SSD + D

[Eric]

Hello all,


A year and a half ago, I went to sleep without any hearing problem and woke up about 3 hours later with severe deafness (-80Db on most frequencies) and Tinnitus in my left ear. Thanks to the American Tinnitus Association, I have a recording of my Tinnitus. When I play it with headphones on my Ipad, I set the volume to about 3/4 of maximum which is about what I hear in my left ear.

(I wanted to post a link here but SPAM protection prevents me from doing this so I attached to the message)

You can find the mp3 file on the American Tinnitus Association in the section <sound of tinnitus> the screeching sound


It's nice to have this mp3 because people, especially family have trouble understanding what it is to live with T and Single Sided Deafness. They usually don't last a minute. I explain to them that this is my new 24/7 silence.


I now wear Phonak CROS hearing aids to at least be able to hear sound from my left side even if it is injected in my right ear because my left ear cannon be aided.

A few weeks ago, I went trecking with my kids and while we were near a waterfall, my daughter spoke to me from my left side and I suddenly could hear. I removed my hearing aid and CROS system and my son spoke softly in my left ear and I could hear. As soon as we left, I could hear nothing more than my usual companion, the screeching tone.

I had an appointment with my ENT today and I told him about this. He had never heard about such a thing and neither had the audiologist. Neither one seemed to have interest in exploring this thread to my earing.

I was wondering if anyone with SSD and T has ever experienced something similar and if it is worth pursuing this hint in my condition.


Thank you.

 

[mick]

I have suspected for some time that some forms or degrees of hearing loss with tinnitus are actually the result of the tinnitus masking the hearing. I have no idea whether any research has been expended on this concept, but your experience certainly suggests some should. It sounds like the water masked some of your tinnitus frequencies and that allowed to hear others where maybe you have no real hearing loss.

All hints are worth exploring. Its a shame that your ENT and audiologist are not taking an interest. The tough part of all medical issues is getting someone with the right background and knowledge to look into them. I always say putting a problem in front of the right person at the right time is what get's them solved. As suggestion I have is to send an e-mail directly to any and all university researchers that you can find studing hearing loss or tinnitus. You might get lucky and hit the right person. Crowdsourcing and networking can pay off. I'll certainly mention your experience to anyone I happen to run into who works in field. Maybe others on this forum may do the same.

Have you tried to duplicate your experience at the waterfall?

How was the MP3 of your tinnitus sound made?

 

[frohike]

I had my tinnitus temporarily silenced by sounds similar to T. It still happens that when it's bothering me, I play a youtube video called "Hearing Test 2" (a tone from 500hz to 15khz) and around 6khz, which is the frequency I'm missing the most, it appears to have a soothing effect on my T. Can't explain why. I know there is a theory that says that listening to frequencies similar to those that you don't hear anymore recruits nearby neurons to work on those frequencies, and not on the T frequencies they no longer receive.

 

[Eric]

Have you tried to duplicate your experience at the waterfall?

Yes, but without Success. I am planning a trip to this same waterfall and I will bring a sound recorder with me.

How was the MP3 of your tinnitus sound made?

It is not a recording from MY tinnitus but one that is quite similar to mine.

Since I cannot post a link to the web site, until after three posts, I will reply to this thread once more with the link.

 

[Eric]

The link to the sounds of Tinnitus

http://www.ata.org/sounds-of-tinnitus