Tinitus

KW Driver · Post by **KW Driver** » October 14th, 2008, 2:25 am

my hearing's been fucked for years.

tonight, I'm all fucked up. so fucked up, I'm Popeye's drunk, using my weak eye (non-dominate) to function and move around the house, and type.

here's the deal. my hearing is fucked. I've got 5 to 35's on my test. that's with earplugs night prior and into the booth. I'm still using the rhythm method to stroke the button in the booth, even though the computer is supposed to deal with it.

again, I'm drucker'n Cooter Brown. the music stopped. I let it. I layed down. the noise in my head got loud. it changed pitch when I thought about it, going higher. it got so damned loud I wanted out of my own head. I still want out. I need to get outside stimulus to focus on so that I don't hear this shit that I can't do silence, because I hear this shit. it ain't ringing, just constant pitch. the more I hear it and pay attention to it, the louder and higher in pitch it goes. I can't remember when I didn't hear it.

this has been going on since I don't remember. I either listen to a podcast or read myself to sleep, just to get to sleep. I've delt with this all my adult life, and faked the funk on my hearing tests.

I'm tired of it. suggestions?

RRDTm3 · Post by **RRDTm3** » October 14th, 2008, 5:32 am

have you seen a specialist?

I think Goog had his shit fucked up too, he got hearing aids

Earthpig · Post by **Earthpig** » October 14th, 2008, 5:40 am

KW,

I have the same problem, Brother. I had to cheat on all my hearing tests to even get in the Army. I know what you mean about it changing pitch and volume. Aside being able to understand where you're coming from, I can't offer you any advice. I just try to tune it out.

I bet your head feels like mine this morning....

RLTW
EP

Looon · Post by **Looon** » October 14th, 2008, 5:41 am

EarthPig wrote: I just try to tune it out.

Same here.

Ranger Bill · Post by **Ranger Bill** » October 14th, 2008, 6:35 am

Drinking and smoking contribute to this condition. I cut way back on drinking about a year and a half ago, and the noise is now considerably less.

Rock Island Ranger · October 14th, 2008, 6:56 am

Ranger Bill wrote:Drinking and smoking contribute to this condition. I cut way back on drinking about a year and a half ago, and the noise is now considerably less.

A brother can tolerate some things but cutting back aint one of them.

GSXRanger · Post by **GSXRanger** » October 14th, 2008, 6:58 am

Bro... my hearing is beyond fucked up. I'm in the 45-55 (worst) range in most of the conversational area. RPG's do that to your ear drums...

I have Tinitus so bad that I can't hear the bathroom vent fan when it is running at night.

I did get some bad ass hearing aids from Jason, but had to give them back, because the VA got some for me. They originally gave me the inside the canal type, but Jason gave me some of the Belltone Marq's. Those things are the cat's meow!!

My right ear is better than my left. My left one is horrible. So, I feel your pain... it sucks.

Silverback · Post by **Silverback** » October 14th, 2008, 7:09 am

I have had severe Tinitus for as long as I can remember and it was one of my "compensable disabilities" with VA. It can be disorienting but you get used to after time. I like to think of it as my personal white noise machine.

Slowpoke · Post by **Slowpoke** » October 14th, 2008, 7:17 am

Silverback wrote:I have had severe Tinitus for as long as I can remember and it was one of my "compensable disabilities" with VA. It can be disorienting but you get used to after time. I like to think of it as my personal white noise machine.

Mine's bad enought that the Wife wanted me to get hearing aids, but I told her I kinda like the peace and quiet......didn't take long for the head wounds to heal.

I've slept with a radio or the TV on at night for most of my adult life. Without the sound to cover the ringing I'd go nuts.

Earthpig · Post by **Earthpig** » October 14th, 2008, 7:32 am

I've noticed that if I get pretty lit, it gets so loud it's actually painful. That's when I bust out the ipod.

RLTW
EP

Gordo173 · Post by **Gordo173** » October 14th, 2008, 8:14 am

Noise, what noise?

I'm getting cold?
I'm not cold I'm in Iraq!
Ohhh, I'm getting Old.

ChipOnShoulder · Post by **ChipOnShoulder** » October 19th, 2008, 2:09 pm

My ears were fucked to begin with - cheated the hearing test too, got worse in Batt., but they are like 10 fold since I got blown the fuck up in 2005, and I think it may be getting worse which really sucks for law enforcement which I am trying to attain. VA compensates for it?

As far as the ringing is concerned, some days are better, some are worse and booze does make it worse. I simply ignore it or put some tunes on.

Although I should have the answers, I don't...Anyone with further info on dealing with this situation would be appreciated by us that have this problem.

42L5V · Post by **42L5V** » October 19th, 2008, 2:29 pm

Doc Cook wrote:VA compensates for it?

Although I should have the answers, I don't...Anyone with further info on dealing with this situation would be appreciated by us that have this problem.

VA compensates for tinitus (10%) - not for hearing loss. The VA position on hearing loss is that it is "preventable". They will rate hearing loss at 0%, so you can receive treatment.

I would assume that most of us have the same type of hearing loss that I have - high frequency. The VA has come a long way in high frequency open ear hearing aids. They kinda hover over your ear instead of inserting in the canal, and the battery is real small behind the ear. If you've got any hair at all, it is damn near unnoticeable.

UNATAINABLE E5 · Post by **UNATAINABLE E5** » October 19th, 2008, 2:38 pm

Being a new private and having no clue what a 'goose' was and even worse, being completely obliviouse to what 'goose going hot' meant, really does wonders for the ol ear drums!

GSXRanger · Post by **GSXRanger** » October 19th, 2008, 8:27 pm

My advice... PM Oto-man... he's the hearing guru.

Those Marq's are very nice...

Here's a link to them.

http://www.beltone.com/welcome/marq.aspx