Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)

[MRS B 41]

Goodness, I have had ear problems all my life, can remember mum warming a teaspoon of olive oil over the gas jet and then when cool enough putting the oil in my ear. Also putting her warm hand over my ear at night and going to sleep with a knitted bonnet on. In my 50’s I actually had a grommet inserted which when removed left a small hole in my eardrum (very unusual apparently) great when flying as no difference in pressure. 
My daughter inherited the same problem and has had numerous ear infections just like her mom and still suffers when she has a cold. 

[Cliff Ton 9,451]

I’ve had mild, variable tinnitus for several years. Not enough to be annoying but enough to be aware of it sometimes.

 

Out of curiosity over the last few months  I went for a hearing check to three different places…Boots, Specsavers, and NHS.

 

All three said my hearing is pretty good, but none of them could offer much help or advice in  dealing with tinnitus at a low level. They all basically said “come back if it gets worse and then we can discuss ways of dealing with it”.

[MargieH 7,156]

CT that sounds sensible because, as you say, you are only aware of the tinnitus sometimes and it’s not loud enough to be really annoying.   Hope it won’t become more of a problem for you.

[radfordred 6,011]

14 hours ago, MargieH said:

I worked with hearing-impaired teenagers for 30 years

 

 

Our new Lord Mayor of Nottingham Wendy Smith chosen charity this year is the Nottinghamshire Deaf Society 

 

[PeverilPeril 2,950]

As many of you know, I am completely deaf. I get by with a cochlear implant that was fitted 26 years ago when I was 57. The device has been upgraded a few times but I still rely on lip reading to a certain extent in most situations. Tinnitus is always present but I get attacks of severe tinnitus ( imagine a helicopter landing on your head) that last for an hour or so. This is on the implant side and cannot be explained. I have helped, as a subject, with studies carried out by Nottm Uni. It is surprising how little is understood about tinnitus.

 

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

Tinnitus causes terrible problems for some people, resulting in severe depression and even, tragically, suicide.  Some people take to drinking too much alcohol as they say that makes it less noticeable. A friend of mine sleeps with the radio on as he says that counteracts his not too severe tinnitus. How anyone could sleep with a radio on defeats me. I can't even have a clock ticking within earshot...but each to their own.  I used to find that if I spent just a few minutes in a shop where loud background music was playing, I was plagued by high pitched ringing in my ears when I came out. It stopped after a while but it worried me and I avoided any shop where it was likely to be the case.

[Brew 4,909]

I doubt mine is as bad as that, more like a constant 'white noise' in both ears that varies in volume throughout the day, but seems worse when I'm tired.

The hearing aids can generate sounds designed to counter tinnitus, a seascape, a gentle breeze, rustling etc. none work, and anyway I lost patience with the phone app and deleted it.

[Cliff Ton 9,451]

10 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

 How anyone could sleep with a radio on defeats me. I can't even have a clock ticking within earshot...but each to their own.  

 

Just to demonstrate how different people react in different ways......I've found that having a radio on with 'Snooze'  mode is an effective way to get to sleep. The radio switches itself off after 20-40-60 minutes, but I will be asleep before that happens.

 

On many occasions I've fallen asleep quickly with the radio still on in the background, and then woken up again when the radio went OFF. It was the silence which woke me up.

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

As I said earlier, my father had tinnitus for many years. It took the form, he said, of a constant pitched note in each ear. However, the note was a different pitch in each ear. Obviously, I couldn't hear what he was being forced to listen to but depending on the interval between the notes (in musical terms) it could have been pleasant if harmonious or unpleasant if dissonant. It tried his patience very much and there was very little anyone could do to help.

[PeverilPeril 2,950]

Apart from the attacks of tinnitus, which, fortunately are not too often, the brain brushes the usual noise away unless I think about it. A researcher was quite intrigued when I said that I often listen to the tinnitus just like listening to music. A range of notes, intensity and timing. It's like celestial music and I often get lost in it. Can be quite pleasant sometimes. Pity that I am not a composer or I could write something quite original. 

[Brew 4,909]

1 hour ago, PeverilPeril said:

Pity that I am not a composer or I could write something quite original. 

 

Ear on a G string...    

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

The Anvil Chorus?

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

HMS Pinna-fore?

[Beekay 3,601]

Flower Drum song.

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

Come on Ben. Here's an opportunity for you to wax lyrical!

[Brew 4,909]

1 hour ago, Beekay said:

Flower Drum song.

 

Played on a Tabla perhaps?

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

Or tympanum?

[PeverilPeril 2,950]

With a full symphony orchestra and rock band in my head I need to be wired up to Jill - who may make some sense of it 

[Jill Sparrow 9,188]

Sounds intriguing, PP.  Can you choose what you want to listen to?

[Beekay 3,601]

Feet in the stirrups and off we go !