Learn from Others' Mistakes

[Greg Sacramento]

"fear mongering: the action of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about a particular issue."
So public service announcements about the dangers of smoking/drunk driving shouldn't be done because that's fear mongering?

My very loud city has started public service announcements about hearing loss from loud noise. Now the stores in my area can't keep foam hearing plugs in stock.

 

[New Guy]

I'm 3 months in.

I'll say that I was exposed to several emergency sirens a couple weeks ago and then road noise after that and it set me back in my recovery. I feel like I went backward a month to a month and a half. My ears are getting back to where they were but it's frustrating. I'm pretty sure everyone with t has setbacks like these. It can't be helped no matter how hard we try.

I believe ears that recently got t behave differently than ears that have had t a while. How differently and at what noise level is up to each individual pair of ears. I believe there is a difference.

When I first got t is was really loud. I was driving my diesel truck with no hearing protection (Same motor as a UPS truck), going to the gym and listening to the tv in the locker room that was too loud before t and using a chipper and snowblower for a few hours with double hearing protection. I didn't know any better until I found this forum.

My ENT told me to double up the hearing protection and that was it so that's what I did.

A distinction should be made between people with t for a long time and those with t less than one year. I read the info section with peoples screen names to see how long they had t when reading posts.

I believe that after a certain amount of time ears 'harden up'. I don't know what that period of time is but I can't wait for it. I assume it's well after the fullness and hyperacusis goes away.

I'm not looking to stir the pot here guys. I don't need to be jumped on. This is my opinion as a New Guy.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm pretty sure everyone with t has setbacks like these. It can't be helped no matter how hard we try.

I agree. This is why you should NOT panic if you experience one of these setbacks. But if noises do cause setbacks for you, it makes sense to try to minimize the number of those setbacks, if you can do so at a reasonable cost (in terms of effort, missed opportunities, etc.)

 

[Autumnly]

I was training 2 days ago in MMA studio and teacher had heavy metal music on(low volume and for 1 hour). Please explain why my ears are not worst right now?

You posted a thread before where you talked having a spike from one of your martial art classes.

I was not bothered by the concert at all.

Just because you didn't experience a spike doesn't mean others can't.

You know why i don't get spikes Bill? Because I am not scared, anxious, stressed out about noise. I am not scared of noise/sound.

Yeah, that's exactly what I was told by friends with tinnitus when my tinnitus spiked like crazy and it's just not true, it's ridiculous. I wore good hearing protection the entire time. But it's easier to tell yourself you're not experiencing any spikes because you're doing everything right than to accept that are people who will experience spikes from the same events.
You cannot debunk my personal experiences just because you were fine in similar situations.

I went from two tones to 6-8 tones within four years and that was definitely preventable. I know that this is not the usual case and I know other people with tinnitus aren't affected by everyday noises but if I just see friends for 3-4 hours I'll have a spike for 2-3 days. And that's not because I was stressed. I didn't even know tinnitus could manifest and react like that.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I went from two tones to 7-9 tones within four years and that was definitely preventable. I know that this is not the usual case and I know other people with tinnitus aren't affected by everyday noises but if I just see friends for 3-4 hours I'll have a spike for 2-3 days. And that's not because I was stressed. I didn't even know tinnitus could manifest and react like that.

HI @Autumnly

Are you undergoing any treatment with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist for your tinnitus and hyperacusis at the moment? If not have you tried any self help by using sound enrichment at home especially at night? If you are using hearing protection to prevent having a spike, please be careful of overuse as this can make matters worse.

All the best
Michael

 

[cjbhab]

@fishbone don't even bother trying to talk to him.

 

[Alue]

Let me ask you this. How come everyday noise, don't seem to make my tinnitus worst? Please help me on this one Bill.
I have broken dishes, I have accidentally blasted my bose speakers, I was training 2 days ago in MMA studio and teacher had heavy metal music on(low volume and for 1 hour). Please explain why my ears are not worst right now? I have walked on air packets, I have been exposed to everyday noises....

Because everyone is different. Is it really that hard to understand? Why do we even bother doing clinical trials and medical research when we can get everything we need to know from Fishbone's personal experience?

I agree that most everyday noises should not be a big issue even if they are uncomfortable, but I got a permanent new tone from being around loud noise while wearing earplugs. You can't just throw away everyone else's personal experiences because they do not reflect your own.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Thus far two people whom I quoted in my original post had posted in this thread. Neither one appears to believe that they had been quoted out of context. I am glad that that's the case. The last thing I want to do, is to take someone's heartfelt post and to quote it out of context.

 

[Mellow7]

This is not a proof, it is information that people are free to use or to ignore.

I think this is the essence of the discussion. There really oughtn't be two camps in this forum, just a collectivity of members who take the effect all kinds of noise exposure has on their tinnitus into account, instead of relying on, what is praised as 'universal', safety guidelines.

I won't say anything regarding what could be the at the basis of these spikes around moderate sound exposure, because I'm not qualified to do so, but I can attest to experiencing more intrusive tinnitus as a result thereof.

What @Bill Bauer brings us with these posts is awareness of the fact that even moderate noise could be disadvantageous for some people. The people that he tries to reach with these posts, may very well be in a small minority amongst tinnitus sufferers, but that does not mean they should be overlooked. They and their suffering also deserve recognition and doing otherwise would alienate them.

I do not understand why people view this kind of message as inherently negative. I, personally, thought it comforting to known that I was not alone in experiencing set-backs around moderate sound. All the health care professionals I spoke to, told me to throw away my hearing protection and live my life as I did before. But around 2 months ago, doing that, I started awaking during the night with chiming ears and experiencing new tones every now and then. This was just from going to class everyday, driving around my city without hearing protection (all sounds below 80db). Since then, I've been avoiding placing myself in these situations as much as I can (as to prevent having to wear hearing protection too much), and lo and behold, I don't get those night spikes anymore and the new tones that sometimes set in, subside when I give my ears rest in this way. This is therefore the policy that I prefer.

Simultaneously I recognize that (probably) the majority of tinnitus sufferers do not have to live their life in this way and can go about doing things as normal. Good for them, I would say. I wish I was amongst you, but life dealt me a different hand and now I have to take this into account.

Some members refer to this 'reactivity' of tinnitus as being a corollary of hyperacusis or general sound sensitivity and while that may very well be the case, placing yourself out and in the open and undergoing changes to T to the detriment of your mental health, does not seem the way to a cure in my humble opinion. My audiologist told me, when I shared my views with them, just don't mind the changes to T or the increase in volume and put your sound enrichtment a little bit louder. Really? Is that supposed to be the way TRT goes about things? I find it morbid that they promote self-harm in this way and tell you to disregard everything your own body is telling you.

 

[Bill Bauer]

But around 2 months ago, doing that, I started awaking during the night with chiming ears and experiencing new tones every now and then. This was just from going to class everyday, driving around my city without hearing protection (all sounds below 80db). Since then, I've been avoiding placing myself in these situations as much as I can (as to prevent having to wear hearing protection too much), and lo and behold, I don't get those night spikes anymore and the new tones that sometimes set in, subside when I give my ears rest in this way. This is therefore the policy that I prefer.

I have had a similar experience.

 

[valeri]

Because everyone is different. Is it really that hard to understand? Why do we even bother doing clinical trials and medical research when we can get everything we need to know from Fishbone's personal experience?

I agree that most everyday noises should not be a big issue even if they are uncomfortable, but I got a permanent new tone from being around loud noise while wearing earplugs. You can't just throw away everyone else's personal experiences because they do not reflect your own.

Agree!
Why is it so hard for some to understand what @Bill Bauer is trying to say?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Because everyone is different. Is it really that hard to understand? Why do we even bother doing clinical trials and medical research when we can get everything we need to know from Fishbone's personal experience?

@Alue,
You make some valid points in your post. @fishbone is a tinnitus veteran and like others in this forum, has habituated to this condition a long time ago. If he had hyperacusis at the same time something that often accompanies "noise trauma" this has reduced significantly for him or is completely cured as in my case.

Some people habituate to tinnitus but if they also have hyperacusis, and this isn't treated so that a person's sensitivity to sound is at least reduced or it's completely cured, such a person will often be prone to tinnitus spikes. Unless the auditory system is desensitised by natural means with time, or with the use of sound therapy such as self help. Or having treatment with a Hearing Therapist, then managing and coping with tinnitus spikes can become a long term problem.

Some people believe staying away from normal everyday sounds and using hearing protection whenever out on the street, to supress traffic noise is the way to go. Unfortunately this method of treatment may be helpful in the short term but it can lead to making the auditory system more sensitive to sound by lowering its loudness threshold. Further complications may result where someone stays at home because of the fear of outside noise and if one isn't careful, a person can develop phonophobia. I am not against someone using hearing protection such as "noise reducing" earplugs temporarily, when new to tinnitus and hyperacusis and finds they are sensitive to sounds in the environment. To become dependant on them is just not a good idea as they are storing up trouble for their future.

Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

Some people habituate to tinnitus but if they also have hyperacusis, and this isn't treated so that a person's sensitivity to sound is at least reduced or it's completely cured, such a person will often be prone to tinnitus spikes.

The above hasn't been my experience (and I know many others have had a similar experience to my experience). Once I began listening to my body and avoiding the noises that had been bothering me as a result of hyperacusis, my hyperacusis began to gradually go away. As I mentioned many times in other threads already, all you have to do is make sure to listen to TV at moderate volume every day.

Unfortunately this method of treatment may be helpful in the short term but it can lead to making the auditory system more sensitive to sound by lowering its loudness threshold.

My experience has been the complete opposite.

Further complications may result where someone stays at home because of the fear of outside noise and if one isn't careful, a person can develop phonophobia.

As I had already pointed out in this thread, phonophobia is more likely to develop following one being exposed to noises and getting spikes. If one tries to avoid noise whenever one can easily do so, one is unlikely to have a traumatic experience, and as a result one will be unlikely to develop phonophobia.

 

[Ed209]

Ok, so I've posted 3 times

I just wanted to interject that the upcoming tinnitus guide will be very useful concerning this issue, and should contain some good information.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I just wanted to interject that the tinnitus guide will be very useful concerning this issue, and should contain some good information.

Hopefully, the guide that you speak of will reflect and summarize the experiences of the people whom I quoted in my first post in this thread.

 

[Michael Leigh]

The above hasn't been my experience (and I know many others have had a similar experience to my experience). Once I began listening to my body and avoiding the noises that had been bothering me as a result of hyperacusis, my hyperacusis began to gradually go away. As I mentioned many times in other threads already, all you have to do is make sure to listen to TV at moderate volume every day.

With respect @Bill Bauer you are still in the early stages of tinnitus and hyperacusis. It is true we are all different, but I advise you to tread carefully and see how things pan out over the next year. Tinnitus and when its accompanied with hyperacusis, often takes up to two years perhaps longer for full habituation to take place and total desensitisation of the auditory system, with or without professional treatment. I believe in time, you find the advice that @Ed209 @fishbone and others in this forum give on the overuse of hearing protection and not keeping away from normal everyday sounds to be correct.

Michael

 

[Jcb]

 

[lena_]

what i really do not understand on this forum is - why some people think that protecting the ears in the early stages and going with what feels good is automaticly labeled as 'panicking, stressing, being anxious'...not to mention that some of them even take psychiatric drugs which do more harm to ones body as a simple earplug...

it totally is possible not to stress and to protect when you feel like it at the same time

and ears are super sensitive when t happens- either from loud music or infection etc.

if one would cut in the existing scar on a leg or arm or xyz it would be called self harm - why torture ears in the first stages of t? while knowing that it is the time when they do heal and can heal completly or even if not completly - but they really do heal
mine t stoped in one ear in 2-3 months and changed a lot in the bad ear - like - i heared crickets a month and a half ago and now i hear a hiss which is sometimes low pitched, sometimes higher pitched and this is such a great improvement! i do protect when i feel like it and do not feel under stress because of doing it, i have different filters (even only 10 db) to suit my every day needs and thats it...as simple as that.

and people who got t should get this info - avoid loud noises, do not use headphones - in the first days so their ears can get better. it is a really simple thing: go visit the doctors, avoid loud noises, get a proper sleep, treet your allergies etc, relax etc... so why argue about it?

maybe read 'my personal succes story' from forum member 'ser'- his ears healed, i think because he protected them + (!!) he had a relaxed aditude to it, that is why i'd like to post a bit from his story here...so you can see- protecting doesn't mean you are scared of worried or anythink...i do not understand this idea that it is either 'protection' or 'extra sress'

so here is his story, well, a bit of it..: (im not skilled on forums and dont know ho to quote it properly lol)

T started: February 2014
Ended: Summer 2014
Duration: 6-7 months
T type: at first high pitched ringing + temporal hearing loss,
after: it was very static - just like when a TV is on (but those big old TVs that really made some noise),
after that: just like the TV but very very quiet, barely noticeable
Treating it with: earplugs! When it started I was wearing the earplugs, I didn't even open the windows or watched TV, I gave my ears some rest and time to recover. Now I wear earplugs when I'm on the bus (plus somethings when the streets are noisy - not because I'm afraid my T will be back, but simply to have my hearing when I'm 80 years old) better safe than sorry! Also wearing earplugs when in noisy restaurants.

----

i also read in german medical papers that ents should not preform some of the more sound intense ear tests within 10 days (no more than 1 in 10 days) as it is not good for the ears in the beginning of t (i do not have time to search for it..it was in one of the guidelinges (leitlinien tinnitus/hörturz) in german language i think..

---
i'd say - try to stay calm, do sports, go swimming, be in nature and at the same time stay away from loud noises in the first few months...it is well known that ears try to heal in these early stages so help them it really gets much better, the noises i had were much more annoying and loud 3 months ago. i know that individual stories do not prove anything and that your case may be different but why would one not give it a shot? is one's world going to collapse because of not attending one or two night clubs?

 

[Tinker Bell]

There is a considerable amount of information lacking in this cut and paste thread. Linking to the original threads is helpful — if every reader takes the time to fully read the 32 linked threads — but there is still a significant amount of absent personal background information.

Without that information, readers are left to fill in the blanks and often it is human nature to assume those quoted members are just like us. This is especially true for members suffering from anxiety.

For example, I have noticed you have quoted @Lex on multiple threads about tinnitus worsening. The quotes leave one very key piece of information: Lex suffers from severe hyperacusis. Her quotes are in reference to her hyperacusis, not her tinnitus. A member who does not know her background might assume the quote you linked is referencing tinnitus.

Because not all of the quoted members are on this thread, @Bill Bauer please provide the following information for each quoted member. This information should better help readers understand the individual circumstances around each spike experience. If we are expected to learn from the mistakes of others, then we need to fully understand the circumstances.

1. Onset of tinnitus date
2. Age at onset
3. When spike occurred in relation to onset
4. Is tinnitus in one ear or both
5. Is there measurable hearing loss
6. Amount of hearing loss
7. Is hearing loss in one or both ears
8. Was a hearing aid recommended
9. Does member use a hearing aid
10. Is there a history of hyperacusis
11. Any hyperacusis at time of spike
12. Is there a history of reactive tinnitus
13. Any reactive tinnitus at time of spike
14. Assumed tinnitus/hearing loss cause
15. Any history of loud noise exposure
16. Any exposure to ototoxic medications
17. Any other unique medical conditions
18. Any history of anxiety
19. Anxiety level prior and after spike
20. Any spikes prior to quoted spike
20. How long did past spikes last
21. How long did quoted spike last
22. Were any spikes permanent
23. Did member use WNGs
24. Did member use sound enrichment
25. Did member use ear plugs and earmuffs
26. How frequently prior to spike
27. What dB reduction did they offer
28. How many dB was spike causing noise
29. Did they typically avoid that dB level
30. Current tinnitus level as of today

These are just some of the questions asked when members post a concern regarding a possible spike. It's likely there will be follow up questions. Since the quoted members are not all on this thread, you can research the answers to those questions too.

 

[TracyJS]

All of this is so confusing for me.
I drove yesterday to a support meeting.
It was an hour away on busy Chicago area streets
I didn't wear ear protection.
I drive a 2016 Ford Fusion sedan.
The meeting was a bit loud for me. People taking with loud voices. A heavy door opening and closing. It bothered me.
Then I drove home without protection.
My tinnitus is louder today and was last night.

I just don't know what to do.
Should I wear ear protection driving?
At the grocery store?
If, so what kind? Foam blues, musicians filtered plugs? Muffs?

Also, my hyperacusis seems to be worsening. I'm more sensitive to everyday sounds than I was before. Toilet flushing, doors closing ect.

I need to go out into the world.
I don't go to places with loud music or anything.

This debate just makes me so confused on what to do.

 

[New Guy]

Also, my hyperacusis seems to be worsening. I'm more sensitive to everyday sounds than I was before. Toilet flushing, doors closing ect.

I wrote a post very similar to @TracyJS. After exposure to sirens a couple weeks ago my t is louder and my h is more noticeable. I did protect more the week after exposure to the sirens. I've been listening to the TV 3 notches lower than I was. I thought I was overprotecting so I exposed myself to more moderate noise the last week. I had one moment where a skateboard went by at a park and my t got a little louder right away and it wasn't anxiety. It lowered after a couple hours.

It's very confusing. Hopefully this thread will help some.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

I accidentally pressed a loud landline phone (its volume stuck at Max) to my bad ear and the person on the other end raised her voice to greet me (I moved my hand away right away, but it was too late), my T changed back to a high pitched noise and got a lot louder.

I got my tinnitus from an accident with a phone.

We need to build a time machine so we can go back in time and give Alexander Graham Bell a beat down.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

This thread really helps no one Bill. All it does is it screws, with the minds of fragile forum members and puts even more fear into their lives. Our members are suffering and posts like this make them worst. Please respect the people here and post material that helps them move ahead and not backwards.....

I disagree. If the only information available is anecdotal, then a systematic study of that anecdotal information is our best chance of forming good hypotheses.

PS- what really made my tinnitus worst was the illness I had, rock concerts/bars/loud events and meds. Everyday noises are not the reason why my tinnitus is intrusive today....

An everyday noise gave me TTTS, and although my T isn't louder, the TTTS combined with the T have made my life so much worse than when it was just the original T.

 

[Michael Leigh]

what i really do not understand on this forum is - why some people think that protecting the ears in the early stages and going with what feels good is automaticly labeled as 'panicking, stressing, being anxious'...not to mention that some of them even take psychiatric drugs which do more harm to ones body as a simple earplug...

It is all to do with acquiring experience in tinnitus @lena_ which takes time and something that cannot be rushed. It often takes years in many cases. Particularly if a person has to undergo a long habituation period. Not only does tinnitus come in many forms and intensities. No two people will experience it the same. It complicates matters when hyperacusis is present which often (but not always) happens when a person has noise induced tinnitus. Types of tinnitus affect people differently too. Or I should say in the way it affects the inner ear. Noise induced tinnitus is one of the most common kinds. It is a different form of tinnitus that is caused by: Hearing loss, Meniere's disease, TMJ, Acoustic neuroma, Otosclerosis. I am not saying it is any worse for there are different degrees of severity.

What all types of tinnitus have in common is the ability for one to be able to cope and manage it and this is the key. To do so a positive mindest has to be achieved. Again, this depends on the level of severity, a person's psychological makeup, whether they are a positive or negative thinking person can affect tinnitus profoundly. Please read the post below and then click on the links.

All the best
Michael

Acquiring a positive mindset

A few people have contacted me and asked what do they need to do to be more positive, as they are finding it difficult even though they try not to think negatively when their tinnitus is intrusive. Others are wondering will they improve to the point where the tinnitus will remain low or go away completely and never be heard? Some are worried they might never habituate and this is causing some concern.

The habituation process can be complex and each person's journey through it will be unique to them. Most people do habituate and are able to carry on and lead a fulfilling life doing everything that they want to. However, it seems some people find this hard to believe and I understand this having habituated to tinnitus twice. On both occasions it required patience, determination and the belief that I would improve even at those times when I felt that I was at my lowest ebb.

Tinnitus can affect our emotions significantly and one must try to remember that. Anything that we can do to bring calm and relaxation into our life will usually have a beneficial effect and make it less intrusive. The opposite is true the more stressed we become as the noise will appear to be louder and more noticeable. Those new to tinnitus sometimes find this particularly difficult and if hyperacusis is present it can add to the dilemma. The whole process can became overwhelming at times but my advice, is to take things slowly and not to push too hard as this will put additional pressure on yourself that you really don't need it. Whenever difficult times arrive, try accentuating the positive things in your life and focusing on them as this will help maintain your resolve.

For a moment think of the brain as a computer and our thoughts are the software that helps to drive it to enable it to do certain tasks. If the software is not running smoothly and unfettered the computer will not operate correctly. Similarly, if our thoughts are constantly taken up with negative thinking this can eventually have a detrimental effect on our well-being. I am not suggesting never to feel negative about your tinnitus I am saying, try not to allow negativity to become all consuming. Again, this isn't easy especially in the early stages of tinnitus and takes time to learn but don't believe that it is unobtainable as this will instill negative thinking.

How many times have you come up against a problem that you have been unable to find a solution to? Given the chance to mull things over for a while or after a good night sleep can often be beneficial. By the next day as if by a miracle, you have discovered an answer or made the right decision about something of importance. I believe this happens because the mind is calm and less stressed. I have heard writers and people that work in the arts, say their best ideas and inspirations comes to them when they feel this way. It's as if the mind energy is able to expand and reach outwards tapping into some unknown source in the universe. I prefer to be more realistic and see it as when we are calm and relaxed, we are able to think more clearly and positively. Life will usually become easier and less problematic which has to be a good thing.

Whatever type of tinnitus you have, by this I mean the level of intrusiveness. Being able to think positively will have a beneficial effect by making its perception lower and the habituation process easier. Bringing positivity into your life takes time and isn't achieved overnight. To start this process of acquiring a more positive mindset, I suggest practicing deep relaxation and muscle exercises. When done regularly the benefits will soon be realized and you will surprise yourself at what you will be able to achieve. This form of therapy is often mentioned in tinnitus books to help people with the condition. Likewise Yoga and CBT Mindfulness classes can be helpful.

Deep relaxation and muscles exercises cost nothing to learn providing you can spare up to thirty minutes of your time: three, four or five days per week. Just go to Youtube where there are many relaxation videos to choose and download and some come with narration, so you'll be guided through the exercises from beginning to end. Once you become proficient at it you will be able to relax at will any time of the day.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/positivity-and-tinnitus.12060/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/staying-positive-with-tinnitus.12069/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

 

[fishbone]

There is a considerable amount of information lacking in this cut and paste thread. Linking to the original threads is helpful — if every reader takes the time to fully read the 32 linked threads — but there is still a significant amount of absent personal background information.

Without that information, readers are left to fill in the blanks and often it is human nature to assume those quoted members are just like us. This is especially true for members suffering from anxiety.

For example, I have noticed you have quoted @Lex on multiple threads about tinnitus worsening. The quotes leave one very key piece of information: Lex suffers from severe hyperacusis. Her quotes are in reference to her hyperacusis, not her tinnitus. A member who does not know her background might assume the quote you linked is referencing tinnitus.

Because not all of the quoted members are on this thread, @Bill Bauer please provide the following information for each quoted member. This information should better help readers understand the individual circumstances around each spike experience. If we are expected to learn from the mistakes of others, then we need to fully understand the circumstances.

1. Onset of tinnitus date
2. Age at onset
3. When spike occurred in relation to onset
4. Is tinnitus in one ear or both
5. Is there measurable hearing loss
6. Amount of hearing loss
7. Is hearing loss in one or both ears
8. Was a hearing aid recommended
9. Does member use a hearing aid
10. Is there a history of hyperacusis
11. Any hyperacusis at time of spike
12. Is there a history of reactive tinnitus
13. Any reactive tinnitus at time of spike
14. Assumed tinnitus/hearing loss cause
15. Any history of loud noise exposure
16. Any exposure to ototoxic medications
17. Any other unique medical conditions
18. Any history of anxiety
19. Anxiety level prior and after spike
20. Any spikes prior to quoted spike
20. How long did past spikes last
21. How long did quoted spike last
22. Were any spikes permanent
23. Did member use WNGs
24. Did member use sound enrichment
25. Did member use ear plugs and earmuffs
26. How frequently prior to spike
27. What dB reduction did they offer
28. How many dB was spike causing noise
29. Did they typically avoid that dB level
30. Current tinnitus level as of today

These are just some of the questions asked when members post a concern regarding a possible spike. It's likely there will be follow up questions. Since the quoted members are not all on this thread, you can research the answers to those questions too.

This thread really helps no one. I am surprised the mods, have not taken it down..... It's a FEAR MONGERING thread that, simply scares newcomers and those that are suffering.....

 

[GregCA]

It's a bit biased, to copy and paste people's misery, from here, to use as data.

Nice euphemism, Ed!

Most of us aren't even realizing our biases:

 

[Tinker Bell]

I disagree. If the only information available is anecdotal, then a systematic study of that anecdotal information is our best chance of forming good hypotheses.


An everyday noise gave me TTTS, and although my T isn't louder, the TTTS combined with the T have made my life so much worse than when it was just the original T.

Which is why I asked the author to provide additional information. We cannot learn from any of these quoted posts without better understanding the individual circumstances surrounding the spikes.

Otherwise this is simply a copy and paste thread of anecdotal information and that is not helpful. All of us are more than capable of using a search function. If the author is not going to provide all relevant background information, then what is the point of the thread? How can we learn from experiences that are not explained and taken out of context?

 

[Tinker Bell]

This thread really helps no one. I am surprised the mods, have not taken it down..... It's a FEAR MONGERING thread that, simply scares newcomers and those that are suffering.....

Without all relevant background information and the omission of key details, this thread only serves to illustrate the functionality of the search feature and cutting and pasting. Perhaps the author has not responded because he is working to collect the actual relevant information.

Actually it rather surprises me that TT allows member quoting across threads. I am on other forums that do not allow this because quotes can be used in a misleading manner. They also raise the question of permission. When you reply on a thread, you are essentially giving other members permission to quote you and you can respond in a timely manner because you are actively participating in the thread.

Does that quote permission extend to threads where you are not participating? Are their time limitations? What if you have not been active in months or even years? I sincerely hope no one quotes me out of context five years from now.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

If the author is not going to provide all relevant background information, then what is the point of the thread? How can we learn from experiences that are not explained and taken out of context?

Perhaps some of the people quoted will answer the list of questions you posed above.

I take @Bill Bauer's post as a starting point, not a conclusion. Anecdotes that do not support his view also need to be compiled and analyzed. I think both sides in this debate want the same thing: to know the truth, whatever it is. In the Socratic tradition, the goal of two sides debating is not to win the debate but to discover the truth. And when that happens, everybody wins.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Also, my hyperacusis seems to be worsening. I'm more sensitive to everyday sounds than I was before. Toilet flushing, doors closing ect.

Being sensitive to the sounds you mention is common @TracyJS with noise trauma and hyperacusis is present. In time this will improve. Use hearing protection when you feel it to be necessary but be careful of becoming dependant on it. Try to go for a walk each day even for 20 minutes to help desensitise your auditory system. Outside and the fresh air will help lift your mood too.

All the best
Michael