My History with Tinnitus

Hello, My name is Bill and I have had a lifetime of tinnitus in my right ear. I lost complete hearing in my left ear about age 6 due to what a specialist told my mother was Menier's disease. I was drafted into the US ARMY in 1966 despite my hearing loss. I recall the induction center doctor saying. Well you can hear out of the other ear cant you? Your in." During my ARMY days, I shot weapons, blew up grenades and even once shot a bazooka next to my right ear. I am now 69 years old. I can only feel sympathy and support for those who have had to deal with this issue. Recently, I had terrible tinnitus and nearly total hearing loss in my right ear. I went to the family doctor, who saw nothing and referred me to an EENT. He told me that I had SSHL (Sudden sensorineural hearing loss). The SSHL lasted about a week and has since let my hearing return. (Thank God). I have had tinitus virtually my whole life. Most of the time, I just try to ignore it and go on with things as I can hear reasonably well despite the damn ringing. I know there are millions of you who suffer as well. I was tested by the EENT and found my hearing loss to be 15% in the right ear. With high frequencies being most affected. I have one hearing aid. It is a Starkey behind the ear with multiple channels of sound settings. Setting one is for LOUD CROWD or very noisy situations.. It works well, Setting two or channel two is what I call my normal setting. THIS HEARING AID helps diminish the tinitus. Setting three is for TV and four is telephone. One tap on the back of the hearing aid will provide a audible ONE, TWO, THREE or Four. During my SSHL last week, I wore the hearing aid on channel one just to be able to hear anything. I had an important family business matter to take care of in another state so the hearing aid got me through that. The EENT doc told me that it was likely that I would never have the SSHL again. Being skeptical as I usually am will wait and see. From this forum it is apparent that Lipoflavanoids are a waste of time and money and in some cases harmful to people in other ways. My hearing aid is a Starkey Series 5 behind the ear model.
For those of you who fight hearing tinitus, I would strongly suggest seeing an EENT who can provide a hearing aid with the latest digital technology that can actually mask out the tinitus with a BOSE like noise masking. Perhaps my hearing aids do that without me actually knowing the technology. I know they do help and there is technology available which will help you out there. Seek it out.
My tinitus was bad this morning so I put my hearing aid in on channel three (as the TV s on) and it does lessen the ringing. I have a neighbor who has dual hearing aids which help his tinitus as well.
They even have a hearing aid now that automatically pairs with an iPhone and directly passes sound directly to the hearing aid from the iPhone. You can get an external mic (clip on) which allows you to talk through it as well as listen to the TV directly to the hearing aid. That would be nice, however these devices are $1,600. Plus the cost of the MIC thing. A hands free bluetooth earset will do the same thing for a lot less money.
Points to re-emphasize here:
1.) Tinitus is a widespread illness that millions of people suffer with. There is no cure, only some help out there through the use of technology such as hearing aids.
2.) Don't let it stop you from living and let it control you, YOU control it. YOU live with it and your life will go on just fine.
3.) don't waste time and money trying Lipoflavanoids. They are a rip off.
4.) my heart goes out to anyone with this affliction. I certainly can sympathize with you after dealing with it for over 60 years.

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk William.
You are a veteran to tinnitus and great if you can keep posting positivity and support for other members who need it as well as support if you need it....lots of love glynis