Anybody Successfully Dated with Moderate/Severe Tinnitus?

My girlfriend just dumped me, partially due to the fact that we don't do anything any more because going out in public is really difficult for me... we haven't gone out to eat or anything like a date in months. I can't imagine trying to meet someone new when you can't go to a bar or restaurant for a first date. There's not a lot of quiet options for things to do where I live since I live in a city, and wearing muffs or ear plugs when you're trying to meet someone new and have conversation is not exactly sexy or attractive.

I'm sure there are people out there who also don't care about going out much, but I feel incredibly bored lately just staying home all the time; if I feel bored of course a potential mate is also going to be bored. Has anybody successfully dated while having tinnitus? What did you do? When did you bring it up? How did they react? This is such a weird injury/disability because there is no outward signs of it at all and most people just don't understand how severely debilitating it can be.

 

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I wear ear plugs all the time and no one notices because no one looks into my ears. Someone saw once and I said I have sensitive ears, it is no big deal.

Do you have hyperacusis or reactive tinnitus? Or are you just scared of your T worsening?

 

Yes I have hyperacusis too.. if I don't wear hearing protection, any prolonged sounds around 70db+ will cause both the hyperacusis and the tinnitus to increase and can take days to reduce.

I prefer to wear earmuffs instead of ear plugs though I suppose I could wear plugs for a date, but I hate trying to have conversations while wearing hearing protection.. the tinnitus is so loud and nothing can mask it with protection on. Plus if you aren't right next to the person you can only hear about half of what they say. That's not good when you're trying to get to know someone.

 

I would recommend trying ear plugs. I use 16 decibel ear plugs and I have little to no problem understanding people, even in moderately noisy places.

Maybe you could look into treatments for hyperacusis? Have you tried that? I hope they have something for it.

 

I have some musicians ear plugs which i have not tried mostly because they don't really reduce the volume very much. But regardless of what ear protection I use, I still will not want to go to any loud places

 

Do you have any issue with being in a car on the Freeway? Does that bother you .

 

Only hearing half of what she says is not a bad ratio at all - I cannot even achieve that without plugs !

I date all the time and wear plugs and yes all women notice, but no one complains as they are mostly more interested in other sorts of plugging

 

Hello. You've only had it for three months, so there's still time for improvement. Not a whole lot of patience/love from that girlfriend of yours, I must say.

However, if I were you I'd get molded ear plugs. ACS or Earfoon, just to mention two kinds.