Village versus town

[Lesley2065]

Hi all, have just spent 4 lovely days with my sister and her hubby in a village and my T was quieter than normal. Does anyone else who lives in a village away from lots of radio/phone masts etc find there tinnitus is quieter when at home but gets louder as soon as you hit civilisation? If so maybe thats the answer, we all need a rural retreat we can go to for a bit of peace and parden the pun a bit of quiet. Would love to hear other peoples experiences and maybe I'll have to go and live with my sister. Lesley x

[Angela-H]

Hi Lesley, nice to hear that you had a lovely few days of quiet with your sister. I live in a semi-rural environment, on a small housing estate next to a conservation area. The nearest mast is the one on The Wrekin, but that is about 2 miles as the crow flies. I need distraction in a quiet environment, generally speaking, but when I took the train into Birmingham city centre last week to meet my cousin for lunch - wow, by the time I got home my T was a real nuisance for the rest of the day, until bedtime. Any stressful situation, of any sort, be it stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway, or a noisy restaurant, sets off my tinnitus. Love and best wishes, Angela xx

[Lesley2065 in reply to Angela-H]

Hi Angela, as Nic has said maybe i was just more relaxed than usual but this is the second time this has happened so thats why I questioned the possibility that some people are more receptive to mast signals but who knows. We had a cracking thunderstorm the other night and it woke me up and my T was very loud. Somehow i managed to get back to sleep though.

Ive also got a nasty insect bite on my leg which is causing me a lot of discomfort. I had to go to the minor treatment centre last night and they gave me anti biotic but today its worse and was seen by a registar at work whose put me on stronger ones called cefalexin. They have quinine in them which i recall from somewhere that this can make T worse? But have to take them otherwise it'll be IV anti biotics which i dont really fancy. Its bizarre though as having spent 4 days in the countryside and not getting bit, I get bitten when i get home! Oh well Im at home now resting my leg and catching up with taped programmes and yes my T is loud but guess I'll just have to ride it out. Ive even been trying out the hearing aide again but it doesnt seem to be making any difference yet but thought I should give it another go. Although its setting off the other side now so dont know whether to continue or not. Love and best Lesley x

[Angela-H in reply to Lesley2065]

Hi Lesley, and oh dear, how horrible to get a nasty insect bite. I too am a magnet for insects. I have a couple of bites on my arms from gardening, but they aren't serious, just a bit itchy. Hope the swelling goes down soon. Quinine - that is in tonic water isn't it? Well, my once a week drink when out for the usual pub meal, is a gin and tonic (tanqueray and fentimens please) and I am pleased to report that this doesn't affect my T. (A lime and soda water a few weeks ago I think made it more bothersome). I think that there are so many ifs and buts with T that it is best to live life as normal as possible, remember those times when T gets louder, and try to avoid them. Which, of course, is easier said than done when it comes to anxiety and stress.

As to the hearing aid and masker, I try out various combinations with mine and I don't think it makes any difference, though I do always wear the hearing aid to correct the slight hearing loss in one ear - just in case. Silence is the one thing that I think tinnitus loves. If I don't fall asleep straight away, the tinnitus slowly comes to the fore, even with my sound oasis machine. Fortunately, I am sleeping well nowadays, well, most nights.

Onwards and upwards, Lesley, it is the only way we have. I hope that you are able to get out in the fresh air this weekend, which will by itself make you feel better. I am taking a 40 minute train journey to meet up with a cousin and am really looking forward to a family history catch-up with her, plus a pub meal, together with the gin and tonic! Take care, and love from Angela xx

[NicBTA Partner]

Glad you had a good time, Lesley! My personal take on it is that you were probably nice and chilled and relaxed, so your tinnitus was less intrusive. Some people find the countryside a bit too quiet - horses for courses, I guess!

[Lesley2065 in reply to NicBTA]

Yes your probably right Nic, though this is the second time this has happened when Ive stayed with my sister. I do have to take my travel sound machine as its a lot quieter at night than the city but it seems strange that when Im a way from the hustle and bustle of city life, my T quietens down yet as soon as i get back, its back to its usual loudness with a few days of relative quiet times. Maybe i am just more relaxed but if thats the case, why can't it be that way when Im at home. I dont feel stressed out a lot of the time in fact Im fairly chilled most of the time but obviously not as much as i think i am.

I guess this is a question a lot of timnitus sufferers must ask themselves.

Im now off work too as got a nasty insect bite on my leg which has made the skin swell and feel tight. On anti biotics so hope they kick in soon. They contain quinine which Im not sure has an effect on Tinnitus but have to take them so will have to put up with it for a few days if i want my leg to get better. Lesley x

[NicBTA Partner]

I hope your leg is feeling better Lesley. I looked into quinine for you - it would have to be a very high dose to have an adverse affect on your tinnitus. The stress of your body fighting off the infection would probably have more of an effect - so get well soon!

[Lesley2065 in reply to NicBTA]

Ive been taking 2 grams a day but today is last day and so far it doesn't appear to have affected my T but at least the bite on my leg has all but cleared up so i obviously needed the anti-biotics. Guess you have to out weigh the pro's and cons but next time I need anything I will get them to check if the drug is toxic for tinnitus and if it is, are there any alternatives. X

[Angela-H]

Glad that your leg is better - without affecting the T. Love, Angela xx

[bee4]

Hi Lesley, glad you had a nice village retreat! sounds lovely. That would be an interesting study - I'll sign up!! XOXO Bee