Noise-Induced Tinnitus — Positive Success Stories

Soothing. Masks my t

 

@JohnAdams
That's a great idea. I be the water falling is very calming as well.

I use a YouTube video of rain falling but natural water is even better.

I have a fish tank in my office and the sound of the filter helps, though it's not enough to completely mask.

 

A little bit of a positivity post. I started a project around the house yesterday, no power tools, and spent the day getting materials and working. I stayed focused for as long a time as I have since I got t. Still not where I was before t but headed in the right direction. Little by little.

 

Buddy, keep on holding on. Ted talks etc tell us to do stuff to show ourselves change is possible, to have hope etc. That project is a good sign!

 

I have had T for several years now, it is there when i go to bed and there when i wake up. I don't even pay attention to it anymore, some days i have a difficult time with it, habituation helped me a lot. What i'm trying to say, is that a normal life is very possible...hang in there and good luck!

 

Seems like your is moderate. When I had mild T I couldn't hear it unless I was in a quiet room, or some place really quiet. Then it would cause my distress.

 

I don't hear mine at all unless I am laying in bed without any sound at all, even having the windows open will mask it. Only times i hear mine is in the car with windows up and while laying in bed. It is not bad enough that i ever need to mask, my problem is that i sometimes freak out over paranoia (is this place too loud? did i bring my plugs?)...the stress over stressing over my T is what causes my distress...not so much the T itself.

 

You are extremely lucky.

 

In my opinion the only success story for NIT (noise induced tinnitus) is a novel therapeutic that repairs cochlear damage. Remember you are also stuck with hearing loss, balance problems, painful hyperacusis.

 

Not everyone with NIT will have H or balance problems.

 

It doesn't mean everyone will get any of those things! It's just theories, not fact! I have friends who have had T for many years and they have never had H or balance issues! People on this site can be so morbid =\

 

True

 

Remember to take little breaks and focus on other things that are not T related...

 

I wish. I really do but my T and H wont permit me. My second audiologist considers me a very severe case, a month earlier I was a mild case hahahahahaha hahahahaha

 

Yes but it is dark over where you are and you're making sure there is a lot of light in your room right?

 

Lots of light but darkness in my soul

 

@coffee_girl

I'm a bit louder than that though open windows in the summer with crickets screens most of it. Quiet rooms are a constant reminder because I hear it then. I'm getting better at hearing it but not reacting to it. I hope it gets quieter with time but after 6 months all I can do is hope.

I try to be prepared so I don't freak out though I occasionally freak out too. I've gotten better at bringing ear plugs with me everywhere I go and ear muffs too in case of a fire alarm or siren. It's the new reality.

I'm convinced time is the most important part of t, whether it gets quieter or not. Time to get used to the noise, time for the h to go away, time to get used to new routines to protect our ears.

Anyone new to t who reads this post please be patient and give it time. It's going to work out ok.

 

6 MONTHS

Physical t

I wish I could say the level of the t went down over the last 30 days but I don't think it has. If I go to a quiet room it's annoyingly loud and if I'm outdoors I have to look for it to hear it.

One pattern I've noticed is I usually get crickets under the tone in the morning and then as the day progresses the crickets get quieter and the tone gets stronger. I was talking to another member who said that's how his acts.

I still don't really know what happened to the static I got in month 2-3. It would change to a clearly different sound for anywhere from minutes to an hour or two. Perhaps that was part of the variability when things are new? Perhaps the exposure to sirens changed the course the t is taking. I don't know but I can't change the past so I try not to focus on it.

The h has gone down a ton in the last 30 days. I feel like my ears are close to where they were with hearing before t. This has been the most dramatic change with h since I got t. Things don't seem anywhere as loud as they did a couple months ago and I rarely cringe when I hear some noises though I still protect from loud noises.

Perhaps once a week I'll notice the crinkly paper feel in my ears if that. The crinkly paper thing is a non factor now.

Fleeting t, when you hear a ringing for 5-30 seconds, seems to be happening a lot less lately as well or I'm not paying as much attention to it. I feel like it's not happening as much though. I think it happened almost every day or two a couple months ago and now it's more like every 3-4 days or more. I haven't been tracking things that closely.

It's late summer but not too hot and I've been sleeping with the windows open. There is some bug that makes a chirping noise; perhaps a cricket, perhaps something else, and it does an amazing job of masking. I don't need to put the sound machine on if the windows are open though I usually do anyway.

Emotional t

The stress and anxiety is still taking a major toll on my life. I'm only functioning at perhaps 30 percent of what I did before t. I've made an effort to get out and work the last few weeks and it's good to have a sense of purpose but I'm not working with the same sense of purpose I had before.

Someone on the site said give things time and you'll have plenty of other things to worry about. I feel like I'm moving toward worrying about things other than t.

To anyone reading this in the future know that if your t was caused by loud noise it can get better with time. While the level of my t isn't much, if any, lower than it was originally it's much easier to tolerate. Please don't think, or do, anything extreme in the first month or two. Those are the toughest months. Give it time and do your best to remain calm. I know how hard this is but please give it time.

After 6 months I'm starting to get used to the t though I never want to get used to it. I want it to go away. I don't think that's going to happen though.

I've developed routines with hearing protection and masking around the house to protect my ears from noise and I try to have my protection on before the noise starts. If I fear there may be loud noise the ear plugs go in and the ear muffs are at my side. Am I living a cautious life? Yes. Do I want to experience an increase in the t, even if only short term? Hell no!

I haven't used any power equipment besides a vacuum cleaner briefly (under 5 minutes) with ear plugs and ear muffs. I don't want to risk an increase. I have used a battery powered drill, briefly again, with double hearing protection. I still have no idea what's going to happen with all the power equipment I own or if I'll feel comfortable using it some day.

One of my fears is to use a piece of power equipment for a long period of time, an hour or two, and get lost in the moment. The problem is when you're using power equipment you don't notice the t getting louder. For me it can take an hour or two to start increasing. By that time I can't take back any time with power equipment and I'd have to ride the increase out. I had to ride an increase out once and I don't want to do it again.

I can't prevent the occasional plate clanking, harley going by, Dunkin Donuts worker dropping a plastic container full of ice. I can have my ear muffs nearby to cover my ears asap if there is sustained loud noise like 10 harleys going by and loud music at Dunkin Donuts.

Work for me is whole set of challenges, as it is for most on the site.

I drive a diesel truck so I wear hearing protection. I'm not sure I'll ever drive either of my trucks again without hearing protection of some sort.

When I arrive at a clients house if they have dogs I keep the hearing protection on until the dogs finish barking hello.

I always keep my ear muffs nearby in case of a low flying helicopter, plane, or sirens.

A couple times I left the job for a while when my client mowed their lawn or ran a leaf blower. I'm not risking my sensitive ears to tough it out. I've had one time when my t increased for a long duration from noise exposure and there's no way I'm going through that again if I can avoid it.

I bring ear plugs if someone is using a lawn mower in the distance or there are a lot of boats on the lake I'm working on.

Ear plugs are also handy for going into the deli for the morning bacon, egg and cheese because they play the music loud in there. I also had an experience at a Dunkin Donuts where someone dropped a tray and it was loud. I had my ear muffs in my hand but not on my head.

Truth be told the plugs usually go in for most convenience stores and when I'm pumping gas because noise can sneak up on you fast. I don't plug at the grocery store because so far I haven't had any bad experiences. Home Depot and Lowes get ear plugs. The loud speakers are loud there.

Last week my wife and I went to a wedding. We already said we're not staying for the reception. No way I'd want to be around that racket. When we got to the ceremony there was a man playing a steel drum and they pumped his music through speakers. I wouldn't get within 100' or the speakers and that was with my ear plugs in. Once again, for me, it's just not worth it. I watched the wedding from the sidelines because I didn't want to be exposed to loud clapping or static on the microphone.

I'm not sure how I'm going to do these events in the future. I don't want to go nuts with noise and then pay for it over the course of weeks or months waiting for the t to go down.

____________

When I first came to this site I sent private messages to several people who got t similar to me. First, I want to thank the people who responded. Every person I messaged did respond.

Some of the people I contacted had t for as little as 4-6 months. How I looked forward to the day when the noise in my head would be quieter and I'd have a better grasp on the situation. "I just have to make it until 6 months." I thought. It will all make sense by then.

Some of the people I spoke with talked about having good days and bad days and there being a pattern to their t. Some could predict what kind of a day they were going to have by how loud the t was when they woke up. Everyone I spoke with seemed to have a better grasp on t than me. I was so clueless.

I don't have the type of t with a pattern over several days, the t is pretty much the same every day with the pattern occurring through one day. Crickets and tone in the morning slowly changing to tone at night.

I'd like to think the crickets last a little longer every day. I'd also like to think some day the crickets will merge with the steady tone and then start to get quieter. Only time will tell.

At 6 months I feel better about the situation than I did at 3 months though I still don't know where I'm going to end up.

If you just got t and you're totally freaked out it's perfectly normal and things are going to get better. You have to give it time. I was just as freaked out as you. You can go back to the first post of this thread to see.

 

HUGE IMPROVEMENT.

 

Thanks @dpdx . I've been writing that in my head for the last few days. I want to make sure I'm not over stating how things are going. I still have a long way to go.

 

You are doing amazinggg

 

John, that wedding reception may be something you can attend 2 years from now, but do what you have to do now.

You have my best wishes.

 

I agree @PortalNaut .

 

This one popped into my head today. It may date me a bit.... Great song!

Change - John Waite

 

The h is pretty much a non factor now. I started my diesel pickup with no hearing protection today and I could barely tell the difference to the noise level with hearing protection.

While I know I have a notch in my hearing from noise induced hearing loss I'm happy with how things sound. I don't feel like my hearing is any worse since I got t except for the racket in the background which I can hear 'through'.

If I compare the levels of the t to where they were 3-4 months ago they're very similar. I keep hoping it's just a time thing. Sometimes I think the tone is a touch softer, sometimes I don't. Things like whether the windows are open or an appliance is running make a big difference in perception of the level of t. Progress 3-4 months ago may have been from an open window or appliance and not progress with t.

I feel like I'm getting used to having t though I still don't like it. I have routines down for protecting my ears and I know what situations I need to mask so I don't focus on it.

I haven't re-engaged in life but I'm trying to do more. I've worked in the yard longer than before and found focus, worked at a clients house daily, not full days, and found focus. I've let up on the long walks and I need to exercise more. It's good for both the mind and body which has gained about 20 lbs since I got t. I think that's a sign that things still aren't right.

I haven't used a power tool for more than 5 -10 minutes for 6 months and that's hard. My exercise would be using a chainsaw to cut firewood, mowing the lawn and weed wacking, working on cars with pneumatic tools. Heck, I even vacuumed the house for an hour at a time last winter just to be up and moving around. I can do all those things but not with power tools yet. I want my ears to have a chance to heal if they are going to.

I tried to cut back on TT and I hope to work toward visiting once a week. I feel like I'm seeing old friends from high school when I come here. There's a level of comfort and acceptance here. Perhaps it's more like seeing old friends from college.

If you're in the initial phase of t it does get better. Give it time.

 

After making that post I noticed the t is running a little hot today. Perhaps 30 seconds of the diesel truck kicked things up a notch. Do as I say not as I do....

 

A lot of fleeting t today. When you hear a high pitched ring in one ear for 5-15 seconds. I'm on to 3 times on my right ear. Can't make any sense out of that. @Bill Bauer takes it as a sign ears are trying to heal so I'm going to go with it being a good thing.

 

I met a man today, probably in his late 50's, who's had t since he was 12. Someone slapped him on the side of the head with an open hand and his ear made a popping noise and the noise started. He said it only bothers him sometimes at night when things are quiet. That seems to be a common theme for people with t.

It wasn't a big deal to him just a part of life. I guess I'll get there some day.

 

My ears were screaming the last 1/2 hr or so. Yes, I was using a vacuum with ear muffs before that but I don't think that was the cause. They've calmed down over the course of about 5 minutes. They lost the edge and got a little quieter.

If you go back in this thread a long way I mention that the t used to get louder before it got quieter. I think I'm back at that phase again. It definitely got louder since the exposure to sirens. I feel like I'm moving back to where I was before the sirens though sometimes I feel like it's getting louder not quieter.

I think the variability is a good sign. It proves it can vary. I haven't been locked in one place the last 7 months. Unfortunately the level isn't really much/any quieter than when I first got t or and the t hasn't changed to a hiss/buzz type noise.

I think I'm at the point where the veterans say stop focusing on how it sounds and ignore it. Acknowledge it's there but don't focus on it.