Hi, my name is Lindsay, Linds for short. I don't usually do this kind of thing but I feel I am going to need the help and support of my fellow tinnitus sufferers (just saying tinnitus gives me a surge of anxiety). So if you don't mind I will refer to tinnitus as T.
I have had T for most of my life on and off not knowing what is was until about 5 years ago.
All I knew about it was that it was a ringing In the ears and that it wasn't serious.
The level of my T at the time of my learning about it was very bearable and I never gave it a second thought, it never bothered me.
Now however it is effecting my quality of life and more than a mere distraction.
I know I have only myself to blame as I play guitar and sometimes too loud! This is what really gets me down, self inflicted.
The biggest mistake was not educating myself about T when I first learnt about it. Because it was no bother to me at the time. So why worry about it right, it wont get any worse than this so I don't know what all the fuss is about. I now know how foolish that thinking was! So I just got on with playing music and having a good time not knowing what adverse effects it was going to have.
Well now I have it permanently and at a level of around 70db most of the time, and as you all know it is hell!
It is worse in my left ear(that's the side my guitar amp sits) but it is also in the right one.
Needless to say the electric guitar is no longer in use, I only play acoustic now without amplification, and I wear ear protection whenever I operate anything that makes noise eg..lawn mower.
I am most downhearted because this affliction is something I could have avoided!
I think there is not enough education out there about this, there should be posters out there on the walls about this, as when I went to my doctor about my T he told me it was very common. Well for goodness sakes why aren't people being told about this!!
Anyway sorry for going on.
I have a very supportive wife and my close friends are also aware of it, and are supportive.
All I know is that this affliction is now something I will have to learn to live with.
I believe there will never be a cure for T at least not in my lifetime, and if a cure is found then the side effects will be very bad. That is my view anyway.
Thanks for listening.
Linds
I have had T for most of my life on and off not knowing what is was until about 5 years ago.
All I knew about it was that it was a ringing In the ears and that it wasn't serious.
The level of my T at the time of my learning about it was very bearable and I never gave it a second thought, it never bothered me.
Now however it is effecting my quality of life and more than a mere distraction.
I know I have only myself to blame as I play guitar and sometimes too loud! This is what really gets me down, self inflicted.
The biggest mistake was not educating myself about T when I first learnt about it. Because it was no bother to me at the time. So why worry about it right, it wont get any worse than this so I don't know what all the fuss is about. I now know how foolish that thinking was! So I just got on with playing music and having a good time not knowing what adverse effects it was going to have.
Well now I have it permanently and at a level of around 70db most of the time, and as you all know it is hell!
It is worse in my left ear(that's the side my guitar amp sits) but it is also in the right one.
Needless to say the electric guitar is no longer in use, I only play acoustic now without amplification, and I wear ear protection whenever I operate anything that makes noise eg..lawn mower.
I am most downhearted because this affliction is something I could have avoided!
I think there is not enough education out there about this, there should be posters out there on the walls about this, as when I went to my doctor about my T he told me it was very common. Well for goodness sakes why aren't people being told about this!!
Anyway sorry for going on.
I have a very supportive wife and my close friends are also aware of it, and are supportive.
All I know is that this affliction is now something I will have to learn to live with.
I believe there will never be a cure for T at least not in my lifetime, and if a cure is found then the side effects will be very bad. That is my view anyway.
Thanks for listening.
Linds