[-Paolo-]

Recently I've noticed the ringing in my ears becoming worse.
I haven't used my portable rig in a while, but it seems like its becoming worse.

I suspect it's coming from work, but I can't really do anything about it since its a Bowling alley.

So now I'm taking Calcium Magnesium everyday. Three a day which makes it about 501 mg a day. (I'll post if theres any change over time).

I told my parents, and they're taking me to a doctor to check it out...

It's only bad when it's quiet, but it can be bothersome. How do some of you deal when your in a quiet room, or trying to sleep?

 

[raisin]

If your ears are ringing from overexposure at work, try some earplugs. The better ones just attenuate sound, so it is still possible to converse when neccassary. Or, it's a great reason to quit, if that is your inclination!

 

[-Paolo-]

I deal with customers, so earplugs are a no.

We also use this type of earpiece to communicate.

And I turn that down as much as I can...

 

[bobeau]

Bad situation... lowering stress, cutting out caffiene, sleeping better, green tea, yoga, etc, help tons.

American Tinnitus Association - http://www.ata.org/

"Anti-Alcoholism drug holds promise in quieting tinnitus - 9/26/05
For some people, drinking alcohol quiets tinnitus; others find that alcohol makes tinnitus louder. But whether your glass is filled with water or filled with wine, an anti-alcoholism drug holds promise in treating tinnitus. Campral (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...di/500547.html) (acamprosate calcium), a drug used to help alcoholics stay dry, was tested in a 50-patient tinnitus study by researchers in Brazil. Half of the tinnitus patients received the drug; the other half received a placebo. After three months, 83% of those who took the drug reported some degree of tinnitus improvement, including 13% who said the tinnitus disappeared. Weaknesses in the study, such as the small sample size, have U.S. experts advising caution in accepting these results just yet. More studies are needed to determine the drug's true effectiveness."

 

[Mikenet]

Do calcium and magnesium do anything for tinnitus? I [for unrelated reasons] take a calcium, magnesium, and zinc combibination. I stopped for a while, and upon restarting, heard my ears *SCREAMING* at me about an hour after taking it. I switched brands, and it seemd to have helped considerably, although is still might increase it a little(although it's hard to tell now, since it varies on it's own). I wonder if calcium and magnesium have an effect? Too much of any drug(vitamin) can cause the opposite of what it was intended to do. Hmmn.

 

[J-Pak]

Do not believe any of the claims that magnesium will cure/alleviate tinnitus. I've spoke to 4 or 5 highly regarded ENT surgeons about this (including the chief of ENT surgery at Cleveland Clinic) and all of them said that magnesium will not do anything for tinnitus.

I've never heard anything about calcium working, so can't comment on that.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

The American Medical Association regards tinnitus as an incurable, largely untreatable progressive hearing deficiency that will lead to deafness. You have my condolances.

 

[scrypt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Paolo- I deal with customers, so earplugs are a no.

I wouldn't worry about wearing ER-15s when working with clients. Those particular earplugs have never impeded my ability to hear what's being said. What they do impede is the effect of loud noise (such as the sound of crashing bowling pins) on one's hearing. They also happen to be inexpensive.

Another option to consider might be musician's earplugs, which Etymotic Research makes as well. They'll allow you to hear the full spectrum of sounds that surround you. They are molded to your external auditory canals but are much smaller than standard headphone earmolds. This means they're easier to insert and prove far less conspicuous on the street: to the careful observer, they'll look like translucent bullets.

Wearing mine, I can hear through whatever noise would scald me ordinarily: I can discern upper frequencies clearly, which allows me to recognize words easily by their sibilance and consonants; what's more, the crucial reduction of 10db guarantees I won't fatigue my ears pointlessly.

If I had tinnitus, I'd wear musician's earplugs during transit, since hearing loss is cumulative and random noise is a waste of listening time. Obviously, you're a music lover, which means you must pace yourself -- and observe certain limits -- if you don't want to be destroyed by what you love. Think of yourself as Ulysses in siren-haunted seas.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

As suggested above watch out for stress and caffiene. During Christmas break(low stress thanks to no school) I've avoided cafiene as much as possible and my tinnitus has been subdued considerably. School has started again but it's still quite low. In fact this morning I woke up to a completely "black" sonic background. The tinnitus seems to creep up a little during the day, I suspect it is from driving in my compact car which is pretty loud. However, even at it's worst it's only about as loud as by own heartbeat and circulatory system.

 

[CookieFactory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrypt I wouldn't worry about wearing ER-15s when working with clients. Those particular earplugs have never impeded my ability to hear what's being said. What they do impede is the cumulative effect of loud noise (such as the sound of falling bowling pins) on my hearing. They're also inexpensive. You might also consider musician's earplugs, which Etymotic Research makes as well. They'll allow you to hear the full spectrum of sounds that surround you. They are molded to your external auditory canals but are much smaller than standard headphone earmolds. This means they are are easier to insert and prove far less conspicuous on the street: to the careful observer, they look like translucent bullets. Wearing mine, I can hear through whatever noise would scald me ordinarily: I can hear upper frequencies clearly, which allow us to distinguish between consonants, but the crucial reduction of 10db guarantees I won't fatigue my ears pointlessly. If I had tinnitus, I'd wear musician's earplugs during transit, since hearing loss is cumulative and random noise is a waste of listening time for sufferers. Obviously, you're a music lover, which means you must pace yourself.

Please type like this more frequently

So can consuming caffiene induce temporary bouts of tinnitis, even in those who are not normally afflicted by it?

 

[Jam_Master_J]

I noticed something interested from browsing that tinnitus site above. Apparently the alignment of your jaw muscles and stuff like that can affect tinnitus. I remember my dentist mentioning to be once that I have over developed jaw muscles(must be because I like to eat

). I also notice that when I clench my jaw the tinnitus gets very loud, loud enough to hear in almost all environments, but once I relax my jaw it goes mostly away. Perhaps I'll schedule an appointment to see if there may be a problem with my jaw.

 

[MrEcted1]

I'm sorry my friend, but you will have to learn to live with it... I did. I have tinnitus and it used to bug me to no end... but Tinnitus is a double-edge sword. It seems like the more you think about it and stress about it - the worse it gets (while your stressed that is). I have tinnitus and I work in a very quiet environment so I used to hear it often... which stinks because I'm a software developer - it gets hard to concentrate on my work. But, the thing is... you CAN learn to ignore it. It's like reading a book with the TV on, once you tune out the TV you don't even hear it anymore. Sometimes when I go to bed it bugs me though. I just lie to myself (even though I know the truth in the back of my mind) What I do is turn the TV in my bedroom on and if I hear the ringing I will tell myself that it's just the TV making that noise. Sure I know it's actually not the TV, but if I think about that, then it helps me sleep.

 

[mrarroyo]

The following are the limits set by OSHA;

TABLE G-16 - PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURES (1)
__________________________________________________ ____________
|
Duration per day, hours | Sound level dBA slow response
____________________________|_____________________ ____________
|
8...........................| 90
6...........................| 92
4...........................| 95
3...........................| 97
2...........................| 100
1 1/2 ......................| 102
1...........................| 105
1/2 ........................| 110
1/4 or less................| 115
____________________________|_____________________ ___________

See if you can borrow a dB meter (if not you may have to buy one) and take measurements. If the numbers you get are above the limits set above for the ammount of time you spend there then your employer is in violation of the OSHA limits.

I would then either talk to your employer or call OSHA. Meanwhile get earplugs. You will be able to hear the cutomers and your ears will be protected. Good luck.

 

[l_simon_l]

I also have tinnitus. Buying custom molded earplugs was the best thing I've ever done (Etymotic research ear plugs). I also have replacable filters with either 9dB, 15dB, and 25dB. With the 9dB filter in I don't even notice it's there, I communicate with other people as well as without plugs (I'm sure you could use the 9dB filters at the Bowling alley without any problems). With 15dB filters in I may notice I'm wearing plugs sometimes, but communication is still excellent. With 25dB I know I'm wearing earplugs, but it is still possible to communicate, even though it requires sligthly more effort.

If you would decide to get custom earplugs, I reccomend getting different filters as well. While these plugs are relativly expensive, to me they are worth every penny and more. If they would cost twice as much as they do, they still would be worth it to me.

BTW... it gets easier to live with the tinnitus after a while.. the first three months are tough, but you can get trough it. Just try not to think to much about it.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Do you find that your tinnitus is more noticeable due the isolation the ear plugs provide?