The a2k Tinnitus Fellowship Club

Eh! I first noticed it when I was studying for my boards. That was 25 years ago, not all that long after I was hit on the back of my head from a court away by a basketball (surprise!!). Soz said not, that wouldn't do it, and she is way more information sensitive than I am. In any case, I was just embarrassed, somehow, and, didn't whine about it to the people running the game/city.
So, I've taken this as irrelevant, but cannot help connecting the episode with the buzz.

As it happens, I cannot afford any kind of hearing aid.

My tinnitus is not just a spot, but I gather there is worse than I deal with.

J. Groopman wrote a good article on all this; I'll try to snag a link.

Ok, Groopman..

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/02/09/090209fa_fact_groopman

worth reading..

Would a hearing aid really get rid of the buzzing or just mask it? I was under the impression there wasn't a cure for this ... disorder (?).

What is it anyway? An affliction? A disorder? A disease? Or are these just basically synonyms?

Did your basketball team at least win that game Ossobuco? That would suck if they lost and you got tinnitus from the errant surprise basketball pass as well.

Thanks for the article link.

I was at Venice beach on a typical sunday; there were two courts. I was looking at the first court.. They probably are not still arranged that way. People seemed sorry for me and I waved them off, Ms. Stallwart.

I don't blame the back of head hit, I have enough of science background not to do that. I do question it, quietly. This is all a little weird in that I have, up until recently, been pretty cognizant re health, relatively aggressive. But I'm famous to myself for dusting self off and getting back on the bicycle. I should have at least talked to the people at the "desk" that day.

That's a tangent though - my tinnitus may well have nothing to do with that; it just happened to be around the same time period that I noticed it.

I presume a hearing aid wouldn't mask it, and I have devolving hearing anyway.
I've been tested, soz has seen my results, and that was a long time ago, back when I had coins to go see an audiologist.

Read the Groopman article..


Re hearing aids, they'd be useful, I presume, re my regular old hearing loss. Or maybe not, mine may be gone too far.

I wear a hearing aid for a different reason, but don't think it would help a bit.

I bookmarked the New Yorker article and will read it when my brain isn't mushy with tiredness. I'm glad I have tomorrow off and will read the tinnitus article after my platelet donation appointment tomorrow afternoon.

Once again, thanks for the link.

I think I need to go to the UNM hearing clinic, at least for evaluation. It's fairly far away, though, to drive to, so I put it off. WHAT?

Hey, Tsar, hang in.

Hi Stepan. I have tinnitus. I've been meaning to start a thread on this for ages, but never found the time.

I was quite surprised to learn how many folks suffer from it.

I think I've had it for years, but at a very, very low volume. Earlier this year, about in April, the volume got ramped way up, and I'm finding it really annoying.

I've been to an ear, nose, and throat doc for another problem, and asked him about the tinnitus. He wasn't very much help.

I've done some research on this, and so long a person does not have some underlying medical condition to cause it, there is very little help available. Personally, I'm going to try hypnosis. It may or not work, but I'm going to try.

Here's an article about this:
Reduction of Tinnitus by Hypnosis

It's late here now, but I will be back to this tomorrow. I'd really like to hear (no pun intended ) from other folks who have this condition. Thanks for starting this thread!

Meantime, I read the article, and useful as it is, it is not the one I remember.
Back manana.

Since I was fourteen.

In my case, it's part of my ongoing hearing loss.

It doesn't bother me fortunately.

I gather if it's a major issue that some people can get relief from having the same tone played into their ear...

If you're at all interested, in addition to the above link, I've found this one as well:
Using Tinnitus Hypnosis To Help The Condition

I have a feeling (which should be confirmed, I hope in about 2 weeks) that I do not have an underlying health condition causing my tinnitus. One of the major tests that I have had is a CT scan of my head, and no tumours (or other stuff) were found. Also, I have had my ears tested and are fine.

If hypnosis does not work (or you don't like the idea), here is another idea which is supposed to work:
TINNITUS RETRAINING THERAPY

The reason I like the idea of using hypnosis is that it can get to the root of the problem by using regression therapy, along with others.


More info on tinnitus:
Ringing in the Ears - Tinnitus - Ear Noise


Feedback by anyone?

The Groopman article that I am remembering - not the one I linked - had more on new remediation. Sigh, at least I think it was Groopman. Back after I do some checking.

Now I'm thinking whatever article was by Oliver Sacks...

I give up. Can't find a comparable article by Sacks. I reread the Groopman article, as I'd read it yesterday when sleepy. It must be the Groopman article (link given already) that I'm remembering, but I am sort of fixated on that there was some conjecture, somewhere, about dealing with the source area in the brain.

Perhaps it's my imagination. But that brings up Sacks... he too has tinnitus and has apparently written about it in Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.

I have tinnitus as well. I started noticing it in '99, but it could have started earlier. I just ignore it, and have to think about it to hear it, but now that I have it's pretty loud. (thanks a lot tsar) j/k

In my case I was involved in a bike tire explosion that was contained in a small room. The volume was such that my ears immediately shut down. They rang for about a week or more. Now I have pretty good use of my right ear, but my left ear still only hears partially.

FYI - hearing loss for me has meant the loss of distinguishing quiet noises among louder noises. In a quiet room I can hear with my left year, but not if there is any other noise.

Also I tell my wife that getting louder only makes my non-hearing ear hurt. I explain to people it's like poor vision, and yelling is like thinking you can shine a brighter light to see better.

You could try acupuncture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGyDIB1bUmc

Now if I can find out if the VA hospital will provide the acupuncture procedure....

Thanks for the idea Pronounce.

My hearing loss was most likely an accumulation of loud noises over the span of my life.

From being in the army as a cannon crewmember to listening to loud music via Walkman radios and iPods. As well years of working in the dog kennel with hundreds of dogs barking in an enclosed virtual echo chamber/room where the day care dogs play most of the day.

But I'm not exactly sure what was the proverbial straw that brought the tinnitus to my left ear. Wasn't the dogs as I no longer was working at the dog kennel.... I wonder if stress of being unemployed and the loss of my friend about 3 months prior to my first noticing the tinnitus had created this hearing disorder. Probably unlikely but still its a cause that will most likely be never known.

Stepan, any feedback for my previous posts?

Just plain age might've done it.

I have it occasionally (and since I can't hear anything ELSE it's super-annoying). I've noticed, personally, a connection to dehydration -- drinking a glass or two of water often helps. (I don't think that's a general cure though.)