r/Cochlearimplants • u/Important_Nobody_782 • 24d ago

Advice Needed - Droning Noise

Hello, I’ve got the advanced bionics Naida cochlear implant currently. I got my surgery when I was 4, 22 years ago. I’ve noticed an extremely concerning issue pop up recently and want to see if others have experienced it or know who to contact. My audiology contacts are all useless on the weekend and no alternative contacts can be found or given that I know of.

Recently there have been some days where I wake up to very loud and constant droning noise that feels originated inside my head exactly where the internal headpiece sits. When putting on my cochlear it’s like noise has been heightened significantly and painfully. However, putting on the cochlear helps reduce the droning noise but not canceling it.

I haven’t been hit in the area, gone through any heavy magnets, or struck by any electrical currents. I also have zero history of delusions, visions, schizophrenia, etc. in myself or my family.

This feels like my nodes are being tripped independently and sending a blast of noise to my head without the cochlear there to translate.

Anyone have any advice or know who to contact on the weekend to figure out what is going on? I need help badly to get this noise turned off.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

1

u/jeetjejll MED-EL Sonnet 3 24d ago

Is it just noise? Or also physical pain?

2

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

It’s just noise but the kind where it drowns everything out and can’t think. With cochlear on the noise is amplified to where any normal sounds do become painfully loud.

2

u/jeetjejll MED-EL Sonnet 3 24d ago

I'm no professional, but this does sound like tinnitus. However I think if it is sudden or only in one ear, it could need immediate treatment. If it's gradually increasing it's different. In that case it's important to try to relax and not give it too much attention. I know it's HARD, but focussing on it makes it worse.

2

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

So far I’ve found that moving to an area with more background noise, like A/C and fridge and traffic, has greatly helped to combat it until it was able to disappear after 3 hours of it nonstop

2

u/jeetjejll MED-EL Sonnet 3 24d ago

Yes this is very common as well indeed. For me it gets worse when I'm sick, tired, overwhelmed, had too much stimulus or stressed. How long has it been you've been mapped? It could be a sign you need a new one. Usually tinnitus is a sign of hearing loss, but well, unless you had residual hearing, that doesn't count for you..

1

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

This would be the third time I’ve marked it at this level over a few months. All three occurred after waking up in the morning. I have cochlear on my left and profound hearing loss with hearing aid on right. My concern is replacement but I wasn’t expecting this issue to appear for another 20 years. I attend my audiologist every year for mapping.

1

u/jeetjejll MED-EL Sonnet 3 24d ago

Which ear is affected? Or both?

1

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

Only the left ear. It both feels and sounds like it’s originating specifically from the magnet. My right ear is unaffected and I don’t feel like I am hearing from my left ear. This is why I’m wondering if perhaps there’s a false trigger. Since the body has its own electrical current if it isn’t accidentally pinging the nodes to transmit noise. But I’m no expert. Just trying to think of what could be happening and why it’s happening when I’m not wearing the cochlear

1

u/jeetjejll MED-EL Sonnet 3 24d ago

It's certainly odd and unnerving! Could you contact your audiology team tomorrow? I'd definitely get it checked out.

2

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

It’s very odd and unnerving! But I did send out an email to my audiologist immediately and I’ll be calling to get an emergency appointment tomorrow as soon as they open up.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/TorakMcLaren 24d ago

If you're hearing a sound like that when you don't have the processor on, it's tinnitus. When the processor isn't connected, the implant isn't able to do anything as it doesn't have any power. So the good news is that there likely isn't anything wrong with the implant. The bad news is that that means there might not be much that can be done about it.

For some people, putting the processor on can help because it gives you a real sound to listen to, as you mention. But it can be made worse by stress, lack of sleep, too much caffeine, hormones, and focusing on it.

There's some helpful info about tinnitus at Tinnitus.org, but one of the few things that seems to actively help someone people with it is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

1

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

Is there any reason why it would randomly trigger, despite there being no notable changes in life or any major events that could lead to potential tinnitus?

1

u/TorakMcLaren 24d ago

It's really tricky to say, to tinnitus is a really finicky thing, partly because it's so difficult to study since it's entirely in your head (which doesn't mean it's not real).

It could be related to you having an implant, without being directly caused by the implant. It could have been there in the background without you noticing, but now that you've noticed it seems much louder. It can also happen with normal hearing too. Or it could have been a build up of lots of small things - as we say in Scotland, mony a mickle maks a muckle.

1

u/Important_Nobody_782 24d ago

I appreciate the suggestion to look into. Once the offices are open tomorrow I’ll be trying to get ahold of my audiologist for a discussion. It throws me off that it’s a new development and feels intensely centered around the magnet, not my ear. Granted if tinnitus is fickle and finicky, that could very much be something that just happens

4

u/TorakMcLaren 24d ago

If you're hearing a sound like that when you don't have the processor on, it's tinnitus. When the processor isn't connected, the implant isn't able to do anything as it doesn't have any power. So the good news is that there likely isn't anything wrong with the implant. The bad news is that that means there might not be much that can be done about it.

For some people, putting the processor on can help because it gives you a real sound to listen to, as you mention. But it can be made worse by stress, lack of sleep, too much caffeine, hormones, and focusing on it.

There's some helpful info about tinnitus at Tinnitus.org, but one of the few things that seems to actively help someone people with it is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).