Recent content by Joel Waterman

  1. Joel Waterman

    In 2 Weeks Got Big Relief...

    Overuse of hearing protection can make one's ears more sensitive to sound. I wore hearing protection all the time at my job for a couple months, and definitely noticed that more and more sounds were bothering me over time. The theory is that the gain gets turned up in one's head because they are...
  2. Joel Waterman

    Good Quality, Slick Safety Earmuffs

    Jiri, it's hard to say for sure because the science of it all is so uncertain. Stuff like city noise and dishes definitely get above safe volume levels, so I think it would be good to have some protection around them. I try to avoid walking through my city too much, but when I do I wear...
  3. Joel Waterman

    Tinnitus Thoughts

    Alan, Sorry you're having to deal with this. It's crazy when simply being able to enjoy silence becomes impossible. I do something similar for sleep to you, and just sleep near my dehumidifier. Takes me a while to get to sleep so I compensate for that by setting aside a lot more time for sleep...
  4. Joel Waterman

    Good Quality, Slick Safety Earmuffs

    I'd just mention to be careful about using hearing protection too much. Most experts say to only wear it when you're around unsafe noise levels(like a concert) I started wearing it almost everywhere I went because I was worried about protecting my hearing, and I became more sensitive to noise...
  5. Joel Waterman

    Intermittent Ear Pain Since the Onset of My Tinnitus

    From what I've heard olive oil drops are alright. With syringing (flushing water) I believe the problem is that it's shot into your ear with pressure, and this can have the same effect as acoustic trauma (or potentially mess up something physical in the ear that's too small for the ENT to see...
  6. Joel Waterman

    Reactive Tinnitus or Hyperacusis? Unsure

    Ah man, sorry about that. Especially on Christmas. I'm not sure exactly what to tell you, but I do know that wearing ear plugs can make T seem louder, and it can last for some time after the ear plugs are taken off so it could possibly be that. Some noises seem to make my T pick up, but besides...
  7. Joel Waterman

    Hey, Needing Some Success Stories Here. Tinnitus After Sudden Hearing Loss.

    Hey Ty, sorry you're going through this. Since your T is so recent there's still a somewhat decent chance it will go away. Some people have success with lowering the volume of T by taking ginkgo, magnesium, zinc, ginger, b12, and other such things, while it doesn't do anything for other people...
  8. Joel Waterman

    My Letter to Santa

    Well said, and I couldn't agree more. :)
  9. Joel Waterman

    Another Year Gone By — My Tinnitus Is Not Better

    Sorry about your T getting worse. Major bummer for sure. I'm with you in spirit, and hope that it will change it's course either on its own or due to new research. Merry Christmas & may you stay strong and find peace and joy this Christmas and throughout the coming year :)
  10. Joel Waterman

    Please Help! Tinnitus from Perforated Ear Drum

    Yeah, at times when my T seemed to be mellowing out I've done the same thing, and was pretty annoyed when it went up again and I had to go back to 10-12 hours, lol. And definitely important to get good sleep. I notice my eyes start to get bloodshot if I don't get enough sleep, so I'm always...
  11. Joel Waterman

    Please Help! Tinnitus from Perforated Ear Drum

    I have a hard time sleeping with my loud T, and one thing I do that really helps is to set aside 10-12 hours for sleep instead of the 6-9 hours I used to set aside. That way, even when it takes me hours to fall asleep I'm not stressing out about not getting enough sleep/rest. Even while I'm...
  12. Joel Waterman

    Need Advice with Regards as to What Appears to Be Pulsatile Tinnitus

    Im sorry you're having to deal with this. Since yours is so recent, there's definitely a chance it will go away. There's currently no cure for tinnitus, although various things like magnesium, zinc, ginko, ginger, and vinager help reduce it for some people. For some, it doesn't really ever...
  13. Joel Waterman

    Pulsatile Tinnitus Ear Tube Dysfunction

    Sorry you've been dealing with that. Ive got prettt bat tinnitus/hyperacusis, and it's a real bummer. Since yours started so recently hopefully it will only be temperary. Whatever you do, don't let a doctor/nurse syringue your ears (flush them with water) because although many doctors don't...
  14. Joel Waterman

    This Is Not Fun

    Thanks Rob, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you as well. :)
  15. Joel Waterman

    How Low Is Your Low Frequency Tinnitus? Is It Like Mine? See This Web Page

    Dang, mind's higher than 15,000 hz. Before I made mine worse by flushing my ears with water (never do and never let a doctor/nurse do it either, BTW) I had a much lower tone though. No way I could measure it though now, 'cause the new one is so much louder I can barely hear the old one. I have...