Tinnitus since 1976...

Wow, looking at that number in print, I have had this problem a very long time and I wonder how I have survived and have not been taken to the asylum. It has not been easy. Listening to a radio at night to go to sleep did not help so I learned to concentrate real hard on something I loved to do and I soon would go to sleep. Over the years I built a house in my mind and designed a windown in about 1980 with triple pane glass that I wish I had patented--had no idea. Anyway, I am almost 67 years young now & am totally deaf in my right ear (but ye olde tinnitus is still there, loud & clear). I have had a cochlear implant in my right ear and am in the process of learning to hear again with that ear. I still have some hearing in my left ear but wear a hearing aide for that ear. And yes, the tinnitus is there too. I hope I am not discouraging to anyone. You can learn to live with it but I also am interested in anything that might help control it or hopefully eliminate it. I was told in 1976 that most likely it had to do with elevated cholesterol so I had that checked but it was not elevated at all and over the past 36 years my cholesterol has never been found to be elevated. I have also been told it was caused by allergies and have had allergy shots, tons of allergy meds and the ringing just continued, worsened even over the years. I did have a sinus infection about 3 1/2 years ago and my hearing noticeably worsened after that and seems like the right ear just went away almost completely. When the cochlear implant was done they said I maybe had 5% hearing in the right ear and probably 20-25% in my left ear. So now Judy has a drivers license that is restricted with an S code that I had never seen before (had to renew this year) and it restricts me to sometime of hearing device when driving. But all that said, it would be wonderful to get rid of this confounded ringing, buzzing noise in my head that has been with me far too long. By the way, I live in Amarillo so I will volunteer for any experiments etc. I am also a retired RN. I gave up working largely because I was afraid I would miss something that might hurt somebody someday so I went out while all my patients were in good shape.

 

Did the tinnitus get worse after the cochlear implant? No, it was more noticeable because the hearing aid I wore in that ear broadcast enough "cover noise" that I didn't notice it. But it was no worse than it was say 7-8 years ago. I have just had the Cochlear 5 implant since the end of January and did not get the external devices for a month after that. After I went 'live', I have noticed that in addition to the ring, I occaisionally get some kind of radio? interference that gives me a whole new set of noises that come and go even when not wearing the external gear. I must say it is like waking up in a new world everyday---it certainly isn't boring!
I live in Amarillo, Texas, which is just about 15 miles from West Texas A & M where they are doing this tinnitus research so I intend to check this out very closely---If they could lessen my "entrenched tinnitus" they should be able to fix up about anybody. I had my cochlear implant done in Albuquerque, NM at the VA hospital there and I have to go there about once a month for adjustments on my cochlear implant settings. I intend to discuss this with my doctor there--he is fairly young and open minded. I certainly do not want to do anything that might hurt my implant because that little baby cost right about $85,000.00 installed. Not to mention the discomfort for a few days and the fact you have to be put to sleep. Way back when the tinnitus first started it really bothered me and the radio or 'white noise' didn't do anything to help but the concentration on something I was interested in like building my own home helped--often I would be asleep in 5 to 10 minutes.
good luck to you in your dealing with the problem, I know how unsettling it can be.
Judy

 

It takes a long time to get a cochlear implant "regulated " for really hearing--it has already improved my hearing even though voices through that device still sound pretty much like Donald Duck. I can now hear the higher tonal melody of music, my phone most of the time, turn signal on my car, etc. Also because I have the implant, they may not be able to do anything with me because I cannot have anything done that resembles an MRI or high frequency scans--I was given a card for airport authorities to get me through check in. One ear sounds like there is water running all the time. But I still want to check this out, it may not help me but it may help me to show someone how you can deal with tinnitus and not let it run you completely daffy.