Wow, talk about relevant and uncanny timing. I self-diagnosed myself with Tinnitus a couple of weeks ago, it came on about 4 weeks ago, and its really quite annoying to say the least. So, my daughter had an appointment with her ENT booked for yesterday (she had an ear op several years ago and was wondering about wax build up etc - anyway she decided she wouldn't go so I went instead). Yes Acute Tinnitus plus after hearing tests partial hearing loss, ie. loss in a certain spectrum - problem being inner ear related, timpanic system is fine. My family, wife and two kids, have often joked about the TV having to be a bit louder for me than them (I'm the deaf parent, Mum's the blind parent is the joking comparison from the kids - all meant in jest of course). So currently on a 3 week course of steroids and circulation drugs to try to help the inner ear system, nerves, capillaries, plus the hairs etc mentioned above, whilst also starting musical brain re-education (Mozart's Clarinet Concerto every day for 3 weeks with noise cancelling headphones) to try to re-train the brain away from focusing on the Tinnitus. I say all this as, and I'm sure it applies to a lot of other situations, it really makes you feel vunerable, mortal etc. The Tinnitus is often a symptom or red flag of other health conditions, and at 53 I know that I don't take proper care of myself, like my beer a little too much, don't eat healthy etc, probably 20 lbs to lose easily (I'm 6ft so don't look overweight) - not too much you may say but try carrying around 20 lbs in your hands all day every day. I have a lot of stress in my job (stress is not good everyone stating the obvious), plus a couple of other minor health issues which in themselves don't affect me, but it makes you really start to think about things. As an aside I almost died 5 years ago from a completely unrelated situation (Bilateral PE for what its worth) so am on daily aspirin (luckily avoiding blood thinners right now) but **** me everyone - you have to look after yourself (mentally and emotionally) and your bodies. My immediate mood yesterday was to withdraw into myself, but I'm determined for that not to happen, so its not just your body but your mind you have to look after. Apologies for rambling on, but wanted to relate to what C'mon posted above and to add to it with the message to look after yourself, you only have one of you.
You mention a couple of things that are a common occurrence in life, unfortunately, for those with hearing problems, people turning away from you whilst still talking to you, they just don't think that you can't hear them, the cross talking by people in a group is a very difficult thing for me to experience and cope with. And, people tending, if not to shout but to raise their voices significantly as if that helps, it doesn't. Speaking clearly and a little slower, facing you, is about the best way overall, but of course that makes the hard of hearing/deaf person look as if he/she is a bit simple. Again, in the group situation, I do try and say to people that I am finding it hard to follow conversation, most are understanding, but of course you get the few who just carry on as before, such is life. But spot on Chazz with your observations.
It's the old conundrum Fred, unless you experience the suffering that some people go through you never understand to the true extent of what people are trying to tell you, I remember being out on the town in a pub down by the marina, near to what was Peppi's, Humber something or other, and there was a group on and to say they were loud was like saying that a Jumbo jet is silent. I had taken my hearing aids out just as a precaution, but even that wasn't enough when they started up their gig, I came out straight away, my mates stayed for a while. When they did emerge they were all laughing about their ears ringing and I said that it's not a good thing, of course I was fobbed off as being passed it. But what you have written I understand, in fact on another thread about hobbies, past times and the such, I have explained that I have changed my life a lot, even going for a walk, ride on my bike, simple things whilst I am able, and as I have said, many of my friends cannot, and I just don't mean those now dead. As for the wax thing, a drop of olive oil in each ear, 3 times a week, helps stop the wax from hardening, in the course of nature the ear will eject the wax and so help keep the ear clear. But wax is important in keeping the delicate workings of the ear protected, too much wax is a nuisance and because I wear aids the wax cannot exit the ear. Nothing is ever so simple for me, for as I wear aids the wax blocks the tubing of the hearing aid and gathers wound the earpiece. This makes the ears sore so I have to have times when I take the hearing aids out and let the air get to my ears, and give the wax a chance to escape. If the wax hardens then that makes your hearing worse which meant your ears need syringing, many GP surgeries do not like doing this, my own insist on me signing a disclaimer for any injury to my hearing. Hull Royal suck the wax out, I've no idea who this works as you have to have a GP referral, I just sign the form and have mine syringed, usually about every six months.
I used to have my ears sucked out at Hull Royal every 6 months or so, until we emigrated. That was a follow on from having a mastoidectomy about 20 years ago now. This is where they removed a lot of the bone inside my right ear due to an abscess I think it was that was slowly eating the bone away, until I had it sorted. So like a few on here am partially deaf in one ear but can hear some tones but not too much. If someone is on that side talking I don’t always hear them. I also suffer from the dreaded wax build up in my ears, which would often become infected, hence the reason for getting them sucked out a couple of times a year. When my ears were infected I had very minimal hearing for what could be up to two weeks depending on how long it took to clear. Not many people knew how much I suffered with lack of hearing as I didn’t really say much, and often would make up a pathetic excuse as to why I hadn’t heard. They did think a lot of the problems were down to wearing ear plugs at work, which prevented my lugs being able to breathe properly, and it probably didn’t help that I would be constantly taking the plugs in and out all day with going into different work areas. I did get some Moulded ear plugs made up on one visit to HRI. They stuck blue tack in each lug to get the templates then had them made up. I probably don’t suffer from infected ears as much now, maybe due to not needing to wear ear plugs now, though one thing that can still give me ear infections is after swimming. The ENT bloke here said dont keep buying the expensive aqua ear drops but to make my own, by mixing three parts meths to one part white vinegar, as this is the same as what they put in the post swimming ear drops. That seems to work ok for me.
Tower Hamlets MPS @MPSTowerHam Please do not contact us about the #KFCCrisis - it is not a police matter if your favourite eatery is not serving the menu that you desire.
A lot of what has been written on this subject here is all too familiar to me Brisbane and your comments have just added to that. Sore ears do hurt, I do take my hearing aids out when the pain becomes too much, and, as you mentioned, let the ears 'breathe' as silly as it may sound. But the other thing you mention is swimming, I was told from an early age that this was a definite no no so I was medically excused from swimming lessons at school. Foolishly I also thought that I wouldn't be able to have a bath but the surgeon laughed and said that a bath was fine, just don't get the water in your ears. How was that supposed to work lol?
