It's time...maybe

[Deleted User]

I would guess the vast majority of baby boomer males have tinnitus. Rock concerts, loud cars and motorcycles, etc have damaged hearing to the point of having continuous tinnitus with very little chance of a remedy at this point in our medical world. All you can do is live with it and hope that they can one day solve this problem.

Anytime you have experienced ringing from a loud sound, it is indication of permanent hearing damage.

mrbiron

muncybob

This is interesting and I'll be following this closely. I not only have tinnitus in both ears but also have high freq. hearing loss in my left ear. Been thinking about some sort of hearing aid not for conversation or "normal" listening but actually for music. I have to seat my self off center to get a better soundstage but know I'm still missing stuff in my left ear.

What I "hear" that is tinnitus sounds different in each ear. Left ear almost sounds like the high freq sound that I cannot hear coming from other sources...a constant high freq sound that you might hear in a hearing test. Right ear is a very low freq sound that comes and goes...actually much more tolerable. Good thing is usually playing tunes at a certain level masks out both of these sounds except between track of course.....but then again I know playing tunes loudly kinda adds to the problem.

Joey_V

A lot is not understood completely because a lot of the issues of the human body is a functional issue rather than purely a structural issue.

When the specialist ENT Doctor says that your ears look physically fine, then the issue is the in the signal processing. Hearing loss is a heavy subject and best left to the specialists. They're not ENT for no reason.

There's a reason they did a 5 year residency and perhaps a 1 year fellowship on top of 4 years undergrad and 4 years med school.

Not to mention only the top 10% of medical students make the cut to become ENT doctors.

So even I would not trust my opinion based on what I read in my leisure time, and I'm a doctor.

It's not my specialty, it's not my expertise.

Your hearing issue is a complicated one. It could be damage to the hearing apparatus, the hair cells, the neural network, or a host of other things. Have a serious talk with your ENT Doctor, get a second opinion to get a better explanation or clarity.

tonyb

TForan wrote: »

I would guess the vast majority of baby boomer males have tinnitus. Rock concerts, loud cars and motorcycles, etc have damaged hearing to the point of having continuous tinnitus with very little chance of a remedy at this point in our medical world. All you can do is live with it and hope that they can one day solve this problem.

Anytime you have experienced ringing from a loud sound, it is indication of permanent hearing damage.

I don't get ringing from loud sounds, actually the ringing is at it's worst when it's quiet. Even deaf people can have tinnitus, so that takes the ears out of the equation, for certain types of tinnitus anyway.

Like Joey said, it can be different things but mostly is a signal processing issue sometimes associated with the neural networks in your brain. Trick is, how to differentiate causes without having to spend 10g's on tests for everything under the sun.

You still may not get a correct answer too after all the tests, very little is known or done in research concerning the issue. If it is a signal processing issue, I guess I need better cables in my head. However, signal processing is a precursor to Alzheimer's, Dementia, and a few other nasty's. You kinda want to tackle the problem before it gets that far. Right now I'm reading up on what others are doing for it. The general consensus so far is there isn't much that can be done aside from supporting the brain function with certain supplements which some have had some success with at least minimalizing the Tinnitus they experience.

Most doctors, from what I'm reading, usually always prescribe a medication....which does little, or hearing aids....which can help cover up the sound with certain technologies. That still doesn't address the root cause though....and that's because they can't tell you for certain what it is. They can't hear what you hear.

So it becomes a process of elimination, and that is where a good doc is probably the most valuable. They can at least narrow down the reasons, the rest is up to you so to speak or shoot in the dark between a handful of perceived causes.

Because Tinnitus can be different things to different people, so can the causes, and some things that may work for some relief on one person may not work on another. Trial and error I guess....or wait until your brain stops functioning altogether. Lots of choices there huh ? Yet I'm suppose to be comfortable with research money going to things like Monkeys snorting coke, Lesbians who drink, and the likes instead of things that actually matter.

[Deleted User]

I wasn't implying that loud noises trigger tinnitus, rather the accumulative effect of several exposures to loud sounds causes tinnitus. I'm sure you've been to a concert and your ears rang ? That's just a preview of what you be living with the rest of your life if you continue the exposure. Protect thy ears, Kids !

bikezappa

My tinnitus (ringing in both ears) has gradually decreased such that I don't notice it unless I really try and search for it. My tinnitus could be dramatically reduced or increased by tensing and moving my jaw. Good luck Tony.

Joey_V

bikezappa wrote: »

My tinnitus (ringing in both ears) has gradually decreased such that I don't notice it unless I really try and search for it. My tinnitus could be dramatically reduced or increased by tensing and moving my jaw. Good luck Tony.

Either you have acclimated to it or the cells have died completely. Tinnitus via hearing trauma occurs as they die as well but silence when dead.

Other causes may be different.

tonyb

Could be a nerve issue too if your jaw is dictating the event.

TForan wrote: »

I wasn't implying that loud noises trigger tinnitus, rather the accumulative effect of several exposures to loud sounds causes tinnitus. I'm sure you've been to a concert and your ears rang ? That's just a preview of what you be living with the rest of your life if you continue the exposure. Protect thy ears, Kids !

True....consistent loud noises will cause hearing damage and Tinnitus, in some cases anyway. As far as the medical world has come in the last 50 years, there is still much we don't know....yet. Unfortunately Tinnitus is one of those areas we still need more research on. You have to deal with it today though, so you play Sherlock Holmes in trying to figure out the root cause. Which requires one to take an honest look at themselves, past and present.

GospelTruth

Don't know if you are a Costco member or not, but you should look into what they provide. Might be worth the membership if you don't have one.

https://www.costco.com/hearing-aid-information.html

Just a thought and it seems like you can try some of them out before you buy. I know they have a good return policy, but I don't know how that translates to hearing aids. Wouldn't hurt to ask though. I just had a pair of glasses break (nothing I did), and they took them back no questions and got a new pair in the exchange.

I remember reading an article about Costco Australia starting to sell hearing aids. As my wife is from Australia it was an interesting article. Hearing aids there cost $5000+ and Costco started selling them for $1500. People were taking vacations to either Melbourne or Sydney just to get the hearing aids at Costco for the $3500 savings and the savings more than paid for the trip with money still left over. Not that it means the same thing in the States here.

bikezappa

Joey_V wrote: »

bikezappa wrote: »

My tinnitus (ringing in both ears) has gradually decreased such that I don't notice it unless I really try and search for it. My tinnitus could be dramatically reduced or increased by tensing and moving my jaw. Good luck Tony.

Either you have acclimated to it or the cells have died completely. Tinnitus via hearing trauma occurs as they die as well but silence when dead.

Other causes may be different.

I'm not sure how anyone can diagnose a hearing issue on a forum. But I could have just gotten use to the ringing. But I can still get ringing if I move and tense my jaw in the same manner so it's not all dead yet. Relaxing my jaw helps reduce the ringing dramatically. Everyone is a little different with tinnitus symptoms.

tonyb

bikezappa wrote: »

[Everyone is a little different with tinnitus symptoms.

Amen brother......sometimes just switching wives works best.

[Deleted User]

Taking aspirin can also accentuate tinnitus.

stones89

Caffeine and alcohol also....both are my fav's.

tonyb

Just an update....

I decided to try a supplement product called "Quiet Mind plus". I thought for my perceived variation of Tinnitus, it might work. Now, in my view, the supplement market is full of snake oil. You just don't know for sure what's in it or the quality of ingredients in it. What did I have to lose though, but some money.

Took the recommended dosage for the first couple days, no change in my Tinnitus. Read that you could double the dosage for faster relief, so I did for the next couple days....no change. I was starting to think I wasted money on a B.S. product, oh well....until this morning I got up and the house was unusually quiet. I didn't realize it until I was making coffee, the ringing in my ears was cut in half.

I'll be a ****, this crap was working. They say you need to take this stuff for at least 3 months to gain the full benefit, but I assumed that was B.S. just to sell product like so many supplement companies do. I'm going to continue taking it for the 3 months and see what happens. I was seriously not expecting much change if any at all. Seems though, I was on the right track with figuring out my own variation of Tinnitus.

westmassguy

That's great Tony. Some supplements do live up to the hype, or marketing.

[Deleted User]

I don't know if you've seen this yet. Lots of good info.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com

tonyb

TForan wrote: »

I don't know if you've seen this yet. Lots of good info.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com

Wow man, thanks for the link, tons of info there. Exactly what I was looking for too, real people discussing things that do/don't work for them.

Gatecrasher

I think people with hearing problems don't fully-appreciate just how important having good hearing is to quality of life until they after they somehow improve/correct it. My Father who is 80 just got a hearing aid not too long ago after seeing a specialist. Now he doesn't have to blast the TV and I don't have to repeat myself as much either. We were talking the other day and he actually told me that I didn't have to speak as loud as I had become accustomed to speaking to him over the years.

But the big "bang" came when we went to visit my Grandmother (who turns 100 next month). Her hearing aid hadn't worked right for a couple months and no one even realized it until my Dad checked it out just out of curiosity. She hadn't been herself and showed no interest in the things she used to like. Well as soon as we got her a new hearing aid she really perked-up and it was like knocking 20 years off her age. Now she likes to watch TV again (especially the Cardinals baseball games) and go for ice cream where before she didn't want to do anything.

I hope you find something that helps. I would take the time to go see an M.D who specializes in hearing. It's definitely worth the investment.

erniejade

steveinaz

Great info Cathy!

[Deleted User]

tonyb wrote: »

Just an update....

I decided to try a supplement product called "Quiet Mind plus". I thought for my perceived variation of Tinnitus, it might work. Now, in my view, the supplement market is full of snake oil. You just don't know for sure what's in it or the quality of ingredients in it. What did I have to lose though, but some money.

Took the recommended dosage for the first couple days, no change in my Tinnitus. Read that you could double the dosage for faster relief, so I did for the next couple days....no change. I was starting to think I wasted money on a B.S. product, oh well....until this morning I got up and the house was unusually quiet. I didn't realize it until I was making coffee, the ringing in my ears was cut in half.

I'll be a ****, this crap was working. They say you need to take this stuff for at least 3 months to gain the full benefit, but I assumed that was B.S. just to sell product like so many supplement companies do. I'm going to continue taking it for the 3 months and see what happens. I was seriously not expecting much change if any at all. Seems though, I was on the right track with figuring out my own variation of Tinnitus.

Have you had any more reduction in the Tinnitus ? I sure hope so!

tonyb

TForan wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

Just an update....

I decided to try a supplement product called "Quiet Mind plus". I thought for my perceived variation of Tinnitus, it might work. Now, in my view, the supplement market is full of snake oil. You just don't know for sure what's in it or the quality of ingredients in it. What did I have to lose though, but some money.

Took the recommended dosage for the first couple days, no change in my Tinnitus. Read that you could double the dosage for faster relief, so I did for the next couple days....no change. I was starting to think I wasted money on a B.S. product, oh well....until this morning I got up and the house was unusually quiet. I didn't realize it until I was making coffee, the ringing in my ears was cut in half.

I'll be a ****, this crap was working. They say you need to take this stuff for at least 3 months to gain the full benefit, but I assumed that was B.S. just to sell product like so many supplement companies do. I'm going to continue taking it for the 3 months and see what happens. I was seriously not expecting much change if any at all. Seems though, I was on the right track with figuring out my own variation of Tinnitus.

Have you had any more reduction in the Tinnitus ? I sure hope so!

I'll fill ya in on an update with said product.

It was working, slowly getting better every day when I doubled the dosage. Now, they said doubling the dosage would cause no ill side effects because frankly....they claimed their was none.

Until my right leg blew up like a balloon and I couldn't even bend my knee. I stopped using it altogether, swelling went down but after 2 weeks of not using it my right leg still has some swelling. Coincidence ?? Don't know. Should have stayed on the normal dosage ? Possibly. Interaction with other stuff ? I take a CQ10 daily and a fish oil every other day....so don't know about that either. Could be something else happened to go off the rails at the same time I started using it ? Maybe, but highly doubtful as I haven't changed my routine at all. Still a possibility, slim as it is.

Bottom line....it was working but will take some time to see benefits. Just because I had a reaction to it doesn't mean everyone will. So back to square one with my own personal journey dealing with Tinnitus.

tonyb

BTW...I still have a few bottles unopened if any of you guys want to give it a whirl. Just PM me and we'll work it out.

mrbiron

You got the wrong version of Extenze. You want it for the inner thigh, not the outer thigh.
I just looked it up but couldn't find any medical journals on the effects of Extenze with repairing tinnitus. Only that it would help you get more tittitus.
You, my friend, got some bad medical advice!

cfrizz

JHC Tony, stop **** around with your health due to ego by taking some dubious supplements that may kill you due to other prescribed meds and go get hearing aids!

You all like attributing women to your shorter lifespans, but the truth is that you all are stubborn cowards when it comes to going to the doctor and ignoring your health.

You have a hearing problem, that can easily, albeit expensively be treated, and your hearing augmented so that you can hear. Now bite the bullet and get it done.

mrbiron

txcoastal1

Besides if any one asks,
They are TOTL audiophile earbuds, rebadge, start a trend

tonyb

cfrizz wrote: »

JHC Tony, stop **** around with your health due to ego by taking some dubious supplements that may kill you due to other prescribed meds and go get hearing aids!

You all like attributing women to your shorter lifespans, but the truth is that you all are stubborn cowards when it comes to going to the doctor and ignoring your health.

You have a hearing problem, that can easily, albeit expensively be treated, and your hearing augmented so that you can hear. Now bite the bullet and get it done.

LOL, RELAX Cathy, I'm not that wacked out. I have a hearing aid, been using it for the last month, annoying as all heck and does nothing for the Tinnitus. Works great for voices and all, watching tv, does good with wind noise while driving with the window down.

But you hear too much, even on the lowest setting. Turn on the kitchen faucet or go to the bathroom and it's a waterfall in your ear. Every footstep, change in your pocket is heard in your ear. A bird chirping in Denver I could probably hear and if I turned it up on high I might be able to make out prayers at the western wall in Jerusalem. when inside the house, I hear my own voice in the ear too, outside it becomes normal, don't know why that is either. I talk to myself enough as it is, hearing myself louder wasn't a priority.

Makes your other ear appear even weaker than it is too. They say it just takes getting used to. I don't get "used to" things that annoy me. If I did, I'd still be married to my X.

Not to mention, you can't get them wet, not even a bit of moisture as that kills hearing aids. Summer/humidity.....people sweat right ? It's useful when going out to dinner with friends and things like that. Plus you can hear conversations across the room at other tables.....and the chef's clinking kitchen utensils around in the back.