Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: dmax on 18/03/2008 20:50:28
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Hi all,
New to this forum and would be interested in some help with my affliction.
I have been suffering with tinnitus for as long as I can remember, never truly experiencing silence. I was diagnosed fully when I was 18 years of age with a high degree of tinnitus. Although I have always been able to manage my tinnitus, only realising the issues when completely relaxed, over the last 6 months the whistling in my ears has become much more intense and my hearing in my right ear has deteriorated by some degree. Being 38 years of age I have decided to visit a consultant for a review (pending, but thought it prudent to seek some further advise with people suffering the same problems.
I would appreciate anybody giving me some advise on any treatments including possible hearing aid that can equalise the noise I experience.
I gladly look forward to any response.
Yours kindly
David
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Sorry to read of your suffering. I'm 33 and have had practical hearing difficulties since the age of 16. I get some tinnitus, but it's not that serious. Occasionally (a few times a month) I get a highish pitch (few kHz)pure whistle tone localised specfically to one ear or the other which is moderately loud, but typically only lasts 30 seconds. More continually I perceive a lower frequency drone or whine (maybe around 400Hz, but with harmonics) which sounds like it's in the middle-back of my head - I notice this almost any time when I'm somewhere fairly quiet.
Part of the "treatment" is learning to become indifferent to it, but obviously if it is much worse than mine that's going to be tricky.
Interestingly there are several different types of tinnitus, including "objective tinnitus" where the sound is physically generated within the ear's amplification mechanisms ... and can actually be heard by a small microphone placed in the ear canal! Other types of tinnitus are purely neural and don't have a physical manifestation at all.
Some people's tinnitus is triggered by certain real-world sounds, while in others it comes or goes of its own accord.
If your hearing has deteriorated significantly in a short space of time then you need to make a fuss about that. There's lots of possible causes, middle-ear infection or congestion is not so serious, but if it's a rapid-onset sensori-neural loss then it may be possible to reverse the recent loss (with drugs or something) -- but only if you act quickly. I perceive that my hearing worsened significantly at around the age of 16, but my history is complicated and there's not really enough evidence to be certain of this. It's too late now anyway.
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Thank you for your reply,
I think you have researched your problems to a much higher degree than I have had to in the past, but you have given me the inspiration to research my problem more than I have in the past. I don't seem to suffer from real world sounds that I can identify... However I can sit and listen to music or watch TV and the intensity of the ringing can increase. I have never been able to understand which sounds can cause this increased intensity so I need help with this.
Generally, on a daily basis the pitch of the sound is pretty much the same but can increase with prolonged loud noises, i.e. the cinema, night clubs or loud music.
It as identified in my younger years that I used to listen to loud music on my old (original) Sony Walkman too much and had a period of years at dance clubs with extreme loud music that would not of hepled my situation.
I should be honest that although I have been told to reduce my smoking or alcohol intake, sometimes I turn to this to try and blank out the drone of the problem and allow me to get a solid nights sleep. It is very difficult to get out off this habit. I think it is true to say that due to the size of the capillaries within the inner ear that one of my biggest problems may be due to the fact that I struggle to reduce my alcohol intake. ( not to say that I drink regularly every day).
My GP has prescribed Propanolol Tablets (40mg/day), however this didn't help in the slightest.
I will continue to make a fuss as this has now become a major problem for me.
Again thanks for you advise.
I will continue to seek more info on the subject,
Kind regards
David
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Dear,
I too have been suffering from the same, it all started with an ear infection, initially the sound was too much to bear but now after two weeks it is very much negligible. As am from India my parents suggested me one home remedy, since I do not know from which place you are I am not sure if that is available at your place also.
You have to fry and eat a Goats brain along with an egg before dinner and do not take anything else. The rest of the head of the Goat has to be prepared as a soup and drunk before going to sleep. If you can do this and see if the Tinnitus diminishes. I hope you do know that how to prepare the soup.
PRASAD DAMODARAN
ronaldo81@rediffmail.com
Hi all,
New to this forum and would be interested in some help with my affliction.
I have been suffering with tinnitus for as long as I can remember, never truly experiencing silence. I was diagnosed fully when I was 18 years of age with a high degree of tinnitus. Although I have always been able to manage my tinnitus, only realising the issues when completely relaxed, over the last 6 months the whistling in my ears has become much more intense and my hearing in my right ear has deteriorated by some degree. Being 38 years of age I have decided to visit a consultant for a review (pending, but thought it prudent to seek some further advise with people suffering the same problems.
I would appreciate anybody giving me some advise on any treatments including possible hearing aid that can equalise the noise I experience.
I gladly look forward to any response.
Yours kindly
David
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Goat brain eh? [:P] interesting...