about this. Thank you, I think you might have just greatly improved my life.

criddell
When you twist your head around, do you hear a grinding noise? For me, it’s almost like a cardboard box being dragged across a sandy floor. It is a real noise because I’ve been able to record it with my phone.

I also have tinnitus. I wonder if it’s all related?

rewgs
In your case, it might just be. Tinnitus due to TMJ, tight neck muscles, etc is very common, and in all those cases it is curable by treating the underlying mechanical issues.
stuxnet79
Your tinnitus is likely being caused by tight sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM). I would look into stretches to resolve that.
deadbolt
I will absolutely be looking into those! Thank you!
wruza
I thought that works because it creates a complex of sensations that overload your audio “tract”. For example if I do the described trick without isolating/covering my my ears with palms, it does nothing. The difference is not in pressure, but in the fact whether I can/can’t deep-hear the punches that my fingers create. Not a doctor, but something tells me there’s more to that. All scans shown that I have zig-zagged vessels in my neck, but within what they see as a “norm”.
dataflow
> The 'ringing' sound people hear isn't actually a sound.

Sometimes it is, apparently?

"If you have pulsatile tinnitus, your doctor may be able to hear your tinnitus when he or she does an examination (objective tinnitus)."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symp...

jaggederest
I'm not a doctor but I have good hearing, and heard a friend's tinnitus. Apparently they had a constant muscle spasm that was causing a "buzzing" sound, and if you listened carefully, you could hear it. They eventually got it botoxed and that fixed it (injections 2-3 times a year I think, ongoing).
shiroiuma
>While it would, in theory, be possible to use surgery on the ear and some sort of lazer to completely remove all damaged cilia to avoid them outputting a damaged signal, this procedure would be incredibly invasive and risky.

It sounds like what we need is nanobots to do this surgery.

oblib
I've been dealing with tinnitus for about a year now. The only thing I've found that helps is Ginko Biloba. I'm buying that at a "Dollar General" store so the source is iffy and so is the effectiveness, but it certainly does help.

My wife has a friend who told her just a few days ago that her husband has had some success toning his done by chewing Bay leaves. I've not tried that yet, but I will soon.

From what I've read there is still no "cure". But those two things may contain a clue that's worth looking for.

pacomerh
In my case it has 2 modes. Super loud and very attenuated. I still have no idea what triggers it, I thought it was loud noises, caffeine, tiredness etc, but seems like its not a 100% rule. I have been super tired and done all those things and suddenly its super attenuated. So it's super random. Im sure for certain people there must be something that helps reduce it, maybe something related to the nervous system. I honestly don’t mind it anymore as long as I can hear. You can learn to tune it out for sure
an_aparallel
i think there is research being done on cilia regeneration: https://news.mit.edu/2022/frequency-therapeutics-hearing-reg...

obviously time to get approved/confirm it works - etc lies ahead.

other than that - i had taken up drums and was paranoid of tinnitus, i could hear ringing etc. once i got audiologist confirmation my hearing was 20/20 guess what? It went away. Anxiety levels can affect it...obviously it was mild for me - chronic sufferers wont get away with "dont worry about it and it will go away".

khaki54
Sadly their main candidate didn't pass early trials. $FREQ
mwint
> audiologist confirmation my hearing was 20/20

it’s possible you didn’t go to an audiologist.

(/s)

cedws
Well, human hearing ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz.
pasc1878
Hmm,

My latest audiologist test was in an opticians

Jhsto
One month was the worst point. It gets better from there until it's unnoticeable unless in a silent room. You will be surprised how the brain is able to both cancel out and then rebalance the sound input to normal (should your tinnitus be one-sided). Same goes for "cracks" that you might hear if the sounds are too loud -- they also go away in time.

I might as well note that anecdotally, barotrauma makes the tinnitus better temporarily. Maybe there is an explanation -- traumatic tinnitus can be at least alleviated by going into an overpressurization chamber immediately after the traumatic event. It seems like even after the fact, a pressure difference has temporary effect. For example, my tinnitus feels better after ascend on flights, even though in this case it's underpressure.

The best motivational video that I still think of after 10 years is this: https://youtu.be/eOU0JhkHY3w

stray
Does no longer caring count as relief?
n8henrie
I'm a physician with lifelong bilateral tinnitus. Multiple pitches, quite loud, and acutely worse on the right side for the last 1.5 years or so (with some slight hearing loss).

I've spent a lot of time on PubMed, but so far I've not found anything that helps mine, even partially or temporarily. I've consulted with close friends that have significant expertise is relevant fields, which has not been fruitful.

Thankfully it's just part of existence as I've always known it, and so it's usually not too difficult, but can really be maddening when trying to fall asleep.

riku_iki
> but can really be maddening when trying to fall asleep

does white noise help?..

vohk
Not the same user, but I've found the most relief from pink noise like rain or a waterfall played through decent speakers. I find it to be easier on the ears and less distracting than white noise.

I'd recommend anyone suffering play around with the generators on myNoise. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they kept me going when I was first adjusting to the ringing.

https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/rainNoiseGenerator.php

cpeterso
I also listen to pink noise or rain sounds on headphones throughout my work day. I worry about the side effects of listening to random noise for so long, but I continue (not loudly) because it effectively masks my tinnitus (and helps with my task focus).
dataengineer56
I can't sleep with any colour of noise from a speaker, but a physical fan in the corner of the room does wonders.
pasc1878
Again a different person but my tinnitus souds like white noise - but at a different pitch so not much use.

Unless I put the white noise very loud to drwon out tinnitus which is not a good thing to do.

jaggederest
You can modulate the white noise very effectively. I dabble with analog synthesizers which let you use low/high pass filters on white noise to get very interesting sounds. I wonder if you carefully matched it, it might alleviate the discomfort. Worth trying I suppose.
n8henrie
It masks it slightly. At the volumes required to compete with the loudness of the tinnitus, the white noise itself is problematic.
criddell
Have you talked about the Lenire device with your colleagues at all? It got FDA approval and is slowly rolling out as they train audiologists.

There’s a Lenire provider where I live (Austin) and I’m on the fence about scheduling an appointment to get one.

mmh0000
$5000[1] (minimum) for something with no proof it works and no “trial period”. No thank you. That’s like the exact definition of snake oil.

[1] https://treblehealth.com/lenire-tinnitus-review/

criddell
The FDA submission [1] says it they have provided reasonable assurances of the effectiveness of the device.

Your link lists all kinds of information about the effectiveness like:

> 80% of participants reported a reduction in tinnitus symptoms

That doesn't sound like snake oil to me...

I'd love to hear from somebody who has tried it. If they say it helped at all, I'd write a $5000 check today.

[1]: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf21/DEN210033.pdf

actinium226
Yea but you can massage data in a way that it makes something look better than it otherwise would. For example, if you asked people right after a treatment if their tinnitus was a lot better, moderately better, a little better, or no change, then you have framed things in a way that many people might say "a little better" even if it's no change. Or you can disqualify all people for whom there was no change or for whom it became worse as "not suitable for treatment." There are lots of games that can and do get played with these sorts of numbers.
n8henrie
I've looked at similar devices which had promising smaller trials but failed to show effectiveness in larger trials / systematic reviews. Will keep my eye out, but would probably wait for better research.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35773272/

> Several of the authors have competing interests. BC, CH, EM, SLL, COC, SH, HHL are employees, consultants and/or shareholders of Neuromod Devices. BL, SV, DAH serve on the clinical advisory board of Neuromod Devices and receive monetary compensation for their contribution.

emporas
I don't have tinnitus, but i put my head into ice cold water everyday for an hour. I would be very surprised if ice cold water for an hour, does not treat tinnitus successfully in a week.

Mind you, ice cold water, not just cold water.

mettamage
Wait, what? Why? So you just come up every minute for breath or something?

It sounds interesting! Not as a tinnitus relief, just the practice of doing this.

emporas
Well, lying down on a bed or a sofa, and putting a big bowl of ice water on the side. Then immersing the head slowly at first, into the ice water. The nose, is facing the sky. Then alternate between the two ears, putting them as deep as possible into the water. There is no problem in breathing, because the nose is always out of the water.

The first days of doing that, you will go right to sleep after the cold water and you gonna wake up with a heavy head, like drinking whisky the previous night. After some days it won't be like that, and the body will get used to it.

mettamage
Oh, haha, I was really imagining it wrong :')

Thanks!

emporas
The reason i am doing it, is to smooth out any wrinkles on my face. Not that i have many, one or two, but the ice cold water completes smooths out the skin.

I found out accidentally, that it treated a very mild case of inflammation in the ear i had, for over a year.

I probably had the same inflammation 6 years back, and i was in a lot of pain. I went to see a doctor, and he didn't want to prescribe any antibiotics, because the antibiotics for the ear are the strongest of all, due to poor blood circulation around the ear. Anyway, i convinced him for the contrary and he prescribed the antibiotics, 3 days later my ears were working properly again.

The last year however, a similar inflammation on the same spot appeared, but very mild. Almost no pain at all. Just a very small discomfort in the area sometimes. Well the ice cold water for an hour, it treats it completely every time.

The reason i am doing it however, is to smooth out the skin. That's a lot more important.

wahnfrieden
have you tried a wet towel with ice inside for a simpler solution...
edgyquant
For what reason do you do this?
emporas
I replied to a sibling comment. Among other reasons, it treated a very mild inflammation of the ear i had. The inflammation disappears, but it comes back after 5 to 10 days. I don't want to take antibiotics again for that reason, let alone that the doctor won't prescribe it anyway, which is correct in my opinion. We want antibiotics to be prescribed only when absolutely necessary. That mild inflammation is almost irrelevant, i feel nothing most of the time. The ice cold water it treats it very well, so that's good.

It also clears up the nasal pathways. Not absolutely, but it is one of the better ways i have found so far.

anonymo0se
Any history of neck injuries?

I had rapid onset tinnitus (8/10 volume, both ears) a week after sustaining a mild neck injury. After a couple weeks the right ear resolved itself, but the left ear remained at 4/10. In reading the literature about whiplash, it appears that upwards of 75% of people that have whiplash develop some form of tinnitus, hearing loss, and/or vertigo in the weeks or months following the injury.

I went to a CFMT-certified physical therapist who noticed that two of my vertebrae were counter-rotated and sheared in addition to my left first rib being elevated and stiff creating an almost thoracic-outlet syndrome type of issue.

My PT addressed the neck vertebrae issue and the elevated first rib over the course of a couple of sessions and my tinnitus dropped to a 0-1/10 in the left ear. If I'm careless when lifting weights it can cause the tinnitus to flare to a 2-3/10 for a couple of days.

Red wine also creates some sort of inflammation that causes my tinnitus to flare up, but alcohol (excessive alcohol in particular) in general causes that and it precedes my neck injury.

n8henrie
> Any history of neck injuries?

Nope. Had it since my earliest memories, no known trauma as a child.

anonymo0se
Might be worth looking into neck/shoulder structure (with a PT that's CFMT certified) just to rule out it being an issue with a compressed/tension nerve due to how your neck/shoulder physiology developed.

I saw two different physiatrists, a neurologist, two ENTs, an audiologist, and my GP about the sudden onset tinnitus and they all just shrugged it off. I had a hunch something was going on with my neck because I could modulate the tinnitus a bit with the position of my neck and jaw--I shared this with all of them and they said I was being neurotic. It wasn't until I saw a good PT (she was the third different one I saw) that I was able to get this addressed.

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rewgs
Not yet. I have absolutely insane tinnitus -- crazy high pitched, can hear it over any sound, too many tones to count. Also have hyperacusis but that's another topic. In any case, historically I've paid a lot of attention to this space.

Perhaps the most notable attempt at a cure was Frequency Therapeutics, whose efforts were promising, but unfortunately didn't pan out.

There's a constant churn of biotech companies trying to solve this, as curing tinnitus (and/or hearing loss) would be a goldmine, but no one has really gotten anywhere yet.

If you want to stay on top of it, the /r/tinnitusresearch is a pretty good hub, and there are a few mailing lists out there.

That said, over time I found that ceasing to follow all the promises and inevitable disappointments helped me better achieve the only real "treatment" we have right now, which is accepting it and slowly learning to live with it.

When there's a real deal cure, you'll know about it. Until then, I suggest not paying attention to the churn and the extremely dubious "treatments" out there.

actinium226
Good advice. I've had it for a few years now and mostly learned early on that the best strategy is to just try to live your life and not pay too much attention to it. Occasionally I hear about some "therapies" though and I figured trying to ask the community and specifically asking about "full relief" would be the best way to know for sure if I was leaving anything on the table.

I read about the Frequency Therapeutics stuff, and saw the initial promise and subsequent disappointment. Oh well, maybe next year :)

comfrey11
I suggest Monarda. A plant. It can clear ear congestion.
sebcat
Monarda is many plants. Any one of them in particular?

Will I get the same effect drinking Earl Grey tea?

beezlewax
Considering all of our hearing gets damaged slowly over the course of our lives, why does tinnitus only effect some people? I've had it for short periods of time after listening to loud live music, but hours later it just fades out to disappear. A musician once told me that it was the sound of your ear getting damaged and when you hear that you'll likely never hear those frequencies again.

I'm not convinced it's an entirely physical issue though. Our brains can filter out all kinds of excessive external stimuli both visual and from other senses so why not that ringing also?

retox
>A musician once told me that it was the sound of your ear getting damaged and when you hear that you'll likely never hear those frequencies again.

This is a line in the film Children of Men (highly recommended), can't remember if it's in the book but either way it isn't correct.

axelthegerman
Definitely a mix of physical and nerve stimulation.

Either way temporary exposure can cause temporary issues, once it's permanent though it seems irreversible for now

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axelthegerman
In highschool I basically lost my hearing on one side. It went silent for a little bit and now I have a static/beeping on it almost constantly.

Had overpressure therapy in the weeks/months after but didn't help. Have a bone anchored heading aid (via implanted screw) but doesn't work well.

Learned to live with it but mostly terrified if something will happen to my other ear... still have a few decades to go I hope, so better hold on to the hearing I have or science better hurry up

avalys
I have had very mild tinnitus my entire life - since as early as I can remember in childhood. It's never been particularly bothersome but in a quiet room I can clearly hear it.

However, when I received the second dose of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine in 2021, within a day I had a substantial increase in tinnitus in both ears, particularly my right. I also had a persistent sensation of "fullness" in my right ear.

I went to an ENT. They were pretty skeptical of the connection to the vaccine, said they couldn't see anything physically wrong with my ears, but we had a good conversation about tinnitus in general. They told me there wasn't much anyone could do, but anecdotally, they did think that many of their patients reported actual improvement from an OTC nutritional supplement, "Lipo-flavonoid", specifically marketed for tinnitus.

https://www.amazon.com/Lipo-Flavonoid-Supplement-Recommended...

I ordered a bottle and tried it out, and sure enough, I do think it made a difference - it did seem to quiet down the tinnitus, but not back to the level I was used to.

After about 2 months the tinnitus and sensation of fullness faded.

I elected not to get the booster.

Best of luck to you. I do suggest giving this supplement a try.

For those of you skeptical about any connection to the covid vaccines, you might find this article interesting quoting the Editor-in-Chief of the journal VACCINE and head of vaccine research at Mayo Clinic. https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/08/08/tinnitus-widespre...

c7DJTLrn
Did you have flu symptoms after the vaccine? How often do you usually get ill?
avalys
I recall some fatigue and maybe light muscle soreness or something like that, but pretty mild symptoms overall.

I’d say I get a bad cold once or twice a year and rarely experience anything more severe than that.

c7DJTLrn
I wondered if the vaccine flu symptoms might've created congestion in your middle ear but sounds like it didn't.

Perhaps you could do an experiment on yourself with the supplement to figure out if it's really having an effect or just placebo.

jaggederest
Anecdotally I had a similar experience but much more short-lasting. First and second dose caused pretty severe flu-like-symptoms and ringing in my ears for a few days. I'm prone to ear infections and it was very much like that. Thankfully both times it went back to normal in a week or so.
Loranubi
My tinnitus was caused by flying long distance while having a ear infection. The first year was horrible, but after that it got a better every year and about 5 years later it's basically gone. I can only hear it now when I am in a very quiet environment or (this is the simplest way to revive it) bite down hard on my teeth. I think my brain has adjusted to the sound by masking it.

Most doctor visits were quite disappointing since they didn't do anything. I heard from many people that early therapy can help a lot (like oxygen therapy) but my doctor only tried some of these things after I repeatedly asked for it. But by that time it was already too late (like 3-4 weeks later).

What helped me was: - distraction - constant white noise in the background - avoiding any source of loud sounds/music/etc (I am very sensitive on that now) - relaxing my jaw muscles - distraction - going to the doctor at the earliest sign of possible ear infections to stop infections from spreading to the inner ear.

LVB
I’m glad to hear of your eventual improvement to a sudden onset case. I’m about 2 months into some likely barotrauma following a random swimming incident. (Innocent stuff… just diving into a deep pool at a rec center, I felt pressure as I went pretty deep, and thereafter my right ear has been stuck very ringy.) I’m still in the queue to see an ENT due to their 3 month backlog, but an audiologist confirmed some severe (near total) hearing loss in my right ear above 6khz.
captn3m0
Tried a bit for almost a year, got myself rested - realised mine was low enough to barely show up in the test.

At that point I started to ignore it, and it works well enough. Except for when I am trying to fall asleep. I sometimes go by many weeks before I notice it.

fsociety
No permanent relief. It goes away when I meditate but that is temporary. The first few weeks I started vyvanse it completely disappeared, even if I focused on it, but once my body normalized to it, it came back.
k4runa
I had tinnitus for a while, and tried a few things that didn't work but this thomping technique I found on reddit one day stops it, and I just do it every couple of days and it disappears for a while. Not permanent but whenever it bothers me now I just do this thumping and it disappears in a few seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yDCox-qKbk

actinium226
Weird. I tried it and didn't get much effect, but it's interesting to see so many positive comments on it. I'll try it some more over the next couple days.
tinnitus93
Try a constant pressure massage instead of the thumping. Pressure should be high enough that the sensation is intense but not painful. The goal is to get muscles around the base of your skull to relax. I was amazed at how quickly it had an effect
Narretz
I think that's because tinnitus comes in very different forms and intensity, and since it can't be objectively measured, it's difficult to compare between individuals. My guess ist that you can only silence very low intensity tinnitus with this technique.
c7DJTLrn
I'll use this thread as an opportunity to say this: if you ever have sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, seek immediate medical attention. Demand a proper consultation and don't take "give it a few weeks" as an answer from a GP.

Sudden hearing loss can be reversed with prompt steroid injections but if it's left then it will become permanent. My mother woke up one day with no hearing in one ear. Unfortunately, by the time she got a proper diagnosis it was too late to do anything about it. Since then she's had tinnitus and vertigo to go with it.

lnsru
That’s a real thing. Sadly science is clueless about this and doctors even more. Specialized clinics threat sudden hearing loss with intravenous injection cocktails containing steroids and sedatives over the course of few weeks with mixed results. On other hand the cause is not well understood and probably universal treatment does not fit all cases.
sinuhe69
So far I can see, sudden loss of any sense (gettin hearing, smell, sight) is always a cause for concern. I will request my doctor to do a deep investigation.
pengaru
I had mild tinnitus years ago, but it went away over time while I happened to be living in a mostly silent environment off-grid near JTNP.

No idea if the long-term quiet environment played a role, but I also occasionally would supplement with sublingual b12[0] methylcobalamin supplements.

It's impossible to say what's responsible, there's far too many variables. Maybe just time passing since quitting riding motorcycles is all that was needed.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency (search in page for tinnitus)

fexed
I've had it since I can remember. One of my earliest memories, I was 1 or 2 years old, was "playing" with it while falling asleep at night: I'd focus on it and made the ringing grow louder and louder till it was the only sound in my ears, then it steadily grew quiter till I fell asleep. Nowadays, I'm 27 years old, my brain filters it out, but I can still hear it when it's quite. Perhaps it's one of the reasons I always have some background lofi music playing.
FLT8
Also had it as long as I remember, at least since I was about 7 or so, which makes me think it's not related to high level noise exposure. I know that because I have clear memories of asking other kids whether in times of silence they could hear anything. It surprised me that they couldn't.

My tinnitus is a kind of hissing, predominantly at a very high pitch. I'm in my mid 40's so grew up around CRT TVs. I think it's about the 15kHz horizontal refresh frequency, which makes me wonder whether my brain was trained at a young age to expect CRT TV sounds to be around and now it's just a permanent artefact, like a noise cancellation circuit that's gone wrong.

I find it gets worse if I'm run down, or eg. If I drink too much alcohol, or if I wear headphones for too long.

If I think about it, I can hear it at any time, but generally it's not too bad. I know it's not very helpful, but acceptance of it and shifting focus to other things definitely helps me, to the point that it usually fades away and is generally not noticeable at all.

deergomoo
Huh. I’ve also had it for as long as I can remember, and now you mention it mine is also almost identical in pitch and sound to CRT whine. I’m only 30, but I didn’t get my first LCD TV until I was a teenager.

My hearing in general is fine, although I have always struggled a little with understanding people unless they’re facing me. I can hear them just fine, I just can’t always parse what they’re saying. Maybe related, maybe not.

I should be thankful at least because mine never bothers me. Like GP I thought this was something everyone experienced.