Tinnitus

watch my salt intake-
chew gum=
stay out of the middle of mtg rooms-
leave room if it gets too loud-
or move over to be very close to a wall

I've had this for many years as well.
It has its moments of extremes.
Sometimes its a screaming ring and others just a plain ole ringing.
My problem is not with hearing people per se.
My worst is not being able to tell where a noise is coming from.
Lots of noises or loud noises are more of an aggrivation than anything.

Reboot your brain...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5huG44areTqdatbHkGMALWPiFguKg?docId=CNG.f57c40c34c2baca8600a698953d82048.1e1

I have had it in my right ear ever since I was in my early twenties wen I fired off a few rounds without my ear plugs in (I thought they were in).

I have basically just learned to live with it and I avoid in depth conversations in crowded rooms and I have a tendency to just nod a lot when engaged in inconsequential conversations.:-)

Jules - your profile does not give your location. If in the northeast, go here:

http://www.hearingbalance.com/

Dr. Bauman was my aunt's doctor for her hearing aids; a brilliant guy. They can cure tinnitus, or at least make it mangagable. Seek help in the right places. And good luck.

KS

I Guess I'm lucky, About 10 years ago I was going to a job and I thought one of my truck windows was slightly down and whistling. Couldn't figure out what the noise was. Had it ever since.

I too have tinnitus, and have had it for about 14 yrs. It sounds like heat bugs, all the time, and does affect my ability to hear with any background sounds, like busy restaurants, or driving with my studded winter tires on. It's frustrating but I generally am able to not pay attention to it. Thinking about it, like right now, of course makes it noticeable. I've heard of treatments that involve a white noise that eventually programs the brain to tune the ringing out, but I've no personal experience with it, because as I said, I'm able to tune it out for the most part.
I trace the beginning to working in an enclosed space doing some industrial layout while another crew, in the same space, was tearing up concrete with pneumatic hammers. Though listening to Hendrix at full volume as a young man, in retrospect, was probably not a good idea either.
Good luck,
phd

mine is from a combination of flying and then I aggravated it a few years ago.

My right ear is worse.

It's really hard to make people understand how uncomfortable loud sounds are, they resonate in my right ear. I can't stand loud concerts or plays.

Mostly I can tune it out but I also have trouble in noisy environments. The field or driving is better; inside it's more noticeable.

Most of the time things aren't too bad. But, that crowded situation with multiple conversations at once is tough. Television is getting worse as the actors speak very quickly trying to stuff as much message as possible into the show. I lose quite a bit of what they are saying.

Maybe this is one reason I enjoy the field work part of surveying.

i have had it many years--went to the va they confirmed it--ringing constantly, hard to sleep used to turn a fan on and concentrate on the sound to over ride my ringing-

the va sent me a sound box, it worked for me, cat pissed on it, found one on ebay for 30 dollars the surf 2 sound words for me and i don't notice the ringing--the babbling brook works too--everyone is different but theres a sound on there that will work for you--

don't want to bust your bubble but the govt HAARP program of mind altering brain waves mostly in cities intensifies the ringing to be head shattering almost they have these boxes above cities and on buildings to keep people calm, to send subliminal messages etc--they can now do this from satellites using a beam on entire populations they can make you tired, nausous, weak, interfere with your thought process, alter your heartbeat and breathing--amazing but true--my feeling is everyone has a form of tinnitus from loud sounds, guns, music etc once established in ones head, it can be manipulated and they know this--

what a country----tdd

> don't want to bust your bubble but the govt HAARP program of mind altering brain waves mostly in cities intensifies the ringing to be head shattering almost they have these boxes above cities and on buildings to keep people calm, to send subliminal messages etc--they can now do this from satellites using a beam on entire populations they can make you tired, nausous, weak, interfere with your thought process, alter your heartbeat and breathing--amazing but true--my feeling is everyone has a form of tinnitus from loud sounds, guns, music etc once established in ones head, it can be manipulated and they know this--
>

So, maybe all you need is a tin hat for tinnitus?

I have a friend that got a terrible, terrible case as a result of a malaria vaccination. Apparently this is a rare, but known side effect. He was totally disabled with a loud screaming in his ears, disturbed by the slightest noice, nearly insane, on heavy drugs, finally had to leave his wife and children in the Carribian where he was a missionary and go home to Virginia to live with his mother where it was quiet. He got treatment there and was eventually able after about a year to pull himself together and rejoin his wife and work.

well now I can put name to that problem i've had for few years...

I have had this ringing in my ears since my teens. It may have been started with hay fever and sinus problem or from concussion. Most of the time it is a constant little noise that can irritate the heck out of me at times.

Most of the time I hear a broad range of sounds with clarity and then step into certain crowded places and not be able to hear what people are saying unless they are speaking into my ear.

The worst days are when the cooling fans for my computers and the fridge need a cleaning and they appear to resonate and strengthen that ringing sound to an unbearable state.

Having some form of music or ambient background noise helps cover and bring some rhythm to the usual trashy irritating sound.

When the music is right, the volume knob is my friend.

Maybe I should line the interior of my house and car and slip into an aluminum foil cap and it will all go away.

get your hearing checked there are db ranges that vary--mine was around 1200 db that gave me the most trouble, also blood pressure can vary intensity of ringing/beeping or swooshing sounds in the inner ear--doesn't hurt to know which animal your facing--tdd

Do your best to stay focused on other things.
Do not talk about it, read about it, or reply to meassages on forums about it. It just makes it worse.
Stay away from people and animals. They make noises that will drive you nuts.
Do not fly or ride in anything with a motor.
Do not go to meetings or sporting events.
Do not attend family gatherings.

Sleep 24 hours a day.

There is no such thing as peace and quiet.

Mine is like mosquitos in stereo, all day, every day. Going on 25 years now.

Can usually hear fine, just don't know what anyone is saying if there is other noise. Don't hear the beeps and other sounds that my total station makes at all. When tested by the Air Force in RVN I was asked if I had been around a lot of jets engines, No, Guns and heavy equipment. Did get some hearing aids from the VA a year ago and they help understanding what others say, but they are a real pain in the -- when outside so it depends on what I plan to do if I put them on. Try to use them frequently, not right not to, the VA payed for them with money obtained through taxes and I do have a debt to those who payed those taxes.
jud

Some 40+ years ago, I went to the shooting range with a friend who was in his middle 50s at the time. I had earplugs and earmuffs and offered either to my friend. He declined, and proceded to fire my .41 Magnum pistol with zero ear protection. I believe he wound up with tinnitus until the day he died. He also reminded me of that day at the range each time we met over the subsequent years ...

Same here. On top of the Tinnitus problem, my ear tests consistently show that my hearing is far above average. I can hear stuff that makes other people look at me funny when I tell them what I'm hearing. The problem is, between the Tinnitus and the excellent long-range hearing, I can't hear what's right in front of me when there's too much background noise.

For instance, at the bowling alley, groups of people are standing around talking and they obviously can hear each other. I'm standing right there and all I hear is mumbling and crashing of pins as if they were right next to me.

Anyway, I can't say I've found a solution. It's just something I've found that I have to live with. Between David Lee Roth, Poison and ZZ Top, my ears never had a chance.