Tinnitus Anyone?

[200Above]

Was watching a program on 16X9 the other night on Global about a condition referred to as Tinnitus. I've heard of this condition in the past and the program stated that around 360,000 people (I imagine in Canada) suffer from this.

The Definition:
Tinnitus (or "ringing in the ears") is sound or noise that no one but the person with the condition can hear. The noise can be constant or come in short bursts, lasting for long periods of time or just briefly. The sound can be loud or soft, can change in pitch and can be heard in either one or both ears. Each person who has tinnitus can probably describe it in a different way.

I recall that some of the common factors to the development of Tinnitus is of course loud noises and in some cases problems with the jaw. (which I have, it cracks continuously when I eat). Occupations which are subject to continuously loud environments, which I would classify aviation, are more susceptible to this condition.

I believe there is no cure for this, but there are ear peices which can be used to 'cancel' some of the noise.

My question is do any of you suffer from this condition or know anyone who does?
If so, are they in aviation and how do they cope with it?
Can a hearing test still be passed with tinnitus and a medical still be issued?

[futboler14]

I've heared it can even lead a person to suicide... must be a pretty powerful sound

[Sidebar]

I've had tinnitus for years, despite the continual use of ear protection in the form of noise cancelling headsets and earplugs. I have a constant high frequency ringing in my ears. Sometimes it gets more intense, but it's always there. It hasn't held me back from flying and I hold a category 1 medical. My last audiogram showed almost no hearing loss, and other than the constant ringing, the tinnitus is not a significant issue for me.

[mathewc]

I've had tinnitus for about 10 years. In gr. 10 I went to the Vans Warped Tour and stood fairly close to a tower of speakers to watch a few bands. When I left I had the ringing and it hasn't gone away since.

It hasn't really held me back from anything (I have a class 1 medical, slight hearing loss) but 2 years ago it flared up and kept me awake many nights. It wasn't painful but it was extremely agitating and a horrible thing to have. Recently it has died down somewhat (or I'm blocking it out more) and I don't really think about it. There are things that you can do to increase the volume however. Alcohol consumption will instantly make my tinnitus louder for a short period. Occasionally I will get a loud ringing but only in one ear for a brief period and usually at a different tone than the usual noise.

Every doctor I have spoken to about it says there is nothing you can do about it. Yes, that's somewhat true, but there are things you can do to make the noise more bearable and less intense. Always wearing proper ear protection is the first part.

[beaverbob]

I have had Tinnitus for so long I can't remember not having it.
It, of course, comes from many years of flying, even wearing earphones.
Nothing worse than the sound that comes through your earphones seal.
I don't use electronic noise cancelling earphones, but, as far as passive sound protection goes, Peltor headsets beat DC headsets hands down in a Beaver.

I still hold a class 1 medical, but had to do an airborne hearing test in a plane of my choice with an instructor. Of course I hired a C-172.

Bob

[Finn47]

I´ve got it, luckily in a mild form. Probably got it at the rifle range in the seventies shooting too close to other guys without hearing protection, or else it was the Ted Nugent concert which was later billed as the loudest ever in town... Pete Townshend of The Who on the other hand is a famous example of listening to music with headphones cranked up and finding out too late

Anyway, I went to a recording studio and experimented with a professional sine wave generator and adjusted the frequency upwards until the pitch was the same that I keep hearing. Turns out it´s about 17 KHz which is rather lucky since it´s at the upper egde of what humans can hear anyway so it´s not too bad & gets better with age

I only hear it when everything else is absolutely quiet but it´s there allright and won´t go away. Doesn´t affect flying at all though.

Be careful out there.. One rifle shot close to your ear and you may be stuck with the high pitch whine for the rest of your life

[North Shore]

My experience pretty much parallels what everyone else above related. Constant, high-pitched ringing, hasn't stopped since I was banging away with a hammer on a construction summer job in the late 80's. According to hearing tests at work over the last 3 years, I've got minimal hearing loss compared to most my age, but then I've worn earplugs to all nightclubs and concerts since ~ 1990.

In terms of a class 1 medical - no problems whatsoever.

[200Above]

Thanks for the replys!

Very interesting

[SkyWolfe]

I had an ear infection a couple months ago...

It wont go away

Meh... I can hear just fine.

[rigpiggy]

between heavy weapons, heavy machinery, and heavy iron, I have had it for the last 25 yrs.

[TG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus
I'm subject to it too.
Being in noisy environments didn't help getting it any better. Now it is a pretty steady sort of quiet background noise.
I would attribute it to damaging hearing in my case.

I remember when I was a little kid asking one of my Grandma about a high pitched whining, buzzing sound that would go away almost as soon as I heard it (the briefly case of Tinnitus)
Her scientific answer to it:

"someone is thinking about you somewhere"

[V1RotateV2]

Thanks for the post. After years of doctors telling me that "everything is fine with your ears" it is good to hear that the condition is known and that most other people that suffer it have similar symptoms.

Mine started after firing a handgun close to a wall that echoed it back. My left ear has had this sound ever since. Sometimes it fades away, sometimes it sounds like the "sea" noise you get when putting a cup or sea shell close to your ear. It is a high pitched, low volume noise.

It has never affected my flying nor medicals.

[2R]

I had an ear infection a couple months ago...

It wont go away

Meh... I can hear just fine.

Try pouring some fresh olive oil in your ear ,it has excellent anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities.

[Cat Driver]

Being married for a long time I have a steady background noise day after day but I have learned to just tune it out.

I believe it's medical term is naganitis.

When it gets real bad I find giving her a slipadictimy brings some short term relief.

[Say Altitude]

I had a bad head cold when I was 12, and the ringing hasn't stopped since then - that was well over 3 decades ago...

For me it sounds almost exactly like the hearing test where they test for your upper end range - sometimes faint, sometimes loud, but it's always there....I've just learned to tune it out...but I'd say I've had a bit of hearing loss for sure...

William Shatner has it, and if I recall I thought I'd read somewhere that he actually had it so bad when he was younger that he considered suicide.

[Dash-Ate]

Classic episode but in real life not a laughting matter.

[black hole]

What?

[1000 HP]

Ever since the divorce... Seriously, since starting on turbines in 2006, and docking with my head out the door, definitely a bit of tinnitus. Also, the fireworks inside Rexall Place during the Rush concert last year hurt. I've got it now, although I always lie to the CAME.

[seniorpumpkin]

I'm actually surprised it wasn't me who started this thread! I've just had a hell of a month of dealing with ear problems. I've had the tinnitus for a year, but it took an ear infection to get me to see a doctor.
The first day I had the ear infection I flew eight legs, it was torture, I should have called in sick. Afterwords when I saw a specialist he said that I partially ruptured my ear drum, not fun. It will heal fortunately, but man did it hurt. Before I saw the specialist I went to a few different doctors, all I got was antibiotics and a nasal spray. Afterwords I learned that antibiotics only help ear infections for one in ten people! The nasal spray was also not helpful. You just have to ride it out and let the infection run it's course I guess.
As for the tinnitus, the ear, nose and throat specialist said it was permanent, a result of guns, concerts and airplanes. The audiologist on the other hand said there might be hope. She mentioned how some people develop tinnitus due to stress induced tension in their upper neck/lower head. For some, a massage can be helpful, or of course less stress. So I've got a massage booked in a few days, and I'm going to try to be nicer to my girlfriend so that she gives me massages now and then
The audiologist referred me to the peltor website, they have a great lesson on how hearing works, how hearing is damaged, and what kind of sound can be harmful. It talks a bit about decibel levels and what kind of damage different levels of noise can do. I fly a twin otter, apparently on takeoff it produces approximately 110 db in the cockpit, any long term exposure to 86 db or higher can cause damage. No wonder my ears are damaged!
http://www.peltor.se/int/Page.asp?PageNumber=115

Bottom line, protect your hearing, it doesn't heal and it sucks to lose it!!!!

[cienki]

I've had the condition for what I think is probably the last 6-7 years but strangely enough I never noticed it until around June of last year. I say I've probably had it for 6-7 years because I believe its been caused by years of playing in loud rock bands without regular use of hearing protection. I have those personalized musicians plugs now that cancel 25 db of sound and they work great.

I don't really consider mine to be all that bad as I rarely hear it during the day. The only time I really hear it is at night and even then, if I'm not thinking about it I don't really notice it.

I've read that having some sort of white noise as background noise can help if it is problematic at night.

Nice to know that I'm not the only one with this condition!

[2R]

They say nothing can be done about the ringing ,and even less about the voices

[Benwa]

I fly Garretts.... so yeah. Got it too.

[SkyWolfe]

Thanks 2R, maybe I will give that a try My doc said it should eventually go away...

Anyway...

Sometimes at night I find it irritating... I put on the fan and it "mysteriously" goes away

[Invertago]

Thanks 2R, maybe I will give that a try My doc said it should eventually go away...

Anyway...

Sometimes at night I find it irritating... I put on the fan and it "mysteriously" goes away

Thats not tinnitus wolfie... thats your 6 month old! Doesn't go away till they turn 18 and head to college.

[2R]

The olive oil will do the trick.
Fresh oil ,dip a q-tip in gently apply let the oil run off the q tip into the ear ,if you put enough in you will start to taste it