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Tinnitus anyone?

I followed this thread with interest as I have tinnitus. Mine has worsened the past few years in that it now interferes with my hearing. Mine is also accompanied with a slight to moderate hearing loss. Hearing loss often goes hand in hand with tinnitus.

But there is help. First off preserve your hearing.

The fan trick at night really does help as do "sound machines". There are also "white noise" apps for many smartphones. Those were all things that my audiologist recommended as well as the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) I was placed on. The idea is to train your brain to ignore the tinnitus the same way it ignores the hum of the refrigerator. I was told to not drown out the tinnitus with the sound therapy but to let them mingle. The office said all motorcyclists should really wear some sort of earplugs and they recommend the etymotic brand (etymotic.com), which I was already wearing. They said plugs with a valve are always better than those without and especially better than foam.

Silence is your enemy with tinnitus. You will hear it more when it is quiet.

This morning I went to the next step. Hearing aids with sound generators. Before they were even programmed and were just "aiding" hearing I was impressed. I now constantly have the low white noise in my ears (like the sound apps) but for me it is much less intrusive than the ringing. In time I will learn to ignore it I'm told. We intentionally stopped at a restaurant on the way home I always had problems in with my hearing. It was like night and day. I was lucky that my hearing loss is slight to moderate as the sound generators have far less channels than your typical in the ear hearing aids. Mine and I believe most if all sound generators are behind the ear aids. Mine are worn with glasses too. You can barely see them also.

But THEY ARE NOT TO BE WORN when riding. When riding it's time to remove them and rely on earplugs which for now means hearing the ringing.

Just know that there is help out there as technology moves forward.

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Interesting, glad you are happy with them. If you could, perhaps give us an update in a month or so.
OM
 
I followed this thread with interest as I have tinnitus. Mine has worsened the past few years in that it now interferes with my hearing. Mine is also accompanied with a slight to moderate hearing loss. Hearing loss often goes hand in hand with tinnitus.

This morning I went to the next step. Hearing aids with sound generators. ]


Yup, took the next step myself, hearing aids, minus the sound generators, I can add that program later....I think. I pick them up in a couple of weeks. My tinnitus can get far worse from noise directed in my ear that has close to profound hearing loss at some levels.....strange. I'm looking forward to hearing conversations in the car and in restaurants and the TV again.

I will have to see how my Tinnitus is with them.

I must say the hearing test was funny..."is that a beep from the machine, or my tinnitus I hear?" :laugh

I have to edit this post, every time I respond to a Tinnitus thread I notice the ringing for the next 1/2 hour or so until my brain tunes it out again.
 
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I can only relate my experience. I had some ringing which I would notice when it was quiet. I was aware and I switched to noise cancelling headsets for work and tried to protect my hearing while riding etc. Two things have since changed in my life. I have become somewhat of a health nut after an Ultrasound of my carotid showed some thickening of the walls. I am now basically a vegetarian and avoid processed foods/sugars as much as possible.
It occurred to me several months after losing 20+ pounds that there is no ringing even in a perfectly quiet room. In addition, I was getting excessive ear wax and to stop that I was using some Cortisone in my ears. I still use this occasionally and I have had no more issues with excessive ear wax. Not sure if the diet or the cortisone made any difference but this has been my experience. I may have dodged the bullet so far because for years I did not wear any protection in very noisy environments around airports and farms.
 
There is a new lab? / clinic? just opened near me. It is called Hearing solutions, and they sent info about a free group study on tinnitus , and have a sign out front encouraging participation. Since yes I do have it, I think I'm going to look into the study. I'll post what the results.
 
www.hearingaidforums.com is a place to gather info on your own. Has several pros on there & like the rest of the world plenty of armchair QB's. Some there have profound losses while far more others have the common noise induced variety as most on this forum have or are trying to avoid/or acquire? -depending on awareness.
Tread carefully in the "world" of HA's as is evidenced by the many laws to protect us. They will sell you something, even if it is not the best solution for your type loss. Not all HA mfg's make an aid for every type of loss.Some will sell you a HA that's too powerful for your loss because it has a higher price point/more profit , then turn it down to your level of need. Some sell multiple brands to assist more kinds of users. Many/most(seems to me its most!-e.g., I've been quoted $7k for an aid that was $3k elsewhere!) have markup's similar to the jewelry trade. I was pointed toward places like Costco in my search & found their prices to be just below middle of the road after diligent searching.
I have VG HA's & still find myself either turning them off in a restaurant or waaay down. Red Lobster as an e.g. of a common & popular place that's not "bar room noisy", yet can be too loud with aids turned up.Works better for me to ask for a booth in a quiet corner than to depend on HA's to solve my problem of hearing better in public place. FWIW, I think HA's were invented by the battery people:laugh
 
Yup, took the next step myself, hearing aids, minus the sound generators, I can add that program later....I think. I pick them up in a couple of weeks. My tinnitus can get far worse from noise directed in my ear that has close to profound hearing loss at some levels.....strange. I'm looking forward to hearing conversations in the car and in restaurants and the TV again.

I will have to see how my Tinnitus is with them.

I must say the hearing test was funny..."is that a beep from the machine, or my tinnitus I hear?" :laugh

I have to edit this post, every time I respond to a Tinnitus thread I notice the ringing for the next 1/2 hour or so until my brain tunes it out again.

I guess that's why the audiologist compares it to the hum of the refrigerator or air conditioning. You don't notice it because your brain tunes it out, but you notice it now because I mentioned it. Think of your tinnitus and it becomes more prominent.

It's amazing what they can program into the little things. I can have just the hearing aid feature, just the tinnitus feature or both, in what they referred to a "playlist". When my brain learns to tune out the tinnitus that feature can be dropped. I have to give my healthcare provider, Kaiser Permanente some credit here too. The devices were not their first solution, but near the end. Tests, exams and the TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) all came first. Often one co-payment covered multiple visits too.

Some posted about markups. Boy are they right! I was looking for reviews and more information of my model once they were ordered. A lot of the links took me to online "discount" retailers who dispense through a local audiologist. Their prices for ONE device was nearly what I paid for my PAIR and no my Kaiser Permanente policy does not cover hearing aids. :brow
 
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eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee:banghead

No hearing protection in my younger years and use of air hammers, chainsaws and straight-piped bikes,second row in front of Marshall stacks at several concerts,a screaming first wife on 11 volume all the time and glass packed Chevies. :groovy
I only notice it when in a really quiet environment as in no one in the house and no background noises. At night we run fans.

And as mentioned, after reading about it makes it seem louder in my head. :doh
 
Good timing on this discussion again.

Tonight I sit in motel awaiting my second day of treatment of Tinnitus and mostly symptoms of my Meniere's syndrome (disease) at World renowned Shea Ear Clinic in Memphis.

Being a 20 year sufferer from these symptoms and understanding my Limitations concerning riding....I had a shunt implanted 18 years ago...and it has served me well.... Tinnitus help ...NO ...Menierie's YES. so good that I started to motorcycle tour in my semi retirement years 14 years ago... very close to 300,000 document BMW miles and enjoyed every mile.. I have been off the bike since my return from BMW MOA in Salem...made it as far as Colorado...on the return...
18 years ago.. my pilot days ended..due to could not pass the medcial....and now I face the future of my ride...it hurts...but I have hope...and you don't have to look far to see a friend that has far more health problems than I...makes mind look minor...

18 years ago...my old family doctor who had suffered from Tinnitus for years like millions of us....told me something that I believe to this day....Don he said "you can spend all the money you will ever make and you can't get rid of the ringing, you can learn how to control the loudest, you can learn about your diet and you can buy things that make living with tinnitus better... We need to tell this young folks to protect their ears and hearing...we will have two generations of deaf folks by the millions until it's learned"

Yes, I am like you...wanting some relief and I have read volumes of articles, medical journals, belonged to American Tinnitus Association....did every test and treatment known...and yes my Old Doctor was correct... tonight I sit here awaiting day two of test treatment...not for a cure but to make it where I can live with my problem.

The bottom line IMO, we can teach prevention and protection like ATGATT...but the cures are trial and error and lots of snake oil out there, ask me how I know?

OH, I didn't try the voodoo women in Walker county that for $15 has a special bag to wart off anything...but you have to revisit her every week ane pay $5 for the refreshed bag of herbs... just wait in line :wow OH the old doctor heard about her and told me to tie garlic around my neck and keep away everything!:brow

The combo of tinnitus and meniere's has caused total deafness in my rt. ear... Yes you can have tinnitus without meniere's and meniere's with tinnitus...but one can lead to the other...just monitor your conditions folks and don't wait too long for prevention of future issues.

Sorry this is long....
 
#89-Great job! Even those people that "think they know" about noise induced hearing loss" will expose themselves needlessly. I see this all the time & as a guy that hears the ringing & have 35% loss R & L I preach to no avail-they usually say-"this one time wont hurt" or , "yes, I know but I usually wear protection" or "its too late to worry about it now"!
Mentioned above is insurance coverage for hearing related needs-At this time of an alarming national discussion about health care insurance(trying to keep it "clean" here) I am reminded again that of our some of bodies most precious assets for a healthy life are often given the short end of the stick when it comes to insurance! Look at the lack of coverage related to EYES!, EARS!,TEETH!,MENTAL HEALTH! & ADDICTIONS! :banghead

Even when you have insurance:banghead: When I get off of here, I'm writing an appeal (Express Scripts for a rejected prescription) to recieve a medication for persons like me, that cannot take NSAIDS through the mouth, based on rejection of my docs prescription for an alternative designed for people like me, their having rejected saying the doc didn't justify the med & that it wasn't really "for what it is for" when it fact that's what it's for. Moral of the story-don't get tick fever.

I wonder if the government will have MC riders on a "list" of persons that are higher a actuarial risk for insurance purposes?
 
It's why you can't just buy hearing aids. I went to the ENT and the Aud a few times. There was a combination of hearing tests, nerve tests and even blood tests. Two things they were indeed trying to rule out were in fact Meniere's Disease or a tumor. I you go somewhere like Cosco to the earing aid booth, that's all they're doing is testing your hearing and selling you hearing aids. They're not doctors. They're not even Cosco, they're renting the space from them.
 
It's why you can't just buy hearing aids. I went to the ENT and the Aud a few times. There was a combination of hearing tests, nerve tests and even blood tests. Two things they were indeed trying to rule out were in fact Meniere's Disease or a tumor. I you go somewhere like Cosco to the earing aid booth, that's all they're doing is testing your hearing and selling you hearing aids. They're not doctors. They're not even Cosco, they're renting the space from them.

Yes these hearing aids store are just that hearing aids selling points.... I just opted from the latest greatest hearing aid...not from a hearing aid center but from an audiologist, expensive YES, but consist one hears for me in my deaf ear and tranmit to my good ear hearing device via bluetooth tech...transmitted tech. All computer controlled and require several returns visit to fine tune them (no cost with my dr.) for example the turn signal on my truck made a loud click...dr. turned it down via of computer.... also the AC/Heat fan roared...same thing turned it down... ..I have setting for crowds and setting for room/tv sounds... I love my Dr. and she is cute to booth...but she has taken a lot of time to make sure they work for me... SO, you get what you pay for...

OH, these are so small are are hid in my ear...but the transmit part is behind my ear and I order the chrome to match my chrome hair! :)
 
Yes these hearing aids store are just that hearing aids selling points.... I just opted from the latest greatest hearing aid...not from a hearing aid center but from an audiologist, expensive YES, but consist one hears for me in my deaf ear and tranmit to my good ear hearing device via bluetooth tech...transmitted tech. All computer controlled and require several returns visit to fine tune them (no cost with my dr.) for example the turn signal on my truck made a loud click...dr. turned it down via of computer.... also the AC/Heat fan roared...same thing turned it down... ..I have setting for crowds and setting for room/tv sounds... I love my Dr. and she is cute to booth...but she has taken a lot of time to make sure they work for me... SO, you get what you pay for...

OH, these are so small are are hid in my ear...but the transmit part is behind my ear and I order the chrome to match my chrome hair! :)

Same here! It seemed hearing aids were the last option my doctor and audiologist wanted to discuss. And yes, I get quite a number of return and follow up visits with no charge or copay. They may set me up with "play lists" at my next visit, but for now, my volume control is only volume. And they can fine tune the volumes too. Like you, mine are the small behind the ear with the "fishing line" to my ear, barely noticeable. She did the same thing, matched the aids to my hair, in my case "champagne". Sounds like Phonaks. My mother-in-law has already said, "I thought Donna said you got your hearing aids." "I did. I'm wearing them." "Are you sure you are?"
 
It's why you can't just buy hearing aids. I went to the ENT and the Aud a few times. There was a combination of hearing tests, nerve tests and even blood tests. Two things they were indeed trying to rule out were in fact Meniere's Disease or a tumor. I you go somewhere like Cosco to the earing aid booth, that's all they're doing is testing your hearing and selling you hearing aids. They're not doctors. They're not even Costco, they're renting the space from them.
I'm not a "Costco guy". I don't "pay to buy/pay", just using them as an e.g. of a middle priced HA seller thaqt was mentioned to me when I was shopping. You don't have to go to an MD/medical doctor to buy HA's-at least not in KY and many other states. You can buy them on ebay,webstores,etc. & not logical unless you've had the proper testing & know the brand & model your after. Unfortunately the "testers" are also the ones that stand to make a barrel of money off the deal & that leads to poor advice at times. HA's are a red flag waving when it comes to looking out for #1!
The set I have now were adjusted by a Doctor of Audiology that has an office(two in that small town ENT doc office!) with an ENT & I paid my $ to see the ENT 1st,then back for what was the jillionth hearing test of my life! The "real doc" part of the process was a quickie visit & as you say served some purpose?-hard to say after 50 years of noise induced hearing loss preceding the visit. FWIW, the Doctor of Audiology degree is comprised of 70 credit hours. I'm not suggesting that is a joke but as a retired educator I find it to be something akin to an assoc degree thrown in on top of a 4 yr Bachelors deg & hardly what we tend to think of as a "doctor of anything"? Many of us went to school far longer to learn about lots of other stuff. Many that are the only person you'll encounter in your whole process of ending up with a HA have accreditation that's way less than the Doctor of Audiology level of training.
My HA's came from a "dearly departed" whose daughter sold them from her Mom's drawer where they resided until her estate was sold off. Ebay is full of them. Used but new HA's. Many elderly have a number of pairs-or singles, that haven't been used or only for a short time. You have them adjusted to your hearing loss profile& replace the tubes & cones,etc.. I had mine recently repaired by a pro that also advertises on ebay. Direct through him is ~$80-try that through the ENT or your local HA center & it goes way up$$$ as they take their cut & send them off to same guy anyway cause they don't fix them there. For me, I value the thousands of dollars I saved by doing a bit of research & bidding.
A bit of clarity to using HA's-don't expect a "miracle fix" because it's not likely to happen if you have as much loss as myself.The birds I hear are always around!:laugh
 
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It's why you can't just buy hearing aids. I went to the ENT and the Aud a few times. There was a combination of hearing tests, nerve tests and even blood tests. Two things they were indeed trying to rule out were in fact Meniere's Disease or a tumor. I you go somewhere like Cosco to the earing aid booth, that's all they're doing is testing your hearing and selling you hearing aids. They're not doctors. They're not even Cosco, they're renting the space from them.

OK, point of clarification here. The Vendors at Costco are licensed audiologists, at least here in the Florida.
As cehlbeck has stated you owe it to yourself to investigate any potential medical issues which may be causing tinnitus with an ENT. Most will have an audiologist in or associated with their practice to test your hearing levels.
If justified you can then shop audiologists for the best deal on devices.
I too wear the BTE aids, they work well. I do not wear them for riding, I use plugs for riding and all power equipment operation and any potential noise exposure. For me, any unprotected exposure to noise triggers an increase in my tinnitus.
FWIW I am tested yearly through a work physical and have documented hearing loss through the years.
Get a professional opinion and take care of yourselves.
 
OK, point of clarification here. The Vendors at Costco are licensed audiologists, at least here in the Florida.
As cehlbeck has stated you owe it to yourself to investigate any potential medical issues which may be causing tinnitus with an ENT. Most will have an audiologist in or associated with their practice to test your hearing levels.
If justified you can then shop audiologists for the best deal on devices.
I too wear the BTE aids, they work well. I do not wear them for riding, I use plugs for riding and all power equipment operation and any potential noise exposure. For me, any unprotected exposure to noise triggers an increase in my tinnitus.
FWIW I am tested yearly through a work physical and have documented hearing loss through the years.
Get a professional opinion and take care of yourselves.

:thumb That's exactly what procedures I went through and the advice given by the audiologist. The Audiologist who is by the way a licensed "doctor of audiology" says "Don't call me doctor." Even at my initial fitting there was a lot tuning going on. Future visits and tuning for a year are included in the purchase of the devices. Who does this if you buy online and have them shipped to you?
 
I've often wondered if my tinnitus is the product of years of Fillmore/ Winterland concerts while growing up. I'm sure other sources such as airplane, motorcycle and car engines helped it advance as well.
The solution that works for me is blocking/selective hearing most of the time.
It sucks growing old!
 
It sucks growing old!

But it sure beats not growing old. Growing old is like unrolling a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. When I was a kid in grade school, a day in class seemed to last forever. Now that I am on Medicare, time flies like fast forwarding my DVR.
 
:thumb That's exactly what procedures I went through and the advice given by the audiologist. The Audiologist who is by the way a licensed "doctor of audiology" says "Don't call me doctor." Even at my initial fitting there was a lot tuning going on. Future visits and tuning for a year are included in the purchase of the devices. Who does this if you buy online and have them shipped to you?

Regarding "buying online & shipped to you": "My" Doc of Audiology performed the booth tests of my hearing,explained the charts to me(basically the exact! same curve & numbers I had in the late 1960's from army flight physicals) & then adjusted my HA's via a computer program in her office. I then returned a second time for her to place new tubes & ear cones & go over the use of the aids.She has a computerized hookup for the HA's that incorporates my hearling loss curve & she uses that for certain adjustments. She also can "turn them up/down" in office. I'm the wrong person to go further in explanation of this but for some purposes she sends them off. Perhaps some locations/persons do this operation but in my case, no. When I sent mine in for a repair it cost me $80 as I recall & the guy mailed them back.My "doc" of audiology told me it would be a minimum charge of $200 if sent to Phonak. The repair guy didn't need my personal information to do the electronic work-at least in my case. I suppose that some brands are different than others in retail provider process & policy. The website I offered in an earlier post, this thread, is a forum for a great exchange of info & my hearing professional participates there often, as she isn't in it for the money. That doesn't keep the rates at her location(set by the MD that owns the practice) from being far more than what I paid for my aids. Some HA locations will not provide you any service if you bought your HA's elsewhere! While you might not agree (since they didn't get the upfront $$$,etc.) , I call it a PITA as an item that can easily cost in the thousands should be serviceable or adjustable at any dealer for that brand! I promise you vehicle dealers like your repair $$$, regardless of who sold it. How else would you get a used vehicle or other item serviced?
Much about the whole hearing "industry"thing is skewed against the consumer thus many laws that supposedly protect you, like mentioned for FL above. I get ads in the mail constantly (KY DMV sells your info to companies in direct mail/phone call industry, so likely based on my senior age status) for HA's. I get Christmas cards each year from a place I went to (over 15 years ago)prior to the development of HA's that actually help my type high freq loss. Of course , we see constant TV,a whole page newspaper ads for HA's-reminds me of the "pill industry":banghead

17deg here & kinda cold to ride...:violin
 
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Anyone have any success with the miracle cure vitamin/drugs available online? I really doubt any of it is effective in the least way, but I am curious if it does anything to reduce the effect?
 
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