I really was hoping that they weren't going to use the dreaded words "hearing aid". But they did, and have recommended a certain type for my high-end hearing loss.Originally Posted by bindeweede
Bugger.
But they did give me a device that makes soothing sounds that I can listen to late at night - sounds other than Radio 4/BBC World Service.
http://www.sound-oasis.com/products/...tem_S56002.php
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear
bright, until you hear them speak.
Myth: Tinnitus is a symptom of a serious illness.
While tinnitus has a range of about 15 possible causes, this is largely not the case. If you experience symptoms of tinnitus it’s very important to get a checkup, since your doctor can refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), who can confirm tinnitus for you, and help you narrow down its possible causes.
How odd. 2am, and my tinnitus has almost disappeared. Just a very slight hissing in the left ear. Not aware of having done anything in particular - apart from a drop of Bells - virtually no noise.
Of course, it won't last.
But here's hoping.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear
bright, until you hear them speak.
Well it would be irresponsible to give up on the Bells now that it seems to have had an effect ...
Hope it stays away, BW, it must be dreadful.
DrS, As I expected, it is back to normal today. The same happened one night in February. When I started a Tinnitus Management course earlier in the year, I scored 44/100 in a questionnaire on how the T effects everyday life, putting me in the "Moderate Tinnitus" category. When I'd finished the course, my score was 12! - so I'd improved coping skills. They call it "habituation" - i.e. just getting used to it.Well it would be irresponsible to give up on the Bells now that it seems to have had an effect ...
Hope it stays away, BW, it must be dreadful.
Mine isn't as bad as some people's - just an irritation most of the time. And thinking positively, I could have a lot worse to cope with.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear
bright, until you hear them speak.
I've had Tinnitus for over 40 years. In my case, the cause is only too obvious. I had Measles very badly when I was a child and had the common complaint of earache quite often. At that time it was not usual to see a doctor for such a complaint. You just put warm olive oil in your ear and hoped for the best. It was only when I reached my early 20's that the real problems began. Seemingly the infection had taken root and I ended up with an abscess in my middle ear. It burst and destroyed the eardrum and the nerve. That was when my Tinnitus began. I had to take tranquilisers for a few months to be able to cope with it. For years now I've had the noises in both ears. They range from a moaning wind in low frequency through various engine sounds right up to the hissing jet plane sound which is the most noticeable. They say you can get used to anything and I hardly notice them now. The biggest help to me is my tiny hearing aid. Not only does it allow me to communicate with others but it also lessens the head noises because it increases external sounds. I didn't intend to be so long-winded but it's better to have Tinnitus than to be totally deaf. There is no cure, but acceptance goes a long way to making the condition bearable and this will come only through time.
Search for knowledge and understanding.
I gave myself tinnitus nearly two years ago now, through a mishap with an iPod... no point going into exactly what happened, suffice to say a screechy bit of music at max volume for a few minutes (ok I was riding a bicycle in rain with layers of raincoat etc and no way to reach the iPod controls underneath clothing, forgot to lock it volume went to max, kept riding all the way to work with headphones inside helmet-and-cloth headcap) made my ears hurt, and never stopped ringing... at first I was appalled at what I'd done (after being so careful up until then!) but knew had to learn to ignore... very hard to do! At least the noises were interesting, not just a single tone, but very complex and shifting layers of noise with windows opening in louder noises to hear quieter ones roiling underneath... strangely, I noticed that my hearing was really sensitive to sounds that seemed quieter than my tinnitus, but were at different frequencies... which was encouraging to me, as it meant I wasn't actually deafened by the roaring... I too had moments (only a couple) where it seemed to clear up... but always came back soon after. (One time I took ecstacy, and the tinnitus disappeared for 4 hours while I was high, but music was playing, so I don't know how completely it went).
Anyway, I want to report that it slowly shifted to higher frequencies and died down in volume a bit, so that nowadays I forget about it most of the time, and when I do notice it is a gentle hiss, almost restful... so I tell myself! Not stressing over it is very important, just so you don't go mad! I am hoping stem cell research may provide a cure before I die, so that helps psychologically. If anyone else reading this has recently got tinnitus, all I can say is it might improve over the next few months, if you protect your ears (I hardly ever use my iPod now, and not for long, and obviously at well-controlled volume... in fact I have changed the focus of my leisure time to visual things, and got into making movies/animation instead of playing with noises on the computer. And many less hours of music every week... had to change my love! But luckily my understanding wife is still with me!)
So, try to be nice to yourself, try to distract yourself from it... wear dj earplugs if you go to a gig!... and it may fade a little bit over time... plus you can just get so familiar with it you stop hearing it... if you are lucky like I have been! It is possible you will be much better in a few months or a year or two!
What you have said about not noticing it so much as you used to do is exactly what I find as well but, if there is the slightest change in the sounds, I hear it right away. Fortunately that hasn't happened for a very long time.
Search for knowledge and understanding.
Yes Viking, changes draw your attention... I suppose I do notice it several times a day, but it is not so demanding as it was, and the contrast to how it was for the first few weeks (and months... it took me quite a while to really back off from exposing myself to too much noise... especially music, which I used to listen to at every opportunity) means that I am not bothered.
What is a real pain is that even though I am okay with it, the moment you try to listen to music the tinnitus comes right up to the fore... and since it is the production, ie the quality of the space in which the music occurs, which was my main interest in the music, my area of interest is totally polluted... which was almost heart-wrenching, but I do have other interests, (and I am adept at losing things I love!), so I just moved on to other things... I make it sound so easy! But that's what has to be done... find another way to lose yourself! (I mean immerse yourself).
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