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Posted: |
Aug 23, 2011 - 5:30 AM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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I had tinnitus ever since I can remember. Mine is a high-pitched ring accompanied by a mild whooshing sound which both worsen if I'm overtired or stressed. Sadly, I can't enjoy sitting in silence lest I begin focusing on those two sounds. For the most part I've managed to become accustomed to it all. But once, as I was lying in my bed at night, I was unable to ignore the ringing. It crawled inside me like a parasite and for a brief moment I felt myself teeter on the brink of absolute madness. It was terrifying. I managed to snap back to reality, and to this day have never gone to bed without some sort of white noise. A large box fan on high speed does the trick.
As we say here in the South, bless your heart, Brad, and thanks for sharing. My tinnitus is just becoming noticeable, so I'm new to it. I hope I can be as strong as you in dealing with it. Thanks again! - jack
And may I add, I ask about this because we are all music lovers, so I thought others might have some unique aspects, insights to share, like Brad. I know there are numerous "help sites" out there, but since we all share music, particularly soundtrack "obsessions", if you will, it might help to know how others who also share the malady of tinnitus deal with it. Thanks!
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Posted: |
Aug 23, 2011 - 6:37 AM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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I have it. I've mostly got used to it. It doesn't seem to be getting worse. Some music masks it - rock / metal. Some music makes it more noticeable - orchestral high strings. It seems to have come hand in hand with general deterioration of my high-frequency hearing, which is very annoying, but not surprising since I've listened to loud music for many years.
Thanks, Jehannum! Now that you mention it, I've noticed that certain sounds, frequencies, I guess do accentuate it. In my case, the hissing sound some thermostats in office or large building environments make really are noticeable. Almost like there is some resonance with the frequency I perceive. It's sort of ironic, that I never listened to music at loud levels, but in times past have been exposed somewhat to loud environments, so I guess mine came from that.
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Posted: |
Aug 23, 2011 - 8:19 AM
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By: |
sprocket
(Member)
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Not much you can do about it, so just ignore it as much as possible.
My tinnitus was a result of a ride at Walt Disney World a couple of years ago (called the DINOSAUR). It never occurred to me that a place with Mickey Mouse and 5 year olds on their brochures could be so loud as to damage (my) hearing, but there you go.
I do hold WDW responsible: they have don't sell ear plugs in their stores and it was only after the fact that I found out that they will give you handfuls if you ask for them at the Customer Care. The stock answer as a solution for noise is to cover your ears, but this was not an option in the Dinosaur ride, as they recommend you hold on to the trolley with both hands.
For the most part, my tinnitus has been a problem because my ears have become ultra-sensitive. A 10 minute car ride used to ‘scratch’ my inner ear, restaurants can be much too loud and filling a bath was traumatic. I dropped out of my choir and listened to 1 or 2 CDs a week, if that.
What a tale of woe. 
My ears have become tougher over the 18 months or so. I can now fill the bathtub without leaving the room and I figure I have a comfortable driving range of about 3 hours. Choir is a no, no, but I’m listening to more CDs these days.
Of course, the hiss is constant.
So what are you going to do? There is no cure. Just live with it and don’t focus on it.
PS: My advice, if you go to Walt Disney World is: bring earplugs, just in case.
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Count me in as well. It's annoying, but I can tolerate it so far. It is frustrating to have to double check to make sure the TV is actually off…
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Posted: |
Aug 23, 2011 - 10:46 AM
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By: |
Ron Pulliam
(Member)
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Courtesy of the U.S. Navy and having been assigned working quarters right beneath the number 4 catapult (the level below the flight deck) on USS Kitty Hawk (CVN-69) from 1984-1987, I have a case of tinnitus that comes and goes. We had sound attenuators, of course, for each staff member, but those don't do any good when you have to talk on the telephone or when someone comes to your office to talk business.
I complained of it, and had my hearing tested, while on board. Surprisingly, there was never one entry made in my medical jacket about my complaint or the subsequent testing. The end result of that, of course, was that I could not claim the tinnitus on my application for disability.
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Posted: |
Aug 23, 2011 - 11:25 AM
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By: |
sprocket
(Member)
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Sprocket, I admire you for the way you have coped with tinnitus in such a positive way. I mean, it's heartbreaking, how it happened to you. I assume you have little to no recourse, not that it would help your condition, anyway. Thanks for your input! - jack
Actually, I take comfort from something I read in a David Gemmell fantasy book. One of the characters had a weak heart and being a big bruiser in the Conan tradition was eager to join in a big battle. The local witch talked to him, saying don’t curse your infirmary: treat your heart like an ailing friend.
So I treat my ears like ailing friends and hope they will someday recover. If not, a little re-invention in life is a good thing, and as we get older (I’m 48 now) something we all have to deal with.
(In the end the big bruiser took part in the big battle, winning the day and dying happy, his heart giving out.)
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