My audiogram and Tinnitus

[want2habituate]

Hi there,

When I got these results I was told that I wouldn't perceive the difference in hearing but my brain would. They said it was too mild to consider hearing aids.

Thinking back, firstly if my brain perceives the loss, couldn't that exacerbate tinnitus?

Secondly, I can perceive the loss as a guitarist....particularly when I'm wearing hearing protection which takes all the audio levels down, it's very obvious my left ear is missing the higher frequencies.

Btw, aren't they supposed to test any higher than 8k?

Anyhow, what do people think, is it worth considering if a hearing aid in my left ear would help?

On the other hand, I suffer slight from hyperacusis and don't know if this would make things worse or not.

Thanks,

Andy

[Dontthinkaboutit]

Hiya Andy

Very similar to my audiogram and probably a lot of people with hearing loss! The higher frequencies go first!

As an electronic engineer by trade, mostly RF and baseband, I know we can hear above 8khz and how important it is, but a lot of the industry is still stuck with this old fashioned theory that 8khz is high enough. If you see a specialist/ audiologist, they can test way above 8khz and will. I was sat waiting for 'a sound' and nothing was coming out - so I thought (my wife was with me). She looked at me and said 'Can you honestly not hear that? I can hear it from here!'. It was one of the higher frequencies I was being tested for.

I am not a hearing specialist, but am currently seeing a specialist for my tinnitus. As you may already know, some tinnitus is associated with hearing loss. The brain is used to listening to a wide bandwidth of sounds - when that bandwidth is cut from hearing loss, the brain thinks 'Oh - Im used to hearing something, I will make up that sound myself' and that is my tinnitus!

I thought that I would be given one hearing aid for my worse side, but it's been proven you do need two - so I have two!

I also suffer from slight hyperacusis, a specialist will set up your hearing aids with respect to this. When the noise is too high though, I need to wear ear plugs as well as my hearing aids - basically let the hearing aids do the work of my ears. If I don't, my tinnitus goes into turbo mode

Hope this helps!

Andy C

[want2habituate in reply to Dontthinkaboutit]

Yup, I was surprised, 8khz is not that high at all. Did you find that the hearing aids reduced your tinnitus?

I also have some hyperacusis....my wife always found it hilarious, pre T, that I'd complain about screechy restaurants, yet was quite happy to play in loud bands....but of course the latter was my choice.

I'm fascinated at the mechanics of both wearing hearing aids and ear plugs at the same time.....I don't know how big the driver is that delivers the sound from the hearing aid....but it has to get into your ear canal while the ear plug blocks it off? Perhaps the bit from the hearing aid is small enough and the end of the ear plug forgiving enough to make room for it?

I saw a specialist after my appointment with the ENT consultant (on private)....and they seemed to dismiss the need for hearing aids. I didn't know enough about hearing tests at the time to ask them to go any higher in frequency...

[Dontthinkaboutit in reply to want2habituate]

Good Morning!

I am a bit busy this morning, but will find some time later on to explain and try to include images/ links etc.

For me, understanding everything I can about this debilitating affliction helps a lot, especially what we can and do use to help us. I initially tried finding my own frequency and reversing the phase by 180 degrees in an attempt to mask it - it didn't work LOL! Maybe with a few thousand pounds of specialist equipment and wider bandwidths BUT that wasn't my initial problem!

[D-w-L2023 in reply to Dontthinkaboutit]

I also tried inverting the wave without success but then it occurred to me that it's an internal sound not external sound so there isn't anything to invert.

[D-w-L2023 in reply to want2habituate]

In my experience ear plugs and hearing aids don't work as the mic/speaker and the connecting tube prevents the ear plugs from sitting in the ear. Then again, my aids are NHS ones and maybe the expensive ones are smaller. I'm also a guitarist and I think maybe it's karma that after years of deafening other people I'm the one that's suffering. I can't deal with loud noise anymore. No electric gigs, no noisy pubs. How are the mighty fallen.

Back to the original question from want2habituate, hearing aids have made no difference to my tinnitus.

[Dontthinkaboutit in reply to D-w-L2023]

I also have your pain! No more noisy pubs, restaurants, cafe's and even large shopping centres trigger my tinnitus. Every meal or outing has to be planned, with an exit strategy if I'm triggered and its too much

This is why I use ear plugs and hearing aids - they are programmed for me, specifically for me from my test results, the settings are reviewed and can be changed remotely by Alan, my specialist.