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I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

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Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#81

Post by astura »

ryandrake wrote: post #48
kbutler wrote: post #3

> An audiologist friend told me to go to an ENT physician if not better by 48 hours or the damage could be permanent. Much longer than that and it would be too late to try any of the interventions This seems like poor advice. If there is significant, realistic concern about permanent damage, I'd suggest checking immediately, rather than give it extra time...

It’s often a cost/risk trade off. A lot of things do fix themselves with time and if you default to going right to the doctor every time you’re injured or feel sick it’s going to cost a fortune, unless you have some kind of gold plated insurance. Some things have to be looked at right away, but for some things it’s unnecessary, and it can pay to wait it out. (of course the above reasoning is pretty specific to the US…

It's not even a cost, I have free healthcare through the military and I hesitate to visit doctors. First off, 99% of the time whatever it is fixes itself with time. Going to the doctor requires lots of time and effort, outside urgent care or the ER you're going to have to be going during the workday. Then they might refer you to other doctors and each one wants more and more of your time. I know a guy who goes to the doctor every time he has a viral infection to get antibiotics. Then he has to go back for different antibiotics because he doesn't feel better right away. That seems like a lot of effort when the alternative is doing nothing for the same outcome.

The other big issue I have with doctors, I don't know if they are going to prescribe me some bullshit because the real treatment is "you'll get better with time" or the real answer is "there's nothing we can do about that." Or, much worse, something that they believe will help you but is not evidence based. Before you get upset - I once had an MD refer me to a (licensed) physical therapist for craniosacral therapy (complete woo) which billed it to my insurance as something like "physical manipulations."

It's also just how I was raised, when I grew up, my parents would say "we'll see if it gets better," and it always did. When I grew up and starting visiting the doctor for things at the advice of others it didn't improve my health outcomes yet significantly increased my annoyance level.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#82

Post by jads »

abakker wrote: post #78

I work a lot in a wood shop/metal shop. I’ve always been a big proponent of ear protection. Recently, I’ve been using shure in ear monitors for blocking small sounds and supplementing with ear muffs when real tools are on. However, I’ve started to just wear those in ear monitors around even without listening to anything. The ear plug feature is actually really great. I can get on muni or bart in the Bay Area with the…

I've tried Shure (and other) earphones like this before, but could never stand the rustling of cable noise. Does that bother you at all, or do you have any recommendations for stopping it? I've tried shirt clips and cable loops, but nothing ever worked. For now, I use either over-ear noise canceling headphones or just AirPods.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#83

Post by macintux »

I very recently thought I might have permanently damaged my eyesight.

I was working from a library, and stood to start closing up for the day. As I started to close my laptop, the screen (hi, glossy MacBook Pro) directly reflected the sun behind me.

For the next 15-20 minutes a significant portion of my vision in both eyes was wavy. I could still safely drive home, thankfully, but it was a severe distraction.

While I expected it to eventually clear up, it struck home how fragile my career is. (I know it's possible to be a blind software developer, but I'm not sure I could afford to take the short-term hit, assuming my employer wouldn't pay me to spend months relearning how to live and work.)

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#84

Post by w00kie »

nemo1618 wrote: post #50
asfasgasg wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given the choice between losing my hearing and a slightly unpleasant interaction with a service professional, I would typically choose the latter.

That's a bit uncharitable. The choice is rarely as clear as that. It's often hard to know whether an affliction is serious enough to warrant immediate attention. So the person must weigh the risk of delaying immediate treatment against the inconvenience and embarrassment of an unnecessary ER visit. It will be really nice when everyone has access to a medical AI that can assess these things instantly wherever you are.

Japan has a nice system: when you're not sure your issue is bad enough to call 119 (Japanese version of 911), you can call 7119 which will tell you if it's really an emergency and you need an ambulance or if you should just rest and see a doctor in the morning.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#85

Post by berberous »

flyinglizard wrote: post #55
0xfaded wrote: post #45

I have mild tinnitus in one ear, from what I suspect was a friend screaming into my ear that she was going to the bathroom at a noisy club. I'm relatively lucky, my hearing is still better than most, but it does suck. I've decided I will never go to another club, and in bars I wear ear plugs. I have more to lose, since any additional damage will likely make my tinnitus more severe. Seriously though, hearing is one of…

I get to visit clubs/shows every few months and I always use a pair of musician earplugs, (Etymotic, standard - not custom fitted). It gives a nice and even attenuation, which after few minutes you don't even notice (other than perhaps slightly elevating very low frequencies relative to the rest). Your mind is very quick to normalize the volume level anyway, no matter if you're with or without protection. Why suffer…

Which ones? I have these (https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-ETY-Plugs-...) and to be frank, I dislike wearing them -- it just sounds worse.

That said, clubs/shows play music way too loud, and I occasionally hear the beginning of tinnitus, so I 100% agree that people should get a pair.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#86

Post by lotsofpulp »

fwdpropaganda wrote: post #56
LukeShu wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who recently retired from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he co-founded the KSC Swamp Works. He now is now at the University of Central Florida -- but still a part of the Swamp Works team -- his website

Jesus Christ, so they don't pay him enough and he's fixing toilets on the side?

Fixing a toilet is dead simple, as are most household tasks. Either you'd have to be very rich to not have it be worth 1 hour of your time, since a plumber will surely be $100 at least, or you can't be bothered to watch a couple short videos on youtube.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#87

Post by fosap »

fwdpropaganda wrote: post #56
LukeShu wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who recently retired from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he co-founded the KSC Swamp Works. He now is now at the University of Central Florida -- but still a part of the Swamp Works team -- his website

Jesus Christ, so they don't pay him enough and he's fixing toilets on the side?

Not being depended on craftsman for small things like fixing your toilet safes you a lot of stress in my experience. Not problems with appointments, no waiting, no arguing in case if improper work, no other people in your home.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#88

Post by jjnoakes »

autokad wrote: post #34
cian wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I always find it amazing how patients can have a sudden sensorineural hearing loss and wait days before presenting. In my opinion patients and the public should treat it as urgently as a sudden sight loss. High dose steroids are regularly prescribed in this sort of scenario in an attempt to minimize damage, and are likely to be more effective the sooner they are given.

After hurting my neck in the shower, Me calling primary care: The earliest we can see you is next Tuesday Me skipping primary care & going to ER instead: After a 2 hour wait, I get condescendingly asked: why didn't you go to your primary care? That's why patients wait days before presenting.

If you have urgent care near you, that is a good situation for it.

Re: I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

#89

Post by saudioger »

flyinglizard wrote: post #55
0xfaded wrote: post #45

I have mild tinnitus in one ear, from what I suspect was a friend screaming into my ear that she was going to the bathroom at a noisy club. I'm relatively lucky, my hearing is still better than most, but it does suck. I've decided I will never go to another club, and in bars I wear ear plugs. I have more to lose, since any additional damage will likely make my tinnitus more severe. Seriously though, hearing is one of…

I get to visit clubs/shows every few months and I always use a pair of musician earplugs, (Etymotic, standard - not custom fitted). It gives a nice and even attenuation, which after few minutes you don't even notice (other than perhaps slightly elevating very low frequencies relative to the rest). Your mind is very quick to normalize the volume level anyway, no matter if you're with or without protection. Why suffer…

This exactly. Wear earplugs to shows. The levels are generally WAY TOO LOUD to begin with, and in my experience I actually hear/enjoy shows better with halfway decent earplugs.

I can also leave shows, take them out, and hear normally immediately after. No more laying in bed that night being annoyed by minor hearing damage.

You don't even have to be self conscious about it, they're barely visible when they're in.

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