The Ignorance Associated with Tinnitus

So I was talking with my father about my MRI and how I am calling around to ask the vendor of the machines at hospitals they use to see if they have noise reduction on it. I've told him once about my tinnitus but he doesn't actually believe it's a thing or acknowledge it same with my mother and family.

But I told him noise is a big problem when it comes to MRIs and that I will be using ear plugs to protect my ears. He told me if I were you I wouldn't use any earplugs and that he doesn't care about noise.

I told him he would have ear problems if he didn't and he laughed and said there's no such thing. Funny right?

 

It's crazy, my partners best friend is the same. He is a DJ and was super offended I didn't attend his new techno CD launch, he thinks I'm super precious and it isn't a big deal. He plays music soo soo loud with zero ear protection, god help him if he ever gets it..

 

I think the education system and media is to blame. There is gonna be so much hearing problems in upcoming years, because we were taught by movies that hearing loss and tinnitus is something that only happens with loud explosions. But that's really not the case and they don't teach at schools how hearing loss really works, how it creeps in and how to recognize the signs. If we were to taught that loud sounds will cause your favorite music to become distorted like a broken speaker or a bad Skype phone call, people would understand it much better and take it more seriously, rather than the old "you will go deaf".

 

Ask him to listen to a relatively high pitched tone for a day.

You can search for the URL for the following YouTube clip that you can send to him for him to enjoy: "very high pitch sound (10 hour version)". It is an actual video on YouTube. I don't recommend anyone of us to listen to it, as it might spike your T. But you can send the URL to your dad and ask him whether he wants "a 30 year version."

 

I will show him the youtube clip but I still think he wont care or take it serious unless he went through it himself or met more people with it. It sucks being the only one in my family to have tinnitus because nobody really understands. I remember I was at my grandmas house for christmas and the smoke alarm went off three times. It was super loud that my ears actually started to hurt and it was right next to me. Funny thing is the door was also next to me and I could have easily stepped outside. But i didnt because I didnt want to look like a weirdo while everyone else was fine. I did plug my ears with my fingers though.

 

People just can't really understand our struggle if they don't live it. When you tell them about tinnitus they guess it is annoying. But they have no idea what it is to live with a fear of aggravation. Unless they are really empathic and take time to listen to you.

 

Ib

I suspect that the biggest reason for what we perceive as ignorance is that so many people have a degree of T but aren’t phased by it.

When I went to ENT about my screech 6 years ago my wife and I heard the consultant talk loudly to his colleagues that I was wasting their time. The same one who said they could cut my auditory nerve if I wanted.

I owe him now as the anger forced me to deal with the condition on my own!

 

No the ignorance can happen because certain people can go through their life listening to very loud damaging noise levels while never getting tinnitus so they dont think such a thing can happen.

 

That’s also true.