Noise-Induced Tinnitus — Positive Success Stories

[New Guy]

This is a plant called Ranunculus. I've never planted it but always wanted to. I saw it and picked up three for the garden. I love the bright pink color. I planted them a few feet away from my new Dahlia so the colors don't really match but who cares.

 

[Bill Bauer]

That can't be from physical damage to my ears.

One time, my T had switched ears for a couple of hours after I had a little alcohol. In my case, only one ear had been subjected to an acoustic trauma...

 

[emmalee]

I can't say I started any huge project today but a couple things struck me. One, I wasn't wallowing in self pity. I got out and did something I enjoy. Two, I was planning for the future. I'm looking forward to enjoying the plants through the summer.

@New Guy

So happy to hear this, New Guy.

The plants are beautiful, two of my favorites! I think the colors will look very nice together.

 

[DBT]

You need more power tools. You should have at least as many power tools as your wife has pairs of shoes. Probably more.

I didn't wear the ear muffs I just carried them around with me in case. A small store I could run out of but this store was huge.

I dont get to use them enough that I go spend money on it. Usually its my wife that finally buys me something that I have needed for long time

If you want to gamble with your life, use power tools...

Life is a gamble. Im not saying that we should be careless, but with the fact in mind that we are all different, some things isnt as dangerous as others.

 

[Bill Bauer]

some things isnt as dangerous as others.

In this analogy, power tools would be "others."

 

[New Guy]

Woke up at 7 am and out the door by 7:30 ish to start my day. I had a pause at work due to rain and small jobsite so had to leave for a couple days so another contractor could get access. I'm looking forward to getting back at it. It was my best/most energetic start since I got t.

I went to a deli for breakfast, my motivation to get out early. While at the deli I was thinking about masking and some crazy ideas I've had about it. These were thoughts that popped into my head in the first month.

• Sing when I get out of the shower so I don't hear my t come blaring back. I do that sometimes if I don't want to deal with it.
• Sit under a speaker when at a restaurant for better masking. I thought of this one while at Taco Bell. I got my food and looked at the ceiling trying to find a table right under a speaker.
• Wear a white noise generator around my neck when at work. This was a dark time. I saw myself out working with this harsh white noise competing with the blaring in my head. This is not reality for me, nature sounds mask enough most of the time. If I'm indoors I need background sound which is usually rain.

I took a load of brush to the dump and this guy in his late 60's or early 70's was unloading his truck with JBL speakers on top of his car blaring music. I didn't bother taking my driving earmuffs off and after a couple minutes I moved my truck so the guys speakers weren't pointing at me. It's amazing the things you notice and how ironic life seems now. When will these Senior Citizens learn to turn down their music? Sheesh!

After the dump I headed to the deli and 2 ambulances passed sirens blazing. I thought how fortunate to have my driving ear muffs on because I wouldn't have had time to react. The noise may not have been enough to upset my t but I'm still weary. I expose my ears to traffic noise on my street and at work but I don't want to go full bore with noise when driving my diesel truck or diesel work truck. I'm trying to protect without over protecting and build up my tolerance slowly.

I've had a bit of setback with my t or attitude toward it. This is probably my lack of patience again. I've noticed it getting more static/hiss mixed in for periods but yesterday afternoon things were loud and annoying. I know this is par for the course if it's going to go down. It gets good then gets bad and there is no rhyme or reason. It's like some mean person is messing with my mind. Literally. That's what I've heard from everyone I've talked to or read in posts.

I had a moment yesterday where I thought to myself, "What if this is what I'm going to get? What if this is my new reality?" My response was a combination of anger for having caused t from a lifetime of small mistakes and a recent big one, depression, and exhaustion from constantly thinking about my situation.

I had an event at my child' school last night that I attended but I probably shouldn't have. I was so nervous. I wasn't exposed to any loud noise but I was constantly on guard. The meeting started in the gym and they had an orchestra playing. I didn't go in. Later there was a presentation in the auditorium with the PA system being used. I had plugged my ears as a precaution but when they started using the microphone I left the room. That was probably unnecessary but I'm not ready to ease back in yet.

To the veterans who are rolling their eyes I know I'm still new at this and I'll get better at living life with t or it will continue to fade. I hope it continues to fade. I want my noise exposure to have cause da brief t situation not a rest of life t situation. I also know I can't count on my t fading.

I still have a way to go with my h going away, I had the papery feel in my ears a few hours yesterday so that's got a way to go too. It takes time. The papery feel was a few hours not days to that's progress in my book.

If I had fallen I would still have my leg in a cast and be on crutches and even after I got the cast off it would take time before I could start jogging. You can't just wait a week and move on with life. I have to keep that in mind. Healing is a process and this is the first time I've dealt with this situation so of course it's new to me and I don't understand it.

It's 60 degrees out, the sun is shining and I've got work to do on the side of a lake. Sweeeeet! I'm not planning on going nuts today but if I get to the job and get started I know I'll get something done. Off I go.

 

[Mellow7]

Woke up at 7 am and out the door by 7:30 ish to start my day. I had a pause at work due to rain and small jobsite so had to leave for a couple days so another contractor could get access. I'm looking forward to getting back at it. It was my best/most energetic start since I got t.

I went to a deli for breakfast, my motivation to get out early. While at the deli I was thinking about masking and some crazy ideas I've had about it. These were thoughts that popped into my head in the first month.

• Sing when I get out of the shower so I don't hear my t come blaring back. I do that sometimes if I don't want to deal with it.
• Sit under a speaker when at a restaurant for better masking. I thought of this one while at Taco Bell. I got my food and looked at the ceiling trying to find a table right under a speaker.
• Wear a white noise generator around my neck when at work. This was a dark time. I saw myself out working with this harsh white noise competing with the blaring in my head. This is not reality for me, nature sounds mask enough most of the time. If I'm indoors I need background sound which is usually rain.

I took a load of brush to the dump and this guy in his late 60's or early 70's was unloading his truck with JBL speakers on top of his car blaring music. I didn't bother taking my driving earmuffs off and after a couple minutes I moved my truck so the guys speakers weren't pointing at me. It's amazing the things you notice and how ironic life seems now. When will these Senior Citizens learn to turn down their music? Sheesh!

After the dump I headed to the deli and 2 ambulances passed sirens blazing. I thought how fortunate to have my driving ear muffs on because I wouldn't have had time to react. The noise may not have been enough to upset my t but I'm still weary. I expose my ears to traffic noise on my street and at work but I don't want to go full bore with noise when driving my diesel truck or diesel work truck. I'm trying to protect without over protecting and build up my tolerance slowly.

I've had a bit of setback with my t or attitude toward it. This is probably my lack of patience again. I've noticed it getting more static/hiss mixed in for periods but yesterday afternoon things were loud and annoying. I know this is par for the course if it's going to go down. It gets good then gets bad and there is no rhyme or reason. It's like some mean person is messing with my mind. Literally. That's what I've heard from everyone I've talked to or read in posts.

I had a moment yesterday where I thought to myself, "What if this is what I'm going to get? What if this is my new reality?" My response was a combination of anger for having caused t from a lifetime of small mistakes and a recent big one, depression, and exhaustion from constantly thinking about my situation.

I had an event at my child' school last night that I attended but I probably shouldn't have. I was so nervous. I wasn't exposed to any loud noise but I was constantly on guard. The meeting started in the gym and they had an orchestra playing. I didn't go in. Later there was a presentation in the auditorium with the PA system being used. I had plugged my ears as a precaution but when they started using the microphone I left the room. That was probably unnecessary but I'm not ready to ease back in yet.

To the veterans who are rolling their eyes I know I'm still new at this and I'll get better at living life with t or it will continue to fade. I hope it continues to fade. I want my noise exposure to have cause da brief t situation not a rest of life t situation. I also know I can't count on my t fading.

I still have a way to go with my h going away, I had the papery feel in my ears a few hours yesterday so that's got a way to go too. It takes time. The papery feel was a few hours not days to that's progress in my book.

If I had fallen I would still have my leg in a cast and be on crutches and even after I got the cast off it would take time before I could start jogging. You can't just wait a week and move on with life. I have to keep that in mind. Healing is a process and this is the first time I've dealt with this situation so of course it's new to me and I don't understand it.

It's 60 degrees out, the sun is shining and I've got work to do on the side of a lake. Sweeeeet! I'm not planning on going nuts today but if I get to the job and get started I know I'll get something done. Off I go.

If you take a lot of comfort from having masking noises nearby, have you looked into White Noise Generators for around the ears yet with an audiologist? I know they're pretty expensive, but I've had some TRT counselling done and I might go for them in a short while. The audiologist also mentioned the possibility of a trial, so you wouldn't be rushed into buying them.

Other than that, I think you are doing great by joining your kids in their activities and taking it one step at a time as well. It's perfectly reasonable, I think, to be wary around certain noises (even if we aren't talking about a nightclub or bars), until you know what your limits are.

 

[New Guy]

@Mellow7

I thought about on ear masking devices, especially the first month when I was going nuts. I'm going to give it some time and see where things end up. My t may be, and hopefully is, different and for the better in a few months.

Hearing my t doesn't bother me as much as it did the first month but still bothers me. I wonder if this trend will continue where I don't get as emotional when I hear it. Since last night I vowed to use masking more so I don't focus on the t and my mind puts it on the back burner.

The more time I spend outside the house and doing something the better I do. There are more noises to mask my t outside. Being alone with my thoughts in a quiet room inside the house can be bad combination. Especially in quiet rooms.

Thank you for your support. I need to remember to focus on one step at a time. That's where I get myself in trouble.

 

[Mellow7]

@Mellow7

I thought about on ear masking devices, especially the first month when I was going nuts. I'm going to give it some time and see where things end up. My t may be, and hopefully is, different and for the better in a few months.

Hearing my t doesn't bother me as much as it did the first month but still bothers me. I wonder if this trend will continue where I don't get as emotional when I hear it. Since last night I vowed to use masking more so I don't focus on the t and my mind puts it on the back burner.

The more time I spend outside the house and doing something the better I do. There are more noises to mask my t outside. Being alone with my thoughts in a quiet room inside the house can be bad combination. Especially in quiet rooms.

Thank you for your support. I need to remember to focus on one step at a time. That's where I get myself in trouble.

That's great to hear. Losing the negative emotional response to the T is the next best thing to a cure or treatment. If you continue this trend, I'm sure you'll come out on top. And like you said, there's always that additional chance that the noise will change and become less bothersome on its own. That's what I'm hoping for. How is your hearing distortion nowadays?

 

[New Guy]

@Mellow7

I'm not listening to the car radio which was where I noticed the distortion most. I feel like my ears are 'hardening up' a bit. The traffic going by the house doesn't seem so loud when I'm outside. I still notice high pitched noises seem to be moved to a higher pitch or distorted.

I feel like things are improving but it varies day to day whether my t is going down or not. They say not to compare t by day or even week but by the month. It can be that variable. I try not to check daily but I can't help it. I know my reaction to t, or lack of a reaction, is improving. Still a long way to go there too. The last couple days I vowed to keep up with masking so I don't focus on my t too much. Because I'm more used to t I haven't been masking as much and I think that's a mistake.

Did you do some TRT or CBT? I thought I read somewhere where you did? How is your t and reaction to t doing?

 

[Mellow7]

Yeah, I'm having TRT counselling done. The hearing distortion I'm experiencing is complicating things though. It is even more difficult understood amongst health care providers than T or H itself. My audiologist is not sure whether it is a good thing to let me try WNG's since I notice whistling or echoes of all kind within white noise. Makes masking in general pretty difficult.

I'm honestly in not that good of a place right now. I have exams coming up in a few weeks and I'm not sure how I'm going to get those done, when my concentration has suffered the way it has. I've got ups and downs though. Sometimes, reading here on this forum helps me lift my spirits. Some of my family is pretty understanding though, so that also helps. I'm also able to get sufficient amount of sleep. Generally, I try to count my blessings, even though this is probably the hardest ordeal I have gone through in my 24 year old life.

Maybe I ought to give my mind a break and put off exams for a few months. That way I may be able to gain more perspective on this whole thing and feel less like I'm on a flight heading for disaster every two hours. Despite all this, I am able to think more positive those other two hours (so to speak). I just hope I can get some improvement along the way, aside from my emotional state, instead of moving backwards.

 

[New Guy]

@Mellow7

t is so different for everyone. It sure makes things hard when you first get it. If you've followed this thread you see what it did to me.

It's ok if you're not in a good place. I've met many people on this forum who were or are right where we are. I don't see how you can keep going like nothing happened when you first get t. I guess it depends how loud your t is and what kind of a person you are. It affected me a lot.

I'm taking life a day at at time and doing the best I can. I don't know when I'll feel like my old self again. I'm making progress but have a long way to go. I can forget about t for 5 or 10 minutes. Sometimes I forget to look for it. Sometimes I'm in a quiet room and I can't help but focus on it. Sometimes I get caught in the downward spiral of how could this happen to me? Then I remind myself that I didn't do this on purpose. We all make mistakes.

Have you tried a sound machine? I have a Sound Oasis s650 and S5000 and they both are great machines. I prefer nature sounds to white noise. I know you can't carry a sound machine with you but if you're in one room or trying to sleep the machines make a big difference.

I hope you figure out what to do with exams. That's a tough one.

Good luck!

 

[New Guy]

I was at work today eating lunch and the weirdest thing happened. Out of nowhere the voice in my head quietly and confidently said, "You're going to beat this."

 

[emmalee]

I was at work today eating lunch and the weirdest thing happened. Out of nowhere the voice in my head quietly and confidently said, "You're going to beat this."

Yes you are New guy.

 

[Zug]

I was at work today eating lunch and the weirdest thing happened. Out of nowhere the voice in my head quietly and confidently said, "You're going to beat this."

Your Tinnitus is very recent. I know it's hard, but don't obsess too much, try not to freak out and think about it all the time.

The more time passes, the more Ok you'll be with it. I know people who had it for years and say they hardly remember they have Tinnitus.

One day at a time, you'll be Ok.

Best,
Zug

 

[New Guy]

Thanks Zug. I know I shouldn't think about it all the time and I'm getting better at not focusing on it but it's so hard. A little at a time I'll get there.

Thank you!

 

[Zug]

Thanks Zug. I know I shouldn't think about it all the time and I'm getting better at not focusing on it but it's so hard. A little at a time I'll get there.

Thank you!

One thing that helped me, since it was part of the CBT program, was to take some time each day and say "Ok, I'm just gonna sit here with my Tinnitus.

In time, you'll notice your Tinnitus gets boring.

Since I had those minutes everyday to stay put with my Tinnitus, when things got bad and my mind tried to focus too much on my sounds, I would say to myself "nope. you already had your Tinnitus time."

Whatever works...

Best,
Zug

 

[New Guy]

That's a good one Zug. If I'm alone with my t for too long it gets to me. I can handle about 5 minutes. I've been trying to use masking so my mind doesn't pay attention to it but those quiet rooms are rough.

 

[Zug]

That's a good one Zug. If I'm alone with my t for too long it gets to me. I can handle about 5 minutes. I've been trying to use masking so my mind doesn't pay attention to it but those quiet rooms are rough.

Yes they are.

I bought one of those small water fountains and left it on all the time for some time but I didn't really like it. I also had a white noise app on my phone. Some time latter I decided to stop masking since my brain had to learn it was justa stupid sound that was always there.

Dont force anything too much. You're still in the beginning. Try to take it easy, one day at a time, and you'll see it gets better with time.

 

[New Guy]

Dont force anything too much. You're still in the beginning. Try to take it easy, one day at a time, and you'll see it gets better with time.

That's what I need to hear Zug. Many people with t remind me to take it one day at a time and I'm doing my best.

I like my Sound Oasis s650 and s5000 but going outside beats them both.

 

[Mellow7]

Yes they are.
I bought one of those small water fountains and left it on all the time for some time but I didn't really like it. I also had a white noise app on my phone. Some time latter I decided to stop masking since my brain had to learn it was justa stupid sound that was always there.

I'm looking into one of those fountains right now. Apparently they also bring great feng shui to the house

 

[Mellow7]

I like my Sound Oasis s650 and s5000 but going outside beats them both.

I do agree that there is no better feeling than being right there in and with nature. Birds chirping, woodpeckers drilling, wind blowing, leaves rustling and so on. Neighbor mowing the lawn maybe a bit less. Certainly the coming of spring makes it all a bit more bearable.

It's great if you can combine all of this with work!

Since you seem to have quite the green thumb @New Guy, I've got some amazing Wisteria's (in my language 'Blue Rain') as a view right now.

 

[New Guy]

I've got some amazing Wisteria's

Please post a picture in the thread. I don't mind.

 

[Mellow7]

Please post a picture in the thread. I don't mind.

Good idea

 

[New Guy]

@Mellow7

Very nice! I like the way you trained them on the fence. That's an impressive garden you have there.

 

[New Guy]

Checked into TT tonight and went through the new posts. Went to my inbox and continued a couple conversations. Back to new threads and nothing new. I can find no reason what so ever to be on TT tonight. What to do with myself?

 

[New Guy]

I'm up late and wrote the info below to get some things off my chest. It's extremely boring so you might want to skip this update.

I had a long period of hiss/static today. Probably about 2 hours. I noticed it more than usual because I was driving most of the time with my ear muffs on. I usually notice hiss/static more with my muffs on because it's easier to notice. Hiss/static is usually, unlike tonight, quieter than my EEE so without muffs my hiss/static t is less obtrusive but I don't notice the change.

At one point today I was driving and had fleeting t. When the fleeting t started I heard the hiss/static and crickets. After 10 seconds of fleeting t all I heard was the crickets. The hiss/static slowly returned and was back up to the same level within 5 minutes. The point in the road I was at when I got fleeting t was the exact same spot I noticed it about a month and a half ago. I'm sure it was just coincidence but it was weird.

I'm back to hiss/static tonight and it's a very loud hiss/static. It feels louder than my usual t but without the EEE to it. My ears have felt full for the last few hours. I was out today but didn't subject myself to any crazy loud sounds. I sawed some wood with a hand saw, I used ear muffs half the time and no ear muffs the other half. It didn't seem that loud to me. While my ears feel full I don't notice the papery or crumbly feel to my ears. To me the papery or crumbly feel is a higher level of going backward than fullness but who knows.

In my second review of this post I do notice some papery crumbliness to my ears. I wonder if my episode tonight is somehow anxiety related and ttts has something to do with it.

I had a very good last week working outdoors and not really having much trouble with the t but the last few hours have my anxiety up a touch. I've got masking going but it's tough to drown out the loud static/hiss and the fullness is really getting to me. I feel like I've gone backward a month to month and a half in my progress. I've read that that's par for the course with new t.

It doesn't really matter what I think but I'm getting tired of this. t will do what it does no matter what I think. I really felt very optimistic the last 5 days or so.

I think I went through the initial anxiety, then hit depression and now I'm in a frustration stage. I'm pretty sure frustration is better than anxiety and depression but it still sucks.

Crying over spilled milk won't change a thing but I can't help wonder why 2-3 hours of my life with hearing protection is going to cost me so much and has already cost me so much. I do my best to find the positives. I know I have a hearing loss which is good to know because I had no idea I had one. I'll be more careful using loud power tools. I'm more focused on what is important in life and I've been actively shifting my priorities. This is a process I've been working on a few years but t has encouraged me to be more assertive in my decisions.

I believe in time the fullness will slowly stop happening. I thought I had crossed a threshold where it wouldn't come back so much but I was wrong.

I believe in time my t will 'lessen'. I don't know to what extent or if I'm mistaking the normal state of t for lessening. 2 months in I see static/hissing as a move in the right direction. Even if it's really amped up tonight. Some people have the constant EEE and it never changes. Mine definitely changes which it didn't the first month and a half.

I believe the h is going to go away at some point and I've noticed progress with it. Tonight at dinner I asked members of my family to talk more quietly which I haven't done in a while. I guess h can go forward and backward too.

That's where I am tonight. Fullness, hiss/static and loud. I'm going to put the tv on and try not to listen to the t and hopefully fall asleep. When I wake I hope this episode is over.

On my third review of this post I feel like the hiss/static has lowered intensity. I'm still amped up so I won't be going to sleep any time soon. If I put the tv on I'll eventually crash. I didn't do anything too physical today which may mean I'm not as tired as usual. Perhaps a long walk or jog is a good idea tomorrow.

 

[emmalee]

@New Guy

John, this is quite the roller coaster ride that you have been on, it's no wonder you have so many different emotions coming in to play. I think you are right when you say ....

I think I went through the initial anxiety, then hit depression and now I'm in a frustration stage. I'm pretty sure frustration is better than anxiety and depression but it still sucks.

It is much like the stages of grief that one goes through when they lose a loved one. We haven't lost a loved one but we have indeed suffered a loss. Life as we knew it has been turned upside down and it may very well be our new normal. When we lose someone close to us we can never have them back. We grieve the loss, we cry, we become angry and then we somehow move on. I have experienced this more than once in my life, most here have.

I want my "before the tinnitus life" back and you know what, this may very well happen. The same is true for you. We are both in the very early stages and I have read enough success stories to know that this is possible.

This fullness that you are experiencing is something I have had since day one. Some days it is almost like a pressure, for lack of a better description, and some days it is much less. Like I said, a roller coaster ride.

Staying physically active, in my very humble opinion, is key when dealing with tinnitus. Do get out for that walk or jog today, I know I will be doing just that.

Has anything followed you home in the last couple of days? I may or may not have a new truck.....just saying.

 

[New Guy]

@emmalee

Are you a counselor for your day job? You're so good at this.

I'm once again, not the first time and won't be the last, being impatient.

That fullness is a bear. It's been gone a week or two but it was back last night. It got to me because it's another reminder, like when I was using a hand saw with ear muffs to cut lumber last night. Many on the site say it takes up to 6 months to go away for the ones that it does.

I went to the hardware store yesterday and bought some lumber to make raised beds for a vegetable garden. When I was a kid I watched a show called Square Foot Gardening. I want to start 3 square foot garden plots and give it a try. A vegetable garden and chickens are two things I've put off all my life but what am I waiting for? It's a great distraction.

I brought some Coral Bells home with me but those were for my wife. She needs them for something with the School.

I did get out and jog. I made 2.5 miles with no walking. I pushed it to burn off some anxiety. I succeeded. Next it's a long hot shower to relax and reset.

Last week I spread mulch I had to wheel across a yard, over a stream and up a hill. It did wonders for my t and mental attitude. Tomorrow is my last day at that house for a while. I'm going to miss it.

I want my "before the tinnitus life" back

I hope we both get it Emmalee.

I didn't know you were a truck person. I can't wait to hear about that. What made you decide it was time to upgrade?

 

[TracyJS]

I want my "before the tinnitus life back"

@New Guy @emmalee
Yes, me too.