Chit Chat and All That...

[Kriszti]

How do y'all deal with haircuts?

I just had one, and the lady was really nice but also an excitable talker. I didn't ask her to quiet down because I didn't want to be rude.

So frustrating. First a bad tinnitus morning now this.

I wondered the same. I'm not particularly afraid of the talking, but the blowdryers. I can avoid my hair being blowdried since it's summer, but I can't tell all the clients in a salon to get adjusted to my shitty ears...

I hate being rude, but I think I will use earplugs and tell the hairdresser about the situation if I ever go.

Also, a different kind of frustration. My roommate is a lovely girl, I really like her, but she is a very loud talker and her voice is sharp. It always make my left ear (that's the shittier one) twitch. I know it's not enough to make damage, but it really is very uncomfortable.

I just loathe how many previously unseen problems this stupid, stupid condition can cause.

 

[all to gain]

Why don't we have the inbuilt sense to know when things are too loud?

Surely we should know that going to a loud concert is going to damage our ears? Surely we should know when the film at the cinema is too loud? Surely we should know that it's as dangerous as hell to be shuttled to an airliner on the tarmac with its engines already on and with other aeroplanes already taxing very near by?

Or do we think we are simply indestructible? Or that surely those in power have thought about such things and deemed it safe?

I remember once actually being at the cinema and it was almost unbearably loud. I told my wife that they need to turn the sound down, but I didn't leave. Why not?

 

[Kriszti]

Or do we think we are simply indestructible?

I was just simply stupid. My MP3 player got a setting, that would notify me to "check the volume" level. And I ignored it so many times.

To my defense, not for fun, but I needed to keep out the noises of my loud neighbours to be able to study. And I wore earplugs under my headphones. To be honest, not because ear protection, but because earplugs kept away nicely the sound of my upstairs neighbours jumping on the roof.

I just thought that maybe when I'm older, I would get hearing loss. No biggie, my grandparents had it, not a big deal. Boy, was I wrong.

What makes me a bit mad, but not more than at myself, is that with the recurring type of my tinnitus, I did go to an ENT and to audiologist years ago. And they always shrugged it off as it's in my head. They should warn people about the possibility of hearing health problems other than hearing loss. So, I'm the one to blame for screwing up my life, but education about hearing issues could and should be better.

 

[WillBeNimble]

Why don't we have the inbuilt sense to know when things are too loud?

Because we didn't develop a pain response at damaging levels. The only way for us to know something was too loud is if society as a whole becomes more aware of hearing health and takes it seriously. Yet, Doctor's don't see it as a concern for them, but for audiologists, who don't really push hearing health.

We have cartoons teach life advice like responsibility, checking the road before crossing the street, but we don't go over hearing well, at all.

 

[all to gain]

Because we didn't develop a pain response at damaging levels. The only way for us to know something was too loud is if society as a whole becomes more aware of hearing health and takes it seriously. Yet, Doctor's don't see it as a concern for them, but for audiologists, who don't really push hearing health.

We have cartoons teach life advice like responsibility, checking the road before crossing the street, but we don't go over hearing well, at all.

I did receive a pain response in the cinema, but I didn't leave.

I'm educating my children on the dangers of loud noise.

 

[Labyrinthine]

Sorry mate, what an absolute fuckery all this is eh. Still no change then?

Actually, my H has improved significantly! But there's always a but... The excessive amounts of stress since the onset of my extreme H has led to another monster. It's called central sensitization... Long story short: pain in literally every muscle of my body including my eye muscles. That's why I've been absent from this chat for months now; I can use my phone like once every 2-3 weeks depending on my symptoms. Sigh. Take care everyone <3

 

[WillBeNimble]

Today I learned that schizophrenia affects only 1% of the population, but has effective treatments. Meanwhile, tinnitus affects 1/7 and all we have is TRT and CBT, and less awareness than schizophrenia. What a weird world we live in.

 

[ASilverLight]

Last night I had a chat with a friend, she apparently sets her laptop speakers to 50 (not with earbuds) which genuinely appalled me. I've never set mine higher than 30. I hate how I never had anything loud, how I wore earplugs, how I heeded advice and warnings, how I did limit the duration of earbud use... and yet I'm here with intrusive tinnitus.

Said friend could only hear up to around 15.5 kHz with her laptop volume on 50. I can hear up to 18 kHz when mine is on 10.

How can the tiny hearing damage I probably have lead to such horrible tinnitus? I really really wonder why some people with much worse hearing get nothing and I'm here with horrible tinnitus.

On the plus side, my neurologist (for a different health issue unrelated to tinnitus) isn't making me have an MRI which I'm thankful for. At least one doctor is being careful.

 

[all to gain]

To any of you older people, i.e. older than me (I'm 50 lol), how do you deal with getting older and how does your mindset change, if at all?

 

[serendipity1996]

Last night I had a chat with a friend, she apparently sets her laptop speakers to 50 (not with earbuds) which genuinely appalled me. I've never set mine higher than 30. I hate how I never had anything loud, how I wore earplugs, how I heeded advice and warnings, how I did limit the duration of earbud use... and yet I'm here with intrusive tinnitus.

Said friend could only hear up to around 15.5 kHz with her laptop volume on 50. I can hear up to 18 kHz when mine is on 10.

How can the tiny hearing damage I probably have lead to such horrible tinnitus? I really really wonder why some people with much worse hearing get nothing and I'm here with horrible tinnitus.

On the plus side, my neurologist (for a different health issue unrelated to tinnitus) isn't making me have an MRI which I'm thankful for. At least one doctor is being careful.

Oh same - a friend of mine sets her laptop volume to the max like 80-100. Even before my setback I found this extremely unpleasant and I actually had a mini-spike (only for a week) from it. She didn't find it too loud at all.

Clearly I have hearing damage although I have the so-called 'perfect audiogram' but it sometimes disturbs me how relatively little hearing damage is needed to result in such severe maladaptive plasticity of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

 

[Lucifer]

Oh same - a friend of mine sets her laptop volume to the max like 80-100. Even before my setback I found this extremely unpleasant and I actually had a mini-spike (only for a week) from it. She didn't find it too loud at all.

Clearly I have hearing damage although I have the so-called 'perfect audiogram' but it sometimes disturbs me how relatively little hearing damage is needed to result in such severe maladaptive plasticity of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I wonder why too. Someone who has hearing loss can just increase the volume with no issues but whereas us who have hearing damage but have normal audiograms with hyperacusis or tinnitus can't or it will make it worse. I would rather have hearing loss than hyperacusis and tinnitus. It's not fair.

 

[ASilverLight]

Oh same - a friend of mine sets her laptop volume to the max like 80-100. Even before my setback I found this extremely unpleasant and I actually had a mini-spike (only for a week) from it. She didn't find it too loud at all.

Clearly I have hearing damage although I have the so-called 'perfect audiogram' but it sometimes disturbs me how relatively little hearing damage is needed to result in such severe maladaptive plasticity of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Yeah, I'm guessing I may have some UHF dips somewhere because I'm not sure why else I would have this level of tinnitus. It's very interesting though, that I still easily pick up on 18 kHz and even have some -5 dB on my regular audiogram. Again, I have no hyperacusis, and my tinnitus continues to fluctuate throughout the day regardless of noise etc.

I'm just baffled my friend has her laptop at 50 volume all the time? I may have set it to that once or twice if a video I was watching, was extremely quiet. I've never liked to have my speakers loud even before I ever had any ear issues at all. This year really has been my first run in with it, and of course it's bad from the start

Sometimes I do still wonder if maybe other aspects are at play too, because I continue to have really bad neck pain and stiffness as well as jaw pain and crunchiness.

 

[ajc]

@Lucifer

What happened to the dude who shot a bunch of churchgoers dead in New Zealand last year? What kind of sentence did he get? Did your gun laws change as a result?

 

[Lucifer]

@Lucifer

What happened to the dude who shot a bunch of churchgoers dead in New Zealand last year? What kind of sentence did he get? Did your gun laws change as a result?

Sentencing is due in a a week or so for that Aussie dude that did that heinous crime. I think in the news they say that he will definitely get life in prison with a minimum parole period of 17 years or so. New Zealand justice system is so weak compared to the USA.

Another option is he can get deported back to Australia but this seems very unlikely. He will most likely stay in New Zealand to complete his prison sentence before he gets deported and this will waste NZ taxpayers money.

The gun laws did change as a result of this crime. I can't remember what they got rid of, I think it was either AR or Semi-auto or both. I think they also got rid of large magazines as well.

 

[aot]

The gun laws did change as a result of this crime. I can't remember what they got rid of, I think it was either AR or Semi-auto or both. I think they also got rid of large magazines as well.

It's important to note that such changes were mostly supported by New Zealanders. Or am I misinformed?

 

[Lucifer]

It's important to note that such changes were mostly supported by New Zealanders. Or am I misinformed?

Yes not many New Zealanders own guns compared to the USA so there was a lot of support in changing gun laws. I would have no idea how it's going to be once the USA get rid of their guns such as AR and semi-autos. I do hope that happens so there won't be anymore mass shootings.

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

To any of you older people, i.e. older than me (I'm 50 lol), how do you deal with getting older and how does your mindset change, if at all?

If you wake every morning and think "damn I'm getting old," you will be old. I'm 72, my wife and myself walk every morning covering 3 to 7 miles. I don't think " old" and I ignore my tinnitus as much as possible.

 

[all to gain]

If you wake every morning and think "damn I'm getting old," you will be old. I'm 72, my wife and myself walk every morning covering 3 to 7 miles. I don't think " old" and I ignore my tinnitus as much as possible.

When I got tinnitus everybody around me said I should take up walking as it would help. I shrugged it off. But then about 6 months ago I just decided to do it, and I've been doing lots of walking ever since.

 

[aot]

If you wake every morning and think "damn I'm getting old," you will be old. I'm 72, my wife and myself walk every morning covering 3 to 7 miles. I don't think " old" and I ignore my tinnitus as much as possible.

Hey, Elmer. Do your hearing aids help at all with your tinnitus?
I might be a candidate in a year or two. (And I'm only 21. )

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

Hey, Elmer. Do your hearing aids help at all with your tinnitus?
I might be a candidate in a year or two. (And I'm only 21. )

Yes they do help. One thing I believe is most don't understand hearing period. But one for sure is with hearing loss we become recluse mostly because we can't hear a conversation. This leads to Dementia and/or Alzheimer's. I invested in the hearing aids because of loss of hearing due to ear infection and they have a white noise app that definitely helps.

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

When I got tinnitus everybody around me said I should take up walking as it would help. I shrugged it off. But then about 6 months ago I just decided to do it, and I've been doing lots of walking ever since.

One thing for sure is that walking takes the mind off the tinnitus plus it's good for keeping in shape.

 

[all to gain]

Yeah, the pounds are falling off of me, and it gives a natural high.

I would love to go to some more hilly or mountainous parts to get some more intense walking in. Maybe Ben Nevis if I ever make it back to Scotland. But it doesn't really matter, walking on the flat is great too.

Got to make sure I keep at it when the winter sets in here as it's very easy to stat home and become depressed. and it's easy to get into a vicious cycle of not going outside.

 

[aot]

Yes they do help. One thing I believe is most don't understand hearing period. But one for sure is with hearing loss we become recluse mostly because we can't hear a conversation. This leads to Dementia and/or Alzheimer's. I invested in the hearing aids because of loss of hearing due to ear infection and they have a white noise app that definitely helps.

Thanks, good to know.

You're right on the money when it comes to islolation, though in my case it's because I fear worsening my tinnitus.

Going back and forth on getting the hearing aids. I take anything that helps, but I'll just be putting them in and taking them out to put in plugs all the time. Doesn't help that I'm having a spike right now.

 

[all to gain]

Hey, Elmer. Do your hearing aids help at all with your tinnitus?
I might be a candidate in a year or two. (And I'm only 21. )

How much hearing loss do you have?

 

[aot]

How much hearing loss do you have?

Lots of high frequency hearing loss. I don't have a copy of the audiogram. (It was a free test at a hearing aid place. Part of me thinks maybe he was trying make a quick buck. But if that were the case, why would he say "in a year or two?")

I did get a look at it, though. And it didn't seem good.

Making an appointment with a different place later.

 

[all to gain]

Lots of high frequency hearing loss. I don't have a copy of the audiogram. (It was a free test at a hearing aid place. Part of me thinks maybe he was trying make a quick buck. But if that were the case, why would he say "in a year or two?")

I did get a look at it, though. And it didn't seem good.

Making an appointment with a different place later.

Yeah, make an appointment with a different place and get a copy. I wouldn't read much into an off-hand remark made at a place trying to sell hearing aids lol

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

Lots of high frequency hearing loss. I don't have a copy of the audiogram. (It was a free test at a hearing aid place. Part of me thinks maybe he was trying make a quick buck. But if that were the case, why would he say "in a year or two?")

I did get a look at it, though. And it didn't seem good.

Making an appointment with a different place later.

I visited 3 different hearing testing places for the same reason, someone trying to make a quick two thousand euros. But all 3 showed the same results of hearing loss. I chose Specsavers for my hearing aids for the guarantee they offered plus they specialize in helping with tinnitus.

The first hearing place gave me a run around telling me the cost was one thousand euro, what he didn't say was that was for only one hearing aid, where I needed two. Beware of hawkers.

 

[all to gain]

I've never seen such a jealous people as the one I live among.
And i'm not talking about the Russians.

It's incredible to see. I can see it oozing out of every orifice of their bodies.

 

[all to gain]

@aot I doubt I will ever go to the movies again. I'm not sure I want my children to go either, which means they would miss out, but I can't bear the thought of them getting tinnitus for the sake of a film. I would rather build a home cinema where I can control the sound level.

 

[Shera]

It's been quiet again so I figured I'd check in and see how everyone is doing!

Everyone good? Doing something fun?

My garden is totally taking off and I can barely keep up with it! And it's smaller than I usually do! I found out why I was feeling so depressed and anxious: Dehydration. So everyone keep well hydrated in the heat! Also, planning a big beach day at a favorite lake with my mom, sister, niece, and nephew! Got a fun new kayak to try. If it can make it in the mail on time.

It's been so hot hear my Ladies (hens) have quit laying. So I've had to keep the roosters. They're starting up laying again now and I'm tempted to just let the rooster in and just let my chosen hen sit on whatever eggs come out from whoever. Beggars can't be choosy cause I only have one really young hen and it hit me how old my other 3 girls are.