Tinnitus anyone?

[tf78933]

Have had it for years. Racing bikes and sports cars, rock n roll, neglect all contributed. When I went to see a specialist about it, he also found some hearing loss. He said I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you have some hearing loss. The good news, the hearing loss is at a frequency that affects the range with the voices of women and small childen. My glass is half full.

[Omega Man]

I sure am grateful that tinitus and some hearing loss is all I have to deal with, at this point.

Amen to that. "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself", I don't know who said that but it seems appropriate. The research I have found along the way of this irritating affliction runs in many directions. I have mostly heard there is nothing that can be done about it. I have heard of people, in desperation, turning to quackery doctors who claim they can help- most almost dieing from the treatment. I have also heard of suicide for those that just can't take not having peace and quiet.
While I didn't think this thread would be so popular, hopefully those affected can gain some insight as to others have dealt with an endless summer night.. Gary

[Polarbear]

60 now, got the noisy ear phenom about 10 years ago. Racing m/x for Yamaha in the late 60s and 70s with 2 stroke expansion chamber exhaust started my ear downfall, I figure. Very noisy back then. Then I took up a lifelong flying bug as very young pilot with no ear protection in VERY noisy small airplanes! Still love jet noise, my Daughter flies for the Navy, F18s. She wears hearing protection helmet. Them Navy Fighter helmets must be BETTER than out m/c helmets? She's young, hopefully not getting this later in life. ME, I cannot withstand earplugs, tried'em all and they are simply not comfy, even the custom made ones. I HAVE found "custom homemade" foam pads that cover the whole ear inisde the helmet work best for me. Never seen anybody selling'em however, just made my own. Most helmets have an ear cavity built into the helmet foam and many put speakers here. I too have a BlueTooth helmet. The homemade foam pads can be covered with any preferred cloth, from silk to anything you like, feels nice. Wife sews well, so her talent shined for me. The pads can be whatever size ear you have, to cover whole ear. Mine are probably 4" wide and slip right in AFTER the helmet is on my head. Pads are thin, maybe quarter inch and soft(comfy) enough and cut noise by quite a tad. MY personal fix to earplugs. I find the busier I am, the less I hear the noise in my ears. Sitting at this computer, its quite noisy. Randy

[BC1100S]

Mine is a Salvation Army Christmas bell ringer who rings his bell really fast and doesn't take a break.

Maybe if you made a donation once in a while....

[71243]

I agree with those that are grateful for nothing worse. I have that and some Arthritis , so it can always be worse.

BTW. tonight my ears are screaming! I had a glass of red wine with supper, noticed the last time I did it seemed worse?....anyone else notice this ? or any thing else that seems to increase it ?

[cchoc]

I've got it too, along with degenerative disk disease in my lower back and arthritis in my neck, knees and hip. When I am backcountry camping is where the tinnitus bothers me the most, and the other stuff bothers me getting there.


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[walerch]

I can't remember a time when I didn't have it. Worse for me when it is quiet. It's something I've learned to live with over the years. I've been wearing ear protection since being in the Navy we won't talk about how many years ago.

[BCKRider]

1. Obviously tinnitus is a VERY common problem for us older folk. (Yes, me too.) It is really a shame there are not more younger folks reading this. Religious use of ear plugs for ANY noisy activity from an early age would prevent MOST tinnitus.
2. Hearing loss in the highest frequencies is simply a fact of life, even for people in their 20's who have the rare good sense to use hearing protection. Like all things human, the highest frequencies you can hear disappear at varying rates. (A friend my age - mid 60's - hears at least as well as I despite making a living running a chainsaw as a faller and, in the earlier years, punching holes in the muffler for more power before earplugs were even invented!) Not all smokers die from their habit either, but the odds are not good.
3. I'm thinking ear plugs should be one of those things we ALWAYS have in our pocket. I've certainly cursed myself when I went to a movie without them!
4. DO find earplugs that work for you (there is no universal best solution) and use them properly. As noted, both tinnitus and hearing loss can always get worse - and probably will. Slowing the process is always worth doing if you are not totally deaf.
5. Listen for the "bass drum effect" after you have installed your earplugs. If a few marching steps sound like a bass drum in your head, those ear plugs are doing their job. If not, they are not properly seated and you are getting little to no benefit. I learned to always do this after putting on the MC helmet. PIA to start over, but not as much of a pain as pulling to the side of the road to start over.

[Norwood]

As I said in second post, I have tinnitus...and didn't realize that the ringing was in both ears until I had Meniere's disease of the inner ear...(you can google it for better worded details) After my surgery to get my life back... my episodes of the Meniere's are very few and far between now... I sense the coming of an attack...and simply park it.. five minutes, five hours or couple of days... did so on a trip back from Alaska in the middle of nowhere... but found a cabin and a bed.

Weather is a factor!

During experimental tests at Shea Clinic in Memphis Tn, to find possible treatment for my tinnitus and meniere's ... I was completely sedated, but awake...then I learned that one ear ringing was louder than other... both ears did stop ringing during the test... the medication was injected hoping to end both...however in about an hour after the IV was pulled... it slowly returned. I did lose hearing in my right ear....but still have the tinnitus...the Meniere is manageable...but I am very lucky to have mild attacks...I know folks that crawl from room to room with knee pads because they can't stand during severe Meniere episodes...

Long rides (500 miles or more), I really pay my dues....

I have read countless articles and tried everything.... to no avail with my tinnitus.....
If I had to describe Meniere's disease to you ... it like putting on grandma glasses when I was a kid....things not to clear.
Sadly tinnitus and Meniere's are somewhat related....don't be confused with "you have inner ear problems" play it safe and get checked...Meniere's caught early can be managed.

[markaz]

I've had it as long as I can remember (I'll be 65 in a few months). I have several continuous tones and several that come & go. Kind of a symphony in my head. I notice it more when it's quiet but I don't think much about it...it's just there. I can imagine how upsetting it would be if it just started happening to someone. The advice to consult an ENT is good, esp. for sudden onset. It can be an indication of some severe problems. I also have a fairly severe hearing loss in both ears that requires fairly potent hearing aids. For me it's at least partly genetic...it runs in the family and can't be blamed on anything specific. I had my audiologist set one of the programs to max noise suppression and volume to about 1/4 normal to use when riding and that seems to work for me like ear plugs work for others with better hearing. Without the HAs I'm pretty deaf...wouldn't be able to hear horns or sirens or funny noises from the bike. Anyway, do protect your hearing...hearing aids are not a cure and are expensive and a real hassle.

[BCKRider]

If you like to listen to music as you ride (I don't, but that is just a personal preference) try the following:

1. Bring up a favourite song on your Ipod or Sat radio station and adjust the volume as you sit on your bike, ignition off. Get the volume to a level which is satisfying but not deafening. (OK, for some types of music I recognize that those two terms are almost synoymous.) Trust you get the idea. Real "listening" music, not "background" music, but at a level you don't think will cause hearing damage. Then fire up the bike and go for a ride. Is that volume level you selected in your driveway enough in traffic, or at highway speeds?
2. If you are tempted to increase the volume on the road to counteract the noise wind, tires, and other vehicles are creating - well do it to the point where the music again is "satisfying." Then pull over as soon as you can, turn off the bike, and assess the sound level your were just listening to. If the level is kind of deafening with the bike parked, it is just as deafening on the road - and unfortunately that term means literally, over time, just that.
3. The solutions are "quieter" helmets, better fitting ear buds, or both so you DON'T have to increase the volume above "driveway" volume.

I think this may be an insidious problem for many. Try the above experiment and report back your findings.

[kantuckid]

Have had it for years. Racing bikes and sports cars, rock n roll, neglect all contributed. When I went to see a specialist about it, he also found some hearing loss. He said I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you have some hearing loss. The good news, the hearing loss is at a frequency that affects the range with the voices of women and small childen. My glass is half full.

Your "good news" in not hearing women & children so well equates to my grandchildren & family which is serious stuff,sad to say,for me when as I miss the things they say. I always jump on these hearing threads in an effort to learn how others cope with hearing loss and to be an advocate for protection.If you have tinnitus & have yet to seek professional help, be aware that many of the professionals audiologists out there are eager to get your money. It's sure not accidental that most states & the Feds have laws that regulate the sale of HA's to some extent. An e.g., of this at work on a very basic level is my HA's(BTE Phonak's) needed repair recently & I called the audiologist that programmed mine. She's a really nice lady with a Doctor of Audiology degree & that title. She said the minimum repair charge would be $250 if she sends them in, so I may want to "shop around". I did & found a guy on ebay that did them for a flat rate fee of $80. Turned out to be the on/off switch which probably cost him very little, so mostly labor & handling in reality. Even the $250 figure pales in comparison to the many thousands they'll pull out of you for the HA's. Tread cautiously when you go after HA's! The mark ups are similar to a jewelry store.
FWIW,as I recall the Doctor of Audiology degree comes from not so many hours of study-I remember it being about the same amount of time as when I got a HS principals certificate, certainly not the many years of study you get with other type docs.

[bikerfish1100]

I couldn't find a single page link to this vitamin cocktail, tho i did find numberous pages that listed some blend of these vites. i've been using this mix for a few years, and i notice its effect more when i fail to take them for a few days. Once i get back to taking them regularly, the buzz quiets down a bit.
Do your own search for authentication, consult your Dr. for complications arising from interactions with p escribed meds, usual disclaimers get inserted here, i don't pretend to be a Dr, don't play one on TV or in real life, nor did i stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, yada yada.
Magnesium Citrate 100mg (MC is qid; all other items are oid), B-complex (i use a B50 blend), L-Lysine 500mg, Zinc 15-25mg, Ginko Biloba ~100mg and Vit C, 500-1000mg, Multi-Vit complex (Vits A and D are often cited as important for hearing as well).

[cehlbeck]

Your "good news" in not hearing women & children so well equates to my grandchildren & family which is serious stuff,sad to say,for me when as I miss the things they say. I always jump on these hearing threads in an effort to learn how others cope with hearing loss and to be an advocate for protection.If you have tinnitus & have yet to seek professional help, be aware that many of the professionals audiologists out there are eager to get your money. It's sure not accidental that most states & the Feds have laws that regulate the sale of HA's to some extent. An e.g., of this at work on a very basic level is my HA's(BTE Phonak's) needed repair recently & I called the audiologist that programmed mine. She's a really nice lady with a Doctor of Audiology degree & that title. She said the minimum repair charge would be $250 if she sends them in, so I may want to "shop around". I did & found a guy on ebay that did them for a flat rate fee of $80. Turned out to be the on/off switch which probably cost him very little, so mostly labor & handling in reality. Even the $250 figure pales in comparison to the many thousands they'll pull out of you for the HA's. Tread cautiously when you go after HA's! The mark ups are similar to a jewelry store.
FWIW,as I recall the Doctor of Audiology degree comes from not so many hours of study-I remember it being about the same amount of time as when I got a HS principals certificate, certainly not the many years of study you get with other type docs.

Funny you should mention this as I was in Cosco with a friend and noticed an audio booth selling hearing aids and offering free hearing tests. In Cosco? There was a nice big sign that they were a private vendor and not affiliated with Cosco in any way. But they were conveniently located next to the prescription counter.

[kantuckid]

I researched the Costco price(they are 135k from me) & other box stores & while they beat the other places -meaning the ones that run the whole page newspaper ads & say they love you & want to help- the big guys were sort of in the middle. There are pro dispensers out there that will beat them by a bunch but they don't advertise like that. Also important to say that some companies don't make a HA for some hearing losses. My loss wasn't covered by any device until just recently & it is still no marked improvement IMO. My HA's spend far more time in box than on ears. I wear for eating out, grandchildren visits,etc..