Recent content by Scruffiey

Habituation is real, life is good again! Wait... no, my mistake, this is still dreadful, life ruining and daily torture. Although I have rediscovered drinking & smoking and that they have no effect on my tinnitus whatsoever so bring on a quicker end!

People who are already undergoing an operation on their ear make placebo control easier. Those with little usable hearing left also present less risk. It allows for better measurement of the treatment’s impact through the implant, rather than relying purely on patient reports. This is not meant...

Same reason all the other stuff is repeated... it probably worked for a subset of people, possibly due to the Meniere’s cohort, and since there is nothing else available, it keeps getting parroted. That is the same reason tinnitus is still broadly tied to anxiety and stress, even though that...

Yeah, they are a bit on the creaky side. I actually had better luck with some cheap ones from Amazon in that regard, but wearing glasses is still a problem. And not to mention, it is nearly impossible to avoid bumping into door frames and cupboards while wearing them. No, they are far from...

Do you think you may have overstrained your left ear by forcing it to overcompensate after blocking the right ear? Do you have any over-ear defenders you could wear for a while? I found that inserting things into the ear—even when there was no general soreness—often made things worse. I really...

Yes, I remember that from the beginning of my journey. I have healed somewhat for now, but I would never want to go through that again. I do not envy you. It took about eight months for me to reach a more normal state. Seriously, try using cotton wool and a very quiet TV with subtitles...

I'm six months in now. I've been doing weekly therapy, trying to engage in hobbies I used to love, going out and 'living life', albeit in earplugs, and trying to fake it until I make it, searching for the glimmers of good in my situation. And I just want it over, I don't enjoy anything, every...

Right, again, that is all well and good. I wish my audiologist had used your method and that in the future it will be standard, but they did not and it is not. All standard tinnitus rules apply to me unless we determine there is some actual difference in the origin of the hearing damage. I am...

Well, that was unexpected! Hooray for William R., whomever that may be.

As I said, I’m in nearly the exact same boat. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, I’m pretty much in the hermit category. But it does not sound like you need to go that route—just find some quieter extracurricular activities. I’m looking into joining an art group myself. There are also walking...

Yeah, I mostly meant what on earth caused it. I’m well aware of the limitations of standard audiograms, although I do appreciate your thorough rundown. But alas, it’s what I have. As for the tinnitus itself, one positive is that apart from a higher-frequency static hiss, it is not very...

Well, that may be true, but there seem to be some established “rules” we have as a community. NIHL — no headphones. SSHL — go ahead. Pain hyperacusis — must be noise-induced. I am just trying to make sense of where these ideas have come from. Or are they simply based on how we each react to...

I’m still trying to work through my hearing loss, but I keep hitting a brick wall when searching for answers. Why do we differentiate between noise-induced hearing loss and other types of hearing loss? What difference does it make to the ears if the hair cells were damaged by earphones and...

Ahh... two minutes strolling round the peaceful garden to get a bit of vitamin D and decompress... Oh, hello mister helicopter wonder where you're flyin-OH MY GOD MY EARS HURT!

Did you have your hearing tested recently? I’m suspicious if the pop you heard in the gym could have been a perilymph fistula or sudden hearing loss. My hearing went from completely normal one week, with no audible tinnitus or any discomfort with sound, to feeling a bit unwell with a mild...