Ringing of the ears

[12poundbass]

I’ve been dealing with it for a lonnnnnng time. Some days are worse than others. I always have to have a fan going in order to go to sleep,  otherwise I’d lose my mind. Like I said, I dealt with it for a long long time but I’m only 39 so, am I

in big trouble hearing wise or just chalk it up to older age?

 

I know seeing an ENT would be best, but, is there anything you’ve done at home to deal with it?

 

I know I have hearing loss over the years to the point where I can’t hear higher pitch voices in crowed areas.

[Sam]

Menaire's disease.

I had it and it was not fun.

A "dizzy doctor" finally diagnosed it correctly.

You have to wait it out.

Check out articles on  Minaire's disease via Google.

Good luck.

[Bankbeater]

My ears ring when I'm having sinus issues.  It has something to do with the drainage and the pressure it causes.  Most of the time it happens when my allergy acts up. or when a low weather front is moving through.  It's a pain in the you know what, but when the ringing stops before my sinuses clear up it means an ear infection is coming on. 

[Darth-Baiter]

Tinnitus?

I recently had my hearing tested.  I thought it was bad, but the doc said I’m doing fine.  She said I barely lost anything. The slight ringing, yea. Mine comes and goes. I notice it when I’m in a really quiet setting. First time I was in a deer stand.  Scared me. 
 

I wear ear plugs 100% now.  I’m not willing to let it get worse.   Good luck. 

[12poundbass]

6 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Tinnitus?

I recently had my hearing tested.  I thought it was bad, but the doc said I’m doing fine.  She said I barely lost anything. The slight ringing, yea. Mine comes and goes. I notice it when I’m in a really quiet setting. First time I was in a deer stand.  Scared me. 
 

I wear ear plugs 100% now.  I’m not willing to let it get worse.   Good luck. 

 Oh I’m sure I have tinnitus. The ringing never stops. The only time it really drives me nuts is when it quiet. I know I have some hearing loss too. For example, if I’m in a crowded area and there’s background noise I can barely hear what people are saying to me. On the flip side, there are times I can hear things that my wife, son, and even the dogs can’t like the faint sound of a vehicle pulling into our driveway.

[Way north bass guy]

Mine ring. Not too terribly, and it doesn’t ever bother me, but I can definitely hear it when things are silent. I also have some hearing loss, especially in my left ear. 30 years of running cutoff saws and grinders cutting stone at work, and shooting rifles and shotguns have taken their toll, especially when I was younger and didn’t wear proper protection all the time.  Now I have earplugs or headphones on anytime I’m using something like that. Luckily it’s only high pitched sounds for now, but I’m sure over time it’ll only get worse, but the damage is done and I’ll just learn to live with it. 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

What sound does your tinnitus make?

For real laying in bed quiet night mine sounds like satellite peeps here...

 

[slonezp]

 

[Woody B]

I have mild tinnitus which I suppose is good for someone who's 59 years old.  In the past 20 years I've use ear protection when needed but when I was younger I played in several loud bands.  I'm a life long shooting enthusiast, and I used to race. (unmuffled cars)  

 

A friend on mine, who's an ear doctor (I forget what they call them) explained tinnitus to me.  He said as we age we lose some of our hearing.  Normally high frequency hearing is what we lose.  Tinnitus comes from our brains trying to replace the sounds we're no longer hearing.  

 

Good luck.  I don't remember having any ringing until I was 50 or so.  

[DaubsNU1]

I'm 55...noticed ear ringing / tinnitus about 15 years ago. Likely too much time in the duck blind. 

 

Yes, head to ENT doc, they can check you out and recommend solutions. 

 

Mine is not horrible...

 

I wear ear plugs for EVERYTHING now...even running the shop vac. Do not want this to get worse. 

[Jig Man]

I have had ringing in my ears for a long time it sounds like a locust hatch.  I’ve been to doctors and audiologists and tried several interventions none of which have helped.  
 

The last audiologist suggested hearing aids which might cancel it during the day but might have lots of wind noise in the boat and would have to be removed at night when I really notice it.

[Captain Phil]

I'm 76 and have had tinnitus for twenty years.  My wife, who is the same age, has had it nearly as long. It's part of getting old.  I'm used to it.  You will too.  I don't have hearing aids, my wife does.  Have your hearing checked.

[MN Fisher]

It's a matter of protecting your hearing from the start.

 

Always wore either full muffs or at least plugs when shooting, working with loud machinery or other things.

 

Last year was suffering muffled hearing - went in, turned out to be plugged eustachian tubes...a steroid prescription and some nasal spray and a week later good as new. Hearing test after - slight loss at the high end, but otherwise passed with flying colors.

 

No ringing, and almost perfect hearing at 62 years of age.

[gim]

14 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

and shooting rifles and shotguns have taken their toll

I have lost some of my hearing in my left ear at high frequency due to this.  I have hunted for 25+ years and when I hunt, I don't wear any hearing protection.  I shoot right handed, and when I shoot, my right ear is covered up but my left is exposed.  An audiology test in March 2022 confirmed this.

 

I have always worn muffs when at the gun range or shooting clays or target practice, but I need to hear when I'm hunting.  I need to hear a turkey gobble, a deer walking, or a pheasant flush.  Wearing muffs while hunting would inhibit my success and completely defeat the purpose.

 

I wear one hearing aid in my left ear now.  My wife has been on me for years to address this and I finally did at her request.  I can hear a lot better now, obviously.  I take it out when I hunt though.

 

You can buy hearing aids over the counter in person at many retail locations.  They vary in size and price.

[scaleface]

Even though I have tinnitus, I still hear better than almost everybody I'm around . Especially outdoors. I'm attuned to the real world fairly well .

[Darth-Baiter]

its not all loud guns, motorcycles, rock concerts, etc.

 

my left ear is the weaker ear.  doc said it is from my youth driving around on the freeways with the side window opened.  the wind noise!  all because my 1971 camaro didnt have AC, in the southwest.  when i rode my motorcycle, it was uncomfortable without earplugs.  exhausting almost. 

[throttleplate]

Had ringing ear since age 12. Went shooting with my cousins and Shot a .22 pistol and the percussion was loud enough it rang my ear to the point i went to the dr. Nothing they could do so i live with it to this day.

Went to wifes dads birthday in the philippines a few years ago and they love super loud parties banging with music all day and night. Cant escape it so i wore my silicone earplugs all day and night at the party.

No one else cared about their ears, even mothers with babies didnt care as they all sat and stood in front of the speakers.

 

 

 

[12poundbass]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

I have lost some of my hearing in my left ear at high frequency due to this.  I have hunted for 25+ years and when I hunt, I don't wear any hearing protection.  I shoot right handed, and when I shoot, my right ear is covered up but my left is exposed.  An audiology test in March 2022 confirmed this.

 

I have always worn muffs when at the gun range or shooting clays or target practice, but I need to hear when I'm hunting.  I need to hear a turkey gobble, a deer walking, or a pheasant flush.  Wearing muffs while hunting would inhibit my success and completely defeat the purpose.

 

I wear one hearing aid in my left ear now.  My wife has been on me for years to address this and I finally did at her request.  I can hear a lot better now, obviously.  I take it out when I hunt though.

 

You can buy hearing aids over the counter in person at many retail locations.  They vary in size and price.

What about those muffs that magnify the sound but cut out when there’s a gun shot? 

[gim]

5 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

What about those muffs that magnify the sound but cut out when there’s a gun shot? 

They’re called a Game Ear. I don’t know anyone who uses one.

[Woody B]

29 minutes ago, gimruis said:

They’re called a Game Ear. I don’t know anyone who uses one.

I use Walker electronic ear plugs.  They have a NRR rating of 31.  They can also magnify sounds that aren't over the dangerous threshold.  

[gim]

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

I use Walker electronic ear plugs.  They have a NRR rating of 31.  They can also magnify sounds that aren't over the dangerous threshold.  

Would you recommend them and how long have you used them?

[Woody B]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Would you recommend them and how long have you used them?

 

I've had them for a few years.  These are the ones I have, but mine are an older version.    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022464190?pid=661887

 

They work great, and still hold a charge for a long time.  The only thing I don't like is the tips.  The tips are replaceable.  That's great, but they come in 3 different sized.  That's great too.  However the only way to get them is in packs with all 3 sizes.  I use the mediums and end up throwing the small and large ones away.  I wish I could get packs in only one size.  

[TnRiver46]

I used to work on a lawn care crew and some guys used nascar type headset . I tried it once but nearly walked in front of a truck while running a leaf blower, I just listened to my surroundings after that 

[N Florida Mike]

Doc said I had “ Minears disease” about 25 years ago. He said to minimize salt and caffeine.  I didn’t have the character then to follow his advice, but minimizing salt did seem to help. It got worse and went into vertigo, which was awful. I went to another Doc, that prescribed to me “ beta histine? Something that sounds like that. It was a compound drug that really helped- to the point that I haven’t taken it for 15 years now. 

My right ear still rings, but it’s worse if I get into something too salty.

No more vertigo, which is the main thing…

[Kev-mo]

Not trying to stir, just sharing.

 

Prior to March 2021 I would get an occasional high pitched whine in one or the other ear and it would last 5-10 seconds and go away. Kinda like a train whistle when the train is going by. Kind of intense but fades quickly. Maybe once a month...? I do have seasonal allergies. Also attended a few loud concerts back in the day.

 

Got sick in March of 2021 with what I am 99.7% certain was covid because 9 months later when I officially got covid the symptoms were 100% the same with the pattern and timing of symptoms being 100% the same both times. I bring this up because when I got sick in March 2021 one of the after symptoms was ringing in the ears. It went away after several weeks. When I officially got covid I had the same after symptom of ringing in the ears. This time it didn't go away. So finally after like 2 months I made an appointment with my GP and subsequently ENT for a hearing test. My hearing was 100 percent fine. It's been about 16 months and the ringing has slowly declined in both intensity and frequency. Unfortunately it is not gone and probably never will be. I don't know how bad my ringing truly was compared to others but when it started I did have the thought of "this intense, the rest my life, I don't know if I could deal...".