BS: hearing loss, tinnitus

Subject: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 06:48 AM

Hearing aides will soon become more affordable.
For people who have trained their mind to ignore ringing in their ears, good job. Tinnitus is related to phantom limb pain in that the brain is used to getting a signal that is no longer being sent and fills in the missing data.

There are hearing (headphones) from Bose that offer fidelity better than hearing aides.
'
There is lots of new info in a book Hearing in a deafening world'
npr

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Stanron
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 07:09 AM

Slightly off topic but;

There are two extremes of ear 'design'. The unpleasantly called 'bat ears', where the ears stick out at 90 degrees from the head, and the ears that lie flat along the side of the head. I've not studied this in detail; but I imagine that there are lots of in between variants.

Most of today's social environments are very noisy. Amplified music leads to people having to shout in order to converse. I have ears that lie flat along the side of my head. In a noisy social environment I can hear people talking either side of me several feet away but I cannot hear a word said by the person sitting opposite me unless I turn my head to one side, and appear inattentive, or I cup my hands behind my ears and seem to mimic Mickey Mouse.

I'd be well prepared for a dangerous environment when hunting, which I've never wanted to do, but I hate casual social gatherings and have avoided them for decades.

'Bat ears' are the perfect tool for noisy social events but some people have surgery to correct the condition.

It's a funny old world.

I used to play electric guitar in loud bands and now suffer from tinnitus but luckily it's a mild condition.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 07:55 AM

I've had tinnitus for thirty years, 24/7/365. It's loud and proud at all times in mostly my right ear, but it doesn't trouble me. I've learned to put it on the back burner. You have one life and I don't think there's any other way. In 2012 I thought it was getting louder so my GP sent me to an audiologist. Unbeknown to me, I had mild hearing loss in both ears. As Donuel said, the partial explanation for the tinnitus was my brain trying to put back what my inner ear was now missing. I've worn hearing aids since then, programmed mostly for my now-missing high frequencies, and they reduce the tinnitus considerably. For a few years the hearing aids helped me to adjust to situations in which previously I couldn't hear conversation very well because of background noise. Unfortunately, things have since deteriorated to the point where I can't play in bands any more because I can no longer pick people out to latch on to, and I just avoid pubs altogether because I can't hear what anyone is saying against the background hubbub. The trouble with hearing aids is that, to a large extent, they override your brain's ability to discriminate what you need to focus on: everything is amplified at the programmed pitches to the same extent. My hearing loss is now categorised as mild-to-moderate, so I get by quite well in everyday life reasonably well in the majority of situations. I wept because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet...

My hearing aids are free, by the way, on the NHS, along with the batteries. Don't tell Trump, anybody.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 09:02 AM

Thanks to the band Association and gunpowder I have a deficit in the left ear only. At bedtime running a fan for background white noise is what many people with tinnitus do.

Our ears evolved in a much quieter world. Restaurants or movie theaters can be offensive today.

There were times when an entire orchestra was at fff I could only hear my cello through conduction sound of a tuning peg.

The missing data such as a word in song lyrics is filled in by my brain, often with hysterical results. The more white matter in your brain the stranger and funnier the connections become. Like "give me your 'tired love' instead of 'higher'.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Amergin
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 05:53 PM

I got sick a few years ago, and ended up losing a good portion of my hearing. These days, I wear a hearing aid in each ear. I had to fight my state insurance just to get them for 18 months.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 07:06 PM

As someone who is gradually losing his hearing and is depressed at the probably fact that I will eventually go deaf, I would strongly advise that, despite the obvious problems, your first concern has to be your hearing - even before the cosy (which I, as a state pensioner, am acutely aware of
Ten years of experience has shown me (the hard way) that you get what you pay for with these people, unless you are due state assistance
Ireland gives generous assistance for people my age for this sort of problem, bus as a non-citizen, I don't count

I settled for 'Hidden Hearing', probably the most expensive, but it works for me and they offer good after-sales service, which is important

You might, of course, settle for a 'Liverpool Hearing Aid' - you hang a wire over your ear and everybody shouts

You can always take comfort from the fact that Beethoven was so deaf he thought he was a painter

Good luck - sincerely
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 09:12 PM

My ears make a noise (discernible only to me) like a forest full of cicadas. The worst part is that I can’t quite figure out if they’re zinging on a discord in the area of G, or perhaps F. Most days I’m okay with that. Today, not so much.

My family has a kind of hereditary deafness that is probably sneaking up on me. Already, at age 65, I can’t tolerate amplified music or crowd noise at all, and by age 75 (if I live that long) I could well be as deaf as an adder, except in a quiet room with one source of sound. My father liked to listen to me sing alone and unaccompanied, but add one other source, such as an accompanying piano or guitar, and it all became a slush of racket to him.

Of course, hearing aids do nothing for a situation like that.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 02:35 PM

Charming Charmion, yes a pulsating tinnitus is distracting. Being reminded of the sound is not as good as forgrtting about it.
Not thinking of a pink elephant is not the way to go. Start with a disracting fan noise or such.

Losing an auditory nerve hair in the cochleah is normal and starts in your teens but goes very slowly. One hears an internal pure pitch grow loud suddenly and gradually fades away when a nerve hair dies.

Jim that was all very funny but we all have alternatives to deafness.
Do not assume that will be your path. Unless you want to you stubborn ol coot. You are better informed and astute than me.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 02:57 PM

It happened again. I was listening to Sara by Fleetwood mac and I heard "Sara, you're the bullet in my heart"

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: robomatic
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 04:53 PM

I was listening to the same NPR show as the OP a couple of days ago and it was very interesting.

David Owen discusses his book "Volume Control" on Fresh Air

This is a soapbox cause for me:

Technology is rapidly advancing and sophisticated in-ear hearing aids are getting better and cheaper.
The Bose units are over-ear not specifically hearing aids and have a marked superiority to the existing technology for many people, but of course, are obvious which a lot of folks don't like

- - - - - me on my soapbox some more, unrelated to the NPR show: - - - - - -

I've noticed that many men have marked hearing loss compared to women. I put it down to many men who are older and were in the service and experience very loud and sharp damaging sounds (90DB and higher). Once hearing gets damaged it tends to be permanent moreover for some folks, initial hearing damage leads to progressive damage. It's not a fair world.

I'm kind of leery at referring to evolution but in the case of hearing most creatures are not capable of limiting the energy that goes into their ears. Hearing the sounds of predators or prey was vital to survival hence most critters don't have a volitional control over that incoming energy. Unfortunately the modern world and the technology of the apes who think they rule in it has led to a careless use of sound energy which leads to a lot of hearing damage (and death and ruination to many undersea mammals who absorb incredible amounts of energy from undersea use).

I've worked in areas where hearing protection is required. Fortunately for me it was a part of the industry with a lot of mandated protective education and materials. "Double hearing protection required" was a common posted sign and well observed.

I have seen many young people, and again more males than females, working in jobs where they deal with sounds which can be damaging but are either not obviously so, or in environments where it's a 'guy thing' to ignore such transient discomforts to avoid anticipated ridicule. Most recently I observed a teenager working in a garage and using loud whistling pressure hoses to inflate truck tires. I mentioned this to him and used a term someone once used to me: "Protect your ears and you can listen to Beethoven when your friends won't even be able to hear the dinner bell!"

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 06:00 PM

Both my brothers were artillery officers (Canadian Army). Elder bro is quite deaf, despite having left the gun line behind before he turned 30. Younger bro served 22 years, much of it in air defence, a discipline that then involved firing the shoulder-mounted Blowpipe and the ever-popular Karl Gustav. From the time he joined the Militia at age 16, he was always so fastidious about hearing protection that the other gunners noticed, and at the age of 63 hears as well as I do — though I should ask him about tinnitus.

Speaking of which, the cicadas are squealing in the key of X major today.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 08:19 PM

I have Meniere's Disease, which comes with the triad of tonnitus, hearing loss and dizziness/blance problems. The tinnitus varies from hour to hour and day to day: perhaps unusually, compared sith the usual textbook descriptions, it is at its quietest when there is no external noise happening: as soon as there is any or I put my hearing aids in, I get "recruitment" and it ramps up into a massive barrage of sound which interferes with hearing speech: I can hear people talking at what should be perceptible volume, but it just sounds like a foreign language. Music is also badly affected in that my sense of pitch, which used to be near perfect, is now badly awry. I still try to keep playing piano and button accordion in the 2 ceilidh bands I'm in: so long as I hit the right notes, it should sound OK to others, tho it can sound mighty strange to me: luckily neither of them require tuning before each playing! I have stopped going to a lot of the sessions and concerts I used to enjoy because of it.
My hearing has dropped rather drastically over the last 2 years, and I have had spells of being more or less housebound for fear of having dizzy turns while out. I had a bad fall thanks to one of these back in August: probable fractured coccyx and definite loss of dignity!
The only things that keep me sane are having a good supportive family and friends, and thinking of other friends who are going through life-threatening or terminal illness: at least mine is not that, and helps me keep a sense of perspective.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 04:55 AM

My doctor put me on Tramadol for my back pain. It completely trashed my sense of balance and I fell on the stairs several times and couldn't close my eyes in the shower. After three weeks I was dependent. Three terrible nights of cold turkey did the trick. I went back to the doc and gave him a piece of my mind.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 04:57 AM

Ps. I know that doing the cold turkey thing is the opposite of what doctors advise, so all I'm saying is that it's what I did. No recommendation.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 06:01 AM

Like Steve my National Health hearing aid is designed to mask my tinnitus as well as improve my hearing. When I take it out at night I can hear the sea (in Ascot!).
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: banjoman
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 06:26 AM

A bit off topic but in commenting on the reference to Tramadol from Steve, I was put on it some years ago for serious back pain. Now having been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and put on Methotrexate, they have decided to radically reduce the Tramadol. I now suffer from insomnia and have not had a nights sleep for about a month. GP simply says "Persevere" or one Doctor suggested going for a Jog. I don't walk without a stick but could go for a drive on my scooter.
I suffer from a directional hearing loss and also avoid crowded rooms as people think I am anti social. I am not.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 09:36 AM

I found that the Tramadol fixed my back for about ten days only. After that, it was the miserable realisation that it wasn't doing the job any more, and after that I became dependent. Yep, you'll be sleepless and as restless as hell when you cut down or stop. I had no sleep for 84 hours. My only fix now is diclofenac along with a low dose of proton pump inhibitor so that the diclofenac doesn't wreck my gut.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 09:37 AM

fixed my back pain

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 10:32 AM

Tattie OUCH A broken tail bone is nothing to sneeze at, even sneezing can hurt. As you know
No cures Yet
An experimental implant of micro stints in the ventricals may reduce excess fluid but too little fluid is not good either.
Transplants have never been tried either because of a tricky nerve allignment. 30% improvement is the most one could expect.

You need an injury proof anti fall suit. I wonder what it will look like. Come to think of it there are lots of people who need one of those.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 10:49 AM

This anti injury product was made too powerful at first and caused people to be propeled to the ceiling when deployed.
It still has a ways to go

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 01:14 PM

I bet Tattie was not wearing one of these https://www.amazon.com/Soared-Protection-Protective-Skating-Snowboard/dp/B07R5SNDZC/ref=asc_df_B07R5SNDZC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCod


I was thinking that an ectoskeleton suit of carbon fiber and internal foam that was less than an inch thick could be made for the whole body and neck, helmets and facemasks are seperate. As an 'earth suit' there would be large holes for ventillation. Coupled with technology that keeps the new unicycles steady and upright, people with balance problems, MS and many other conditions could walk around in confidence.

Some of my ideas have achieved realization like my idea for a chochlear device to assist the deaf 40 years ago. I like the idea of the 'Earthsuit'.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 02:49 PM

Ha-ha Donuel! I'll put one of those on my Christmas list! Several people have suggested I use a stick, but don't how that could help in the event of a sudden attack of severe rotatory vertigo.
Somebody did suggest I go round in a Sumo suit!

I have had surgery in the past: saccus endolymphaticus drainage, to get rid of that excess endolymphatic fluid that supposedly builds up pressure until it bursts and you then get your dizzy turn as the fluid leaks out. First time was 1977, worked for 2 years, bur drainage tube the blocked: same again in 1979, again worked for 2 years. 1981 was the good one which worked for 34 years: preserved my hearing, stopped the dizziness, reduced the tinnitus to mild background only. That was until 2 years ago, when it all started up again. I had naively assumed it would just be a matter of getting the drainage tube revised, but no, "we don't do that any more - it's been shown to be no better than placebo" - WHAT??? Now it's down to steroid injections through the ear drum under local anaesthetic which has helped the dizziness, up to a point, but no effect on either hearing or tinnitus!

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 05:00 PM

Isn't it great that placebos would work for two years at a time? :^\
For 12 years I was a placebo king in the field of experimental hypnosis. Perhaps you're right that a stick would not protect against sudden onset vertigo. One thing is sure, you are more brave than merely being a vertigo queen .

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Nov 19 - 05:59 AM

clarification of sarcasm;
Calling effective surgury the same as placebo is just wrong especially if it is to save money however placebo/mind control is not out of the question.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Nov 19 - 01:55 PM

I've noticed that while dreaming, sounds and scents flow into my dream consciousness while my other senses do not, unless there is extreme pressure or pain in a limb or such. This seems to be key in the phenomenon of hypnosis. The word or sound may be differently interpreted or shaped by the dream world but it still makes it into the dream.

If you are dreaming but not sure you are, text or music manuscript in the dream will change before your eyes/(mental vision) but not in waking consciousness. Teaching yourself this trick may enable you to have more control of dreams in REM sleep.

Subject: RE: BS: hearing loss, tinnitus
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 12 Nov 19 - 07:37 AM

And one of those placebos worked for 34 years! Now, apart from the tinnitus, we have a pneumatic drill going outside our front window: they are putting in a new internet cable: just hope they don't sever ours in the process!