 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Tinnitus / September 2005Tinnitus Clinic visit
I went to audiology at my local hospital for a tinnitus assessment this morning - at 9 am! Mind, going that early meant I didn't have to wait at all as I was the first customer :) A nice amenable young bloke went through my tinnitus experiences with me - when it started, what it is like, how I felt now etc. After listening to me, he decided mine is definitely stress-related. He advised me to cut down on coffee, and to quit smoking, and to do as much as I possibly can to relax. He advised massage and lots of other alternative therapies. He gave me a portable nature care machine ( great to walk out of hospital with a free machine :)) and advised me to use it as often as I could. It has the sounds of heart beat, woodland, babbling brook, sea waves, birds and white noise. My partner has just tried it and nodded off! My Westie was most interested in it too, so I am last to get a look in here! He thinks me lying down and it helping is because:1. It worked once, so therefore I expect it to work, and it does. 2. Blood flow (STEVE!!) is different lying down to standing or sitting. 3. I am more relaxed in general. At least he didn't dismiss it! He was very understanding about how distressful tinnitus can be, and is sad he is seeing more and more patients arrive these days due to damaging their hearing by listening to loud music :( I am going back to see him on November the 1st to see how I am getting on. He stressed that I am not alone, and that counselling, with him listening and advising will eventually help - me relaxing too, of course! After three weeks of my "experiment" of lying on my left side, I can report that 75% of the time it has silenced it completely, and it has stayed quiet until the next morning. Most times it hasn't worked is due to me dropping off to sleep again some time during the day, so ruining it that way. The odd times it hasn't quietend down completely, I have been more than happy to just have a slight, easily tolerable, noise instead of a very loud ringing. So, overall, I have been pleased with my efforts, and I hope others on here can find something that will work for them too. Ben <off to lie down after such an over-exciting morning :) > My t on an overall basis has been improving but the intermittency thing is still around. I hope it disappears entirely. FP Well, we all hope for the golden silence Francis, so I don't blame you for hoping for that. I would imagine you have tried just about everything that is going regarding T, but do you relax enough? Ben > My t on an overall basis has been improving but the intermittency thing > is still around. I hope it disappears entirely. > > FP > Well, we all hope for the golden silence Francis, so I don't blame you > for hoping for that. I would imagine you have tried just about everything > that is going regarding T, but do you relax enough? No.... > Ben > > My t on an overall basis has been improving but the intermittency thing > > is still around. I hope it disappears entirely. > > > > FP > At least he didn't dismiss it! He was very > understanding about how distressful tinnitus can be If this attitude would be more common then there'd be far fewer people needing to hang out on this newsgroup. Like you say, you're far more relaxed now because you've been taken serious and your fear/stress level has dropped when issues were properly addressed. Next time you see him give him a pat on the back for me. The way your post reads I'd say you're well on your way to this thing being history on short order - atta boy Ben!!! Bart. > If this attitude would be more common then there'd be far fewer > people needing to hang out on this newsgroup. Like you say, you're far [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > say you're well on your way to this thing being history on short order > - atta boy Ben!!! Thanks so much for your kind words Bart. I wish everyone on here could find some way to deal with their T - nothing would please me more. I have always said I wouldn't wish it on anyone - not even Saddam, Mugabe or anyone. I do feel more positive and am thankful I say a decent bloke this morning. He did emphasise just how different we all are, and how we all respond to different ways of dealing with the dreaded T, so I plead with everyone to keep on trying everything, and anything, you think might help YOU! Ben He thinks me lying down and it helping is because:1. > It worked once, so therefore I expect it to work, and it does. 2. Blood > flow (STEVE!!) is different lying down to standing or sitting. There ya go... ;) 3. I am more > relaxed in general. At least he didn't dismiss it! He was very > understanding about how distressful tinnitus can be, and is sad he is seeing > more and more patients arrive these days due to damaging their hearing by > listening to loud music :( Don't get me started on that one... I have 'strong' views about the sort of rock "music" that depends on loudness for its effect, and wonder why our culture seems so hooked on it... I am going back to see him on November the 1st > to see how I am getting on. He stressed that I am not alone, and that > counselling, with him listening and advising will eventually help - me > relaxing too, of course! Good to here you're into the relaxing bit Ben. This does really seems to help - changes the 'blood flow' in the brain or something I expect ...?~*%^^ !! > After three weeks of my "experiment" of lying on my left side, I can report > that 75% of the time it has silenced it completely, and it has stayed quiet > until the next morning. Most times it hasn't worked is due to me dropping > off to sleep again some time during the day, so ruining it that way. The > odd times it hasn't quietend down completely, I have been more than happy to > just have a slight, easily tolerable, noise instead of a very loud ringing. So you really seem to have got it under control. What a good feeling. IMO this is 3/4 of the battle because being in control kills the worry aspect stone dead. Without worry, there's no tension or fear ....and much less tinnitus. You know Ben, this 'sidedness' aspect of your T ... have you ever suffered from migraines ? ...have you tried off-the-shelf painkillers for your T ? > So, overall, I have been pleased with my efforts, and I hope others on here > can find something that will work for them too. > > Ben <off to lie down after such an over-exciting morning :) > All right for some... ;-) Cheers, Steve .> Blood > > flow (STEVE!!) is different lying down to standing or sitting. > There ya go... ;) If my experiment continues to work then I will ask him why the T stays away when I get up after my period of lying down, and the blood rushing to my feet :))) > Don't get me started on that one... I have 'strong' views about the sort of > rock "music" that depends on loudness for its effect, and wonder why our > culture seems so hooked on it... I hope young 'uns are noticing a lot of band members do wear ear protection themselves these days! I have warned my kids about music being too loud so often and not to have their Walkman's turned up full blast. > Good to here you're into the relaxing bit Ben. This does really seems to > help - changes the 'blood flow' in the brain or something I expect ...?~*%^^ > !! I feel great - as would anyone else on here - when the T goes quiet. Nevertheless, the bloke did stress the importance of relaxation - not just for T but to feel better generally. So, it can't hurt to relax, eh? > So you really seem to have got it under control. What a good feeling. IMO > this is 3/4 of the battle because being in control kills the worry aspect > stone dead. Without worry, there's no tension or fear ....and much less > tinnitus. Very true Steve. I also meant to say that a few mornings during my experiment I didn't need to bother to lie down as it went quiet, or easily tolerable without doing it. I hope you can find something to suit you too soon - no matter how bloody barmy it seems ! :) > You know Ben, this 'sidedness' aspect of your T ... have you ever suffered > from migraines ? ...have you tried off-the-shelf painkillers for your T ? I did used to have migraine, yes. My eyesight would go "funny" - zig-zaggy. Then I couldn't say what I wanted to! I'd know what I wanted to say, but it came out all wrong. Then something would go numb - could be my lttle finger, or even my tongue - bleah! The I would get a headache. I always had to go to bed when I got it as I was worse than useless until it had passed. I was never sick though, thank Dog! Now, fortunately, I seem to have grown out of it, and just occasionally get the zig-zag in one eye (yes, it is always worse if it's on the left!!) but it only lasts around 15 minutes, and although I can't watch TV or read properly, it is nowhere near as bad as it was - in fact, it ain't really all that noticeable. My partner gets the same thing, so does my son - and my daughter has a full-blown migraine occasionally, so it runs in the family. I have never tried much in the way of pain killers - well, not enough to affect my T. > > Ben <off to lie down after such an over-exciting morning :) > > All right for some... ;-) Cheers, Heh heh heh - I have this week off! Lying down wasn't helpful regarding my T much today because as soon as it went quiet I dropped off to sleeep ( remember I am the serial sleeper LOL) however, when I woke up, I switched on my new machine on sea wave sounds, and bugger me if I didn't drop off again as I felt so relaxed! Blimey! :) Now the T is tolerable, but I feel I need to get up at a decent time, see how the T is, and if it is tolerable, then be satisified with that, and if really loud then try lying down. I thought if I keep trying to quieten it down completely then I might become obsessed with it and then fail eventually. Good luck to you Steve in finding something to help yours. Have you mentioned Propranalol to the doc yet? If you are convinced your blood flow needs slowing down, I really thiink it's worth trying. Ben > I hope young 'uns are noticing a lot of band members do wear ear protection > themselves these days! Why not simply turn the music down ? Has the same effect as ear plugs and it's cheaper... I think I must be missing something here. > I hope you can find > something to suit you too soon - no matter > how bloody barmy it seems ! :) Thanks for your kind wishes. On the whole I have established my own sort of control these days so I'm not too fussed.... 1) My T has reduced somewhat over its 3 years, 2) I've habituated, 3) I've now got various methods at my disposal, previously described here, that allow me to take control of it any time I want to. > Good luck to you Steve in finding something to help yours. Have you > mentioned Propranalol to the doc yet? If you are convinced your blood flow > needs slowing down, I really thiink it's worth trying. Not sure if it needs slowing down or the blood vessels just want opening up...I shall certainly ask him about propanalol, and also I want to ask him about vasodilators in general. I'll do this when I next have to go about my back (y'know I can't think of one ailment I have that medical science has ever been able to help - maybe I'm just getting old). Steve |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.