I'm a Flight Attendant — Flying with Tinnitus?

[nicole m]

It's been a month a half, so far things have improved. The tinnitus can be bearable, only worse when I wake up and get ready for bed at night. There's often a feeling of fullness in my right ear that comes and goes. Sometimes there's two different pitches in my ears.

I'm a flight attendant, and I haven't flown since it happened. I finally went to my ENT appointment on May 7, 2018. He put the camera up my nose, and saw that everything is fine. My hearing is fine as well. He said barotrauma from air pressure can cause the symptoms I'm having and it should go away on its own.

I have gotten the okay from the doctor to continue flying duties, which I can start tomorrow.

To be honest I don't feel 100% confident about my ears on a plane. The type of flying I do can be up to 1 to 6 flights a day (1 hour to 3 hours a flight) depending on the shift. I'm worried the tinnitus might get worse or my ears won't pressurize properly or something like that.

It's hard finding a cabin crew member on forums with the same experience.

 

[Michael B]

I've been diagnosed with severe tinnitus and have been flying for years. It doesn't affect me any more than any other noisy environment. There's a product called Ear Planes (earplugs) that one can use for takeoffs & landings.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...vtargid=kwd-19698270547&ref=pd_sl_9akm1zs95_e

 

[nicole m]

I've been diagnosed with severe tinnitus and have been flying for years. It doesn't affect me any more than any other noisy environment. There's a product called Ear Planes (earplugs) that one can use for takeoffs & landings.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...vtargid=kwd-19698270547&ref=pd_sl_9akm1zs95_e

I don't think I can classify my tinnitus as severe.. but if it doesn't affect you that's good news! I've bought a pair of earplanes at my local drugmart, I have yet to try them.

 

[Michael B]

I don't think I can classify my tinnitus as severe.. but if it doesn't affect you that's good news! I've bought a pair of earplanes at my local drugmart, I have yet to try them.

Please keep us informed of your progress.

 

[DebInAustralia]

Please keep us informed of your progress.

I wish I could remember his id, but there was an australian pilot on here at one stage... I hope he can respond.

 

[Holly1987]

@nicole m how did you go?

 

[Rogerde2018]

Nicole I'm a flight attendant in Toronto too. With tinnitus and ETD. Let me know how are you doing

 

[nicole m]

Nicole I'm a flight attendant in Toronto too. With tinnitus and ETD. Let me know how are you doing

Lets keep in touch!

 

[Rogerde2018]

Nicole if you want you can contact me on Facebook

Roger van steen

 

[RosaCM]

Hello, I would like to know if there is somebody who work as a cabin crew and has tinnitus.
I have tinnitus since 2014; more than 4 years, sometimes I feel better but there are moments when it gets worse and worse.
I am having an interview to work as a cabin crew this week, and not sure what to do,
Thanks!!!

 

[Rogerde2018]

Hello, every person is different, i read they are people with T flying as cabin crew. You can try and if doesn't work for you, you can always quit ...

 

[Tony Phylactou]

My wife took some dB measurements while on a 5 hour flight with Airbus A320.
Take off was 89 dB for 10 minutes, cruising was 83 dB constant.
I don't think these levels are dangerous.

 

[Oceans39]

Hi Nicole M,

I am a flight attendant and came down with it after 10 years of flying but it happened overnight. I have been able to stay off work since the incident and have no intention of going back. I also have hyperacusia (sensitivity to loud noise) which worsens the tinnitus. The background noise on an airplane is loud enough to cause hearing loss and it really depends on which aircraft you are on and what position, for example, sitting in the tail cone of an MD88/90 or a 717 is considerably loader than most other planes. That being said, there is a chart put together by the BBC that shows that 8 hours straight of airplane background dbs is enough to cause hearing loss. I have loss between 7,000 and 8,000 Hz. That end of the frequency is usually the first to go. I also have a colleague who has been flying with tinnitus for some years already but he is on all kinds of meds, including sleep meds, and he said that when he's off for about a month the volume of the tinnitus goes down to about a level 4 and when he returns to flying by day 3 it is back to a level 10.

Hope this helps.