Over the last few weeks I’ve woken up in the night and heard a low pitched humming noise that sounds like it is outside of the house. Last night I woke and heard it again, but it was bugging me so I got up to try to find where it was coming from. I even checked downstairs in the house to see if it was coming from one of the kitchen appliances, but I couldn’t locate the source of it.
When I got back to bed it was annoying me a bit, so I decided to put some earplugs in. And to my surprise the noise didn’t get even the tiniest bit quieter, which made me realise the noise must be in my head! I have had occasional short term bursts of tinnitus before, but they always sound like they are coming from inside my ear. Can tinnitus sound like it’s external, or do I have something else going on here? Any ideas?
I believe it can sound like it’s external noise. My mum has tinnitus and when it first started she thought it was a machine making the noise. I think that’s quite common x
I’ve been getting auditory hallucination again lately. Yesterday morning (Sunday) I woke to the sound of my alarm going off, but just one ring and loud. The alarm was not on. A dog bark went off in my head about a minute later. No dog. I had this problem in spades when I was really ill in 2003-4. Try not to be freaked out by whatever it is that gets served up. It will disappear again. It always does.
Happens to me too sometimes. I’ll get an auditory hallucination of a whooshing/whispering sound (not voices telling me to take revenge on my enemies or anything ) along with the occasional regular tinnitus (an obviously internal rather than external sound) of a screech.
Haven’t had a repeat of the singing again but I still often hear ‘people’ talking outside in the early hours. Our house is in a no through road & I’ve looked out the window a few times - there is a bright street light outside & definitely nobody out there! I’ve ordered a copy of Dr Oliver Sacks book “Hallucinations” from the local library. I was amazed to see it was on their borrowing list so it’s probably a fairly common occurence.
Barb
H I’ve ordered a copy of Dr Oliver Sacks book “Hallucinations” from the local library.
— End quote
I have that book (so should hopefully get around to reading it sometime, along with the dozens of other books mounting up in unread piles). Here’s an excerpt from the book: utne.com/mind-body/hearing-t … 1zgar.aspx
Thanks for the links Victoria - Looks like an interesting book to read. Thank goodness we live in more enlightened times (or do we?) - we would all be in the local sanatorium for sure! I did happen to mention ‘my voices’ to someone whose super quick reaction was “it sounds like schizophrenia” - from an educated individual - I was very surprised they didn’t hustle me down to the nearest A&E!!
Barb
) along with the occasional regular tinnitus (an obviously internal rather than external sound) of a screech.