Crazyputer

Hi Everyone



My Tinnitus started one day in 1988 when I used a concrete cutting machine inside a small but empty tin shed without hearing protection. At first the Tinnitus was a very low volume very high pitched noise that I could block most of the time and earmuffs made the Tinnitus worse by blocking other masking noises. I was in my early 20’s I had been working in the construction industry for about 6 years, in those days if you wore any safety equipment you were a wimp (most of the guys I worked with now have hearing problems).



All my working life I have continually work around very loud and noisy machinery, still do so today. Also in my 20’s I rode motorbikes, raced cars & motorbikes, worked as a DJ/sound-man in night clubs and bars and worked on big engines many times with no exhausts, all not great to enhance hearing.



With that history it’s no surprise that I have hearing issues.



As I got older and age/environment related hearing loss started to kick in I couldn't hear the tinnitus at all, that blissful silence lasted only for about 2 years. But then in 2009 I had an accident where I slipped a disc in my neck and needed neck surgery. I needed to take a range of pain, nerve blocking and anti-inflammatory drugs. Straight after the surgery the Tinnitus went really loud and hasn’t gone away. I’ve compared the Tinnitus to a hearing test machine generated noise and my Tinnitus is approximately 4500Hz @ 85db so if it was external it would be considered an unsafe working environment. And it is right in the voice range making it hard for me to hear people talking to me.



I work operating very noisy machinery (99db peak) where I must use hearing protection devices. I’ve spent $1,000’s trying to find a solution that doesn’t include finding a different job. I found that good hearing protection that muffles most of the noise makes the Tinnitus seem worse by having no distraction noise and bad hearing protection that doesn’t muffle enough noise makes my hearing and Tinnitus worse. Many days I’ve gone home with screaming Tinnitus, a headache and unable to hear anything.



Three months ago I spent $1775 on a intrinsically safe hearing protection headset with blue-tooth. So far they great they block almost all noise but then allow me to listen to background music that provides the distraction from the Tinnitus. As an added bonus I can communicate with my mobile phone better than trying to use the phone directly I can actuality hear it ring now and talk to people. That are so good my boss has ordered 24 sets one for everyone in the company.



My message to anyone who has just developed Tinnitus is don’t give keep trying ideas that are recommended, some will help many won’t help but you must keep trying.