Tinnitus

[Xasthur]

Drowning our conversations.... that's very bad... I'm sorry to hear that.

I play in a couple of bands and go to gigs regularly (Metal bands don't make a habbit of playing quietly...)

All I can say is that prevention really is the best cure... Spend the $40 or $50 on a good pair of ear-plugs that reduce the decibel level as opposed to the 'pillow infront of a speaker' effect of cheap ear-plugs. Don't be affraid to wear them at all times... at gigs, when jamming, at airshows.... whatever.

There is no cure for this hearing damage... so look after your ears.

Best of luck to you all who have to deal with severe tinnitus

[cpxxx]

Had it for a while when I first started riding fast motorcycles. The wind noise used to go on long after I put the bike away. The cure was a good set of earplugs. Funny enough, flying without headsets barely affected me, nor did shooting without earplugs.

The weirdest tinnitus I had was the sound of bagpipes wailing in my ears as I lay in bed one night. This was caused by the local pipe band fund raising outside the nearby church one sunday morning when I had a bit of a lie in. I had a reprise that night. I was so loud I had to get up and check the pipers were not really outside at two in the morning.  They say it's caused, in this case, by the little hairs in the inner ear that detect sound waves been laid flat by constant repetition. This is intepreted by the brain as constant sound. Not all tinnitus is caused by that I know. But good ear plugs in loud situations are a must.

[AquaShrimp]

I've had a very mild version of it since I was a very young kid.  Mine is more of a solid tone rather than a ringing.  Only affects me when the environment I am in is rather quiet.

[Maverick]

I've had it for over 20 years. In getting my hearing checked for flight physicals I was told I had a significant loss of between 30% to 45%. I had a more thorough hearing test last December. It came back with a 35% loss on each side especially at the upper frequencies. High pitches are bad and some are totally gone now. Background noise tends to drown out conversation making it tough to hear in crowd situations.

The Dr. confirmed it was likely from explosions and large guns. Too many 105 mm's at close range while in tanks not to mention the .50 cal in my cupola. The siren less than 5' away didn't do me any good either.

I always shoot with ear protection, muffs when possible, just ask Rude and Toad. Unfortunately the CVC in the tank precluded anything better than foam ear plugs.

[rpm]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
I've had a very mild version of it since I was a very young kid.  Mine is more of a solid tone rather than a ringing.  Only affects me when the environment I am in is rather quiet.

That's the way mine was until about 2 years ago when it started to get worse.

[Makarov9]

I have a constant tone in my right ear. It happened because the ear plug was not seated fully while I was shooting, but stupidly I kept on shooting. After the session I could no longer hear in that ear. It took a week for the hearing to come back to normal. However, now I have the constant, high-pitched tone in my right ear. I really only notice it when it's quit so it could be worse. I've learned to block it out but some nights it can get aggravating.

[Reschke]

I have it in my left ear as a result of shooting shotguns and high powered rifles (yes I used ear protection devices) for many years. There are some surgical procedures that I am investigating with my ENT doctor that may help reduce it or eliminate it entirely.

[Wolf14]

I've got it. Had it since I was probably twelve or so thereabouts. Growing up I was exposed to alot of loud machinery and metal working.

[nirvana]

I only get ringing in my years after work if we are doing a lot of loud banging.  Sometimes I get ringing in my ears for no reason but doesn't bother me much, I don't think I could deal with it constantly though.

[T0J0]

Yes... Went to hear Ted Nugent three years ago and the ringing hasn't stopped since that night...I wish that was joke but it weren't....  I guess the DB level pushed my ear damage over the edge that night.....

[Blooz]

Me too.

Right ear is worse than left.

Sometimes get a crackling noise instead of the usual sound.

Huh?....I'm sorry...Could you say that again?

All day long.

[Debonair]

[SIZE=8]WHAT? [/SIZE]

[Airscrew]

Originally posted by rpm
Anyone else have tinnitus? Constant high pitched ringing in your ears. I've had it for at least 15 years. I had some really good car stereos and worked around a lot of straight exhaust engines.

I have it now for several years, at least 15 years.   Combinations of several things,  AC/DC full blast in the car,  going shooting with out hearing protection (earlier, later got smart but it was too late) working dental and high speed dental instruments.  They finally told us in 92 after I was doing it for 12 years that it high speed dental drills could cause hearing loss and issued us ear plugs, too late.    Left ear used to be only late at night when everything was quite, now its constant.  Right ear occasionally, some days are louder than others.   I havent had a hearing test since just before I retired in 99.  I'm listening to it right now,  its louder than the fan on my pc.

[Hornet33]

I had a bad case of it but I'm divorced now and that seemed to cure it for me:D


Seriously though, I have a mild case. Grew up on Air Force bases and did 4 years in the Army as an Artillery guy. M110A2 (8 inch self propelled) and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). Became an Electronic Technician in the Coast Guard and some of the test sets I use on a regular basis generate a 1KHz test tone. If I hear that tone long enough it keeps ringing in my ears for hours after I'm done and gives me bad headaches. It comes and goes depending on what's going on around me.

[eagl]

Guns,

You might make some discreet inquiries into if you are "allowed" to have tinnitus in your job...  If you are, then you might consider getting it documented in your medical record (if you haven't already).  That way it would support any partial disability judgement when you retire.  Even moderate tinnitus is considered a disability and if yours is loud enough to interfere with your life, even if it's intermittant, then it's a legit partial disability you incurred during your service.