Life Hacks for Dealing with Tinnitus

[squeek]

I'd thought I would start a thread on how to get about life with real practical hints and tips to make our situation better when dealing with the world when you have tinnitus.

So what life hacks are you using?

In response, these life hacks should be of a practical non-medical nature. This thread isn't for dealing with psychology of our own minds, or medical devices or medicine -- there are plenty of other threads that cater for those subjects.


Here are my life hacks:

Getting a quieter space with a silent computer

Most of us are on the computer much of the time. You can actually buy or build your own silent computer. By silent I mean zero noise. No moving parts whatsoever.

On the Apple side of this things you have the new 2015 Macbook 12 inch. On the PC desktop grade side of things, there's Nofen (previously Nofan), which has no fans and instead uses a massive heatsink which consumes nearly the entire cavity of the computer case. I have one of these and been using it for a few years without issue (medium load stuff like programming and data processing. Not sure how it would perform with gaming though).


Restauranting

Go to the restaurant at an unpopular time like 5:30pm. This is the time when the restaurant owners are less busy and are lot more amiable for requests. "Would you be kind enough to drop the volume of the music for half an hour or so? I have hearing damage. I'd be so grateful. Thank you ever so kindly."

Also, if you're the first person there, there are no other patrons making noise.


Getting people near to you to be quiet

Never use the word 'tinnitus'. Of those who know of tinnitus, in their mind they're thinking that your condition is of a psychological nature, something that can be ignored if you try hard enough and therefore they can afford to be less considerate of you. Instead, tell them that you have 'hearing damage'. They tend to be more considerate of that. With my flatmates, I tell them 'working on my business and I need quiet' -- they seem to respect that even more.


Libraries

If you need to study or just need a quiet place, go to state or national libraries rather than local libraries. Local libraries tend to be used as free child minding centers.


Air plane flight

A combination of ear plugs and active noise cancellation headphones will bring the noise down to a more comfortable level.



So what life hacks have you got?

 

[Eliot333]

I recommend you repost this if you haven't. It's a good thread idea, and unfortunately it didn't gain traction. Cheers!

 

[squeek]

I recommend you repost this if you haven't. It's a good thread idea, and unfortunately it didn't gain traction. Cheers!

Thanks, Eliot. I really hope people do add more hints and tips. We really need every tool and trick we can muster to negotiate our way through this perilous noisy new world.

On air travel, I've also pushed money into the hands of the air steward to get moved to a different seat. They won't take the money but they do take pity on your desperation and let you into a different seat.

 

[Path Maker]

I carry Etymotic earplugs in a little case they sent as a keychain. I looped the earplugs together with the thin cord they also came with. Sooooo ... the earplugs are almost ALWAYS with me, since my keys are almost always with me. This makes it much easier to remember to use them, and to have them available, even for short walks through parking lots, etc., in case of sudden car alarms. Just a tip of convenience.

 

[Alue]

I take earmuffs on airplane flights. It's much better to sit in front as the back of the plane is much louder, but everyone wants to sit in front.

You mention a lot of quiet places, I don't know about others but since getting tinnitus quiet places like libraries are unbearable. This is coming from someone that used to love quiet, sigh.

 

[OPlax]

Great post, but if you had tinnitus, wouldn't you want more noise so it would mask the buzzing? Or is this ways to not damage your ear more to make tinnitus worse?

I might as well share some tips from me.
These tips are for me MASKING the tinnitus buzz. My tinnitus is a high pitch frequency.

1) always have low white noise.
This is so it can mask my tinnitus and I don't hear it. During the summer, I keep a portable fan in my room, and during winter a portable little heater.

2) bring phone earplugs to places that may be quiet enough for you to hear tinnitus.
In case the place is that quiet, put in your ear phones and listen to either a white noise app or some gentle low music.

3) try to get your mind off of tinnitus
This is probably the hardest one, but try to take your mind off of tinnitus. I play video games competitively, so one of my hobbies is too play that video game and concentrate on it. Also reading and writing are good hobbies to take part in to take your mind off things. As a long time tinnitus sufferer, if you don't keep your mind on it, the lower it sounds.

I'll probably add more tips but these are a few I use to help live with tinnitus

 

[squeek]

Great post, but if you had tinnitus, wouldn't you want more noise so it would mask the buzzing? Or is this ways to not damage your ear more to make tinnitus worse?

Everybody's tinnitus is different. Some want to be surrounded by silence and many feel more comfortable with noise. I think though that nearly all of us want to pick and choose the noise around us given the opportunity.

Your tip is really a good tip. Thanks!

 

[Song interpreter]

Yes. I keep my earplugs with me everywhere. Sometimes I use them with my grandchildren! Wooden floors bounce the sound around. My grandchildren squeal! Eek!

I try to remember to sit or walk with the person I am chatting with on my good ear.

Don't dwell on the ringing! It only makes it worse! Sometimes it can get so bad I can feel it!

Focus outside yourself to get away from the ringing. Help someone. We can forget our troubles when we help someone else.

For those who care about me, I explain my tinnitus. Then they are able to make things easier foe me. For my young adult sons with deep voices; they need to know to speak up and face me. Stop mumbling as you walk away! My daughters-in-law can read my face when the squealing goes up and they quiet down the children. They know it hurts my ears.

I will probably think of more, but this is it for now. I hope others add to the list! Having the helpful hints all in one place would be helpful! If there are other lists, please put the links in here.

 

[Sebastians]

There's a lot of 'apéros' in my city at the moment, social gatherings where people just go to a park and bring their own booze. Bars and pubs are uncomfortably loud for me now, so my social life is all about these small outdoor events now. Unless some €&@&@ brings along a portable speaker system... Sigh