Hi, I'm from Holland, and I am new to this forum but not new to tinnitus. It started suddenly 9 years ago after earplugs pushed earwax against my eardrums, causing some discomfort and pain. After softening the earwax with oil and gently removing it, the pain subsided. However, a few weeks later, I developed tinnitus.
It was quite severe, and at the hospital, they discovered slight hearing loss in my left ear around 8 kHz. They suggested trying a hearing aid to see if it would help, and to my surprise, it worked as if by magic—the nasty hiss was gone, as though someone had flipped a switch. At that time, I was only 48 and led a very active lifestyle, so I wanted to see if I could manage without becoming dependent on a hearing device.
I came across a treatment in Germany called Tinnitracks, which I believe is now known as notching therapy. I did this myself using free iOS apps to identify the tinnitus frequencies and filter the music accordingly. This, along with gaining more knowledge about tinnitus, helped me manage it to an acceptable level for many years. However, loud environments and listening to music were still challenging, as they often triggered my tinnitus in a very bad way.
This year, I experienced burnout due to a combination of personal, physical, and work-related issues, from which I am still recovering. The burnout barely affected my tinnitus until a long car ride back from our summer vacation (with the AC on and windows closed). This seems to have triggered it in a severe way, and nothing I have tried since then, including notching therapy, has helped.
Since the hearing aid worked so well to completely eliminate my tinnitus 9 years ago, I am hoping it will work again for me now. I also hope it will prevent noise and music from triggering my tinnitus, which would significantly improve my quality of life.
It was quite severe, and at the hospital, they discovered slight hearing loss in my left ear around 8 kHz. They suggested trying a hearing aid to see if it would help, and to my surprise, it worked as if by magic—the nasty hiss was gone, as though someone had flipped a switch. At that time, I was only 48 and led a very active lifestyle, so I wanted to see if I could manage without becoming dependent on a hearing device.
I came across a treatment in Germany called Tinnitracks, which I believe is now known as notching therapy. I did this myself using free iOS apps to identify the tinnitus frequencies and filter the music accordingly. This, along with gaining more knowledge about tinnitus, helped me manage it to an acceptable level for many years. However, loud environments and listening to music were still challenging, as they often triggered my tinnitus in a very bad way.
This year, I experienced burnout due to a combination of personal, physical, and work-related issues, from which I am still recovering. The burnout barely affected my tinnitus until a long car ride back from our summer vacation (with the AC on and windows closed). This seems to have triggered it in a severe way, and nothing I have tried since then, including notching therapy, has helped.
Since the hearing aid worked so well to completely eliminate my tinnitus 9 years ago, I am hoping it will work again for me now. I also hope it will prevent noise and music from triggering my tinnitus, which would significantly improve my quality of life.
