Tinnitus

[Hillian1]

Got mine from too many gigs. I have a tabletop fan on at night, took a little while to get used to but it helps MASSIVELY at night, masks the tinnitus. Don't knock it unless you've tried it!

I used exactly this for the first few months, but the Wife hated the noise.

True that. What I have found that helps is meditation and generally trying to keep healthy with diet and exercise. If you can keep your stress levels and blood pressure down that does seem to lower the perceived audible volume. I very rarely drink alcohol now either, and if I do just a pint or two earlier in the evening, and this seems to have helped a bit at night.

I do like a drink, but when I get a hangover the noise is incredible. Dehydration so I'm told is a major influence on the volume, and most bizarre is Curry.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Got ear trouble in the late 50s diving on a crippled destroyer in Singapore,got residue in ear which grew like moss,scarred my eardrums and have suffered tinnitus ever since...got to the stage when I learnt to ignore it though do hear it when it's quiet at night....and when I see the written word....thanks guys......seriously I think you can get an ear aid....(not hearing) that transmits white noise which neutralises the hum/whistle of tinnitus...

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I suffer from it but wasn't having it intruding into my morning until I saw the word written on here. My brain instantly reminded itself that I should be hearing the high pitched buzzing so now I can hear it. Thanks a lot Hillian.

I have a colleague who suffers from it (he also has some hearing loss too) so he went to an audiologist, got himself digital hearing aids and his tinnitus has gone. Obviously not 'gone' gone but the hearing aids somehow mask the racket. I'd love the noise to disappear but not sure that I'm ready for hearing aids-they're for old farts aren't they?

depends what you mean by an old fart. I will be 60 next month and have been wearing hearing aids for about 4 years. A couple of years ago on a visit to my GP, he did ask why someone as young as me was having to wear hearing aids, to which my response was "well, I am fifty whatever", to which his response was "precisely". I was referred to a specialist, ended up having an MRI scan etc just to make sure there was nothing nasty going on un my head, which luckily there wasn't, and the overall conclusion was that I probably had some congenital mid-range hearing problem which was masked until the natural loss of higher rang hearing got to the stage where it no longer masked it.

So whether you wear hearing aids or not should be dictated by what your problem is rather than worrying about how old you are. I have a much older sister-in-law who put off having her eyes tested for years because she refused to acknowledge how short-sighted she was, to the extent that she was a potential danger on the road. She is now going through the same thing with her hearing - refusing to acknowledge there is a problem when there clearly is.

 

[Bwian]

depends what you mean by an old fart. I will be 60 next month and have been wearing hearing aids for about 4 years. A couple of years ago on a visit to my GP, he did ask why someone as young as me was having to wear hearing aids, to which my response was "well, I am fifty whatever", to which his response was "precisely". I was referred to a specialist, ended up having an MRI scan etc just to make sure there was nothing nasty going on un my head, which luckily there wasn't, and the overall conclusion was that I probably had some congenital mid-range hearing problem which was masked until the natural loss of higher rang hearing got to the stage where it no longer masked it.

So whether you wear hearing aids or not should be dictated by what your problem is rather than worrying about how old you are. I have a much older sister-in-law who put off having her eyes tested for years because she refused to acknowledge how short-sighted she was, to the extent that she was a potential danger on the road. She is now going through the same thing with her hearing - refusing to acknowledge there is a problem when there clearly is.

I was being a bit tongue in cheek with the 'old fart' but there is a bit of a stigma attached to hearing aids. Probably thanks to the Mrs Richards of the world-along with that whistling that older type hearing aids emit. A friend of mine is an Audiologist-guess it might be time to see him for some advice.

 

[Kazenga <3]

I had tinnitus quite badly when I was very young, though strangely enough I almost found it interesting lying awake listening to the noises. Guess I thought they were Clangers or something.

I remember doing a hearing test and not being able to distinguish at all between the beeps from the machine and the beeps inside my head. Though the problem does seem to have receded to the point that I don't hear them anymore, not unless I've got water in my ears or something and it comes back for a few hours.

 

[withdeanwombat]

I suffer from it but wasn't having it intruding into my morning until I saw the word written on here. My brain instantly reminded itself that I should be hearing the high pitched buzzing so now I can hear it. Thanks a lot Hillian.

I have a colleague who suffers from it (he also has some hearing loss too) so he went to an audiologist, got himself digital hearing aids and his tinnitus has gone. Obviously not 'gone' gone but the hearing aids somehow mask the racket. I'd love the noise to disappear but not sure that I'm ready for hearing aids-they're for old farts aren't they?

That's why I got mine so quickly.

And a senior railcard, free bus pass, and my single malt whisky allowance at Christmas courtesy of the welfare state (Thanks !)

Say Yeah for Old Farts.

(Must dash. About to wet myself again.)

 

[sydney]

i use a lot of power tools at work and have done so for 30 yrs +.........i don't get the ringing as such but i do get an extremely high pitched tone that switches from ear to ear........when it moves from side to side it is such a strong feeling that it can stop me mid-sentence and some times affects my balance...........i explained it exactly like that to my doctor........he gave me tramadol , told me to wear ear muffs ,not to eat any beladonna fruit(tomatoes , chillies,peppers etc) and drink lots of water............didn't mention the rave days though.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I was being a bit tongue in cheek with the 'old fart' but there is a bit of a stigma attached to hearing aids. Probably thanks to the Mrs Richards of the world-along with that whistling that older type hearing aids emit. A friend of mine is an Audiologist-guess it might be time to see him for some advice.

I read the old fart bit tongue in cheek as well...

 

[Insel affe]

My mother has had it from about the age of six after an illness, it has gradually got alot worse over the years. She has discribbed the sound she hears as if you are standing directly under the shower and the water falling around you, I just can't imagine that day in, day out every second. The worst thing for my mother is that because it started so young it affected her alot in confidence etc growing up in the 60s there was not much help and it has affected the way she talks slightly and sometimes when I have been out with her doing everyday things she cannot hear high pitched sounds like a fire alarm or the telephone, the fire alarm thing happend twice once in our house when she was cooking and the thing burnt down and we had to escape me and her through a window because she could not hear it (I was only 3) and then in Manchester Marks and Spencers when it went off to evacuate everyone she was looking through clothes while everyone was rushing out as it turned out to be the warning from the IRA/Police before the bombing. Things like that struck me as she is just well mum with a hearing problem, but other people took her mispronunciation of words like "Pizza" as her being retarded or something which made me mad sometimes, but she just gets on with it. I feel for anyone with it.

Oh and we have tried everything to help her, however nothing in my mums case has or can and money is not the object.

 

[Twizzle]

I saw a story involving Spock and Captain Kirke (Nimoy & Shatner) who got it from an explosion on the set.
Their doctor fed a frequency of white noise through headphones, tuning until it matched the sound in their ears.
Then it was taped as a loop and the patients listened to that at any opportunity....like reading a book or doing stuff round the house. Eventually the brain basically ignores it as an understable constant, which in turn effectively does the same to the tinitus!

With 'rain' sounds there is a smartphone app that plays rain endlessly - might be worth trying for some like PF's Mum.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Had it for about 4 or 5 years now, caused by years of standing by the speaker in clubs. I used to have my eers ringing quite often for a day after clubbing then one day it just never went away. It's difficult to guage how bad it is compared to other people, I can hear mine over the TV if it's at a fairly low volume and it seems quite loud now when I'm trying to get to sleep.

It doesn't really bother me that much although I guess it might one day if it continues to get worse. I know I can't get rid of it so no point in getting stressed about it.

 

[Hillian1]

I saw a story involving Spock and Captain Kirke (Nimoy & Shatner) who got it from an explosion on the set.
Their doctor fed a frequency of white noise through headphones, tuning until it matched the sound in their ears.
Then it was taped as a loop and the patients listened to that at any opportunity....like reading a book or doing stuff round the house. Eventually the brain basically ignores it as an understable constant, which in turn effectively does the same to the tinitus!

With 'rain' sounds there is a smartphone app that plays rain endlessly - might be worth trying for some like PF's Mum.

Nice idea, but the NHS does not offer such treatments, you are basically left to "deal" with it.

I tried a fan, an ornamental waterfall, static noise, acupuncture, hypnosis, Chinese medicines costing thousands by the time I worked out it was down to me and me alone (barring the love and support of my wife and kids) to come to terms and live with "my noise"

Tinnitus should not be taken lightly, during my deepest part of utter despair the only thing I could think of to stop the noise was to end it, thankfully that thought lasted about 10 minutes.

 

[Hungry Joe]

Depression is common among tinnitus sufferers, and suicide not uncommon, especially when sleep deprivation is chronic. It really is one of those things that you can't imagine how bad it can be until you suffer from it, a bit like M.E. (I know this because my wife has M.E.).

 

[JB (Albion)]

i have had it getting worse for about 15 years, angle grinders by day dj in clubs at the weekend! I wish I had listened to people older and wiser than me, when they told me during my apprenticeship, that hearing loss was permanent,! i have high pitched ringing morning wake up through to bed time. i can tune in to it over any amount of back ground noise , but have learned to ignore it to the best of my ability, i fill my mind with activity mentally and phisically.my missis whinging and kids screeming helps mask it when i am home! fortunately I go to bed knackered every night which helps you get to sleep rather than tune in to it.
when i tell my apprentices to wear ear defenders and goggles' they shrug their shoulders and give me that look that says "leave it out you old git"
hindsights a wonderful thing!

 

[Hungry Joe]

i have had it getting worse for about 15 years, angle grinders by day dj in clubs at the weekend! I wish I had listened to people older and wiser than me, when they told me during my apprenticeship, that hearing loss was permanent,! i have high pitched ringing morning wake up through to bed time. i can tune in to it over any amount of back ground noise , but have learned to ignore it to the best of my ability, i fill my mind with activity mentally and phisically.my missis whinging and kids screeming helps mask it when i am home! fortunately I go to bed knackered every night which helps you get to sleep rather than tune in to it.
when i tell my apprentices to wear ear defenders and goggles' they shrug their shoulders and give me that look that says "leave it out you old git"
hindsights a wonderful thing!

You do realise hearing protection is mandatory if the time-weighted average noise exposure is 85dbA or above? Angle grinders will almost certainly be above that for the user.

 

[JB (Albion)]

it wasnt so mandatory in 1987 , more a luxury and a bad habit to break!

 

[Durlston]

I got my ears syringed about six years ago and it was one of the best things I did. A lot of hardened wax had built up, used drops to put in them and my hearing improved massively afterwards. When I used to go clubbing every weekend, my ears would still be ringing by Tuesday! It drove me mad trying to get to sleep.

Sorry to hear about your GP, Hillian1. I think he needs to go on a course to learn some manners.

 

[Hungry Joe]

it wasnt so mandatory in 1987 , more a luxury and a bad habit to break!

I was meaning for your apprentices now. Don't want you leaving yourself open for trouble if you don't enforce the wearing of ear defenders.

 

[JB (Albion)]

I was meaning for your apprentices now. Don't want you leaving yourself open for trouble if you don't enforce the wearing of ear defenders.

Thanks for the heads up. But you can lead a horse to water. but you cant make them drink!

 

[JB (Albion)]

I was meaning for your apprentices now. Don't want you leaving yourself open for trouble if you don't enforce the wearing of ear defenders.

Thanks for the heads up. But you can lead a horse to water. but you cant make them drink!