Tinnitus & University/College Success

Hello forum.



I recently developed moderate T in both ears due to traumatic injury to my head from a car accident. I have been sharing a space with T in my head for 2 months now.

My question pertains to anyone who enjoys reading, or who is in or taken University/College classes. I have always wanted to be a teacher and have a few questions you may be able to answer.

Does Tinnitus affect your studying/reading habits? Does T affect your ability to memorize notes and reading material? If so how?

I have looked up studies done on groups of people with Tinnitus and apparently these people were affected so bad by T it caused them to have lower test scores. I do not believe this to be %100 true.

I love reading in quite rooms, even with my friend in my head ringing. I find T has no effect on my cognitive abilities, concentrating or memorization.

My question is as stated above.

Does Tinnitus affect your studying/reading habits? Does T affect your ability to memorize notes and reading material? If so how?

 

No it doesn't interfere with anything, the more you try to fight it, the louder it gets, I'm new to the forum, just signed in right now actually, and as I was reading some posts I was laughing... I remember when I had all these questions and no solid answers from no one, frustrating times, believe it or not you get used to it, (I read that somewhere and didn't believe it) the more you accepted the lower it gets, to the point you hear it if you listen for it, mine has reduced to a 1.5 to 2 from a scale from 1 to 10 and that's only at night, sometimes I hear it in the day but that's maybe once or twice a month and only for a couple of minutes to maybe an hour.

I'm a reader too and it actually helps my concentration now instead if interfering believe it or not, it will get better, and the good news it can go away any time, people put dates on it when when now nothing about it, as far as learning, didn't change anything for me, if not, it might of made me learn more (better concentration).

Lot of people are going to say try this and drink that.. it doesn't work, specially the anti whatever drugs that absolutely make it worse.

Accept it and move on, its normal wear of your body, good news is, it doesn't hurt you like a heart condition or cancer, think of of it as an old stereo, sooner or later speakers start wearing out, right? the more you do the better, get hobbies or whatever, the more you ignore it the sooner you wont hear it anymore., I know yours was due to trauma but it works the same for everyone.

Good luck and remember this very carefully, your brain is the only thing powerful enough to make it go away, nothing else( so far)

 

Agreed with Cowboy, that the more you "fight" it, the more dominant it becomes.

I have been living with this (both ears, different tones) for over a decade. I write computer code for a living and write books/blogs/articles as a freelance writer on the side. Both require intense concentration. I don't know how to explain this other than to say I have trained myself to ignore the whistling in my head much the same way my wife ignores the pain of her fibromyalgia. Now, that said, sometimes it rears its ugly head so obnoxiously that it cannot be ignored (just as it has as I type this). Those times can be very frustrating. But for the most part, I have learned to ignore it the way I ignore noises from the crowd when you and I are having a conversation. The crowd noise is there, but I choose to block it out, or rather, not focus on it. It is like having an air-conditioner on in the office. Technically, I hear it, but not really because I am focused on my work.

I don't know if that makes sense, or if I explained it very well.

EDIT: You mentioned reading in quiet rooms. This I cannot do. I have to have some white-noise going, or the T will become overwhelming.

 

I guess it depends on loudness and pitch. I dont think many people would be unaffected by a super loud high pitched sound with a piercing physical sensation. Atleast not without some time to getting used to it with TRT methods or something like that. Some sounds are just easier to ignore than others. Tinnitus is not just tinnitus. The people who participated most likely have severe tinnitus, if not they would probably not bother getting involved, so its no suprise that they struggled concentrating.

To answer your question. No it doesnt affect my studying since its mild. It affected my concentration about a month ago, but that was indirectly due to lack of sleep wich no longer is a problem.

 

That's a great point. Thanks for the replies everyone.

Especially from the florist.