Author Topic: Tinnitus  (Read 9966 times)

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Offline Eupher

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #25 on: June 13, 2012, 12:11:13 PM »
With your background, you could go to the VA & get hearing aids. They have modernized & no longer issue the brass ear trumpets. They now issue the nifty 2lb micro aid. Get both ears at once so your head won't tilt.

Yeah, I've already taken steps to try and get that done at Ft. Riley. But I ain't quite pulled the trigger yet.

No more brass trumpets, eh? Damn. One of those would go well with my government issue birth control glasses....
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Offline Bad Dog

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #26 on: June 13, 2012, 01:42:00 PM »
Yeah, I've already taken steps to try and get that done at Ft. Riley. But I ain't quite pulled the trigger yet.

No more brass trumpets, eh? Damn. One of those would go well with my government issue birth control glasses....

Been lucky, I get my cheap glasses from my employee coverage. Are they still issuing the Clark Kents?

Offline Eupher

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #27 on: June 13, 2012, 04:45:32 PM »
Been lucky, I get my cheap glasses from my employee coverage. Are they still issuing the Clark Kents?

I dunno. As soon as I dumped the only two pairs I was ever issued, I started getting laid again.

Those BCG really do work!  :rotf:
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Offline CactusCarlos

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #28 on: June 13, 2012, 05:08:08 PM »
Are they still issuing the Clark Kents?

I got issued Clark Kents in Basic Training in 1985.  They were downright sexy compared to the tortoiseshell travesties that replaced them in the late 80s/early 90s!
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Offline obumazombie

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #29 on: June 13, 2012, 08:57:28 PM »
Been lucky, I get my cheap glasses from my employee coverage. Are they still issuing the Clark Kents?
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Offline RobJohnson

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #30 on: June 14, 2012, 10:19:52 PM »


I know a retired heavy equipment mechanic that says as long as he takes this it helps. This is the generic version of a much more expensive brand. Read the reviews. Walgreens stands behind their products and if it does not help you you can bring it back before the end of the first 30 days for a full refund.

This guy spent years in the desert at the Nevada test site (aka: Area 51) working outside with wind and dust blowing on top of the loud noise. The repair trucks had no a/c so he had the same blowing into one ear while he drove. He claims when he takes this supplement it's easier for him to hear in groups of people and there is less ringing.

One hearing doctor told him "that just means you are having hearing loss, come back and see me in six months" he never went back and had another doctor tell him about the supplement (his PCP)

This is not medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am just sharing with you one person's experience. This person is not a "health junkie" and this is the only vitamin he takes. He says it really "helps."

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-ear-health-plus-dietary-supplement-caplets/ID=prod5508989-product

Offline Ballygrl

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #31 on: June 14, 2012, 11:32:08 PM »
I'm curious about all the tinnitus sufferers here:  do you also have very sensitive hearing?  I can detect the slightest sound when no one else around me can hear it.  A mouse was eating through the sheetrock in an apartment I was in once.  I kept hearing this tiny, tiny scritching sound and traced it to a spot on a wall.  Suddenly a pink nose popped through.  Even in a remote area, away from anything you could think would make noise, I can hear hums which are not tinnitus related.

I have pretty good hearing, my MIL who has really bad tinnitus has super duper hearing. I have a super duper sense of smell.
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Offline whiffleball

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #32 on: June 15, 2012, 04:59:26 AM »
I have pretty good hearing, my MIL who has really bad tinnitus has super duper hearing. I have a super duper sense of smell.

Has your MIL ever been given any explanation for the tinnitus or her heightened sense of hearing? 

I have an outstanding sense of smell too.  Most of the time it seems like a curse along with the hearing.  If it isn't the tinnitus or hearing making me crazy, it's some goddawful smell no one else notices.  Ask me to walk a balance beam, though, and it's all over.  My balance is horrible.

Offline obumazombie

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #33 on: June 15, 2012, 11:59:24 AM »
Has your MIL ever been given any explanation for the tinnitus or her heightened sense of hearing? 

I have an outstanding sense of smell too.  Most of the time it seems like a curse along with the hearing.  If it isn't the tinnitus or hearing making me crazy, it's some goddawful smell no one else notices.  Ask me to walk a balance beam, though, and it's all over.  My balance is horrible.
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Offline Bondai

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #34 on: August 08, 2012, 06:06:44 AM »
I have severe nerve damage in both ears from prolonged exposure to high frequency noise, AKA jet engines. During the 20 years I was in the Air Force I used all the hearing protection that was made available to us, but due to the requirements of my job I practically lived on the flight line and one thing you came to accept was that you were going to be constantly exposed to running jet engines. There was just no way you were going to have 100% protection 100% of the time, and anyone who has worked on the flight line can attest to what I said. Just suck it up. Add to that the additional exposure to ground test equipment and power units and all the other noise makers that were just part of life on the flight line, I am surprised I am not totally deaf.

As it is my ears ring constantly and sometimes it is really loud. I am not alone with this, a bunch of you have said the same thing. I have lived with it for so long I have learned to ignore it. If I think about it then yes I can hear it  but normally it no longer bothers me.

When it first started to get real bad I couldn't ignore it, and no matter what I did the constant ringing would just drive me right to the edge. It was horrible sometimes, I just wanted to break something or kick somebody's ass, anything to relieve the stress. I swear to God that some days I thought I was going nuts. But over time I adapted to it. :-)


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Offline vesta111

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #35 on: August 08, 2012, 09:05:19 AM »
I have severe nerve damage in both ears from prolonged exposure to high frequency noise, AKA jet engines. During the 20 years I was in the Air Force I used all the hearing protection that was made available to us, but due to the requirements of my job I practically lived on the flight line and one thing you came to accept was that you were going to be constantly exposed to running jet engines. There was just no way you were going to have 100% protection 100% of the time, and anyone who has worked on the flight line can attest to what I said. Just suck it up. Add to that the additional exposure to ground test equipment and power units and all the other noise makers that were just part of life on the flight line, I am surprised I am not totally deaf.

As it is my ears ring constantly and sometimes it is really loud. I am not alone with this, a bunch of you have said the same thing. I have lived with it for so long I have learned to ignore it. If I think about it then yes I can hear it  but normally it no longer bothers me.

When it first started to get real bad I couldn't ignore it, and no matter what I did the constant ringing would just drive me right to the edge. It was horrible sometimes, I just wanted to break something or kick somebody's ass, anything to relieve the stress. I swear to God that some days I thought I was going nuts. But over time I adapted to it. :-)

Good grief, I had no idea how common this problem is.   My hubby is the ONLY person I have ever known with this problem.   Thinking about what you all with this problem have said, I now believe that one mystery has been solved.   

At times he speaks at a normal volume and others one has to get in his face to hear him.   A good friend once asked if Hubby had a volume button.   

Only once or twice in 22 years has he mentioned this ringing or what ever in his ears and that he had been told that there was nothing DR. could do about it.   So years go by and I never gave it a thought until now.

Questions here,    Could this be caused by a blow to the ear say in an auto accident or someone hitting one up side the head as a kid ?????

Question, how old were all of you with this problem when you first noticed it ?????

Question, did this come on suddenly or gradually ????

I need to ask Hubby some questions instead of just continually ignoreing it for years.

Offline Eupher

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #36 on: August 08, 2012, 09:19:54 AM »
vesta, hearing loss is a gradual process and unless it's caused by trauma or something not related to exposure to sound pressure volume, you don't really notice it when you've got it -- until it's kinda too late.

I drive Mrs. E nuts with the "huh?" and "what did you say?" stuff.

But to me, it's a standard question I ask her all the time.

My own ringing-in-the-ears is at a specific frequency, though I can't quote a hertz value. I can sing it and play it on the piano.

And it is frustrating how much I can't hear. I wore a single hearing aid on a trial basis for several days and I was amazed at how much I was missing.
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Offline Bondai

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #37 on: August 08, 2012, 12:24:53 PM »
Good grief, I had no idea how common this problem is.   My hubby is the ONLY person I have ever known with this problem.   Thinking about what you all with this problem have said, I now believe that one mystery has been solved.   

At times he speaks at a normal volume and others one has to get in his face to hear him.   A good friend once asked if Hubby had a volume button.   

Only once or twice in 22 years has he mentioned this ringing or what ever in his ears and that he had been told that there was nothing DR. could do about it.   So years go by and I never gave it a thought until now.

Questions here,    Could this be caused by a blow to the ear say in an auto accident or someone hitting one up side the head as a kid ?????

Question, how old were all of you with this problem when you first noticed it ?????

Question, did this come on suddenly or gradually ????

I need to ask Hubby some questions instead of just continually ignoreing it for years.

It is a very common problem. There are probably a huge number of people out there that have this and nobody knows about it, and as a result it never gets treated in any way. We know it's not curable but there are things you can do to lessen it's impact on your life. The symptoms can be different in different people. Some people say it's a ringing sound others say it's more like a buzzing. Your friend that has it may be hearing it at a different frequency than you are.

It has a variety of causes.The prolonged use of certain medications, trauma, exposure to high frequency noise or any noise above a certain decibel level. It doesn't happen over night. The damage and it's symptoms may take years to become noticeable, maybe not. It depends on the person and a lot of other variables. I started having problems when I was 25 or 26.It is also interesting to note that at the same time the doctors detected what they called a significant hearing loss at certain frequencies. If you worked in what was called a "a high noise area" then you had to have a hearing test every year. At that time they would also brief you on the proper use and maintenance of hearing protection devices and at the same time custom fit you with a set of ear plugs that you carried with you everywhere you went. Virtually everyone who worked on the flight line had ear plugs with them.

Sometimes the noise levels would become so high that you had to wear ear plugs and ear muffs/ear defenders at the same time. It was the only way to protect your ears. If  you didn't double up you would find yourself in severe pain, disoriented and unable to function. I have seen guys try it and then realize immediately that they had screwed up. It is extremely dangerous and just plain stupid. If you got caught expect disciplinary action was coming your way, and there were a lot of ways to discipline you. The ability of a supervisor to come up with the worst possible punishment at the worst possible time was uncanny. We had one supervisor in particular I remember whose ability to come up with a seemingly endless supply of unique and very effective punishments made him a legend in supervisory circles. He was of course feared and hated by those who had been the recipients of some of his more creative punishments. He struck fear into the hearts of many an airman. What can I say? it's just life in the military. :tongue:


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Offline Bad Dog

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #38 on: August 08, 2012, 03:09:07 PM »
Military helo's, civilian, or both ?

Sorry I missed your question.  Military for 28 years.

Offline obumazombie

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #39 on: August 08, 2012, 03:12:46 PM »
Sorry I missed your question.  Military for 28 years.
Wow, still flying, on the civilian side ?
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Offline Bad Dog

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #40 on: August 08, 2012, 03:20:50 PM »
Wow, still flying, on the civilian side ?

Can't afford to.  Between retirement & about a year ago I worked for the Navy as a flight sim instructor at NAS Corpus.  I've always enjoyed instructing but felt my response time was getting a little slow.  Ten years in the sims, only had a couple of students come close to killing me.

Offline obumazombie

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #41 on: August 08, 2012, 03:22:58 PM »
Can't afford to.  Between retirement & about a year ago I worked for the Navy as a flight sim instructor at NAS Corpus.  I've always enjoyed instructing but felt my response time was getting a little slow.  Ten years in the sims, only had a couple of students come close to killing me.
You were in my stomping grounds from when I was stationed in Beeville. I went to Corpus on many occasions.
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Offline Bad Dog

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #42 on: August 08, 2012, 03:25:15 PM »
You were in my stomping grounds from when I was stationed in Beeville. I went to Corpus on many occasions.

Beeville?  I assumed you were Army.

Offline obumazombie

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Re: Tinnitus
« Reply #43 on: August 08, 2012, 03:27:47 PM »
Beeville?  I assumed you were Army.
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