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Tinnitus anyone?

one more thought

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.
 
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.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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..
 
Nothing I know helps

Tinnitus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus Yeah tales of a misspent youth can tell part of the story. I've seen many threads recently on "what kind of earplugs" and "quietest helmet" recently and wonder if there are any other sufferers of this annoying malady and what do you do to "temper" off the effects. Ear plugs and helmets.....well if you have it- you know. OM

My tinnitus started only 3 years ago after a concussion; I'm 65 now, so I haven't suffered with it as long as a lot of folks here.

But, ear plugs or better helmet does not keep me from hearing the sound of cicadas 24 hours a day. I raised up under a electric meter box and hit my head above my left eye. The next night, I ask my wife if she heard all those cicadas outside. She said she didn't hear anything; I put my fingers in my ears and could still hear it and been hearing it ever since.

Actually, the wind noise over the shield on my rs gives me some relief as I don't hear it so much. My doctor told me there is not much you can do about it but try and live with it. Some good Kentucky bourbon usually helps mine for a while.:bottle

DW
 
My tinnitus started only 3 years ago after a concussion; I'm 65 now, so I haven't suffered with it as long as a lot of folks here.

But, ear plugs or better helmet does not keep me from hearing the sound of cicadas 24 hours a day. I raised up under a electric meter box and hit my head above my left eye. The next night, I ask my wife if she heard all those cicadas outside. She said she didn't hear anything; I put my fingers in my ears and could still hear it and been hearing it ever since.

Actually, the wind noise over the shield on my rs gives me some relief as I don't hear it so much. My doctor told me there is not much you can do about it but try and live with it. Some good Kentucky bourbon usually helps mine for a while.:bottle

DW

Yeah, one of the ways I figured it out too, sticking fingers in or covering my ears and it did not go away. It started in one ear and is now in both. A number of years ago I did go to an ENT. He sent me to an audiologist for a complete hearing test (in the booth) with the warning that "If they find any hearing loss they will want to sell you hearing aids. Wait and come back to me." Sure enough before checking out they stopped me at the counter for hearing aids. The doctor on the other hand didn't think I needed them at the time and said that if the tinnitus kept me awake more than just on occasion to come back.
 
Many causes of hearing loss cited here. I suffer from it (tinnitus) as well.

The result of too many years without adequate protection at firing ranges as an LEO, poor fitting helmets and one particularly bad day of almost non-stop use of a traffic whistle for nearly an hour.

Damage to the nerve endings in the ears is PERMANENT. No magic pill or therapy will un-do anything.

"White noise" (background tones) will help when it's time to sleep, but the best advice is prevention.

A good-fitting helmet (most helmet noise comes up from beneath, where the helmet meets the neckline) is essential to our passion for two wheels. A large windshield helps and of course, ear plugs if you can tolerate them.

Good luck.
 
I had my hearing tested about 15 years ago at Johns Hopkins audiology as part of an executive physical program they have. They told me then that my hearing was as good as my labrador retriever's. A year ago I started noticing a constant ringing and went in for the appointment - tinnitus with high frequency roll off. Not terrible of definitely the full time ringing and difficult to understand people in a crowded room. I thought long and hard about it and what my Doc told me about being very careful to protect what hearing I have left. I went out and got the best hearing protection / earphones available anywhere from Sensaphonics. Nearly 40 db of passive noise attenuation and excellent sound quality for my tunes and other audio needs.

The nice thing about the Sensaphonics is that they're made from a soft gel and custom molded. Someone said something like "earphones if you can tolerant them..." I've ridden with these on 12 hour days for a week at a time and they always felt comfortable with no irritation or pressure at all. You just have to practice some good ear hygiene so you're not packing wax in there and I use just a small smear of Cortizone+Pain cream on mine just to make the seal especially well and contribute to the comfort level.

Yep, they're pricey at $750 a set and not covered by insurance but hearing loss stinks even more. And, considering the stupid level of money that we all spend farkling up bikes, I didn't have to think about this more than about a minute. What's it worth to me to hear the music when I dance with my daughter at her wedding someday? What's nuts is someone that wouldn't buy a cheap helmet because they might need it someday that will then cheap out on hearing protection that you definitely will need every time you ride. Makes no sense to me and even less now that I'm standing at parties and watching people talk to me and not understanding what they're saying. And that's with just a slight hearing loss!
 
I spent summers working at a cotton gin when I was in high school/college. It was very loud and after a 12 hour shift I'd have ringing in my ears for a few hours so I've always wondered if and when I might get tinnitus. I'm 65 and hasn't come knocking yet! I wear ear plugs when I ride or music ear plugs now when I ride.
 
I have this as well and at times it's absolutely maddening! Too many years of sirens, power tools, shooting, music and motorcycles are all probably to blame. I've got the high pitched tone and endless crickets that no one else can hear going on full time in my head.

It can really drive you crazy if you let it, but as others have stated it seems to get louder the more you fixate on it.

I've got foam plugs in my jacket pocket at all times and use them at theaters, concerts, every time I ride the bike, and even under my gun muffs when I go shooting. I'm trying to protect whatever I have left!

I can't remember the name of it, but I tried that vitamin mix that they sell in drug stores for tinnitus, but it didn't give me any real relief.
 
I must have been born with tinnitus. I don't remember ever not having it.

Nobody seemed to understand what I was talking about when I would mention the ringing or sounds I was getting in my ears ( this was back in the dark ages) . Then the military happened ,then some terrible jobs in places like steel mills and so on, then motorcycles and loud music. Even through all that it is only slightly worse than when I was youngster.

At least I have an excuse for my insanity
 
Yeah and how 'bout the times when your nose/sinus areas hit the wall...............it can bring the noise up 20%.
And for all those watching from home, people with Tinnitus still get the common "ear ringing" on top of the Tinnitus :banghead
 
If your ears are ringing after you are exposed to loud noise,* you have damaged your hearing.

I'm 69 and have major tinnitus (plus Meniere's). Sure wish I knew better when I was doing those things mentioned below. :dunno

pete

* (rock concerts, 2-stroke expansion-chambers, riding without ear plugs, etc.)
 
hearing aids help

I may have posted previously or elsewhere, but it seems worth a redux.

My ENT guy described it this way: The "ringing" sound you "hear" is imaginary. Without any physical input of sound waves, a message is in effect being sent to your brain that is that annoying, maddening "sound" of ringing or hiss or however you describe it.

You may ( likely) also have some hearing loss. The use of hearing aids will put more of the sound of reality in your head, and over time, make you less and less aware of the perceived ringing. Modern hearing aids can be calibrated to your very particular loss of certain frequencies, and while they are fairly expensive, are virtually invisible. In my case my health insurance plan covered half the initial cost.

Now that we're discussing it, I'm very aware of the ringing. However, I'm not wearing them right now, and when I go put my hearing aids in and go on with my day, the ringing will disappear. It took some time to really adjust and for this effect to occur noticeably, but it's true for me. And It's kept me from jumping off a bridge or something.

I never wear them while I'm riding, but always wear earplugs now to reduce the likelihood of further damage. For me the tinnitus really kicked in for the first time after a number of years of riding and particularly, three 700 mile days in a row w/o ear plugs. ( full face helmet and good parabellum screen).

Long days in the saddle, even with earplugs and behind an RT fairing w Aeroflow screen exacerbate it, but it subsides.
 
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