Another New Member Checking In...

[Audionaut]

Thank you to the administrative staff for creating and maintaining this space.

Thank you to the many members who share their experiences and wisdom.

While I may be new to this forum I am not the least bit new to tinnitus. I developed my tinnitus following an acoustic injury when in graduate school back in the early 1990's. The intensity of the tinnitus was so loud (in both ears) I was convinced I would eventually go deaf. I know better now.

The tinnitus has changed over the years, and I can now observe it with a sense of interest and detachment at times, and with frustration and annoyance at others. When it ramps up I understand my body is telling me to step back and balance things in my life. It is ever present like a shadow, yet it no longer haunts me. It has made me humble ad compassionate toward those who are experiencing great distress from their own tinnitus.

Over the past 25 years I have learned a lot about tinnitus, hyperacusis, misophonia, phonophobia, hearing loss, etc. These various sound sensitivities can be life-altering at times and life-affirming at others. Life can become liveable once again with understanding, implementation of an evidence-based recovery practice, and patience. The road may be long, but the view at the end is more than worth the journey…

I hope to offer support to others and to continue to learn from all of you.

 

[Bobby B]

can you elaborate on how you got your tinnitus, - what intensity and type of trauma - how much hearing loss you had and how it evolved over the years ?

 

[billie48]

Welcome @Audionaut to the forum. We love to have you join in to support the struggling new members. Your experience in living with T for this long and overcoming the initial struggle will be valuable lessons for others. Thanks for your uplifting introduction. You can consider writing your success story to share your insights so it will be available to new members to read. Just a suggestion.

 

[Audionaut]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Bobby B, the incident happened when I was in graduate school studying to become an audiologist. I was listening to a high powered hearing aid set to minimum volume (still a bit loud, though) through a stethoset. Then I turned the aid off and set it down. A group (4 in total) of us were working on a project and during our discussions/investigations another student had been experimenting with the hearing aid and had left the hearing aid on the table but with the volume level set to full-on. Later in the lab session, I put the stethoset back on and turned on the hearing aid (which I did not realize was set to full-on volume, gain, and output) and I got a full jolt blast of agonizingly loud sound to both ears for a brief moment in time (some power HAs have outputs of 138 - 142 dB SPL). It was an incredibly painful experience and a very stupid thing to do. I just did not realize the aid had been left at full-on setting. The sound was full spectrum speech and then screaming feedback at an intensity level louder than I have ever heard (or even knew was possible other than reading about it).

Thankfully my hearing remains normal, so no loss occured, but a steady, loud high-pitched tinnitus was the result. Additionally, my hearing seems to be very sensitive (not quite hyperacusic, but more sensitive than that of the average bear). I do wonder now if the lasting effect is an otoacoustic emission I am hearing - our bodies do make noise, and so do our ears. My tinnitus is a sound that never stops, but my brain is used to it. By understanding all I can about tinnitus (I am also a TRT practitioner since 2009) it has helped me not worry about it. It was all an ironic circumstance, but the understanding of how scary and frustrating tinnitus can be has helped me become a compassionate audiologist. I work primarily with patients who have sound sensitivities and the work is very rewarding.

 

[Bobby B]

Thank you Audionaut
Its great to have audiologist with actual acoustic trauma experience on this board.
Have you researched any other type of potential hearing loss/Tinnitus treatments - supplements, medications, LLLT etc.. besides TRT and what are you opinions on these ?

 

[Sailboardman]

@Audionaut,

Welcome to our group and since you're an audiologist, I have a few hearing aid questions, if you don't mind giving your opinion on?

First, what is your opinion on using hearing aid / maskers? Are they beneficial in retraining your brain to tune out tinnitus? Or do they exacerbate the condition?

Secondly, do you have any advice for people like myself, who have unilateral, SSHL? Some say, I should be wearing hearing aids in both ears, not just one?

Thanks.

 

[Lorac]

Hi @Audionaut ,
Welcome! I am sorry that you have tinnitus but so glad that you have found your way here! It is just so nice to know that there is at least one audiologist out there who understands what living with chronic tinnitus is like!