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[TriumphT100]

hi there, I acquired tinnitus 3 months ago and had a hearing test last week resulting partially moderate to severe hearing loss. considering hearing aids as I am only 52. they are expensive though 3k for the cheapest ones. wondering how people have found the tinnitus reduction with aids?

[Happyrosie]

if you live in the uk they are free on the NHS.

Because the real world is a bit louder and certainly much clearer, the tinnitus has to take a back seat - the aids won’t make it go,away. And it’s a good opportunity to talk to an audiologist some of whom are tinnitus experts (you can ask when you make appointment). As some ten percent of us have tinnitus the person you see may be a sufferer - bonus!

[TriumphT100 in reply to Happyrosie]

thanks for your reply. yes, that is as you say my understanding in the T taking a back seat. thinking the aids might be necessary in order to reduce the timing of further hearing loss and potential in increase in T volume? thank you...

[MarTINITUS in reply to TriumphT100]

Hello.

Sorry this is slightly off topic but I couldn't help noticing your from your I.D you may be or have been a motor cyclist.

I'm 66 and have had tinnitus since my mid 20's which I used to put down to riding motor cycles and too much loud music exposure.

I've been using ear plugs since my mid 30's on the bike and if I'm exposed to loud noise elsewhere but my tinnitus seems to have worsened in the last 5 years.

I now think but have no proof that my pre-disposition to develop tinnitus is possibly heredity.

The purpose of my post really is just to flag up the possibility of the cause of your tinnitus being noise exposure through the motor cycle and to recommend the use of ear plugs in any future exposure. I hope this is of some use to you.

[TriumphT100 in reply to MarTINITUS]

hi there, thanks for your thought. funny, I am just about to purchase a triumph t100. only ridden a bit on my sons 125 but thought at age 52 I would like to try out something bigger and get into biking. but yes funny, I was thinking about the bike and the newly diagnosed T - only 3 months. as someone who has had T for so long what is your advise on managing? good thought re plugs!

[MarTINITUS in reply to TriumphT100]

Re the motor cycle get some good quality ear plugs and a quiet helmet .Schuberth are said to be very quiet-just looking into getting one for myself. As to management of tinnitus avoid loud places and noise and / or wear earplugs. It's very subjective - only you know how it affects you. I've lived with it for 40 years and sometimes (quite often even now) I forget it's there so the brain can most definitely switch it off. But the more you try NOT to think about it-the worse it seems to get-like trying to not think about anything else really! Acceptance is the key IMHO and good relaxation techniques.

[TriumphT100 in reply to MarTINITUS]

nice one. will get plugs. need to pass test first

[bantams]

Hi, As Happyrosie as said you should be able to get free NHS hearing aids. My T started just before Covid started and it was very difficult to see anybody about my T. Eventually my GP got me a ENT appointment at Calderdale Royal Hospital. During the waiting time to get a ENT appointment I was able to go to Specsavers where I purchased private hearing aids with masking sounds to help me living with T. When I did get the ENT appointment they tested my hearing and said I had moderate hearing loss and gace me a CT scan, but because I was really struggling with my T they gave me NHS hearing aids which have bluetooth and 2 masking sounds. These hearing aids are a bit bigger than the private ones but I get free batteries, tubes and domes. I find my hearing aids really help me live a near normal life again for the last 2 years. I do get spells when my T is very loud, I then use my masking sounds until my T goes down again.

What I wiil say is everbody`s T is differant and what helps one person will not work for everybody and sorry to say but there is no magic cure for T.

[TriumphT100 in reply to bantams]

thank you for this information and apologies for the delay. I will certainly look into the aids one way or another. glad you have had some success with management of T

[Bridiecat]

I have Amplifon mortgage aids, for my severe loss of high frequency sounds. My T responds to external noise levels and when it goes I turn the frequency up, which makes the brain stop searching and cresting its own sound , so the T calms down. I am somewhat habituated now the problem is that it can take months for the brain to be tricked and even then it’s only temporary.

[TriumphT100 in reply to Bridiecat]

hi there thanks for your reply. very helpful. is that not a good thing if the brain takes months to be tricked? how did you manage to become habituated?

[Bridiecat in reply to TriumphT100]

Yes good for tricking brain but takes months to trick it, so much patience is needed. To become habituated ? (which is always a work in constant progress for most) for me personally once I fully accepted its permanent place in my head, I learned to ignore it in small chunks (usually accompanied by distractions) and I stopped fighting it. I played around with different music genres and found that very high notes of soft gentle violins worked and high piano notes. Low sounding music didn’t work at all because my hearing loss is high frequency. And after a time I was able to sit in a quiet room and be aware of the HSS/SHHH without it bothering me. I can also reproduce the exact frequency and sound with my mouth so I can shhhh it if it starts spiking. There are very occasional times when I think about it and I can feel that sense of dread again but it passes in an instant. I’m fortunate in that until now it doesn’t affect sleep. If you can imagine being born with this, you would know no different. Your brain would immediately accept the noise, the only difference is that we’re in a position of having to accept something that is different, we’re not used to and we don’t like, none of us like doing that. Think of how people live next to a busy motorway, they don’t even hear the noise after time. The key thing is , don’t focus on it, don’t panic, don’t despair, or have hysterical thinking processes, accepting it is the key as there is no known ‘cure’ for this, it really is mind over matter and be patient, the brain is plastic and can be trained.

[TriumphT100 in reply to Bridiecat]

thanks! funny, after mentioning to 2 friends they say they have had it for years and talking Kida normalised it and yes, ive been accepting and normalising and ignoring and my mood has lifted and like you say getting less and less tuned into T

[Iwilldothisthisyear]

I am the same age & am waiting for an ENT appointment to rule out any physical causes for my tinnitus. I am suffering with reduced hearing & really struggle to hear in large rooms.

I did the RNID test which showed I had hearing loss.

I was wondering whether I should wait for the ENT appointment or book a free audiology appointment now.

My GP did say that hearing aids might help.

What did other people do ?

[RONf in reply to Iwilldothisthisyear]

Hi

I have Tinnitus and some hearing loss. My NHS hearing aids certainly reduce my perception of T when I am wearing them. The NHS aids are excellent, free and once you have them you are 'in the system' for free batteries and parts - plus future appointments with great audiology NHS expertise.

Ron

[Iwilldothisthisyear in reply to RONf]

Thank you xx

[TriumphT100 in reply to RONf]

thanks Ron - very useful. ill make appointment nhs

[Kellythecat-74]

Was the hearing test private or NHS ? Speak to your doctor. You could be referred to the NHS . That's how I got mine with bluetooth . I can get talk radio on mine. Its not so much that they actually reduce the T, but by enabling you to hear more of the external sounds, it lessons the impact of your T.

[TriumphT100 in reply to Kellythecat-74]

thanks Kelly. the test was private but yes I think I will do that. I do not really notice the hearing loss but guess this is normal?

[Kellythecat-74]

Sounds about right , I hadn't notice any hearing loss probably been gradually going on for years. According to the hearing test, a far dip in the T ear (to be expected) and a bit in the other.