Dogs Ruining My Ears

I wish my family would just believe me. This feels like abuse. No one wants to believe I have acoustic trauma. I can't wait for the ENT at this point.

My hearing keeps getting worse.

I can't understand speech as well anymore and my tinnitus keeps getting worse. I can't take this.

 

Have you tried to get them to read this forum? You can find countless threads here where people share their experiences of getting life-altering traumas after exposure to noise that didn't have any effect on anyone else who was also exposed.

 

Send me some and I'll show them

 

I'm really sorry no one understands. It isn't your fault you got tinnitus. I understand the stress and anxiety you must be going through, trying to tell everyone your symptoms, feeling like no one is paying attention. It's really important to have an emotional support system when you have tinnitus, so it's a lot harder when the people around you don't seem to understand. A doctor might actually help them realize the severity of tinnitus and hearing damage.

 

While you're waiting to go to the doctor, get some earplugs, they don't have to be the highest level of decibel protection for everyday use, and put them in if the noise is too much.

 

It's not that, it's that this could have been preventable if they listened in the beginning.

The dog barked in my ear and now it hurts and it's distorted. I can't live like this. And there's no treatment. My hearing loss and T are bilateral.

 

I have them my dog just went and barked in my ear though.

 

I am deeply sorry that you are facing this. As mentioned, have your dr bring awareness to your issue. If that doesn't work, please distance yourself from those that do not respect your issue. Tinnitus is a difficult issue and if people don't accept your issue, then those are the people you need to not deal with...

 

I get what you mean. Dog barks can be very loud... Hearing damage is cumulative; it builds up over time little by little. The ENT hopefully will tell you the level of hearing loss you might have. If you started wearing earplugs, that will probably prevent any further sudden hearing loss from this point on.

 

The sudden loss was from my dogs. It was like an unexpected loud noise.

 

OK I understand. Now, a loud dog bark is about the same volume as a shouting human, about 80-90 decibels. While that is uncomfortable for anybody to have in their ear, you're hypersensitive right now and it probably sounds much worse than it normally would. This dog bark isn't really dangerous, it's over fast, but I can understand why it's very disturbing, and can cause a flare up in your symptoms. Dogs like to please humans, so it might be possible to train the dog to not bark close to your ears, or possibly try to not let him close when he/she is excited, at least until this is sorted out as I'm hoping it will be for you, soon. Good luck.

 

I have acoustic trauma and it's messing up my hearing

 

Can the dog barking be enough to damage my ears further? It was only a few seconds.

 

I don't know if "damage" is the right word. A door slammed hard, and caused a three day spike for me. I would guess that you will most likely get a temporary spike.

 

Highly unlikely that a brief incident could cause permanent damage.

 

You can start with
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/earplugs-muffs-give-very-little-protection.21737/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-much-worse-after-club-despite-wearing-solid-35-db-custom-earplugs-—-im-at-my-wits-end.15744/#post-186018

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/bad-spike-not-subsiding-after-loud-bar-—-despite-wearing-properly-inserted-earplugs.20675/#post-239000

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...t-an-acoustic-trauma-shock.18964/#post-219363

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...le-in-real-life-situations.19067/#post-220314

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/33-decibel-earplug-not-protecting-from-sound.22151/

Just search this site using keyword "spike", and you will see Many more horror stories...

 

A thread about dogs, here:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/dogs-and-their-barking.4942/

 

How loud was that door slam?

 

As loud as it can get. At the same time, it was just a wooden door being slammed by the wind, so it was bad but not Too bad.

 

Not too bad like a dog barking?

 

I never heard your dog bark. Also, I was about three meters from the slamming door, and your dog might have been closer. It is impossible to compare these things. But that door was certainly very loud.

 

Alright, what can I play to drown out high pitched ringing/ crickets

 

The sounds of actual crickets or frogs...

 

Probably not unless it's mouth is literally inches away from your ear. Even then, it seems unlikely.

I don't know how loud it is, but the goal shouldn't be to drown out the tinnitus, but rather to distract yourself. Crickets work, cicadas seem to work a little better for very high pitched tinnitus. It doesn't have to match the pitch, wave sounds are good too.

If I recall correctly, she said she was 16. It's hard to do that when you are still living with your parents.

 

I forgot her age......

 

my wife is a dog grooming and has dogs bark in and around her ears most days. she sometimes experiences ringing and fullness afterwards and she doesnt have T.

I have T and know what you mean about the dog barking. I have had it before near my ears without protection. Casued a temporary spike, but this went away. Unlikely permanent damage given the small window of exposure

 

People love their dogs, but maybe rehoming to a loving caring home is an option?