A Little Advice for Those That Are Are New, Scared, Freaking Out, etc...

I'm brand new here so who the heck am I to offer advice, you ask? Well, while new here I've suffered with severe tinnitus (high pitched) for over 28 years. Plus hearing loss. Plus vertigo. Plus chronic ear infections. I got tinnitus at age 25 while serving in the Navy when I was unlucky enough to be very near an explosion. I lost my hearing for a couple days and was thrilled when it came back. However, the high-pitched ringing never did go away. I've lived with it so long it's more of an annoyance now although there are times when it drives me crazy. But it hasn't killed me yet and I'm fairly sure it won't!

Like most it gets worse with illness or anything that raises my blood pressure. I've just read several threads from people of varying ages that are new to this and are really freaking out. That is understandable. To those suffering panic attacks, I know how much those suck as I used to get them for a different reason (undiagnosed sleep apnea). Panic attacks suck. So does tinnitus. But neither will kill you by itself. Try to remain calm and concentrate on the rest of your body. For panic attacks when I get them (rare nowadays) I just look at the clock and mark the time then tell myself to deliberately ignore it for 10 minutes and then check back to see what's what. I never make it the full 10. Usually by 5 minutes it's gone. But the more you give in to the panic attack, the worse it is.

As for the big T, I guess all I can say is that you can live with it. You have to compensate. I have severe nerve deafness so if there is background noise of any kind I cannot hear conversations of people 3 feet away from me. I refuse to let it ruin my life so while I do steer clear of bars and that type of thing, when I do find myself in that type of venue I try to get close, or ask people to speak up, or I'll just smile, point to my ears and shake my head. Most people who know me understand. I'm considered a disabled veteran because of it so people are even more understanding.

Hopefully those of for whom this is something new it will go away or is not too bad like mine. But since mine is so loud and I've had it for so long I wanted to try to help others realize it's not the end of the world if you get it and it doesn't go away. I'd much rather have this than cancer or heart disease or any of the other REALLY bad things you can have go wrong with the human body. That's ultimately how I get by, I guess. I just consider myself very lucky in the grand scheme of things. I have a great family, a job I like, hobbies and friends I enjoy. I raised three kids and put them through college and I didn't miss out on anything. I play acoustic guitar and have a little acoustic duo with my wife on vocals. I take care of what little I can with my hearing but I don't let it run, rule or ruin my life. I'm in control, not the tinnitus. I consider it a chronic condition that after 28 years is just part of who I am.

Another reason I wanted to post is to let people know they can ask me anything as a person who has lived with a very bad case for a very long time.

M.

 

Great positive post, Methos. Welcome to TT. We need your positive message from someone like you who has lived with loud T for a long time and still have a normal and productive life. It proves to others that even loud T is livable long-term. Incidentally I also have suffered panic disorder as well as sleep apnea issues. Even with the CPAP machine, I often wake up feeling oxygen deprived due to sinus congestion too. And an oxygen deprived brain surely screams back at me most mornings with very loud T. LOL. Thanks for sharing this wonderful message and hope you stay around to contribute to the support of the newer or still struggling members.

 

Welcome to the Forum @Methos1979. Our stories are very similar! From being a navy vet, four years in the engine room of a diesel-electric submarine was when the damage to my hearing began. I also raised three kids and had a pretty normal life in spite of T.
We both ride Harley's. So, we sure didn't allow our T to stop us from doing the things that we love! ..

 

I really like this kind of posts

 

Great post!!!!! And needed it!

 

Thanks to all. I was quite taken aback (and felt really bad for) all the people's posts I read where people are having such a hard time with it. I guess in my case since the tinnitus was 'switched on' and for an obvious reason it was easier to accept maybe? At the time I was just happy my hearing came back at all. So when they told me that the ringing may never go away I was okay with it, I guess. Navy guys are tough!

Jim H - yes, sounds like we're a lot alike. My incident occurred in the Air Regen room of the Fast Attack Submarine I was on. We were in dry dock undergoing overhaul. I was on night watch and checking gauges in Air Regen when a recently installed and defective 1000 lb air header decided to give up the ghost. Middle of the night. No one around and BOOM... then nothing but ringing. Couldn't hear a thing. Though I might be dead but just temporarily deafened!

Ah, the good 'old days!

Just bought that Harley last year. Been riding for 35 years and never owned a Harley. Was not a fan. But the wife has bad hips and needed a new bike for max comfort. Rode them all and the Harley Road Glide Custom was the best. Funny thing is of all the Harley's I hated that model the most! Was not a big fan of the shark-nose fairing. But it's grown on me! I have to give them (Harley) props - they are making a much nicer bike these days.

My panic attacks (actually panic episodes) came as a result of not getting in REM sleep. Once I started on the CPAP that changed my life. Panic attacks suck. Nothing like thinking you are dying! So while never had the panic from tinnitus, I did have it from that and can sympathize. But don't worry, tinnitus sufferers - while it may not seem so right now, in the grand scheme of things that can ruin your life, tinnitus should be filed in the minor annoyance category.

 

@Methos1979
Do or did you ever experience any sensitivity to sounds also known as Hyperacusis?

Thanks for your positive outlook and opinion!

 

Yes! I exclaim that answer because I never knew there was a term for it. I'm going to have to Google that!! I am extremely sensitive to very loud noises, especially in certain frequencies. The way I found this out was somewhat comical. A few years after the incident that gave me this life-long gift, I went into a club with some friends and we came in the back way and as I walked past the speakers for the sound system (that were cranked) I suddenly was overwhelmed with vertigo and fell to the floor! Some people thought I was drunk (I was not - we had just gotten there) and my friends thought I had been sucker punched or just tripped. But I came to find that exposure to extremely high noise levels (especially if I'm not expecting them) gives me vertigo. That's a worst case thing. Mostly there are sounds of a certain dB level and frequency that I find I'm extremely sensitive to but it does not affect my life negatively. I still go to concerts but just make sure I have my custom-fitted ear plugs - best purchase ever, btw! The loudspeakers where I work are the worst offenders, especially the ones in the high noise areas. High volume with low fidelity is almost always awful for me.

 

Thank you for your post. I am in the middle of a panic attack about tinnitus because the spike I've experienced over the last few days hasn't subsided at all. The few spikes I've had were never this loud and went away within a day. I went to a coffee shop hoping that the noise there would drown out the sound, but it hasn't. So my one coping mechanism, cancelling out T with other sounds, isn't working anymore, and that has upset me. I'm not a tough person and just not the type of person who can put mind over matter.

 

I'm also a Navy submarine veteran from the late '70s, with at least 4 years spent working next to loud rotating equipment and evaporators. Starting noticing the ringing in my left ear about a year before I got out, and its been a constant whine in my life ever since. It was always this annoying buzz, but I thought it was just something I had to deal with since people told me nothing could be done to fix it. However, now that I'm getting older, I've noticed the whine has gotten more persistent and annoying. Told a friend of mine, and he said to check out VA to see if it was classified as a disability. Apparently, it is. So I'd like to know if there are any other vets on this board who have the same problem and have managed to get disability compensation for it. Would really like some help on the process. Of course, this is even more complicated since I now live permanently overseas in Thailand. No bases to visit or get evaluated at.

Ok, well that's it I guess. If anyone can help, I'd sure appreciate it.

TT656

 

@TT656 You can get SS disability and being a veteran probably on the first try. It would be best to hire a SS claims specialist from the States to help file for disability other than an attorney. What must be proven is that you can't work in the environment where you have training and work experience due to noise factors. Try to get a doctor's written statement that you are unable to work within a sound environment where there noise is above 80 decibels. With being a veteran, it will be fairly easy to get SDI for tinnitus. The percentage for others is low. Veterans do not need to live in the States to apply and receive SDI.