I’ve suffered from tinnitus since May 11, 1996. I’ve had to accept the fact that these awful noises will never go away for the rest of my life, but what I can’t accept is the (sometimes intense) soreness, tingling, etc., in my ears as well as slight pains in my jaws and headaches which have all cropped up in recent years. Aspirin, Tylenol, etc., have little or no effect. Obviously tinnitus is not self-correcting which is why I haven’t noticed any improvement since I swore off headphones and loud music a couple of years ago (all of you I-Pod users out there, be warned).

A bit of background: I’m a 32 year-old male in excellent physical health with no history of head trauma or infectious disease (e.g. Meniere’s); my tinnitus was caused entirely by use of headphones. Amazingly, an ENT has tested me and told me that my hearing is still perfect despite the tinnitus. And, I don’t have any other tinnitus-related symptoms such as insomnia or vertigo.

Any suggestions?