Tinnitus Changed My Life

I developed my T through years of concerts, gaming headphones and guns. I did wear ear plugs at the firing range but I believe they were inadequate.

I used to work as a Wilderness Ranger and earlier this year I developed Tinnitus and it just about floored me. Being a Wilderness Ranger, I had to live out doors (camping) for the Forest Service and for about a month my T was getting worse, I have no idea what it was. I never realized how quiet it got outdoors day/night until the only thing I was hearing was a loud ringing in my ears. Then it dawned on me, I would never be able to fully enjoy solitude again, being able to enjoy just hearing the sounds of nature. Sleeping became a problem. I was awake for most of the nights walking around at like 2 in the morning trying to find a way to sleep.

I even went as far as putting my tent by a river to help drown out the T. For some reason that didn't work, my ears were very sensitive to noise at this point (not so much anymore). I even went to a water fall and it felt like the sound of the water splashing defended my ears, they felt full when I left the area after patrolling it. I ended up resigning from my job, I couldn't sleep and the job was becoming extremely stressful, having to wake up in the morning to do physically strenuous work, being very tired with my ears blaring . I couldn't handle it for some reason, it had been going on for months.

I kind of regret leaving but I needed to find a way to manage this I think I have but I still don't know how to manage it in a primitive environment with out technology to help me go to sleep (red/white noise). I could always go back but I just don't want to have another bad experience.

 

I can identify with your situation and hope you find some relief. I believe that years of motorway driving triggered my tinnitus which is now affecting my concentration and social interaction. Part of my job was delivering presentations and answering questions. I had to give this up as I could not clearly hear the questions and could not work out which part of the room a question came from. A lover of the great outdoors, my biggest wish is that I could rediscover silence, even for short periods. My local hospital provided me with an Oasis sound generator, and the the background sound of a rain shower replaces the permanent hissing which is a sort of relief. I was also advised to wear headphones in both ears when using my mobile phone so that the same sounds are fed to both ears instead of having one ear with the hissing and one on the telephone. This works for me to a degree.
I am rapidly coming to terms with the fact that we need to have different ' tools' and tricks up our sleeves in different situations to achieve a better outcome to our everyday life. I am constantly on the lookout for new ideas and things to try. I am thankful that I do not currently suffer from sleep deprivation. Hope I can maintain this positive outlook and looking forward to sharing anything that works for me. I found this forum by accident and suddenly feel that I am just one of thousands having similar problems. I look forward to reading about similar experiences and seeing a way forward through this.

 

Hang in there buddy I'm here to rescue you

 

I remember when I first got T with ultra high pitch dog whistle, I used to mask all day, 7/24. Trying not to disturb my wife's sleep, I even had the earbuds of the ipod all night. Given that I would usually get panic attack when waking up with loud T, I simply had the ipod playing high pitch nature sounds the whole night, such as waterfall, heavy rain, shower sound, even squeaky faucet sound. Before I got the ipod set up for masking, I had to sleep by the shower of my master bedroom sleeping on a roll-away mattress, with the shower turned on cold water running the whole night. Luckily here in Vancouver Canada, we pay a flat fee for water usage, lol. Nowadays smart phones can also do the job with many free apps of white noises and other nature sounds. There are power sticks which can be precharged and then used to extend the battery of the mobile phone. So it is possible to be out there with these mobile masking units helping to sleep. Perhaps after your ears become more settled is to consider going back the job with these mobile masking devices ready anytime you need them. You can also try using these natural alternatives to help you sleep, such as Lemon Balm, Valerian, Hops, Catnips, Passion Flower, Chamomile, Lavender, Kava, Melatonin etc. You can google search each of them to know their use and see if you can take them as a supplement. Check out this site on using natural herbs for helping to sleep or to calm the nerves.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/lib...ealth/herbs-and-natural-remedies-for-insomnia