Anyone else ever get tinnitus?

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

Over three months ago, I had a yard accident where I banged a piece of metal with a mallet to fix my garage door. Although I successfully made the fix, I didn't anticipate the destructive sound shockwave that would follow, which has pretty much destroyed my right ear, and by extension my sanity. I later got a level reading by recreating the gong (this time with hearing protection), it read 100.4db - no wonder my ear is now broken.

 

Ever since then, my right ear has been ringing like crazy, and it's easily exacerbated by even moderate levels of noise, forcing me to watch movies and TV shows with closed captions and subtitles because I just can't bear the sound. Film scores hurt me too. It causes me agony.

 

And now I hear ringing and whooshing across my brain. It gets louder when exposed to sound.

 

I finally have my scheduled visit to the ENT tomorrow to see if this might be resolved, but I'm not counting on it since there's no cure and by all accounts, people afflicted with this kind of acoustic trauma usually suffer from its effects forever. And by forever, I mean I may have to suffer with it for the next five decades of my natural life.

 

Not unless I kill myself first though. That might be the only cure available to me.

[mstrox 7,339]

I have very, very intermittent tinnitus (maybe a minute at a time, has happened maybe once this year).  No trauma that I'm aware of, just lots of headphone use.

 

Hang in there, Drax!

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

According to the tinnitus gurus on the internet, my headphone days are over. So no more ASMR, music or podcasts through a set of cans. Or even transcribing conferences and interviews using headphones - apparently it'll damage my ear even more, leading to louder ringing and buzzing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,173]

See your specialist tomorrow and hear what he says before considering your life over and done with!

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

2 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

hear

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,173]

Fuck sake!

[Quintus 6,319]

Ironically, Drax banging on about Tinnitus is enough to give anyone an ear ache.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

All my life I fought to avoid hurting my ears. A woman even got the shits at me for wearing ear plugs at a wedding reception she wanted me there as a date, yet ironically she didn't protest when I rooted her without protection. Maybe it was fate this would sort of injury would hit me.

[Jay 45,801]

Why in the world did you wait 3 months before seeking profession help for your ear?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,173]

Apparently it takes 3 months to see an ear doctor in Australia.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

Why in the world did you wait 3 months before seeking profession help for your ear?

 

It was the earliest appointment available. There simply aren't that many ear specialists in Sydney. I made the appointment in June.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,173]

Medical aid is still very rudimentary in that part of the world, Jason. I imagine Drax's visit to the specialist will be like this:

 

 

[Jay 45,801]

Did you at least see your primary care physician right after it happened?

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

2 minutes ago, Jay said:

Did you at least see your primary care physician right after it happened?

 

You mean my GP? Yes. It was then he gave me a referral, and I made the appointment. Initially, the earliest appointment I could get was 24th October, but someone cancelled and I was offered their 25th September spot.

[A24 5,118]

Hello everyone, my name is Alex and I have tinnitus. Yes, sadly, sound makes the 'ringing' worse. However, my solution for listening to film & music is to use headphones instead listening through speakers. The signal that is produced by speakers is much more complex for the ears than headphones.You do not only have the original signal but also the reflection of the room. Then there's the interplay of stereo, which does not exist with headphones. This combination is lethal! In fact, using headphones often results in the 'ringing' not getting louder at all. 

 

 

[SteveMc 2,687]

Hang in there @Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya!

 

Are such wait times to see specialists the norm in Australia?  Here in the States, I think they are not.  If you have the means, that is.

[Quintus 6,319]

41 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

 

 

 

Better than the Williams Tintin theme.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

53 minutes ago, Steve McQueen said:

Hang in there @Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya!

 

Are such wait times to see specialists the norm in Australia?  Here in the States, I think they are not.  If you have the means, that is.

 

They are pretty lengthy here. Australia's doctor shortage is pretty well documented and publicised, especially as you head out further to the regions, but it's pretty pathetic in the suburbs too.

 

56 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

Hello everyone, my name is Alex and I have tinnitus. Yes, sadly, sound makes the 'ringing' worse. However, my solution for listening to film & music is to use headphones instead listening through speakers. The signal that is produced by speakers is much more complex for the ears than headphones.You do not only have the original signal but also the reflection of the room. This combination is lethal! In fact, using headphones often results in the 'ringing' not getting louder at all. 

 

 

 

Fake news!

[A24 5,118]

Testimonials:

 

Thanks to headphones, I don't feel the need to end my life. (Alex C. from Belgium)

 

 

[mstrox 7,339]

2 hours ago, Steve McQueen said:

Are such wait times to see specialists the norm in Australia?  Here in the States, I think they are not.  If you have the means, that is.

 

It depends on any number of things here in the States.  Where do you live, who are you insured by, what "priority" is your illness, and what specialty are you trying to see?

 

In my neck of the woods in PA, there are maybe a medium amount of resources.  One or two hospitals have good specialist systems, and some of them don't have EVERY type of specialist.  My kid sees pediatric cardiology through the hospital system where she was born; that system didn't have a pediatric pulmonologist or gastroenterologist, so we had to take her to the other hospital in our area for those.

 

They may prioritize your appointment based on urgency, too.  If your symptoms are chronic or lesser in nature, they'll see you in a few months or you can try to call some other specialist's office in hopes of an earlier visit.  An otolaryngologist may make your appointment in four months for tinnitus, a more "routine" impairment, but may make room or shuffle things around for patients who, say, have sudden onset total deafness or need a surgical consult for throat cancer.

 

That all is to say, it's not uncommon for people to wait a number of months, half a year, for an initial specialist evaluation in my area.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,881]

@Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya

Jerry, let us know you get on, tomorrow.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,361]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

Jerry, let us know you get on, tomorrow.

I will.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

I'm also fearful that my initial noise incident has caused some neurological damage to my facial nerve, as I've been experiencing significant pain in my cheek and below my ear lobe, and not to mention deep within my ear. This is all stuff I'll need to bring up to the ENT.

[mstrox 7,339]

definitely don't leave that out - tinnitus itself is just a symptom.  If you're having some sort of nerve pain, they  (or a neurologist) could pin down a treatable condition.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,361]

Absolutely. There may be something much larger at work here.

[Thor 9,347]

I have a vague feeling we already did a thread on this?

 

Anyways, I got chronic tinnitus in my left ear in 2011. I eventually learned to live with it, but in October last year, it worsened considerably. I now have to start over by going to therapy to readjust to the worsened state. And yes, by chronic I mean chronic -- the sound is there in all my waking hours, and will be so for the rest of my life. But I have some aids -- a hearing aid that produces a sound (which I sometimes use, and sometimes don't), and a 'sound pillow' to help me fall asleep. So there are things you can use out there, although their efficiency varies from person to person.

[Jay 45,801]

3 minutes ago, Thor said:

I have a vague feeling we already did a thread on this?

 

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28585-hows-your-hearing-2018-check-in/

[Jurassic Shark 16,355]

7 hours ago, mstrox said:

I have very, very intermittent tinnitus (maybe a minute at a time, has happened maybe once this year).  No trauma that I'm aware of, just lots of headphone use.

 

Hang in there, Drax!

 

That's probably not due to tinnitus, but because of pressure differences between your ear and the environment. At least that's what my doctor told me.

 

6 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Apparently it takes 3 months to see an ear doctor in Australia.

 

It takes even longer to hear them.

 

6 hours ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

All my life I fought to avoid hurting my ears. A woman even got the shits at me for wearing ear plugs at a wedding reception she wanted me there as a date, yet ironically she didn't protest when I rooted her without protection. 

 

You rooted her without hearing protection? So irresponsible. 

[Nick1Ø66 8,119]

Your increased sensitivity to noise is most likely hyperacusis.  Which is related to tinnitus but is it's own thing, which may or may not go away on its own (like the tinnitus).

 

GP's and ENT's really don't understand tinnitus, because we just don't understand tinnitus. It's not really about your ears, it's about your brain. We know what can cause tinnitus, but really don't understand how it works. It can, and does, go away on its own. Though the longer you have it, the less likely that is to happen  (though it can still happen).

 

There are sound therapies that are available, that some people have had success with. The herbal medicines, etc., seem to be of limited use.  

 

With regards to headphones, do what you think is best, but the fact is decibels are decibels. The key is to not listen to music at loud levels.  I know people (like Alex) who have tinnitus and headphones have been a lifesaver, if for no other reason than they use them for white noise.

 

DO NOT give in to despair, and DO NOT give up!

[Datameister 2,581]

Glad you're seeing an ENT. I can't offer much in the way of words of wisdom, other than to say I hope they're able to find you some relief.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

The high risk of this getting worse, and the wide spread of the nerve damage that one single loud noise may have caused, with quality of life being significantly lower for a very long time (for decades to come??!), makes death seem not so bad afterall. Maybe I really died on 10th June, 2018, and I'm just a zombie now.

[SteveMc 2,687]

13 hours ago, Stefancos said:

See your specialist tomorrow and hear what he says before considering your life over and done with!

 

[A24 5,118]

8 hours ago, Nick1066 said:

 With regards to headphones, do what you think is best, but the fact is decibels are decibels. The key is to not listen to music at loud levels.  I know people (like Alex) who have tinnitus and headphones have been a lifesaver, if for no other reason than they use them for white noise.

 

 

As we all know, tinnitus can vary from person to person. The one that Drax has seems to be constantly 'on', with a high beep tone that is always at the max. My tinnitus, on the other hand, is very much triggered by surrounding sounds, like music, traffic, kitchen extractor, loud fans, people talking in a restaurant, ... If I'm in a quiet room, and I don't listen to music or watch TV, then the 'ringing' almost goes away. Luckily, I have a very quiet bedroom. I go to sleep with 'ringing in my ear' but when I wake up it's mostly gone.

 

 

 

With courtesy of:

 

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

Well I saw the ENT a few hours ago. I'm afraid all this dude was good for was cleaning 33 years worth of wax from my ears, which was so much hardened dark brown muck, you could have made a candle from it.

 

Unfortunately though he couldn't tell me anything about potential cochlea damage, auditory nerve damage, or facial nerve damage. It really went as I thought it would.

 

The ringing persists, and remains reactive to external stimuli. But he's asked me to see him again in six weeks for potential further treatment or referrals to other types of ear-related health professionals.

 

Ugh.

[Thor 9,347]

2 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

As we all know, tinnitus can vary from person to person. The one that Drax has seems to be constantly 'on', with a high beep tone that is always at the max. My tinnitus, on the other hand, is very much triggered by surrounding sounds, like music, traffic, kitchen extractor, loud fans, people talking in a restaurant, ... If I'm in a quiet room, and I don't listen to music or watch TV, then the 'ringing' almost goes away. Luckily, I have a very quiet bedroom. I go to sleep with 'ringing in my ear' but when I wake up it's mostly gone.

 

This goes to show how different the affliction is in people. My experience is rather different.

 

The ringing is not a 'ringing' per se. When people ask me what the sound is, I say it's a bit like those old TV sets (if they remember those). When you turned those on, it released a kind of highpitched buzzing noise. It's a bit like that, only multiplied by 10.

 

Also, I cannot listen much to headphones anymore. For me, that makes it worse, as my brain -- which produces this sound in the first place -- now focusses even more on the sound as I listen more intently, with my undivided attention. So I can really only listen on speakers, preferably while I do something else (like sitting on the computer), so the brain has to multi-task.

 

So it's not easy to give you much advice, CherryPie, tinnitus being such an individual experience. I can only advice you to stick in there, and use any kind of help you can (at least in Norway, there are therapy offers).

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

I find Alex's insistence on using headphones rather odd since they've pretty much been collectively condemned by the tinnitus community online, with many claiming that using headphones made their tinnitus worse, especially if it was caused by an acoustic trauma.

[A24 5,118]

Just now, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

I find Alex's insistence on using headphones rather odd since they've pretty much been collectively condemned by the tinnitus community online, with many claiming that using headphones made their tinnitus worse, especially if it was caused by an acoustic trauma.

 

Don't listen to internet communities, Drax, When it comes to sound, most people don't have a clue. They condemn headphones (listening to them at extreme loud levels is what probably gave them tinnitus in the first place) but they do love to listen to white noise all night long, even though white noise is the biggest trigger of tinnitus, since it contains every frequency from 20 hertz to 20.000 kHz, causing the brain to overload. Why listen to those who can't find a solution for themselves? 

[Nick1Ø66 8,119]

33 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 white noise is the biggest trigger of tinnitus

 

Where’s your data on this?

 

White noise at whatever frequency doesn’t cause tinnitus. Loud noise does. That much at least we know.

 

37 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Don't listen to internet communities, Drax, When it comes to sound, most people don't have a clue.

 

Indeed.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Don't listen to internet communities, Drax, When it comes to sound, most people don't have a clue. They condemn headphones (listening to them at extreme loud levels is what probably gave them tinnitus in the first place) but they do love to listen to white noise all night long, even though white noise is the biggest trigger of tinnitus, since it contains every frequency from 20 hertz to 20.000 kHz, causing the brain to overload. Why listen to those who can't find a solution for themselves? 

 

But it also depends on what initially caused your tinnitus. Was yours caused by a loud noise? If not, you can probably get away with using headphones. In my case, it's unlikely.

[Nick1Ø66 8,119]

What's the difference in music, at the same decibel level, when heard through headphones vs.speakers?

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

7 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

What's the difference in music, at the same decibel level, when heard through headphones vs.speakers?

 

Something about confined air pressure zoning in down your ear canal as opposed to the open room sound from speakers. It's just what the online tinnitus gurus keep warning about based on their own experiences and others who've testified about it.

[A24 5,118]

51 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

 

Where’s your data on this?

 

White noise at whatever frequency doesn’t cause tinnitus. Loud noise does. That much at least we know.

 

 

 

"Triggering" is probably the wrong word. I was referring to what makes the ringing worse, not what causes tinnitus. If you know why the high-pitched 'ringing tone' occurs, then you know that white noise isn't good for you. Tinnitus is related to hearing loss. It's your brain telling you that something is wrong. The more you make your brain aware of that, the louder the sound of the alarm will be. 

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

So how do you turn the alarm off?

[A24 5,118]

It doesn't go 'off', but exposing yourself to all kinds of frequencies can make it worse.

[Jurassic Shark 16,355]

3 hours ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

Well I saw the ENT a few hours ago. I'm afraid all this dude was good for was cleaning 33 years worth of wax from my ears, which was so much hardened dark brown muck, you could have made a candle from it.

 

Unfortunately though he couldn't tell me anything about potential cochlea damage, auditory nerve damage, or facial nerve damage. It really went as I thought it would.

 

The ringing persists, and remains reactive to external stimuli. But he's asked me to see him again in six weeks for potential further treatment or referrals to other types of ear-related health professionals.

 

Ugh.

 

So he can't help you, but he wants to see you again... why didn't he refer you to another professional right away?

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

$$$

[Richard P 5,241]

I've had some very minor ear noises for probably 13 years now.

 

98% of the time it's a sort of air rushing noise that's drowned out by nearly any normal background noise and most of the time just don't notice it. Sleeping has had its occasional difficulties but they're always temporary.

 

The other 2% of the time is usually after some sort of shock (such as banging my head while walking a few months ago) when it becomes more prevalent and very occasionally turns into more of a ringing. but that's rare and I know from experience that it subsides eventually down to something I barely notice again. It still scares me when I get one of these episodes because you imagine what life would be like if it didn't go back down again.

 

Hang in there

[pete 1,322]

Similar but less severe experience about 14 years ago. My loud noise was a kid screaming close to my ear - not because of something I did. That night I realized while lying on my left, that I wasn't hearing out of my right ear. Went to see a GP first thing in the morning and he sent me straight to hospital. Spent a week there getting some kind of steroid treatment. My hearing in that ear returned minus 5% - I can no longer hear higher frequencies, which isn't noticeable. I did have tinnitus for a while but it gradually dissipated. I also had and still have greater sensitivity to loud noises in my right ear. For about a year I carried ear plugs with me and would put them in my right ear when I was in a loudish environment and both ears at rock concerts.  i also used an ear plug when listening to music on headphones. I think I stopped doing that perhaps a year or two after the incident. If I close my eyes and listen in a quiet environment my right ear still feels different and I can hear a faint sound, but thankfully I'm normally not aware of it. All the best with yours - I just hope yours too fades with time.

[Jill Sandwich 11,030]

It's especially tragic when it happens to an audiophile and music lover. You lose interest and don't want to listen anymore because it always threatens to get worse.

 

I'd spent years being careful to prevent hearing damage of any sort, as it was always a huge fear of mine... and it happened to me anyway. Sometimes I think fate might really be a thing. Your worst fear will finally catch up with you sooner or later.

 

And by all accounts online, the prognosis is really grim for anyone with tinnitus caused by a loud noise. Because once you have it, even if it fades away, you're more vulnerable to having it return as a result to exposure from even moderate sounds. Our cochlea cells will never regenerate. Our lifespans are automatically shortened as a result of the persistent stress and anxiety it provokes. We're dead men walking.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,173]

Alex has tinnitus, and he's an audiophile, i think.