Our final blogs have been posted, but we shall keep the blog open for a while so please feel free to keep contributing if you wish to.
I’d like to say a very big thank you to our three bloggers, Kate, John and Gemma, who have put a considerable amount of time and effort into producing their blogs and joining in the chat. I hope their tinnitus settles down again after all the attention it’s been getting!
I have been reading the postings with great interest and I guess the week has confirmed what I sort of knew, that tinnitus is a very individual experience. John for example has told us that whilst he relishes being fit, exercise temporarily cranks up the volume of his tinnitus, whereas Nick H describes exercise as a ‘Big T reliever’. Pleasant though experiments with red wine may be, the results remain inconclusive about its impact on tinnitus. At least, hopefully, research funded by Deafness Research UK will in due course ease the debate about caffeine by revealing whether it aggravates tinnitus or not.
I hope our bloggers have given you some ideas on how to cope with your tinnitus. Further information is also available from Deafness Research UK. Just click onto our website: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=3861. You can read more personal stories from people who live with tinnitus at: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=2858.
Our helpline is open 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (a message can be left at other times) to answer specific questions about tinnitus. If our Information team cannot answer a question directly, we will refer it to one of our scientific or medical advisers. Contact the helpline on telephone 0808 808 2222.
Alternatively email info@deafnessresearch.org.uk or click the ‘ask a question’ option at the top of our website: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
For certain, we need better treatments for tinnitus and indeed, because of its complexity, we are likely to require a range of solutions rather than a single cure. I think it's clear from our blog that more research into tinnitus is an urgent priority. Supporting more and high quality research is a key goal for Deafness Research UK.
Geraldine Oliver
Head of Information
Deafness Research UK
Monday 16 February 2009
Sunday 15 February 2009
Time to refocus elsewhere
So, it's 2 days since my last blog. Why do I feel as if I'm going to confession? But if there's anything to confess, it's that I've had a great couple of days. The last thing I wanted to do was to sit down and write about tinnitus. The last thing I wanted to do was concentrate on something that I don't like. Something that I try to avoid thinking about if at all possible.
This week we've all been focussing on our condition, while writing about how we distract ourselves from it. That has to be the key to coping - for me at least - while an accessible cure is still such a long way off.
Aha - there it is, for the first time since I got up this morning - my little friend and yours, the high pitched squeak.
About a year or so ago I was lucky enough to meet various people who are working on finding out more about tinnitus, and possible treatments. I spoke to professionals who work in areas from cognitive therapy to neurosurgery. I met a lady who was fortunate enough to have her tinnitus 'turned off' following surgery. I spoke to a physiotherapist who surprised me with his instant insights into how my emotions played a part in my tinnitus. I said at the time that I felt that I lived in a treatment desert, with little help that I could access locally.
If more people could access simple therapies for managing their tinnitus, to help them address the emotional issues and negative feelings that come with the condition, then I'm sure there would be a massive impact on the quality of their lives.
I've already said in this blog that I'm lucky enough to have come to terms with tinnitus. It rarely depresses me any more. I know there are many thousands of people who have not reached this position of acceptance and relative peace. Perhaps some will be encouraged to go out and seek help. If you do, I wish you luck!
This week we've all been focussing on our condition, while writing about how we distract ourselves from it. That has to be the key to coping - for me at least - while an accessible cure is still such a long way off.
Aha - there it is, for the first time since I got up this morning - my little friend and yours, the high pitched squeak.
About a year or so ago I was lucky enough to meet various people who are working on finding out more about tinnitus, and possible treatments. I spoke to professionals who work in areas from cognitive therapy to neurosurgery. I met a lady who was fortunate enough to have her tinnitus 'turned off' following surgery. I spoke to a physiotherapist who surprised me with his instant insights into how my emotions played a part in my tinnitus. I said at the time that I felt that I lived in a treatment desert, with little help that I could access locally.
If more people could access simple therapies for managing their tinnitus, to help them address the emotional issues and negative feelings that come with the condition, then I'm sure there would be a massive impact on the quality of their lives.
I've already said in this blog that I'm lucky enough to have come to terms with tinnitus. It rarely depresses me any more. I know there are many thousands of people who have not reached this position of acceptance and relative peace. Perhaps some will be encouraged to go out and seek help. If you do, I wish you luck!
Friday 13 February 2009
Thursday 12th/Friday 13th February
I didn't get round to posting my blog entry yesterday, as it was just an incredibly busy day.
I was writing last night (gone midnight), and realised that was the first time all day I'd noticed my tinnitus. I guess that was partly due to the fact I was just on the go all day, but also that I hadn't had a chance to think about this blog!
This week has really made me think about how perception affects my tinnitus. Yesterday, I hadn’t thought about it, so although I’m sure it was there I didn't notice it at all. Now I’m writing about it, I can notice my tinnitus again but after a great Tai Chi session last night it’s not particularly bothering me.
So, I wonder is keeping my mind occupied a key to managing my tinnitus? Although, if I am keeping busy with the purpose of minimising my tinnitus will I actually still be aware of it? So many questions, and I know there are lots other factors which I can’t always account for, nor have control over. My tinnitus always seems so much more evident when I’m tired, stressed, upset or agitated and these are states I can’t always avoid.
For me, identifying and (excuse me if this sounds ridiculous) embracing my tinnitus actually helps. Trying to ignore it or wishing it away just doesn't work, and only makes me more stressed and aware of it.
It's only really as I've been writing this blog this week that I have realised this, so as well as hopefully giving people a small insight into my experiences I'm very grateful that I have also taken a lot of positives from it too. And as hard as I know it can be sometimes, staying positive as much as you can is just vital in not letting this terrible condition get the better of you.
I was writing last night (gone midnight), and realised that was the first time all day I'd noticed my tinnitus. I guess that was partly due to the fact I was just on the go all day, but also that I hadn't had a chance to think about this blog!
This week has really made me think about how perception affects my tinnitus. Yesterday, I hadn’t thought about it, so although I’m sure it was there I didn't notice it at all. Now I’m writing about it, I can notice my tinnitus again but after a great Tai Chi session last night it’s not particularly bothering me.
So, I wonder is keeping my mind occupied a key to managing my tinnitus? Although, if I am keeping busy with the purpose of minimising my tinnitus will I actually still be aware of it? So many questions, and I know there are lots other factors which I can’t always account for, nor have control over. My tinnitus always seems so much more evident when I’m tired, stressed, upset or agitated and these are states I can’t always avoid.
For me, identifying and (excuse me if this sounds ridiculous) embracing my tinnitus actually helps. Trying to ignore it or wishing it away just doesn't work, and only makes me more stressed and aware of it.
It's only really as I've been writing this blog this week that I have realised this, so as well as hopefully giving people a small insight into my experiences I'm very grateful that I have also taken a lot of positives from it too. And as hard as I know it can be sometimes, staying positive as much as you can is just vital in not letting this terrible condition get the better of you.
Thursday 12 February 2009
Do you cough when you put a cotton bud in your ear?
I do.
My wife laughs at me a lot when I do this. I'm sure it's because I'm going in too far - but it's a legacy of anality that I went through years ago when I DID obsess about my ears. I just wanted them to be clean - I was sure it was excess ear-wax that was causing the ringing in my ears (this is before it dawned on me that it was tinnitus).
So I'd poke away with a cotton bud ('cue-tip') trying to get the last bits of wax out of there. I'd put in drops to try to dissolve the wax - and on one more stupid occasion, emptied the reservoir from those drops, filled it with warm water, and started squirting and sucking water in and out of my ear-canal so much I thought my brain would pop out the other ear!
Luckily this is the only home 'remedy' I ever tried when it came to my ears. Obviously I still try to keep them clean, and I'll admit that sometimes I do still go a little too far (not on purpose) and release a little cough - followed by a little laugh at how stupid I was (am).
As a follow on to Gemma's post, my lovely wife came home today with a story of how the person on the train three rows away was playing her iPod so loud that she could tell all of the tunes that were playing (the title of this post was almost 'Beyonce in tinnitus shocker...') - and that she felt like getting out of her seat and warning the girl that she'd end up with tinnitus. But, this being Glasgow, two things would have happened had she done so - 1) The girl wouldn't have taken it too well, and who knows what might have happened - and 2) Someone would have stolen her seat as she stood up. Sensibly, she just came home quietly and told me instead.
My view on the iPod/Mp3/walkman thing is that it's not the equipment that's dangerous - it's the people that use them. And I speak as someone who WAS that idiot who'd turn up his walkman to full volume all the time.
Sure, there's lots of equipment out there that have an AVLS setting (Automatic Volume Limiter System) but there's ways around that, and, to be honest, it also gets in the way of normal listening. But rather than limit something, I think the key is to expand on something - education.
People need to know what damage they're doing to their ears when they listen to (let's just globally call all Mp3/walkmans etc) iPods. Music is incredible. It's emotional, it helps people get through the day, it relaxes them on a commute, it inspires them (I always found listening to music I loved right before a squash match would always make me play better) it calms people (I'd also listen in between games when I was about to lose it and start throwing things!) and it gives us a distraction from everyday life - we have alone time - it's ours - no one else is part of what we have at that moment. And as such, I think that plans to 'ban' the iPod are akin to most of the EU rulings about cucumbers, bananas, and calories on menus (I frankly don't want to know how many calories my creme brulee has!).
So, rather than ban it - educate. And that's why we're here.
Chances are, most of the visitors to this blog are people who are interested because they HAVE tinnitus - what we need to do is start letting people know that they'll probably develop it if they don't back of their listening/volume habits a bit. What it needs? That's the big question.
I ask myself sometimes what it would have taken to change the listening habits of that 14 year old boy who was sure he was invincible, sure he'd never get tinnitus, was something special, it wouldn't hurt me would it.... etc. What would I have responded to? What would you respond to?
I've got a great advert in mind if anyone cares to donate several tens of thousand to the cause...
My wife laughs at me a lot when I do this. I'm sure it's because I'm going in too far - but it's a legacy of anality that I went through years ago when I DID obsess about my ears. I just wanted them to be clean - I was sure it was excess ear-wax that was causing the ringing in my ears (this is before it dawned on me that it was tinnitus).
So I'd poke away with a cotton bud ('cue-tip') trying to get the last bits of wax out of there. I'd put in drops to try to dissolve the wax - and on one more stupid occasion, emptied the reservoir from those drops, filled it with warm water, and started squirting and sucking water in and out of my ear-canal so much I thought my brain would pop out the other ear!
Luckily this is the only home 'remedy' I ever tried when it came to my ears. Obviously I still try to keep them clean, and I'll admit that sometimes I do still go a little too far (not on purpose) and release a little cough - followed by a little laugh at how stupid I was (am).
As a follow on to Gemma's post, my lovely wife came home today with a story of how the person on the train three rows away was playing her iPod so loud that she could tell all of the tunes that were playing (the title of this post was almost 'Beyonce in tinnitus shocker...') - and that she felt like getting out of her seat and warning the girl that she'd end up with tinnitus. But, this being Glasgow, two things would have happened had she done so - 1) The girl wouldn't have taken it too well, and who knows what might have happened - and 2) Someone would have stolen her seat as she stood up. Sensibly, she just came home quietly and told me instead.
My view on the iPod/Mp3/walkman thing is that it's not the equipment that's dangerous - it's the people that use them. And I speak as someone who WAS that idiot who'd turn up his walkman to full volume all the time.
Sure, there's lots of equipment out there that have an AVLS setting (Automatic Volume Limiter System) but there's ways around that, and, to be honest, it also gets in the way of normal listening. But rather than limit something, I think the key is to expand on something - education.
People need to know what damage they're doing to their ears when they listen to (let's just globally call all Mp3/walkmans etc) iPods. Music is incredible. It's emotional, it helps people get through the day, it relaxes them on a commute, it inspires them (I always found listening to music I loved right before a squash match would always make me play better) it calms people (I'd also listen in between games when I was about to lose it and start throwing things!) and it gives us a distraction from everyday life - we have alone time - it's ours - no one else is part of what we have at that moment. And as such, I think that plans to 'ban' the iPod are akin to most of the EU rulings about cucumbers, bananas, and calories on menus (I frankly don't want to know how many calories my creme brulee has!).
So, rather than ban it - educate. And that's why we're here.
Chances are, most of the visitors to this blog are people who are interested because they HAVE tinnitus - what we need to do is start letting people know that they'll probably develop it if they don't back of their listening/volume habits a bit. What it needs? That's the big question.
I ask myself sometimes what it would have taken to change the listening habits of that 14 year old boy who was sure he was invincible, sure he'd never get tinnitus, was something special, it wouldn't hurt me would it.... etc. What would I have responded to? What would you respond to?
I've got a great advert in mind if anyone cares to donate several tens of thousand to the cause...
The Caffeine Question
Feeling really positive today. I had a very productive day at work - busy but not stressed - and I'm sitting in the kitchen with a glass of really good red wine and the radio playing.
This morning, once I'd read the post, checked my messages & prioritised the day’s jobs, it was time for a cuppa. My brew of choice is decaffeinated coffee, white, one sugar (I tried giving up the sugar but failed dismally).
Usually when I asked for decaff I get a sigh and a (jokey) comment like 'ooh, you like to be different do you?', or 'just to be awkward!'. And asking for decaff in a restaurant is like asking for tap water - a look of horror and a whispered conversation between the waiter and the maitre d', followed by 'I'm sorry madam, we don't do decaffeinated coffee here'. And even when I do get the coffee I ask for, I sometimes wonder whether it actually has caffeine in it, and they are serving me the ordinary stuff just so they can sell me an expensive coffee.
Last week, for the first time, someone at work asked me why I only drink decaffeinated coffee – the usual assumption is that the normal stuff stops me from sleeping. I suppose not being kept awake by caffeine is a good thing, as I already have my Tinnitus to cope with at night. I actually do it because someone once told me that caffeine can aggravate tinnitus, although I’ve found out since then that no-one’s proved it (yet). Judging by the empty jar of decaff coffee at work it looks like I’ve started a bit of a trend, and I’ve noticed other people asking for decaff drinks.
I wonder, do they have Tinnitus too?
This morning, once I'd read the post, checked my messages & prioritised the day’s jobs, it was time for a cuppa. My brew of choice is decaffeinated coffee, white, one sugar (I tried giving up the sugar but failed dismally).
Usually when I asked for decaff I get a sigh and a (jokey) comment like 'ooh, you like to be different do you?', or 'just to be awkward!'. And asking for decaff in a restaurant is like asking for tap water - a look of horror and a whispered conversation between the waiter and the maitre d', followed by 'I'm sorry madam, we don't do decaffeinated coffee here'. And even when I do get the coffee I ask for, I sometimes wonder whether it actually has caffeine in it, and they are serving me the ordinary stuff just so they can sell me an expensive coffee.
Last week, for the first time, someone at work asked me why I only drink decaffeinated coffee – the usual assumption is that the normal stuff stops me from sleeping. I suppose not being kept awake by caffeine is a good thing, as I already have my Tinnitus to cope with at night. I actually do it because someone once told me that caffeine can aggravate tinnitus, although I’ve found out since then that no-one’s proved it (yet). Judging by the empty jar of decaff coffee at work it looks like I’ve started a bit of a trend, and I’ve noticed other people asking for decaff drinks.
I wonder, do they have Tinnitus too?
How my tinnitus worsens: Lycra.
A slight day's delay for this post, as I wanted to see how yesterday's worsening of my tinnitus would affect my night.
There's three things I find that make my tinnitus worse. 1) Sustained loud noises (music being the most obvious one) 2) Alcohol 3) Exercise.
Numbers 1 and 2 weren't part of my day yesterday, but as the snow had thawed a little, I was able to get out on my bike and go for a nice 50 mile cycle through the Scottish hills.
Now, there's two reasons why my tinnitus gets worse when I cycle. The first is simply the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. This alone is enough to really amplify my tinnitus. I've read a couple of articles on bike-forums where people have asked if there's a link between the two - normally in terms of creating tinnitus, and the result is normally an unknown - but it does, for sure, amplify existing tinnitus.
I've got little wind-catchers on my bike helmet which are meant to deflect the sound of the air rushing past (though they're not great) and I have considered popping in some light ear-plugs to stop the sound, while still maintaining the sound of surrounding traffic - but the increase in my tinnitus is one side of my enjoyable cycles which can get quite frustrating.
However, I also find that just 'simple' aerobic exercise also makes things worse. It needs to be something that really gets the heart-rate up to near maximum (in my case, around 170-180bpm) - but I always find that after a run for example, the ringing in my ears is a lot worse (I don't run with an iPod by the way). In my days of playing league squash, it would get worse too - but I always put that down to the sound of the court (or my opponent's shouting!).
The thing is, there isn't really a way to deal with this. It's the catch-22 situation. Do I exercise and have ringing in my ears, and maybe even make it permanently worse? Or do I do nothing, become sedentary and unhealthy - and not live my life? I certainly choose the former, as it's in my nature, but the compromise does worry me sometimes.
For the purposes of this blog, I've been trying to add numeric values to the level of tinnitus I have. With 5 being my normal constant level, to give me latitude for increase or decrease.
Well, I left for my cycle at 3pm yesterday, and I was a 5. I came home, showered, lay in bed in the quiet, and can honestly say it was at least 7.5 - dropping to about 6 by the time I finally went to bed at 11pm. When I woke up this morning, all the various ringing tones in my ears were back to their normal '5' setting - so at least yesterday's run didn't do any lasting damage.
Purely for scientific reasons, I'll have some wine with dinner, either tonight or tomorrow - and report on that.... hic....
There's three things I find that make my tinnitus worse. 1) Sustained loud noises (music being the most obvious one) 2) Alcohol 3) Exercise.
Numbers 1 and 2 weren't part of my day yesterday, but as the snow had thawed a little, I was able to get out on my bike and go for a nice 50 mile cycle through the Scottish hills.
Now, there's two reasons why my tinnitus gets worse when I cycle. The first is simply the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. This alone is enough to really amplify my tinnitus. I've read a couple of articles on bike-forums where people have asked if there's a link between the two - normally in terms of creating tinnitus, and the result is normally an unknown - but it does, for sure, amplify existing tinnitus.
I've got little wind-catchers on my bike helmet which are meant to deflect the sound of the air rushing past (though they're not great) and I have considered popping in some light ear-plugs to stop the sound, while still maintaining the sound of surrounding traffic - but the increase in my tinnitus is one side of my enjoyable cycles which can get quite frustrating.
However, I also find that just 'simple' aerobic exercise also makes things worse. It needs to be something that really gets the heart-rate up to near maximum (in my case, around 170-180bpm) - but I always find that after a run for example, the ringing in my ears is a lot worse (I don't run with an iPod by the way). In my days of playing league squash, it would get worse too - but I always put that down to the sound of the court (or my opponent's shouting!).
The thing is, there isn't really a way to deal with this. It's the catch-22 situation. Do I exercise and have ringing in my ears, and maybe even make it permanently worse? Or do I do nothing, become sedentary and unhealthy - and not live my life? I certainly choose the former, as it's in my nature, but the compromise does worry me sometimes.
For the purposes of this blog, I've been trying to add numeric values to the level of tinnitus I have. With 5 being my normal constant level, to give me latitude for increase or decrease.
Well, I left for my cycle at 3pm yesterday, and I was a 5. I came home, showered, lay in bed in the quiet, and can honestly say it was at least 7.5 - dropping to about 6 by the time I finally went to bed at 11pm. When I woke up this morning, all the various ringing tones in my ears were back to their normal '5' setting - so at least yesterday's run didn't do any lasting damage.
Purely for scientific reasons, I'll have some wine with dinner, either tonight or tomorrow - and report on that.... hic....
Wednesday 11 February 2009
A Positive Thinking day
Today I travelled into London for a training course. I was on the go from the moment I woke up at 6.30, and I didn't notice my tinnitus until I was walking back home from the station around 3pm. And that was only because I started thinking about what I was going to write on the blog!
So, if I hadn't been blogging this week, would I have noticed my tinnitus today?
The answer has to be yes - there are specific times each day when I hear my tinnitus. When I wake up and I'm trying to rouse myself out of bed. When I sit at the computer here at home, with only the whirr of the fan in the background. When I switch off the light at night.
Looking at what I've just written makes me realise that's actually a very short list! So, you may ask, can the tinnitus really be that intrusive or distressing for me? Well, yes, at certain times it has been. And that's because I forget about it for a while and then it comes back and reminds me that it's there. And because I know that on certain types of days it will be louder than others. And sometimes I'm not sure if a sudden increase in volume will be followed by a decrease.
But... (and this is a big 'but') most days, for most of the time, I don't notice it. My life is full of wonderful people and experiences - my family, my children, my job, my friends and neighbours, music, reading, the birds in my garden... I am so lucky to have all of this. I have learned to put aside the tinnitus and concentrate on enjoying my life. In fact, while I was typing that list of positives, I forgot all about the tinnitus!
I firmly believe that if you can start to accept that it is part of you, stop fighting against the noises, stop blaming yourself, your environment or a specific event for causing it - you are a long way along the line to coming to terms with it. A more peaceful life will follow. It worked for me.
So, if I hadn't been blogging this week, would I have noticed my tinnitus today?
The answer has to be yes - there are specific times each day when I hear my tinnitus. When I wake up and I'm trying to rouse myself out of bed. When I sit at the computer here at home, with only the whirr of the fan in the background. When I switch off the light at night.
Looking at what I've just written makes me realise that's actually a very short list! So, you may ask, can the tinnitus really be that intrusive or distressing for me? Well, yes, at certain times it has been. And that's because I forget about it for a while and then it comes back and reminds me that it's there. And because I know that on certain types of days it will be louder than others. And sometimes I'm not sure if a sudden increase in volume will be followed by a decrease.
But... (and this is a big 'but') most days, for most of the time, I don't notice it. My life is full of wonderful people and experiences - my family, my children, my job, my friends and neighbours, music, reading, the birds in my garden... I am so lucky to have all of this. I have learned to put aside the tinnitus and concentrate on enjoying my life. In fact, while I was typing that list of positives, I forgot all about the tinnitus!
I firmly believe that if you can start to accept that it is part of you, stop fighting against the noises, stop blaming yourself, your environment or a specific event for causing it - you are a long way along the line to coming to terms with it. A more peaceful life will follow. It worked for me.
MP3 or no MP3 - that is the question...
Last night’s Tai Chi lesson was great, and I slept much better without the need to have my radio on.
On a completely different subject, writing this blog has really got me thinking about me listening to my ipod and the effect that might have on my tinnitus.
Much has been said about MP3 players and the damage their use can have on your hearing if not used with care but I still see evidence every day that people either aren’t aware of this, or just choose to ignore the advice given.
I love listening to my ipod, but I really do my best to limit how much I use it. I wasn’t listening to it this morning on my way to work, and noticed how loud someone’s music was on the tube. They were sitting three seats away from me and I could still make out clearly what music they were listening to, and even found myself singing along in my head! And that was over the general noise of the tube, which is so worrying. I often feel like tapping people on the shoulder and telling them to turn their players down, but I suspect my interference wouldn’t be welcome by most.
Now, whilst I know listening to my ipod at a high volume or for a long duration would be no good for my hearing in the long run, and in the short term would only serve to make my tinnitus worse, I do find sometimes that listening to one can be helpful when my tinnitus is too distracting. I find them quite anti-social though, so wouldn’t use it around friends or in the office, so I have to use other tactics in those situations.
I try to have my ipod on as low a volume as possible, which is made much easier by the fact I have a volume control on the wire of my earphones. My earphones are also noise-reducing so I don’t have to turn the volume up so much when there’s background noise. Small things like this mean I can still enjoy listening to my music whilst minimising the risk of making my tinnitus worse.
Part of me thinks I shouldn’t really use an MP3 player at all, but I am stubborn and don’t want having tinnitus to mean that I stop doing something I love – listening to music. I believe being sensible is the key and I honestly don’t think my tinnitus has been made worse by using one. As I mentioned, using my ipod can be a positive thing when I’m finding my tinnitus particularly bad, it’s just important to remember not to turn it up too high when my tinnitus is very loud!
On a completely different subject, writing this blog has really got me thinking about me listening to my ipod and the effect that might have on my tinnitus.
Much has been said about MP3 players and the damage their use can have on your hearing if not used with care but I still see evidence every day that people either aren’t aware of this, or just choose to ignore the advice given.
I love listening to my ipod, but I really do my best to limit how much I use it. I wasn’t listening to it this morning on my way to work, and noticed how loud someone’s music was on the tube. They were sitting three seats away from me and I could still make out clearly what music they were listening to, and even found myself singing along in my head! And that was over the general noise of the tube, which is so worrying. I often feel like tapping people on the shoulder and telling them to turn their players down, but I suspect my interference wouldn’t be welcome by most.
Now, whilst I know listening to my ipod at a high volume or for a long duration would be no good for my hearing in the long run, and in the short term would only serve to make my tinnitus worse, I do find sometimes that listening to one can be helpful when my tinnitus is too distracting. I find them quite anti-social though, so wouldn’t use it around friends or in the office, so I have to use other tactics in those situations.
I try to have my ipod on as low a volume as possible, which is made much easier by the fact I have a volume control on the wire of my earphones. My earphones are also noise-reducing so I don’t have to turn the volume up so much when there’s background noise. Small things like this mean I can still enjoy listening to my music whilst minimising the risk of making my tinnitus worse.
Part of me thinks I shouldn’t really use an MP3 player at all, but I am stubborn and don’t want having tinnitus to mean that I stop doing something I love – listening to music. I believe being sensible is the key and I honestly don’t think my tinnitus has been made worse by using one. As I mentioned, using my ipod can be a positive thing when I’m finding my tinnitus particularly bad, it’s just important to remember not to turn it up too high when my tinnitus is very loud!
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Tinnitus - it won't get you out of doing the hoovering...
So today's self-awareness moment is this. I can't get out of hoovering because of my tinnitus.
One of the results of writing this blog is that I'm focusing not only on the tinnitus itself, but also the potential out there to make it worse. Take for instance the new studio I'm building, where I'll be DJing and editing out of site in the house (rather than taking up the spare bedroom). It's a sound-proofed room, it's (almost) air-tight, and it's a very close space. This means that most sounds are very dead, but also in an odd way - amplified.
So simple things like drilling, hammering or even sawing when I'm building this room take on a new level of loudness. It did occur to me that maybe I should pop in an ear plug or something when doing all of these - but surely a drill for 30 seconds isn't going to make things worse is it? Well, last night, lying in bed, starting at the ceiling, I've got to say there was a point increase in the level of my tinnitus. Was it due to the drilling etc, was it due to having a hot bath? Or was it actually just the same, but I wanted it to be worse.
Why? So I could get out of doing the hoovering. Although I've was instantly told that I'd be hoovering no matter what, and that using tinnitus as an excuse was about as strong as saying I didn't want to scare the cats...
Now, some may think that this is all a little flippant - but this is the crux of this entire blog for me - it's how I deal with my tinnitus. I posted a reply to a comment elsewhere on here that as I know I'm 100% responsible for my tinnitus, and it was just my stupidity that led me to keep on playing the drums with music blaring as loud as possible, play concerts and practise sessions without earplugs, and DJ in clubs over and over without any protection whatsoever - if I were to really dwell on this, I would probably go completely the other way, and be very down, very depressed, and very angry with myself for what I've done to my ears.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very sad (and mildly angry) at the teenage John who thought he was invincible, but I choose not to go down that path too far. It's here, it's not going to go away, and (currently) I'm dealing with it to the best of my ability - and it's only affecting my night's sleep, all other parts of my life are 'dealable'.
So when I talk to people about my tinnitus, it's never with a cloud of doom or sorrow, or even would I accept the pity from them (oddly, when I told my mum, she had that head-cocked 'awwww' look on her face) - I choose just to live with it, deal with it, and as a coping strategy, try to add some (ill-conceived) humour when describing my situation to others.
One of the results of writing this blog is that I'm focusing not only on the tinnitus itself, but also the potential out there to make it worse. Take for instance the new studio I'm building, where I'll be DJing and editing out of site in the house (rather than taking up the spare bedroom). It's a sound-proofed room, it's (almost) air-tight, and it's a very close space. This means that most sounds are very dead, but also in an odd way - amplified.
So simple things like drilling, hammering or even sawing when I'm building this room take on a new level of loudness. It did occur to me that maybe I should pop in an ear plug or something when doing all of these - but surely a drill for 30 seconds isn't going to make things worse is it? Well, last night, lying in bed, starting at the ceiling, I've got to say there was a point increase in the level of my tinnitus. Was it due to the drilling etc, was it due to having a hot bath? Or was it actually just the same, but I wanted it to be worse.
Why? So I could get out of doing the hoovering. Although I've was instantly told that I'd be hoovering no matter what, and that using tinnitus as an excuse was about as strong as saying I didn't want to scare the cats...
Now, some may think that this is all a little flippant - but this is the crux of this entire blog for me - it's how I deal with my tinnitus. I posted a reply to a comment elsewhere on here that as I know I'm 100% responsible for my tinnitus, and it was just my stupidity that led me to keep on playing the drums with music blaring as loud as possible, play concerts and practise sessions without earplugs, and DJ in clubs over and over without any protection whatsoever - if I were to really dwell on this, I would probably go completely the other way, and be very down, very depressed, and very angry with myself for what I've done to my ears.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very sad (and mildly angry) at the teenage John who thought he was invincible, but I choose not to go down that path too far. It's here, it's not going to go away, and (currently) I'm dealing with it to the best of my ability - and it's only affecting my night's sleep, all other parts of my life are 'dealable'.
So when I talk to people about my tinnitus, it's never with a cloud of doom or sorrow, or even would I accept the pity from them (oddly, when I told my mum, she had that head-cocked 'awwww' look on her face) - I choose just to live with it, deal with it, and as a coping strategy, try to add some (ill-conceived) humour when describing my situation to others.
Music and Moonlight...
As my Tinnitus was particularly loud last night, I listened to one of my favourite acoustic albums using my pillow speaker. I got the speaker from the RNID - it's about the size of the palm of my hand, and I plug it into my personal CD player which sits on the floor by the bed.
The speaker has been an absolute godsend for getting to sleep, especially when my Tinnitus is louder than normal, or I have an insistent ‘burst’ of noise that I need to distract myself from. Last night I managed to get to sleep after 5 or 6 songs, which is pretty good for me. Having my own music source means I don't disturb my husband, so I can relax without worrying about him getting to sleep.
I was told by a hearing therapist that the best music to listen to is instrumental, as you this stops you from listening for the words and singing along in your head. The idea is that you have the volume set at a level so you can still hear the Tinnitus, but your mind is distracted by another noise and your brain ‘forgets’ about the Tinnitus, in the same way that it forgets about the sound of the fridge or the air conditioning etc. The other option is to listen to nature’s sounds – but personally I’ve never been a fan of the sound of running water as a relaxing noise as it just has me running to the bathroom. So I’ll stick to what works for me.
Music is on almost 24 hours a day in our house – I grew up with my Dad’s trad jazz and Mozart on in the background, and I now switch on the radio or put a CD on whenever I walk into the house. One great side effect is that the children are growing up with a real love of music – from the Beatles to the Fratellis, via Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Abba, Sugar Babes, Boomtown Rats, Gomez, Jack Johnson, The Primitives and a host of other stuff from 60s to the 80s. I encourage them not to listen to it too loud, and I'll try to make sure they don’t get into the habit of using head-phones until they are much older.
I don’t think my Tinnitus came as a result of loud music, but I can’t be totally sure, and I want to protect my children as long as possible.
The speaker has been an absolute godsend for getting to sleep, especially when my Tinnitus is louder than normal, or I have an insistent ‘burst’ of noise that I need to distract myself from. Last night I managed to get to sleep after 5 or 6 songs, which is pretty good for me. Having my own music source means I don't disturb my husband, so I can relax without worrying about him getting to sleep.
I was told by a hearing therapist that the best music to listen to is instrumental, as you this stops you from listening for the words and singing along in your head. The idea is that you have the volume set at a level so you can still hear the Tinnitus, but your mind is distracted by another noise and your brain ‘forgets’ about the Tinnitus, in the same way that it forgets about the sound of the fridge or the air conditioning etc. The other option is to listen to nature’s sounds – but personally I’ve never been a fan of the sound of running water as a relaxing noise as it just has me running to the bathroom. So I’ll stick to what works for me.
Music is on almost 24 hours a day in our house – I grew up with my Dad’s trad jazz and Mozart on in the background, and I now switch on the radio or put a CD on whenever I walk into the house. One great side effect is that the children are growing up with a real love of music – from the Beatles to the Fratellis, via Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Abba, Sugar Babes, Boomtown Rats, Gomez, Jack Johnson, The Primitives and a host of other stuff from 60s to the 80s. I encourage them not to listen to it too loud, and I'll try to make sure they don’t get into the habit of using head-phones until they are much older.
I don’t think my Tinnitus came as a result of loud music, but I can’t be totally sure, and I want to protect my children as long as possible.
Tuesday 10th February
I didn’t find it easy going to sleep last night. I felt like I had a thousand things going round in my head after a really busy day, and my tinnitus was bothering me too – a combination of things which aren’t ideal!
Listening to the radio helped me to switch off and eventually drift off. Even though I tend to concentrate on what’s being said or the lyrics of the music, I find this helps because when I’m concentrating on them I’m not thinking about all the things that were stopping me from sleeping in the first place. And of course it helps to mask the tinnitus as well – being in a completely quiet room is sometimes the worst thing I can do!
Something else which I find to be a great help for my tinnitus is Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Chi), which I do two evenings a week – tonight being one of them. It’s an internal martial art and can be incredibly calming and I have always come away from my classes feeling relaxed, which of course has a very positive impact on my tinnitus.
I would recommend that everyone tries it at least once. It is a really complex art, with many different aspects to it, but one key thing we do each lesson is relaxed, almost meditative breathing, which helps to calm the system down completely and all stresses and anxieties seem to wash away.
This is actually in line with advice given by a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy expert – she said many of her patients with tinnitus see a marked improvement by just practicing breathing exercises each day. So, even if Tai Chi isn’t for you, perhaps learning to breathe ‘properly’ could be something worth trying – and it won’t cost you anything!
Listening to the radio helped me to switch off and eventually drift off. Even though I tend to concentrate on what’s being said or the lyrics of the music, I find this helps because when I’m concentrating on them I’m not thinking about all the things that were stopping me from sleeping in the first place. And of course it helps to mask the tinnitus as well – being in a completely quiet room is sometimes the worst thing I can do!
Something else which I find to be a great help for my tinnitus is Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Chi), which I do two evenings a week – tonight being one of them. It’s an internal martial art and can be incredibly calming and I have always come away from my classes feeling relaxed, which of course has a very positive impact on my tinnitus.
I would recommend that everyone tries it at least once. It is a really complex art, with many different aspects to it, but one key thing we do each lesson is relaxed, almost meditative breathing, which helps to calm the system down completely and all stresses and anxieties seem to wash away.
This is actually in line with advice given by a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy expert – she said many of her patients with tinnitus see a marked improvement by just practicing breathing exercises each day. So, even if Tai Chi isn’t for you, perhaps learning to breathe ‘properly’ could be something worth trying – and it won’t cost you anything!
Monday 9 February 2009
Busy Monday
After 2 days off work last week (caused by the snow), I drove through the ice and slush to a meeting this morning, ate my lunch in the car, & returned to the office for a long client appointment this afternoon. Luckily I enjoy my job so I don’t mind being busy. And it means that I hardly notice my Tinnitus for a few hours because I’m completely absorbed in what I’m doing and I don't notice the noises. The downside of a busy day is that the noises are louder than usual when I get home. Today there was a sudden volume increase in my right ear almost the moment I walked into the house after work. My heart sank - these periods of increased noise can go on for several hours or several days. But I am trying to be positive!
Squeak/hiss/hum - all words I've used trying to describing the noises I hear. I have 2 or 3 different frequencies, all high pitched, some always there, others intermittent. I hear them in both ears. The lower sound sounds like the humming / interference-type noise that the TV used to make when a station finished broadcasting late at night. The higher pitched sounds are thin squeaking/squealing noises, which are either at a constant pitch, or which 'wobble' up & down a bit. Right now there's also a background hiss which I can hear if I really concentrate.
But for me it's not the actual noise which matters. It's the incessant nature of the noise which causes distress. The knowledge that it won't go away. I went through a really low period when I couldn't see how I could possibly cope with the never-ending noise. However these days I feel more positive and determined not to let it dominate my life. It's part of me, & now that I know I will spend a good part of each day not noticing it, I will be able to relax and sleep tonight, despite the noise.
Squeak/hiss/hum - all words I've used trying to describing the noises I hear. I have 2 or 3 different frequencies, all high pitched, some always there, others intermittent. I hear them in both ears. The lower sound sounds like the humming / interference-type noise that the TV used to make when a station finished broadcasting late at night. The higher pitched sounds are thin squeaking/squealing noises, which are either at a constant pitch, or which 'wobble' up & down a bit. Right now there's also a background hiss which I can hear if I really concentrate.
But for me it's not the actual noise which matters. It's the incessant nature of the noise which causes distress. The knowledge that it won't go away. I went through a really low period when I couldn't see how I could possibly cope with the never-ending noise. However these days I feel more positive and determined not to let it dominate my life. It's part of me, & now that I know I will spend a good part of each day not noticing it, I will be able to relax and sleep tonight, despite the noise.
Monday 9th February
As I suspected, today so far hasn’t been quite as relaxed as the weekend was! The tubes were delayed and jam-packed this morning, which always adds to the Monday morning stress. When I was on the train my tinnitus wasn’t particularly prominent, but I think that is probably because it is so loud on the trains, which is not a good thing in the long run!
By the time I got to King’s Cross though, my tinnitus was really quite loud, possibly because of the stress of my journey and the noise I experienced along the way – not a great start to a day in the office.
As the morning went on my tinnitus was making it difficult to concentrate and everything I did seemed to be taking all the more effort. Sometimes having things to focus on helps to distract me from the tinnitus – playing sport, reading, watching a film etc – but in this case trying to focus made it all the more prominent. Somewhat of a vicious circle!
I went for a walk at lunchtime which I often find helps, and it really did. Exercise is something I can usually rely on to ease my tinnitus, so as well as all the other benefits of staying fit, having tinnitus is another incentive to stay active. It doesn’t even have to be as strenuous as going for a run or to the gym, a fairly brisk 10-15 minute walk can do me the world of good.
So far, it has been much easier to concentrate this afternoon, which is great – I just hope the journey home is better than it was this morning!
By the time I got to King’s Cross though, my tinnitus was really quite loud, possibly because of the stress of my journey and the noise I experienced along the way – not a great start to a day in the office.
As the morning went on my tinnitus was making it difficult to concentrate and everything I did seemed to be taking all the more effort. Sometimes having things to focus on helps to distract me from the tinnitus – playing sport, reading, watching a film etc – but in this case trying to focus made it all the more prominent. Somewhat of a vicious circle!
I went for a walk at lunchtime which I often find helps, and it really did. Exercise is something I can usually rely on to ease my tinnitus, so as well as all the other benefits of staying fit, having tinnitus is another incentive to stay active. It doesn’t even have to be as strenuous as going for a run or to the gym, a fairly brisk 10-15 minute walk can do me the world of good.
So far, it has been much easier to concentrate this afternoon, which is great – I just hope the journey home is better than it was this morning!
My double life
I feel I've done this kind of back to front, as yesterday's post was a nice snowy story, but didn't really say anything about me, or my tinnitus situation.
As it says on my profile, I run a double life - unfortunately, I'm not able to fly, climb walls, or get away with wearing tights - but I do have a rather unique position when it comes to tinnitus, and that is that as a DJ, I figure I've probably caused as much as I've suffered, and as a TV editor, I need to be able to focus on clarity of sound.
So one half of me is searching for clear silence and perfect hearing while the other half of me has the potential to worsen my condition each time I stand in a DJ booth.
The DJing side of things is manageable by simply using earplugs. As a DJ, I've constantly got a headphone over one of my ears, with the other one left open to the live (100 decibel) sound. This means two things happen. The first is that I have to turn up the headphones really loud to be able to hear the music coming out of them properly, and the second is that my right ear takes a heck of a bashing from the music playing to the dance floor.
However, by popping an earplug into my right ear, it not only protects it from the loud music on the dance floor, but also means I don't have to turn up the headphones quite as much, thereby protecting my left ear. And of course, it goes without saying that when I don't have my headphones on, I quickly jam an earplug into my left ear. As I use quite expensive earplugs (as opposed to the cheaper foam ones) this all means I'm able to protect my hearing, hopefully stop my tinnitus worsening, all the time still able to hear the music as clear as before.
As a TV editor though, it's sometimes a bit more tricky. Take for instance the fishing programme i just worked on - simple sounds like a fish splash can sometimes be lost amongst the ringing of my ears - all something that's easily helped by turning up the volume of the speakers - but at 33, I'm sometimes wonder if I'm in danger of needing to play the TV at the same level as someone with serious hearing damage, just so I can hear everything I need to.
It sometimes strikes people I tell about this funny that TV, as such a visual medium, relies so heavily on sound and attention to its detail - but it's very much as important as the pictures that flash up on screen - and the more care and attention I need to show the sound due to the ringing tinnitus, actually helps in the long run - as I'm much more attentive than many of my peers, because I need to prove to myself that the damage I've caused will never affect my editing career.
This justification aside, I do wish I didn't need to. When I do catch the ringing in my ears, I do get a pang of regret at the fact I did it to myself - but much like the inflated stomach of someone who's eaten too well, I can at least console myself that all the years playing the drums and DJing were spent doing something I truly love, and though they have damaged my ears and left me with tinnitus, the only thing I'd change if I had the chance was just to tell that idiot 14 year old to stick in some ear-plugs!
As it says on my profile, I run a double life - unfortunately, I'm not able to fly, climb walls, or get away with wearing tights - but I do have a rather unique position when it comes to tinnitus, and that is that as a DJ, I figure I've probably caused as much as I've suffered, and as a TV editor, I need to be able to focus on clarity of sound.
So one half of me is searching for clear silence and perfect hearing while the other half of me has the potential to worsen my condition each time I stand in a DJ booth.
The DJing side of things is manageable by simply using earplugs. As a DJ, I've constantly got a headphone over one of my ears, with the other one left open to the live (100 decibel) sound. This means two things happen. The first is that I have to turn up the headphones really loud to be able to hear the music coming out of them properly, and the second is that my right ear takes a heck of a bashing from the music playing to the dance floor.
However, by popping an earplug into my right ear, it not only protects it from the loud music on the dance floor, but also means I don't have to turn up the headphones quite as much, thereby protecting my left ear. And of course, it goes without saying that when I don't have my headphones on, I quickly jam an earplug into my left ear. As I use quite expensive earplugs (as opposed to the cheaper foam ones) this all means I'm able to protect my hearing, hopefully stop my tinnitus worsening, all the time still able to hear the music as clear as before.
As a TV editor though, it's sometimes a bit more tricky. Take for instance the fishing programme i just worked on - simple sounds like a fish splash can sometimes be lost amongst the ringing of my ears - all something that's easily helped by turning up the volume of the speakers - but at 33, I'm sometimes wonder if I'm in danger of needing to play the TV at the same level as someone with serious hearing damage, just so I can hear everything I need to.
It sometimes strikes people I tell about this funny that TV, as such a visual medium, relies so heavily on sound and attention to its detail - but it's very much as important as the pictures that flash up on screen - and the more care and attention I need to show the sound due to the ringing tinnitus, actually helps in the long run - as I'm much more attentive than many of my peers, because I need to prove to myself that the damage I've caused will never affect my editing career.
This justification aside, I do wish I didn't need to. When I do catch the ringing in my ears, I do get a pang of regret at the fact I did it to myself - but much like the inflated stomach of someone who's eaten too well, I can at least console myself that all the years playing the drums and DJing were spent doing something I truly love, and though they have damaged my ears and left me with tinnitus, the only thing I'd change if I had the chance was just to tell that idiot 14 year old to stick in some ear-plugs!
Sunday 8 February 2009
Sunday 8th February
It's finally snowing heavily in Glasgow. After a week of reading in the news how bad England (and northern parts of Scotland) have had the snow and wondering if we'd have any, Glasgow has finally had a big fall.
What does this have to do with tinnitus? Silence. And that, of course, is what makes my tinnitus the loudest. However, this has had the bonus of helping me start this blog - as we've been told to do what you're not supposed to do when you have tinnitus - focus on it. So, standing outside in the snow, in the deadening silence that accompanies a snowfall, I was able to close my eyes, and really focus on what was happening in my ears.
And then my right ear was hit hard with a snow-ball from my wife! Though the ringing that THAT caused soon subsided, I was able once again to stand still close my eyes, and hear the sound of silence that I now live with. I've found it's now two tones - one high pitched and one lower howling kind of sound (as though I've held a shell to my ear). Doesn't sound like as much fun as a snow-ball fight really, now does it?
But the thing is - I only notice it when i notice it. My tinnitus accompanies wherever I go, whenever I chose to notice it - but in a world of distracting noises, be it car engines, the hum of a fan in a computer, the zing/ring of strip lighting (which I sometimes wonder if it's the sound of my energy being sucked out of me!) or even just the gentle purr of a cat sitting next to me when I'm trying to get to sleep - it can be masked easily and be only a part of my life when I want complete silence.
So, if I were to take anything from tonight's snow fall in a self-awareness way, it would be to not focus on the ringing in my ears, to make sure there's always a cat available at bed-time, and next time I'm standing in the snow taking in the silence, I'll keep one eye open and get ready to duck!!
What does this have to do with tinnitus? Silence. And that, of course, is what makes my tinnitus the loudest. However, this has had the bonus of helping me start this blog - as we've been told to do what you're not supposed to do when you have tinnitus - focus on it. So, standing outside in the snow, in the deadening silence that accompanies a snowfall, I was able to close my eyes, and really focus on what was happening in my ears.
And then my right ear was hit hard with a snow-ball from my wife! Though the ringing that THAT caused soon subsided, I was able once again to stand still close my eyes, and hear the sound of silence that I now live with. I've found it's now two tones - one high pitched and one lower howling kind of sound (as though I've held a shell to my ear). Doesn't sound like as much fun as a snow-ball fight really, now does it?
But the thing is - I only notice it when i notice it. My tinnitus accompanies wherever I go, whenever I chose to notice it - but in a world of distracting noises, be it car engines, the hum of a fan in a computer, the zing/ring of strip lighting (which I sometimes wonder if it's the sound of my energy being sucked out of me!) or even just the gentle purr of a cat sitting next to me when I'm trying to get to sleep - it can be masked easily and be only a part of my life when I want complete silence.
So, if I were to take anything from tonight's snow fall in a self-awareness way, it would be to not focus on the ringing in my ears, to make sure there's always a cat available at bed-time, and next time I'm standing in the snow taking in the silence, I'll keep one eye open and get ready to duck!!
Reading and relaxing
Having managed to read the first half of the Saturday paper yesterday (hooray!), I lost myself in a book until quite late last night. My dad lent me some of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books at Christmas & I’ve finally got round to reading them. I finished Tears of the Giraffe last week, and I'm now onto Morality for Beautiful Girls. They're beautiful novels, easy to read, with storylines which gently unfold and interweave. Questions of right and wrong are discussed with common sense and a real feeling of community spirit. Unfortunately the book I should have been reading this month (for our reading group) was Jude the Obscure. I really did try... but found myself falling asleep after 15 minutes. Maybe this should be a new Tinnitus therapy – late night Thomas Hardy?
Joking apart, reading is an essential relaxation technique for me, and soon after we started our reading group it made me realise how much I'd missed disappearing into a good book. We’ve read some really great novels over the last couple of years – A Fine Balance, The Shadow of the Wind and A Thousand Splendid Suns stick out in my mind - and I’ve been introduced to some new authors whose books I would never have considered before.
I find that reading is more relaxing than watching TV and my Tinnitus seems to be less intrusive after a good read. I’m also a strong believer in relaxing with friends and having a glass of wine of an evening - luckily our reading group is very relaxed about the book discussions and we have been known to overrun into the small hours drinking and putting the world to rights. Not always sensible on a Monday night...
Joking apart, reading is an essential relaxation technique for me, and soon after we started our reading group it made me realise how much I'd missed disappearing into a good book. We’ve read some really great novels over the last couple of years – A Fine Balance, The Shadow of the Wind and A Thousand Splendid Suns stick out in my mind - and I’ve been introduced to some new authors whose books I would never have considered before.
I find that reading is more relaxing than watching TV and my Tinnitus seems to be less intrusive after a good read. I’m also a strong believer in relaxing with friends and having a glass of wine of an evening - luckily our reading group is very relaxed about the book discussions and we have been known to overrun into the small hours drinking and putting the world to rights. Not always sensible on a Monday night...
Sunday 8th February
Well, I’m happy to report that we had an excellent time last night, and my earplugs did their job brilliantly - my tinnitus wasn’t any worse when I got home, nor is it today.
People assume the earplugs must take away from the experience of live music, but I’ve never found that. I’m not sure why, but in actual fact they seem to drown out all the crowd noise and enhance the quality of the music for me.
The only time I really noticed my tinnitus last night was when I left the main room to visit the toilet, whist still wearing my earplugs - I suppose because all background noise was being drowned out. It didn’t bother me though, as I was having such a great time.
I’d like to think this is fairly typical of my attitude to my tinnitus. I’ve accepted it’s there and do my best to not let it affect me. I guess it’s the same when you have a dull but constant pain - I know it’s there, it’s not something I’d choose to have, but I do my best to not let it get me down when it’s at my worst. Although, I know it’s not always quite as straightforward as this, especially when I’m tired or stressed.
We’ll see if I’m feeling quite so positive after tomorrow’s Monday morning commute!
People assume the earplugs must take away from the experience of live music, but I’ve never found that. I’m not sure why, but in actual fact they seem to drown out all the crowd noise and enhance the quality of the music for me.
The only time I really noticed my tinnitus last night was when I left the main room to visit the toilet, whist still wearing my earplugs - I suppose because all background noise was being drowned out. It didn’t bother me though, as I was having such a great time.
I’d like to think this is fairly typical of my attitude to my tinnitus. I’ve accepted it’s there and do my best to not let it affect me. I guess it’s the same when you have a dull but constant pain - I know it’s there, it’s not something I’d choose to have, but I do my best to not let it get me down when it’s at my worst. Although, I know it’s not always quite as straightforward as this, especially when I’m tired or stressed.
We’ll see if I’m feeling quite so positive after tomorrow’s Monday morning commute!
Saturday 7 February 2009
Saturday 7th February
I met a few friends for drinks last night in the city. Typically, being a Friday night, everywhere we wanted to go was blasting out loud music - which I do my best to avoid where I can.
As the weather was so cold we didn’t feel like wandering around for ages to find somewhere suitable, so we settled on a place playing music, but where we managed to find a quiet corner.
When I was younger, I would often come home from a nightclub, lie down to go to sleep and be unable to because of the loud buzzing noise in my ears. At the time, I didn’t realise what this was or why this was and regret subjecting my ears to potential long-term damage and wonder if my tinnitus wouldn‘t be quite so prominent now. However, I am happy to say this wasn’t the case when I got home last night and I fell straight to sleep.
Being a Saturday, I’m feeling pretty relaxed so my tinnitus is fairly non-existant as I write this. Although, I am becoming more aware of it as I think about it!
Having said I try to avoid loud music, I am a huge music fan and am actually going to see a live band tonight. This I know will have a huge impact on my tinnitus if I don’t take precautions, but I have earplugs I bought specifically for when I listen to live music, which I will of course wear tonight. I also know to encourage the group to stand away from the speakers and take breaks from the music - although that does mean I tend to be the one sent to the bar! Obviously, because I work for Deafness Research UK I am more and more aware about the damage that can be done to your ears, so as well as ensuring my tinnitus doesn’t get worse, I know I am also taking effective steps to protect my hearing.
As the weather was so cold we didn’t feel like wandering around for ages to find somewhere suitable, so we settled on a place playing music, but where we managed to find a quiet corner.
When I was younger, I would often come home from a nightclub, lie down to go to sleep and be unable to because of the loud buzzing noise in my ears. At the time, I didn’t realise what this was or why this was and regret subjecting my ears to potential long-term damage and wonder if my tinnitus wouldn‘t be quite so prominent now. However, I am happy to say this wasn’t the case when I got home last night and I fell straight to sleep.
Being a Saturday, I’m feeling pretty relaxed so my tinnitus is fairly non-existant as I write this. Although, I am becoming more aware of it as I think about it!
Having said I try to avoid loud music, I am a huge music fan and am actually going to see a live band tonight. This I know will have a huge impact on my tinnitus if I don’t take precautions, but I have earplugs I bought specifically for when I listen to live music, which I will of course wear tonight. I also know to encourage the group to stand away from the speakers and take breaks from the music - although that does mean I tend to be the one sent to the bar! Obviously, because I work for Deafness Research UK I am more and more aware about the damage that can be done to your ears, so as well as ensuring my tinnitus doesn’t get worse, I know I am also taking effective steps to protect my hearing.
A busy week....
It’s been a busy week – but that’s no different to any other week. As a mum to two children, with a part-time job at the Citizens Advice Bureau and a house to run, things are always hectic here. Having said that, my ability to do my job has been seriously compromised by the cold white stuff that falls from the sky and I have enjoyed some time building snowmen over the last couple of days!
Hopefully I’ll get a chance to put my feet up with the paper over the weekend, if I manage to get some time to myself. Coping with my Tinnitus, which started in my teens, is also part of my daily routine. My Mum told me years ago to try not to think about the Tinnitus: “the more you think about it, the more it will bother you”, she said. And she definitely has a point – so I do as much as I can to distract myself from the noises in my ears, to try and train my brain to forget about it. But on the other hand, leading a busy life also means I often get tired & stressed, and like everyone else I’m particularly susceptible to colds when I’m tired – and both stress and illness make my Tinnitus worse.
So what do you do when you have Tinnitus? Try to ignore it? Grin and bear it? Demonstrate the great British Stiff Upper Lip? Or seek out help and advice on how to cope? I definitely recommend the latter – even though my ‘treatment’ consisted of just a few sessions with a hearing therapist, I do think it helped me a little. A few years ago, when my Tinnitus started lasting 24 hours a day, I thought I was going to lose my hearing as well. But tests carried out at the time showed that my hearing was above average for someone of my age, which was a huge relief.
I haven’t made great efforts to find more treatment since then, but I’ve found out a lot about the research that is going on and I have real hope that there will be a cure in the future (hopefully in my lifetime!). There are currently lots of different types of therapies out there, but you need to look hard, do your research and approach the medical profession with a determination to get the answers and the help you need.
Hopefully I’ll get a chance to put my feet up with the paper over the weekend, if I manage to get some time to myself. Coping with my Tinnitus, which started in my teens, is also part of my daily routine. My Mum told me years ago to try not to think about the Tinnitus: “the more you think about it, the more it will bother you”, she said. And she definitely has a point – so I do as much as I can to distract myself from the noises in my ears, to try and train my brain to forget about it. But on the other hand, leading a busy life also means I often get tired & stressed, and like everyone else I’m particularly susceptible to colds when I’m tired – and both stress and illness make my Tinnitus worse.
So what do you do when you have Tinnitus? Try to ignore it? Grin and bear it? Demonstrate the great British Stiff Upper Lip? Or seek out help and advice on how to cope? I definitely recommend the latter – even though my ‘treatment’ consisted of just a few sessions with a hearing therapist, I do think it helped me a little. A few years ago, when my Tinnitus started lasting 24 hours a day, I thought I was going to lose my hearing as well. But tests carried out at the time showed that my hearing was above average for someone of my age, which was a huge relief.
I haven’t made great efforts to find more treatment since then, but I’ve found out a lot about the research that is going on and I have real hope that there will be a cure in the future (hopefully in my lifetime!). There are currently lots of different types of therapies out there, but you need to look hard, do your research and approach the medical profession with a determination to get the answers and the help you need.
Friday 6 February 2009
Welcome...
Welcome to the new, and first ever, blog from leading charity Deafness Research UK, which has been set up to mark National Tinnitus Week (9-15 February).
Meet our bloggers Kate, John and Gemma who, contrary to the usual advice of trying not to dwell on it, are focusing on their tinnitus in order to help others learn from their experiences and cope better with their tinnitus.
They will be talking frankly throughout the week about how they manage to live with tinnitus on a daily basis. We’d love to get your contributions too, so please join in. How do you cope – do you have any tips for our bloggers?
Readers who want further information about tinnitus can link through to the Deafness Research UK website for factsheets: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=3861 or read more personal stories from people who live with tinnitus: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=2858.
Our helpline will be open 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (a message can be left at other times) to answer specific questions about tinnitus. If our Information team cannot answer a question directly, it will be referred to one of our scientific or medical advisers. Contact the helpline on telephone 0808 808 2222.
Alternatively email info@deafnessresearch.org.uk or click the ‘ask a question’ option at the top of our website: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
Supporting research into tinnitus has been a priority for Deafness Research UK since its inception in 1985. Since joining forces last year with the charity Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR), we can now make an even greater difference to the quality and quantity of tinnitus research being carried out in the UK and radically improve the quality of service offered to tinnitus sufferers. To read more about our contribution to tinnitus research, follow this link: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=4804 or to make a donation: https://secure.efundraising.org.uk/tailored/donation.asp?charity=17713
Meet our bloggers Kate, John and Gemma who, contrary to the usual advice of trying not to dwell on it, are focusing on their tinnitus in order to help others learn from their experiences and cope better with their tinnitus.
They will be talking frankly throughout the week about how they manage to live with tinnitus on a daily basis. We’d love to get your contributions too, so please join in. How do you cope – do you have any tips for our bloggers?
Readers who want further information about tinnitus can link through to the Deafness Research UK website for factsheets: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=3861 or read more personal stories from people who live with tinnitus: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=2858.
Our helpline will be open 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (a message can be left at other times) to answer specific questions about tinnitus. If our Information team cannot answer a question directly, it will be referred to one of our scientific or medical advisers. Contact the helpline on telephone 0808 808 2222.
Alternatively email info@deafnessresearch.org.uk or click the ‘ask a question’ option at the top of our website: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
Supporting research into tinnitus has been a priority for Deafness Research UK since its inception in 1985. Since joining forces last year with the charity Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR), we can now make an even greater difference to the quality and quantity of tinnitus research being carried out in the UK and radically improve the quality of service offered to tinnitus sufferers. To read more about our contribution to tinnitus research, follow this link: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/?lid=4804 or to make a donation: https://secure.efundraising.org.uk/tailored/donation.asp?charity=17713
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