Hi

I've been suffering from what I think is tinnitus for some time now,
and it seems to have got a little worse this year. So I spent some time
digging round on the net and found this group, I thought I might share
my situation with you all...
Apologies in advance if I ramble a bit....I'll try and describe me, my
lifestyle and anything else that may be relevant.

OK, I'm a 31yo male, and my symptoms are in the form of a hiss, just
like a gas leak, or a bit like the whistling from a TV. It's constant,
and sounds like it comes from both ears equally. I have had it for as
long as I can remember, though I suspect when I was younger I thought
it was normal and something that everyone heard. The noise doesn't
intrude on my daily life much, I generally only notice it during quiet
times - but in the last few months it seems to have got a little worse.

One problem I really suffer from is finding it very difficult to hear
conversation when there is much background noise, such as at a pub. I
find that other people sat at the same distance as me from the talker
can hear what is being said, yet I find it very very difficult and have
to lean in very closely, sometimes I give up and withdraw, or just hope
for the best and nod when they stop talking....

I find that closing my jaw tightly increases the hissing, as does
trying to move my lower jaw backwards (maybe this is the same for
everyone ? I don't know). If I move my lower jaw from side to side, I
feel a "crunching" in my left jaw muscle just below and in front of my
left ear. If I completely relax my jaw and close it, my teeth do not
line up and I cannot close my jaw fully, so normally through habit my
bottom jaw is set slightly backwards and to the right when I close my
mouth. I have no idea if this may be connected.

During my teenage years I spent a lot of time in the summer school
holidays operating petrol-engined grass cutting equipment - mowers,
strimmers and the like, and I wonder if the loud noise (mainly from the
petrol strimmer engine behind me) has damaged my hearing to some
degree.

My work revolves around sitting at a desk using a computer. On a number
of occasions I have suffered from neck pain, which I have attributed to
my work posture. I also spend around 2-3 hours a day driving - I tend
to sit quite upright whilst driving.

So what do people think, does it sound like I have any classic tinnitus
symptoms ? And anyone hazard a guess to the cause ?

I think I will book an appointment with my doctor soon.

Looking forward to any replies. Thanks !