Member- Dec 24, 2013
- 933
- Tinnitus Since
- (1956) > 1980 > 2006 > 2012 > (2015)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Ac. Trauma & Ac.Trauma + Meds.
OK...First up I am being a bit lazy here as have not done a thorough search to see if it's already 'on site'. But half my point is, is that if it is, it is not "GLARINGLY VISIBLE" to someone who just happens to drop onto this TT Forum because they got 'ringing in the head' a few days ago.
Let's face it, the internet is almost the first line of action for something that happens like this. So "Joe" or "Jane" punches ringing in my ears into Google, and they get 6, 920,000 hits...Now remember, they are probably worried and panicking, and not doing the best research, but do find out this 'thing' is called Tinnitus. Which could lead them here to TT Forum.
Or could lead them to call an Audiologist. Or an ENT. Or their doctor...And there's the rub!
I've been making some inquiries, as I have been trying to gauge tinnitus awareness around here, and also trying to see if a T support group might fly. Conclusions have been rather horrifying.
Last week I called the new ENT being advertised by the local hospital. I talked again with the best Audiologist in town yesterday. I just called the top audiologist in the bigger city south of me. I have a number of doc friends I have asked. Plus various people ask me about T...and guess what?! Hardly anyone knows that there are things you can do "immediately" if you get T for the first time (or maybe a big spike?), especially if from classic loud sound induced T.
Now to be fair, I did not know this either until kept seeing hints and pieces on this site...That you can take corticosteroids. That you can take lipfoflavanoids (the ENT flag...if they even know). That zinc may help. That keeping out of loud or even semi-loud sound for a preliminary period until figure out what is happening (my firm belief) is strongly advised. That NAC or HBO may help. That immediately looking at any meds taking and seeing if they have a "hearing signature" and dropping right away if medically OK...and so on.
A sort of "911 for acute tinnitus - what to do!" list.
I can't believe how ignorant the professional community is!!!
The audiologist told me herself yesterday, that people regularly phone them and say they just got ringing in their ears some days ago and it has not gone away - what should I do? And the audiologists say: "Come in for an appointment next week. Oh we're booked up for three weeks! But when you come in maybe an audiogram will tell us something"...Shit like that!
She said they had no clues about any acute remedial treatments. Never heard of the anti-inflammatory thing. And so on. However, after half an hour on the phone she said: "Golly I have learned a lot just in this call. Indeed we need a hit list that we can use and tell people in the acute phase...DO THIS NOW!!! And the people who answer the phones need to know this, not wait until the see the audiologist maybe many weeks later!"
So, seeing as I did not have such a "hit list" and it seems like professionals in the field may be as ignorant as I was, I'm proposing one. Clear...Bold...Bright...Obvious.
Maybe folks could chip in here and cover for my "laziness" in not doing all the research (but I'm swamped with Retigabine follow-up; Procaine injections into nerve ganglia for H research; Ketamine for H; etc., etc. Let alone recovering from a hell-on-wheels taper, then cold turkey, of a depression med
)...Indeed there are some great sections by Jazz and Markku for instance in some old threads, but not all pulled together into a summary, stand alone document. Maybe it could somehow be on a "sticky", or font page...Which I could send to the local Audiologists!!!
Just brainstorming here. But any way to reduce possibly needless suffering with this darn affliction seems worthwhile to me. I sure would have liked it!
Best, Zimichael
Let's face it, the internet is almost the first line of action for something that happens like this. So "Joe" or "Jane" punches ringing in my ears into Google, and they get 6, 920,000 hits...Now remember, they are probably worried and panicking, and not doing the best research, but do find out this 'thing' is called Tinnitus. Which could lead them here to TT Forum.
Or could lead them to call an Audiologist. Or an ENT. Or their doctor...And there's the rub!
I've been making some inquiries, as I have been trying to gauge tinnitus awareness around here, and also trying to see if a T support group might fly. Conclusions have been rather horrifying.
Last week I called the new ENT being advertised by the local hospital. I talked again with the best Audiologist in town yesterday. I just called the top audiologist in the bigger city south of me. I have a number of doc friends I have asked. Plus various people ask me about T...and guess what?! Hardly anyone knows that there are things you can do "immediately" if you get T for the first time (or maybe a big spike?), especially if from classic loud sound induced T.
Now to be fair, I did not know this either until kept seeing hints and pieces on this site...That you can take corticosteroids. That you can take lipfoflavanoids (the ENT flag...if they even know). That zinc may help. That keeping out of loud or even semi-loud sound for a preliminary period until figure out what is happening (my firm belief) is strongly advised. That NAC or HBO may help. That immediately looking at any meds taking and seeing if they have a "hearing signature" and dropping right away if medically OK...and so on.
A sort of "911 for acute tinnitus - what to do!" list.
I can't believe how ignorant the professional community is!!!
The audiologist told me herself yesterday, that people regularly phone them and say they just got ringing in their ears some days ago and it has not gone away - what should I do? And the audiologists say: "Come in for an appointment next week. Oh we're booked up for three weeks! But when you come in maybe an audiogram will tell us something"...Shit like that!
She said they had no clues about any acute remedial treatments. Never heard of the anti-inflammatory thing. And so on. However, after half an hour on the phone she said: "Golly I have learned a lot just in this call. Indeed we need a hit list that we can use and tell people in the acute phase...DO THIS NOW!!! And the people who answer the phones need to know this, not wait until the see the audiologist maybe many weeks later!"
So, seeing as I did not have such a "hit list" and it seems like professionals in the field may be as ignorant as I was, I'm proposing one. Clear...Bold...Bright...Obvious.
Maybe folks could chip in here and cover for my "laziness" in not doing all the research (but I'm swamped with Retigabine follow-up; Procaine injections into nerve ganglia for H research; Ketamine for H; etc., etc. Let alone recovering from a hell-on-wheels taper, then cold turkey, of a depression med
)...Indeed there are some great sections by Jazz and Markku for instance in some old threads, but not all pulled together into a summary, stand alone document. Maybe it could somehow be on a "sticky", or font page...Which I could send to the local Audiologists!!!Just brainstorming here. But any way to reduce possibly needless suffering with this darn affliction seems worthwhile to me. I sure would have liked it!
Best, Zimichael
