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Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

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Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#22
I've had tinnitus since such a young age (probably genetic), that I don't remember myself without it. Mine usually doesn't bother me, I guess I'm just used to it (and also that it's not as bad.

Like other people here mentioned, I found that the best way to deal with it, when it does bother me, is to have another background sound that stops you from focusing on it.

I'd recommend trying to "listen" to Sleep, an 8.5 hour album by Max Richter written to be played while you sleep, although I also sometimes play it in the background during the day since it helps me switch off and focus on what I'm working on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_(album)

Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#24
I have had fairly severe tinnitus since I played in bands some 25 years ago without hearing protection. Some days are worse than others, but generally the less I focus on it the less I notice it. For you I hope that it'll unexpectedly go away some day like it arrived.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#25
Yes I do. Quite stupidly I went to too many all night/all day music festivals when I was in my early twenties and would hang out down by the stage. After one of the parties, I almost couldn't hear. It was as if I was submerged in a pool of water while trying to make out the sounds around me. Very weird.

Thankfully that passed and I can hear but the ensemble of differently pitched constant ringing ... can genuinely be a nightmare sometimes. As someone else stated, I cannot hear other people speak when there is background noise. I don't go to bars, concerts, or movies anymore (for almost two decades now). It sucks.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#26
Lifelong tinnitus here.

Doing all of the followings has helped me greatly:

* Brownian noise generator, as needed

* cold compress on forehead as needed

* avoidance of large number of Rx (ototoxic)

* no tobacco-derivatives

* no cannibus (did not discern between THC or CBD (sp?)

* no overeating

All those are very noticeable in form of tinnitus when violated. But it took a very long time to discover what works and what doesn't. Self-awareness of all those stimulus is required to identify and it gets easier once self-trained to recognize association between your own action and tinnitus. Most are identifiable within 30 minutes, some Rx takes 5-7 days to notice).

At age of 48, I lost 85% of hearing within 30 minutes of taking one dosage of Zyban (Wellbutrin-class) Rx. Filed a report with FDA. Warning sheet made no mention of this.

Cochlear implant helps a lot with reducing (built-in Brownian noise generator) as well as restoring my hearing to almost better than avg. human. But it took away my natural sound spectrum (think 32 distinctively-sieved equalizer bars, or crescendo sounds jumpy) in favor of huge dB increase.

Edit: am sedentary, my BMI is 29. Relatively stress-free (might explains less need for exercise there but do do notice Yoga helps a little).

Listened to music that has varied rhythms (Jazz, classical, low-bass beats) but that music selection has noticeably becomes no longer the requirement for tinnitus reduction once my list above were maintained. (Derivative of Brownian noise, panacea?). I now enjoy nearly all music variety (metal opera, anyone?)

aspirin is noticeable but preferred over Tylenol (liver protection). And a light social drinker.

Tinnitus is largely gone but every now and then some new act such as eating enjoyable jalapeño would bring it back with a vengeance or a nasty bout of Staph-B (high temperature).

I only wished I was told of all this ahead of time because life quality has improved greatly overall with not just better in terms of avoiding tinnitus-induced depression but oral communication has improved.

Ask your medical professional to add to your medical record the anti-Ototoxic list as part of your known allergies to avoid hearing loss (as well as tinnitus):

https://www.soundrelief.com/list-of-ototoxic-medications/amp...

Good luck with your self-awareness training.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#27
I've had it for almost 30 years, until about a year ago due to some crazy amount of stress it became so heavy that I finally did something about it. What ultimately helped and brought lasting relief were a few sessions with a cranial osteopathic therapist. Highly recommended!

Re: Ask HN: Anyone else suffering from tinnitus?

#28

I've had tinnitus since such a young age (probably genetic), that I don't remember myself without it. Mine usually doesn't bother me, I guess I'm just used to it (and also that it's not as bad. Like other people here mentioned, I found that the best way to deal with it, when it does bother me, is to have another background sound that stops you from focusing on it. I'd recommend trying to "listen" to Sleep, an 8.5 hou…

I know it's ridiculous but I genuinely didn't realise I had tinnitus for so long, precisely because I've had it all my life and so just assumed that tinnitus must be something different. I genuinely can't imagine not having it.
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