So, guys, my tinnitus has gotten worse to the point I'm not sure if I could easily distinguish hoof sounds over all the "crickets" in my ears. Annoying as hell 24/7! Any of you folks have tinnitus (ringing in the ears) & what do you do to compensate? I've heard of different approaches/accomodations, there's even a psuedo-surgical protocol, but not too sure about that. Any help is appreciated.
Eddie Paulsgrove
Got the same problem gettin worse I dont hear it when I am out shooting . up the hill in Placitas Jeff
I have the same problem, plus, hearing loss of 80% in left ear and 50% in right ear from Vietnam service.
So, I use hearing aids turned up to almost max when bow hunting.
That allows me to hear sounds that people with normal hearing can't pick up.
Just gotta remember to turn 'em down when back in camp.
Charles.
i know how ya feel eddie, i see deer before i ever hear them. ive been a carpenter for 20 yrs, pneumatic tools and power saws have had a big effect on my hearing. but i can read a tapemeasure from 20 ft away so im always lookin hard i think i have also from time to time get a feelin , somethin in my head tells me look around you are not alone out here , and what do ya know, there they are. nothin you can do for hearing loss accept a hearing aid. belltone . game ear and such. im sure im going to be lookin into these devices before to long myself. i do feel your pain bro. ruddy
There is no cure and if someone tells you they have one be very wary. I've had it for a few years now and have learned to filter it out, it is hardest when it is quietest. Keep constantly searching with your eyes and keep movement to as little as humanly possible.
Same here. I've had it in my left ear for 20+ years and I just live with it. It started due to blood pressure issues so make sure you have that checked out. If you have high blood pressure and can get it down it 'might' change the ring tone :)
I've also lost 60% of the hearing in that ear so the tinitus is always there.
I try to use my eyes more now.
I found the blood pressure tie-in interesting. Where can I research that some more?, as I suffer with both.
Mine was caused by excessively loud sound. Blood pressure is the first thing they check as tinnitus can be an indicator of it.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365/DSECTION=causes
I have that high pitched ringing 24/7 also. I can still hear other sounds though, leaves rustling, squirrels jumping through dry leaves. I try to adjust to other sounds when I'm in the woods, and those sounds take the place of the ringing. My ears still ring, but I can hear animal sounds quite well (if that makes any sense).
You lose some hearing as you grow older, and there's a space in the brain where that hearing was, so the brain fills that space with another sound...ringing. Stupid brain.
QuoteOriginally posted by vermonster13:
There is no cure and if someone tells you they have one be very wary. I've had it for a few years now and have learned to filter it out, it is hardest when it is quietest. Keep constantly searching with your eyes and keep movement to as little as humanly possible.
Wow, I have never seen this topic in print. Yes, what Vermontster said is so true. I have battled this for most of my life. It got to the point where I can somewhat "filter it out" however, when sitting in the quiet of woods, it can be very distracting. Since age 12, my eyes have been my ears.
I have severe tinnitus. Surrounding sound has to get higher than 80db before I do not hear the ringing in my ears. I have had this since 2004. It started as the result of an inner ear infection that caused me to lose my balance for 10 days. FOr the first few years it was very disruptive to my life. The main cause is that it affrected my sleep. Today I consider it my little friend that always reminds me I am still alive. It causes difficulty in hunting but the worst is what it has done to my ability to hear when in a large room setting with lots of noise. It is no fun!
QuoteOriginally posted by hockey7:
I have that high pitched ringing 24/7 also. I can still hear other sounds though, leaves rustling, squirrels jumping through dry leaves. I try to adjust to other sounds when I'm in the woods, and those sounds take the place of the ringing. My ears still ring, but I can hear animal sounds quite well (if that makes any sense).
My right ear is worse than my left. I got it from training exercises in USAF firing M60 and M16 blanks.
I can hear some leaf sounds. I miss hearing all the songbirds. If they're close, I can hear them. No problem hearing Blue Jays or crows though.
I've been living with it for 25 years or so. And from what I've researched it's nerve damage so a cure is not likely. I too am skeptical of procedures or other claims of false hope. And it is increased by high blood pressure. If you have tinnitus it can be of some benefit as I have heard my ringing increase and subesquently realized I had higher blood pressure induced by stress.
And if it's related, I can sometimes detect changes in barometric pressure. Almost a weather forecaster so to speak.
I really can tell when the leaves are damp. I don't hear anything but the ringing. And hunting in snow is worst. The snow acts like a sound absorber and almost everything is drowned out by the ringing.
I guess we're not alone. And I guess we just have to deal with it.
Missed a couple of shot opportunities this past season due to tinnitus--deer snuck in behind me and i didn't hear them. It comes and goes, some days better than others.
I had it for a long time, bad, in both ears, then my mother-in-law moved out.
No seriously, some meds really crank it for me like Ibuprofen or aspirin. It ain't fun and
the conventional wisdom sez you're S.O.L. if you get it. :(
I have this too. I just recently noticed it. It is like the dripping faucet; once you recognize it, you can't ignore it. I don't know how long it has been there.
I took my blood pressure and it is OK. I do take meds for that. I have used a lot of power tools, not always with good hearing protection and do have some hearing loss. A room full of people talking in the background and I am at a real disadvantage trying to hear certain people with soft voices.
Google research says that sometimes a brain tumor can be involved, and a CT scan is needed to rule that out. Some meds like aspirin can cause it. But beyond these few situations that can be treated, there is not much that can be done.
Gotta go, I think the phone is ringing?
From all I read or heard from doctors in the 40 years that I've had it, is there isn't any treatment for it. I did find that a quiet environment reduced the ringing over time....so the longer that my hunting trip lasted, the more the ringing let up. But, back into a noisy environment, and it picked up again! Eventually, I lost enough hearing in both ears that the ringing wasn't so noticeable.....not that you should find that comforting!!!
Hearing aids have NOT been a solution for me.......at least with regard to tinnitus. And they are a pain in the ____ when hunting(I know, I might be putting them in the wrong place, huh?) Getting them wet makes them fail and invalidates the warranty! I lost one chasing a bull through heavy cover,and that's not the only time one came out when I was hunting! It cost me a $500 deductible to get that one replaced, and not all aids are insured!
People with REAL health problems will not be too sympathetic about our faulty hearing issues, but I've found this one very frustrating for many years.
Interesting about the aspirin I take it regularly
its an aggravating condition I sure wish they could correct
Right there with you. I spent several years as an Infantryman to include some sand time with the associated explosions and whatnot and am now an artilleryman, and I definatly have hearing issues. I usually just got ahead and go hunting and listen as well as I can through the ringing. Also look around as much as I can without making too much motion. Obviously, it isn't always going to work. It helps that I hunt a lot on my own place where I have a pretty good idea where they will be coming from more often than not.
Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yeah, tinnitus may not be a truly serious disability but I can readily believe that this constant ringing could lead to issues of irritability, depression, etc. I use a fan when I sleep & it seems to cover the noise some so I can sleep but I'm pretty concerned about time in the field. I can see how this could become a kinda serious, monotonous distraction when there's very little ambient noise around. This'll take some time to get used to & I sure don't look forward to it. If any of you folks have kids who use Ipods or MP 3 players you might want to convince them to not use ear buds even at lower volumes - I'm sure the buds aren't the sole reason I got it but also pretty sure they contributed.
I have had it for a long time. Due mainly to duck and goose hunting with partner's guns going off near me. I learned to live with it and can deer hunt just fine. The big problem is understanding someone's conversation in a room with noise in it, especially women, grandchildren, men who are "low talkers".
I've had it for 25 years or more, just trained myself to spot motion. I do better when it is quiet. At home, I just about go crazy if some one is trying to talk to me over say, the exhaust fan over the stove or running water.
Tractors on the farm, cases of shotgun shells shot each season, loud music and I had tinnitus and hearing loss diagnosed in high school. I truly don't remember not having the ringing. I don't usally think of it much anymore as I'm 55 now.
Once in a great while when hunting by myself for a few days it will suddenly stop. The first thing that goes through my mind is "Oh crap, I've finally gone deaf!" I always end up snapping my fingers or something to be sure I can still hear. I'm a little releived when the ringing soon comes back. Stupid I know, but when your older even a good change can be hard to take.
I've had it for roughly 32 years never paid it much attention till about 10 years ago. Then it started getting worse, can't hear someone standing next to me talking if there is any background noise. Can't go out to eat and have a conversation with my wife if everyone in restaurant is talking. Really gets to be annoying. A lot of times I just pretend to understand what folks are saying.
Was told to cut back on caffeine and it would lessen the ringing, I haven't drank coffee since 1978, so I cut out sodas and tea. It helped a little. Not much you can do other than live with it. Sure is a pain in the a**!
It can have different causes. If my chiropractor does his job, I can have a few days off from it. Quite often there is a pressure from a jaw joint under the ear, as well tightness in the neck, that can cause it. i have found that if i sing opera arias at full volume it will go away for the day at times. The high notes and the massive amount of breathing required to hit them can balance the inner ear pressure and open the vessels that cause the hiss.
Gee, I thought it rather something special that God gave me personally so I'd "never be alone!" :)
Tried a Walker Game Ear. Uh-huh. Works...but I look like one of those bobble head dolls trying to figure out what direction the sound I hear is coming from!
Walker's suggestion was to buy ANOTHER of his gizmo's so they'd balance and restore "directional" hearing!
Ummm-nah. Katy-dids and cricket seranade even in the dead of winter... ah...spring and summer year around. Just go to a quiet place.
When the soothsayers tell you to seek solace in your quiet place... I KNOW he's not talkin to ME!
:knothead:
I have had it since last October,went to the ear doctor and did a lot of testing.He didn't find anything,so there wasn't much I could do about it.Some days it is worse then others,it is a lot better now then when I first got it.I'm getting used to it alittle now,but I just can't hear the fine soft sounds like I used to.
I've had it for many, many years, and most of the time I can ignore it. Sometimes (like right now) it's loud. I have found that ear candeling helps a little, but temporary. At least it gets quieter. Hearing aids compensate for the sounds in the woods, but will not cure or cover it.
Thsi topic should be read by all those who don't have the malady! Although there is no cure, in MOST cases there is a prevention. When you listen to music - keep the volume down. If you use a chain saw - wear hearing protection. When you use any power tools - wear hearing protection. When you shoot any firearm - wear hearing protection. When you cut the grass - wear hearing protection. Learn the lesson from those of us who are too late to help. I realized how bad mine really was when I would comment on how quiet my bow was and my buddies would all give me these strange looks.
I am 42 and have had tinnitus as long as I can remember. Always needed a fan to sleep with. Drove my parents nuts when I was a kid and would take it out of the closet in the middle of winter and turned it on. I always use hearing protection but have all of the issues mention before. I had a physical a couple of years ago and had my ears looked at- nothing they could do for the noise but they cleaned them out good- I went hunting the next day and actually heard my first grunt ever- from a doe that was 50 or so yards away.
Huh??? What did you say??? Darn crickets anyway...
This is one of the most interesting threads I've read in a while, I'm really glad to know I'm not alone! I've had it since childhood and barely got into the infantry with it because I was borderline non-recruitable for hearing loss. It got FAR worse sitting behind an M60 for a few years.
Like everyone above, you're gonna have to use your eyes, use your terrain, use the wind, use whatever you've got in your favor because you ain't gonna hear them coming!
I'll say one other thing, my wife developed it at 40 when her thyroid went wonky. She got on thyroid hormone and it almost went away. I'm not saying there is a cure, but one persons reason for having it might not be the same as someone else (But us old grunts are screwed, probably the same for carpenters and lumberjacks too.)
Seems odd that most folks hear the same kind of noise - guess I was hoping that what I'm hearing was a temporary incident. I guess the real test will come later this year, in the woods. Just have to be a better hunter & take this thing into account in my strategy & tactics.
I have tinnitus and violent vertigo. Been to Mayo and other things. Wish there was cure. Certainly diet, low salt, and various natural remedies really can help the tinnitus. I have to be careful.
50 yrs old this year and realizing that getting older is REAL! Staying in shape etc. is no longer to get stronger but simply to maintain what I can. Not the same as I was. Been hunting more with my eyes (which are changing too! Crap!!)
Blessings
Dan in KS
QuoteBeen hunting more with my eyes (which are changing too! Crap!!)
Yep. There's that too. I'm starting to feel like Helen Keller!
I have a friend who says he has trouble hearing because of exposure to loud noises. What does he do but continue to shoot a lot without protection...I wish he would think more seriously about preserving his hearing before he realizes his neglect has made things worse.
I have had it for many years. Now that the subject has been brought up, my ears are ringing like crazy! It is something that never leaves, but over 40 plus years I have gotten used to it. I sleep with a fan blasting so it somewhat drowns the ringing.
As far as hunting/outdoor stuff, my wife tells me that there are crickets chirping, but you couldn't tell it by me. I can still hear elk bugling, but I may be missing some of that, as well. The high pitched alarms, like on a watch, are useless for me.
FYI for you ex military types, if you got tinnitus in the service, make sure and file a claim with the VA; it is a compensable disability if it is service connected. Mine came from turbine engines, minieguns, and M60s. I bet a lot of you may have the same situation if you were around noisy things in the military.
Had it for years. Can hear an elk bugle, but unless I see em I don't know the direction it came from.
One big problem, is I can be standing on a rattler and I'll never hear it.
Like any other disability, the best thing to do is learn to over come it by using your other senses.
I suspect, if we were to put this into a "class" situation, most vets with an active duty status during a "situation" will have it. Also, many of us who attended, participated in, or just were a part of a generational music thing would also have it....
I, personally have it covered on all fronts. To start with shooting at a young age with no hearing protection. Who knew....
Then there were those early money making days of 1964-67 with thousands of watts of amplifiers 6-15 ft. behind me or fifty ft in front of me... Then too much of that other stuff males of my generation were privlidged to participate in, you all get the picture I know....
I hear it every day.. I am hearing it right now as several others have said. I guess I have learned to "tune it out" in a way. Like Broke Tooth, my eyes, although I now wear glasses, have been good to me. Thank God!
Now, when I shoot guns, which is almost every day starting when the weather gets ok here, I wear plugs and muffs... sometimes only one or the other, sometimes both.
Ya cant get rid of it. Ya just have to let it become a part of who you are and go for it. Truthfully, I did not even notice it until I started typing this. Now I hear it. Has it messed up my life... yea, kinda. Same as several have posted.. If there is background nois I am in a spot. In the classroom I just tell my students to shut up and let the one guy speak cause the ole deaf sob cant hear otherwise. My wife, God bless her, has adapted. She trys to speak directly at me facing me... That helps... When we are out she will touch my arm and that lets me know to look at her. If we are in a crouded place with a lot of background noise, like a resturant, I will try to focus on her face and I guess I do a bit of "lip reading"...
Ya can get around it... I think I have....
Good thread. I've had tinnitus for about 20 years (I'm 66). Sometimes it's loud, sometimes not. It usually results from damage due to loud noises that causes the cilia in the ear to fire all by themselves instead of reacting to external sounds. That's why it doesn't go away. I have found that good hearing aids help me hear better, but don't mask the tinnitus. I'm told that white noise (as some of you have discovered with fans) can mask the sound. Be sure everyone uses hearing protection around loud noises.
Richard
I almost feel bad saying that I'm glad to see that I'm not alone with this problem.I've had it for about 5 yrs. now.At first it was very annoying and I thought I was going to go crazy,probably because I was focusing on it so much.I guess I have learned to accept it now because sometimes I'm hardly aware of it.Right now it is quite noticable......
You have to learn to ignore it as no good can come from dwelling on it. We just have it.
The second I find myself thinking about it (like this post) I think about something else and it works.
Had it for a while now from playing live music in a band for over 28 years. I do have custom in ear monitors/plugs now, but the damage was done long ago when I was a kid. I have to use a white noise machine/sound soother at night to sleep. Sometimes I hear it while hunting, but when the woods come alive, it's easy to forget.
yep, it is a true, and it does not go away for long. I went thru diagnoses and treatment at OHSU Tinnitus Clinic. They will have the best information on their website.
They do make hearing aids with sound generators that mask the sound. But, they are a bit expensive and the testing takes some time to duplicate the sound in the ear. What I learned is that loud sounds, lawn mowers, guns, machinery, etc are the primary cause but there are others. It kills the hair folicles in the inner ear and result in a loss of high pitch hearing. The loss of hearing is replaced by the brain and that is where the tinnitus (noise) comes from. Even if you have it, use hearing protection to prevent it from getting worse. Use hearing protection when you should. I carry soft plugs for that purpose.
Walker game ears are much cheaper but not perfect. Hearing muffs, with separate controls work in noisy situations. Also good in a blind or when hunting. They are made by Remington and others and found at most sporting goods and online.
Get as much sleep as possible, 8 hrs/nite, and watch the asprin, coffee and medications that make it worse.
I've had it for 30 years and the worst is when I'm tired, or it's super quiet. Can't remember what listening to absolutly nothing was like. Wish I could hear moose better and the wife less!
I've had it really bad for years. I bought some higher end hearing aids at Costco with flex money, had a couple of different settings programmed for hunting, and have really noticed the benefits. I don't wear them every day, but I should.
For what it's worth, I have a friend, a hard-headed engineer, who agreed to go to yoga classes with his wife. He swears it cured his tinnitus (as long as he keeps at it). This guy is not bubbleheaded; he hunts with a recurve, in fact.
I've got it bad from Nam (birds and arty). In the woods I use Game ears from Cabelas. I was tested for Miracle ears by a dealer and they work sweet but they are very spendy and the batteries are spendy too. They have a blocking tone that neutralizes a lot of the ringing. They are something like $3000+. The Game Ears I use are $150 to $200. They don't have blocking tones, but they do have adjustable frequency that helps me some. i like them in the woods, but can't stand them in civilization because they pick up every little sound and that drives me nuts as much as the ringing. it's important to know you have to use a pair of them to get any sense of direction where the sound is comming from. The pits is the VA won't do a thing. Alex
Alex,
Funny you mentioned the VA. The one here in PA put a pair of digital hearing aids in my Dad's ears just 4 years ago at 84 yrs of age. They claimed they were $3000 EACH.
Of course, he didn't bother with them much...but they had a computer they used to "set" each one to conversation in the room, the TV across the room...kinda amazing.
You sound like Walker himself when he tried to talk me into a 2nd one of his AFC Game Ears.
I posted earlier that my head feels like a hoot owl trying to figure out "where" what I heard with just ONE Game Ear is located.
I'm not sure I'm ready to spring for a 2nd one!
Alex,
PM headed your way.
firsted,
thanks for bringing the topic up. I struggled with it for years before going after some medical help. The Dr. did a complete ear exam including a check of my actual hearing. We tried a number of medications, no help. The hearing exam pointed out the usual lost of high frequency hearing. So I went ahead and got some in the canal hearing aides. Best money I ever spent. The use of hearing aides improved my ability to hear subtle background noise that I did not realize I could not hear on my own. Remember, hearing aides don't make your ears work better, they just make the sound ranges where you have lost sensitivity louder. So you do 'hear' more. The increase in background noise makes it easier for my brain to mask the tinnitus. Tried some behind the ear models, but found they were too sensitive to moisture (sweat and rain). Digital hearing aides can be programmed match a wide range of hearing loss, and the in the ear models are shielded fairly well from moisture.
I must be the odd man out. I get tested every year now and I have shown no hearing loss.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Like some others, I don't suffer from alot of hearing loss mostly just the tinnitus. Didn't know it was as wide-spread as it appears to be but appreciate all the suggestions. In the past, I used to set myself up in areas where I would be able to hear game approaching and adjust my position accordingly. I guess now I'll modify my approach to minimize my need to hear hooves. Luckily, New Mexico game animals lend themselves more readily to spot, stalk & ambush. Just gotta know the lay of the land more thoroughly to maximize vision.
Thanks again,
Eddie Paulsgrove