Tinnitus - do you suffer from this???

[kernowstu]

i have no promblem (23 years on saw and jack hammer etc) but the old man suffers bad 60 odd years in the sawmill did not help feel sorry for the old sod and anyone else who suffers with it

[alex_m]

so really, you need to start wearing your earmuffs when splitting wood next to me with a screaming 26!

i had tinnitus once about 6 years ago, turned out to be loads of ear wax, so an ear syringe sorted that! i had to listen to talk radio when trying to sleep to keep my mind of it!

[Nick Watkins]

I have it, I got it over 12 years ago and I now control it rather than it me. I believe I got it when I was racing bikes and never wore ear plugs and after a virus woke up with a buzzing that has never gone.

 

It nearly broke me at one point I don't mind admitting and I had a really bad couple of years. If you have it and it's causing you real concern then go and see a specialist. stress doesn't help and neither does tiredness.

 

I now always wear ear plugs when needed and during the day the only annoying high pitched whine I hear is when the wife starts

[Mark J]

Had it for close to twenty years now. It can be a headbox at times but as someone said before, it now just annoys the hell out of everyone else now as everything's full blast all the time. Things like tinnitus retraining therapy can help and so can just talking to people who know what they're on about. Also, watch out for playing gabba/metal/speedcore tunes too loud in headphones...

[FLASH90]

Had it for about four months last year after an ear infection it got to a point that I was ready to cut my head off it was that annoying. I am so careful now wearing ear protection wether using saws or grinders, still have music loud button on full in workshop though

[Gav_A]

Had it for many years. At times it's been really bad and a bit of a struggle, but not so bad at present. Definately think tiredness makes it worse.

[Taupotreeman]

I worked with an old fella when I first started out. He started when it was all axe and crosscut. Anyway, he suffered badly and always told me to use ear defenders because if I didn't I'd suffer badly later in life. I've always remembered that and I have my ear defenders on nearly all day, (even when raking up although I can't see the rake making much noise) because of back ground noise, traffic etc. I usually use an MP3 player all day but am careful to keep it turned down. If I can't here the music over the chipper I don't turn it up to compensate. The wife also suffers badly due to too many concerts when she was younger. Either that or she has selective hearing........like most women

[Mark James]

If you suffer from it at all, it's not a good sign. Ask any ear specialist it is the first sign of deafness.

[Graham]

Just seen this thread and as I sit here there's a constant buzzing in my ears:confused1:

[APC]

Yup. I have mild tinnitus in my left ear. It's all my fault though. Up until October last year, I was bang into cleaning my ears out with cotton buds. Then, my hearing went. I thought just an infection and went to docs for something to sort it as there was no improvement in 2 weeks. She had a look and said she could see bits of cotton bud in there so sent me off to ENT to get it sucked out. They sucked it out, along with loads of pus that had formed around it. Got given some drops and sent on my way. This almost cleared it up but it slowly became infected again. Got more drops. Again these almost cleared it but it came back. Got given more drops and antibiotics. Less pus this time but could feel some sort of blockage still and had mild ringing in the ear. Gave it a few weeks, went back to docs as couldn't be bothered letting it get proper oozy again. Referred to ENT as 3 different sets of drops haven't sorted it.

 

The tinnitus doesn't bother me yet, but I certainly wouldn't want it getting any worse. It's weird really, as I've spent 15 years with my head in bass bins and still had perfect hearing and no issues whatsoever up until October.

 

Moral of story is: nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear.