Sound Machine

[Renault67]

I am an elderly man, I will be 81 in March and I have had T for over 20 years and I am sorry to say this but at times it still gets me down with consequence I do at times take a sleeping pill but my main resource is my "Sound Machine" which to the uninitiated I would highly recommend. My Machine is simple and cheap it has seven different sounds on it one of which is not now working and it has a half hour timer. When you put this on the aim of the device is for the sound of the machine to draw your concentration to it and away from your T thus, with a bit of luck enabling sleep.I wear 2 aids, they are good for T during the day but at night you have to take them off so the sound machine.

My downside is is that it is medically recognised that as a person ages so his T can get worse so what I will do if the time comes that I can't handle it is anyone guess.

Best wishes to all, Peter

[Positivechangeplease]

have you tried sleeping with white noise?

[perlcoder]

Hello Peter,

I am almost 24 years in to this, not getting any younger, and I feel for you.

If I may say so, at least at this point in time, one positive for you seems to be that the relatively low volume of a machine of that kind is sufficient to distract you, and I would guess that such things will continue to help. My T is highly reactive, so that it simply competes with and exceeds external masking unless it is very loud - wife runs screaming to take refuge in the garden shed kind of loud. My masking generally has to be in my ear canal and tuned to very specific frequencies if it is to help.

I am guessing that you must have been assessed for Hearing Aids long ago? Have you updated them? My local NHS permits self-referral for that (though I am sure that you GP would willingly refer if they don't), this got me a nice new pair of phonaks recently, with bluetooth and good built in masker.

I find that on difficult days a simple pair of bluetooth earbuds with one of my favourite masking sounds at low volume works wonders for my mood. I am using the Redmi 5 - less than £30 including postage. We are all different, but I swear by the Dalesnale sounds. Free to try and use online, but you can buy the full, very extensive, set to download for dollars that convert to about £11 as I type. Fabulous value.

youtube.com/@dalesnale

I am also currently experimenting with the Soundcore A20 sleepbuds for use overnight, but they are a tad expensive at £125, are a faff to set up and the jury is out on whether they will help or hinder me.

Best wishes

[Plymouthgtx in reply to perlcoder]

Ahh - the little soundcores! Funny things - but they are comfy at least! I just wanted to say - I have the same issue - no matter what the external noise floor is - my T will compete - particularly high frequency - mebe 4Khz or so. A boiling kettle, frying sausages, the shower, these really set it off. But even in the car - or playing in my band (I use protection now - too little too late) the T will always rise above. Hey ho - gotta love my T - because if I didn't I would be in a dark place.

[perlcoder in reply to Plymouthgtx]

Hello,

Yes reactivity to external sound is one of the very worst things - I swear that there is even a certain mimicry involved - the sound is not just matched but to an extent it is copied. That is why I am so fond of the Dalesnale Sweeping High Frequency Noise. It sweeps through frequencies in such a way that my T can't quite track or mimic it - it gets lost in the mix, even after years of use. If I play it loud enough over speakers it even works without earbuds, but it does (quite reasonably) sound dreadful to someone not getting any benefit from it, and there is no reason to do that anyway with earbuds.

The A20s received an automatic firmware update yesterday - "to solve a known problem". I am not sure why, because I have used a variety of earbuds / headphones / sleep bands, but they are the device that reveals most clearly that my left ear and its hearing loss is the seat of my problem. I have to bias the output from them to my left ear and even then it actually sounds different, really showing up the frequencies I am missing there. Oh well - I heard some great bands live in the 60s and admired the stack of Marshalls.

Best wishes

[Plymouthgtx in reply to perlcoder]

Ha! Marshalls - unfortunately - they are the cause of my problems! I have played in rock bands for over 3 decades - and because I am stupid - didn't wear proper hearing protection until it was too late. I pay the price now - I have classic noise induced hearing loss, constant tinnitus, and distortion in my left ear. Lucky me!

I also believe my second covid jab may have increased my T as well - not so 'rock n roll' but there it is (I believe T is a are but acknowledged possible side effect)

I tend to listen to radio plays on my 20's - I use them because they are actually quite comfy - as you know - you can 'lie' on them - I'll end up concentrating on the show - and hopefully fall asleep.

[WildIris]

I've had T for decades too. It has gotten louder as I aged, but so gradually I didn't really notice day to day. I realized some years ago that I did myself harm feeling bad about things I couldn't change, whether in my body or in the world outside, so now the sound reminds me of that realization. I certainly understand how the sound could get you down sometimes. My brain notices the noise kind of neutrally and if I start to feel emotion about it, I go to that place where I committed to staying positive.

[perlcoder in reply to WildIris]

Hello,

The longer I have T (too long), the more convinced I am that the personality of the sufferer is by far the most important factor. There is good reason to think that it decides whether hearing loss or some other external incident gives rise to T, and it most certainly influences the sufferer's reaction over time. I am sure that there are many people whose T is worse than my own, for whom it is 24/7 and always audible, but who nevertheless achieve calm in the face of it, get on with life and are grateful for it. The more one fits into that category (as you do), the better off one is. I am also sure that it can take effort to achieve that - it is not some gift from above, but utilises other mental resources, and probably at some cost. I have moments, sometimes days, when I approach that condition, but I am never wholly in it.

Best wishes

[doris22]

Hi Renault 67. I have a sound machine. I charge it up in the day and have my sleep headphones in my ear all night on low volume. I'm a side sleeper, so just have one in my ear in whichever side I'm on. If your machine cuts out after 15 mins, you could treat yourself to a new one that allows you to have a choice of longer settings. My T hates silence so it helps to keep me asleep I find. I find the natural nature sounds suit me the best. White noise sounds too much like my T . Rain is my favourite sound . I also take an antihistamine if it is particularly bad. It seems to calm it down. Wishing you all the best.

[Renault67 in reply to doris22]

Hello doris22, I confess my sound machine is very basic, it is, I believe, one of the cheapest you can buy and I have had it for donkeys years and to be honest it did have seven sounds but now it has six. In March I will be 81 and so I have decided to give myself a treat and buy myself a new one I have found one on line that I am very drawn to, it has sixteen sounds but it's not cheap it's just under £150, but I think I deserve it. I have had my T now for over twenty years and as I have gotten older it has progressively got worse but I tolerate it, just about, it's something that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I do suffer with a nerve problem including anxiety which doesn't help.Very best wishes.