Hearing Device That Makes You Deaf and Cuts Out the Tinnitus?

[CrystalB]

So I'm just curious.

I had a hearing test back in December.

During the hearing test, they put some sort of earplugs in or whatever they used in each ear --- they test one ear at a time. While they tested one ear with sounds, my other ear that they were not testing went deaf; I could not even hear my tinnitus.

Why can they not make some sort of device that you can put into your ears when going to sleep, so that it makes you deaf but also cuts out the tinnitus?

When you wake up the next day, you take it out, and go on with your day.

I don't know if any of this makes sense, I'm sure most of you all know what I'm talking about since most of everyone has had a regular hearing test.

 

[GregCA]

So I'm just curious.

I had a hearing test back in December.

During the hearing test, they put some sort of earplugs in or whatever they used in each ear --- they test one ear at a time. While they tested one ear with sounds, my other ear that they were not testing went deaf; I could not even hear my tinnitus.

Why can they not make some sort of device that you can put into your ears when going to sleep, so that it makes you deaf but also cuts out the tinnitus?

When you wake up the next day, you take it out, and go on with your day.

I don't know if any of this makes sense, I'm sure most of you all know what I'm talking about since most of everyone has had a regular hearing test.

What they put in your ears are essentially in-ear-monitors: like ear buds but with much better acoustic sealing.

Your reaction to this is not typical: most people will still hear their Tinnitus when their ears are plugged (in fact, it generally stands out more because there is no ambient sound). That's what happens to me.

Do you also hear silence when you just plug your ears? If you have a pressurization problem (I remember you mentioning possible ETD a while back), perhaps the plug acts as a limiter in ear drum travel by compressing the air trapped in the canal between the plug and the drum, and therefore prevent an ear drum vibration (if that's what causes your T to begin with).

Have you ever checked (I mean with a doctor, obviously) whether your drum vibrates when you hear your T? (essentially like "objective tinnitus")

 

[Jemina]

Do you also hear silence when you just plug your ears? If you have a pressurization problem (I remember you mentioning possible ETD a while back), perhaps the plug acts as a limiter in ear drum travel by compressing the air trapped in the canal between the plug and the drum, and therefore prevent an ear drum vibration (if that's what causes your T to begin with).

I agree with this! Your tinnitus might not be caused by ETD alone, but it can make it louder. I have the opposite problem with my eustachian tubes, they are stuck in an open position (muscle problems and fat atrophy in my case). I can hear my own breathing in my ears, and every time I breathe my eardrum vibrates. Very annoying, and my breathing and heartbeat are too loud for my ears because of the open tubes, so my ear muscles keep spasming, trying to protect my hearing from internal sounds, ugh.. But the point here is, my tinnitus is not so loud when I plug my ears.. it doesn't completely go away, though. But I guess it helps because it prevents the eardrum from vibrating. In my case it makes me hear my breathing louder, but the ringing T goes from 8/10 to 3/10... And not because my breathing masks it, my breathing isn't that loud weird trick, but works!

 

[Jemina]

While they tested one ear with sounds, my other ear that they were not testing went deaf; I could not even hear my tinnitus.

Usually deafness doesn't protect from tinnitus. Many deaf people have tinnitus too. And there are some unfortunate people who have requested that doctors make them deaf and some have even got their auditory nerve cut.. and the tinnitus remained and without any external sounds their t was the only thing thet could ever hear again..

 

[Contrast]

tinnitus is literally caused by having less hearing input, not more. It's an ETD issue you have.

 

[Contrast]

Usually deafness doesn't protect from tinnitus. Many deaf people have tinnitus too. And there are some unfortunate people who have requested that doctors make them deaf and some have even got their auditory nerve cut.. and the tinnitus remained and without any external sounds their t was the only thing thet could ever hear again..

and their tinnitus usually gets worse. The brain jacks up the volume to make up for total lack of input + no external noise to mask tinnitus. I feel so bad for people back in the day that had auditory nerve severration.

 

[Jemina]

I feel so bad for people back in the day that had auditory nerve severration.

Yep.. That would be a living hell.. T is already a living nightmare... A good example of this is being exposed to loud noises while already suffering from severe tinnitus.. the more damage, the louder it gets.. so it's simple math that with zero auditory input the loudness would be pretty much unbearable.

Don't even want to think what aging will do to my tinnitus. But there are always those lucky few whose T fades over time.

 

[DonnaB1]

"Why can they not make some sort of device that you can put into your ears when going to sleep, so that it makes you deaf but also cuts out the tinnitus?"

This statement makes me old head spin. When one is deaf (as I am), there's no way to allow stimulus into the brain. If you're not deaf, you actually want sound - you don't want deafness. I agree with Jemina, "... zero auditory input ... would be pretty much unbearable." Yes, yes, yes.

I don't know the year I realized I had it. It existed long before I figured out what the intermittent sounds were in my head. One day, it dawned on me... I was thrown by the phrase "ringing in the ear" and it's anything but.

If you can hear and have tinnitus, there are many options to attempt to control it. Sugar and caffeine, for example, should be cut out or decreased. Focusing on whatever you can may help a bit. I mow the lawn too much and I use the snowblower. With both activities, I refocus - the noise never goes away but at least I'm not completely in my body because I have to be careful with both machines.