Tinnitus, hearing aids, any cure ?

Mountain said:
Some of us are an example of what's to come for all the stupid crap we did from our younger years until now. You're almost in the club.

[rofl]
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For me is was single dumb act. I got the Vax. One shot before knowing better. Worst headache I’d ever had for two days straight. Nothing helped. When it ended I had tinnitus. My guess is clotting or inflammation in the tiny blood vessels of the inner ear. Worst f’ing decision of my life. At least I was able to warn my wife and others not to get it. Test crash dummy.
 
Yes, hearing aids can help. It really depends on your frequency tho. I have ReSound hearing aids via the VA. It works by playing certain "noises" in the background. I made a custom tone that matches mine pretty damn good. The cool thing is the background sound volume is 100% adjustable on it's own vs the hearing aids amplifying your specific losses. At night time I use my ipad playing a peepers sound. The peepers are a very close match for my tone.
 
Tinnitus does suck. Got hearing aids from the VA years ago and use them everyday. They aren’t there to eliminate the noise but to help hear conversations you wouldn’t have heard. Doesn’t really help when out at a restaurant or similar locations either unless you want to hear what’s happening around you. So they usually are taking out. Get the device for the tv and your world will change and decrease the tension in the house due to the tv being so loud. It’s a life long battle and you have to figure it out.
I did hear that the Biden administration clamped down on the VA on how they give out disability benefits. Tinnitus was supposed to be the easiest to claim and pay out. Back in the late 70’s I first applied and it took me 10 years of fighting to get a 0% in hearing loss but 10% in tinnitus. In all I’m 100% permanent and total now got that in 2017.
 
maritz01 said:
Tinnitus does suck. Got hearing aids from the VA years ago and use them everyday. They aren’t there to eliminate the noise but to help hear conversations you wouldn’t have heard. Doesn’t really help when out at a restaurant or similar locations either unless you want to hear what’s happening around you. So they usually are taking out. Get the device for the tv and your world will change and decrease the tension in the house due to the tv being so loud. It’s a life long battle and you have to figure it out.
I did hear that the Biden administration clamped down on the VA on how they give out disability benefits. Tinnitus was supposed to be the easiest to claim and pay out. Back in the late 70’s I first applied and it took me 10 years of fighting to get a 0% in hearing loss but 10% in tinnitus. In all I’m 100% permanent and total now got that in 2017.
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When I go into a crowded, noisy place I find a place to sit outside. Tough in the winter, but good for my sanity...I'm use to quiet, so there's that, but screaming in my ears. At night I listed to a couple of podcasts I like, over and over again.

Since I first flied a claim in 1969 with the VA, didn't get Justice until 1996 when my VA Board of Appeals was heard, with witnesses. A highly decorated Vietnam Vet Marine Field-grade Officer heard the case. I did get Justice, which in this world is rare.
 
You know what really pisses me off about hearing loss? When other people tell me they have trouble hearing, and they MUMBLE!!
People that still have hearing are bad enough, but I understand.
I'm constantly told by my kids to stop shouting, or that my "whisper" can be heard by the whole church, and is why everyone is either staring in horror or laughing at us - sometimes both.

I need to speak up so I can hear what I'm saying. Am I the only one? I knew a bunch of old guys that hung out with my Dad, they were great! Veterans all, and to a man they all sounded off like they had a pair. It was great having a conversation with them.

Now, people just mumble their words, and then ask everyone else to speak up because they can't hear. Waaah.



For the record, I refuse to say I suffer from hearing loss - based on what little I can hear of the idiots I'm surrounded by, I enjoy being deaf.
 
My hearing is terrible, compounded with horrible tinnitus. I’ve basically gotten used to it, unfortunately not much I can do about it. If it wasn’t for the ringing I’d probably be able to hear better. It’s funny how with some people I just can’t hear what they are saying, it’s like a frequency thing. Others , I have no problem with hearing. I wear hearing protection for everything I do that’s loud, and to add to it, my ears are super sensitive to sharp noises like a dog barking or a child’s high pitch scream noise. Doctor said it’s because when you lose hearing the bones become bruised. Guess that explains it.
 
Hearing loss and tinnitus.
Tinnitus takes up about 40% of the bandwidth. Hearing loss another 25%.
Hearing aids can boost the area of your hearing loss without making everything louder.
Wife forced me to get them. $6000/pair. They're marginally better than the $200 pair I had from Amazon🤬
 
I've had tinnitus for decades, thanks to loud rock concerts and straight pipes. I'm on my 4th set of hearing aids, all top-of-the-line Miracle Ear, Oticon and Starkey. None of them have done a thing for the tinnitus.
 
Rat187 said:
When I go into a crowded, noisy place I find a place to sit outside. Tough in the winter, but good for my sanity...I'm use to quiet, so there's that, but screaming in my ears. At night I listed to a couple of podcasts I like, over and over again.

Since I first flied a claim in 1969 with the VA, didn't get Justice until 1996 when my VA Board of Appeals was heard, with witnesses. A highly decorated Vietnam Vet Marine Field-grade Officer heard the case. I did get Justice, which in this world is rare.
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I checked with my BIL. He tells me that the VA issued hearing aids that he received are the type that emits a certain frequency to counteract tinnitus. He reports so-so results. YMMV.
 
I have a constant hissing sound in both ears when awake.
When I go to bed the hissing sound changes to a loud screech similar to the sound that European police sirens make.
The hissing sound is more annoying as it lasts for the entire time I'm awake, while the screeching sound only bothers me while laying down before falling asleep.
Been to audiologist, Mass Eye & Ear, etc. and there is nothing that can be done other than learning to live with it.
 
tomd13 said:
I have a constant hissing sound in both ears when awake.
When I go to bed the hissing sound changes to a loud screech similar to the sound that European police sirens make.
The hissing sound is more annoying as it lasts for the entire time I'm awake, while the screeching sound only bothers me while laying down before falling asleep.
Been to audiologist, Mass Eye & Ear, etc. and there is nothing that can be done other than learning to live with it.
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Like I posted earlier, I run a fan in my bedroom at night. It has worked wonders for my sleep. I've run a fan that way ever since I acquired the tinnitus while in Okinawa. I highly recommend trying that.
 
n1oty said:
Like I posted earlier, I run a fan in my bedroom at night. It has worked wonders for my sleep. I've run a fan that way ever since I acquired the tinnitus while in Okinawa. I highly recommend trying that.
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I'll try a fan and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestion !!!
 
As I said, I run two white noise machines. One at a higher pitch sound and one at a lower pitch sound. They combo seems to work well for me. In the summer a window box fan does the trick very well on its own. Good luck.
 
I've had bad tinnitus since around 2008, the result of using old, piss-poor ear protection during a single trip to my club. It wasn't from my own shooting, it was from another guy zeroing in his .22-250 right next to me. Holy sheet!!!!! Blew my left ear out. Many hearing tests and doctor visits and non -solutions later, it is still there. :(

But what I've found is that the only way to get rid of tinnitus is to forget about it... forget you have it. Sounds simple, but that's not so easy if you obsess over it. As bad as mine is (and it is really bad), it doesn't ever bother me UNLESS something makes me think about it (like right now reading this thread).

I may try a hearing aid someday. My good wife says I need one anyway. Would be great if that was also an effective solution to my tinnitus. 🤔
 
I may try the new hearing app on the iPhone with the airpods. A couple of friends have said it works well for them. Only drawback is I’ll have to buy an iPhone. The app isn’t available for my iPad.
 
I’ve learned to live with the tinnitus during the day, usually with just enough background noise I forget it’s there.

Sleeping is the biggest problem, I started using Bose sleep buds probably 5 years ago, Bose eventually stopped production but they have been reintroduced to the market by Ozlo.

I’ve had a set of the Ozlo Sleep Buds for over a year now (was an early beta tester) and they make it possible for me to sleep. There’s a whole library of sleep sounds to choose from and a bunch of customizable functions.
 
Late to the party - You and I Rat were the recipients of the Army's "ballistic" helmet when serving in Vietnam. It may have done a somewhat decent job of deflecting an AK-47 round but fell WAY short of providing any worthwhile noise attenuation qualities. Then again, anyone I knew and know who spent any time in a UH-1 Huey is either deaf or pretends not to be.

I've had tinnitus since the early 70's and having flown a Huey for the better part of 23 years can attest to being deaf, thankfully aided by wearing hearing aids but still hobbled, particularly in situations involving crowds (like a restaurant), and used to making people laugh when I engage in conversation and answer what I thought was said to me and my answer(s) turn out to be a laugher. So Rat, it's my opinion you get a grip and get used to it. I don't believe there's any cure for tinnitus and for wearing hearing aids, it just amplifies the ringing for me. Sorry pal.

I recollect sometime, maybe mid-70's, the Army came out with the SPH-4 helmet which was supposed to be worn with the addition of adding ear plugs to lessen the hearing loss damage. For me, adding ear plugs were a no-go. I couldn't hear a damn thing when ear plugs were worn with the SPH-4. Such is lfe.
 
dustoff22 said:
I've had tinnitus since the early 70's and having flown a Huey for the better part of 23 years can attest to being deaf, thankfully aided by wearing hearing aids but still hobbled, particularly in situations involving crowds (like a restaurant), and used to making people laugh when I engage in conversation and answer what I thought was said to me and my answer(s) turn out to be a laugher. So Rat, it's my opinion you get a grip and get used to it. I don't believe there's any cure for tinnitus and for wearing hearing aids, it just amplifies the ringing for me. Sorry pal.
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My son will look at me with the most dazed expression and then ask "Dad, what question did you just answer? Because it wasn't the one I just asked"
 
I have a compounded issue it seems.
Tinnitus ever since someone blew air horns too damned close to me some years back. :mad:
I've always been sensitive to loud noises. To the point that they can actually hurt when others have no issue.
Loud as F family members during family dinners (or other things). I keep meaning to bring ear plugs whenever going to such things, but never seem to remember.
I also have the issue that if someone is talking while facing away from me, and not speaking loud enough, I can barely make them out.
Maybe hearing aids could help with SOME of this, but I'm not about to drop the amount those cost. I'm perfectly fine when alone, on the phone, or using a headset during call for work (via computer).
 

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