tinnitus sucks

[Paducah Home Theater]

Gunshots at reference level may not be nearly as loud as real gunshots up fairly close.

It's not really. A rifle can easily be over 140 db, maybe significantly more. What screwed me up was compensators, which basically directs all the gasses and therefore the concussion right back at your head, plus standing around watching my buddies shoot was as bad or worse than if they were shooting at my head at close ranges. I plan to put suppressors on everything I own next year. It's not worth it. Probably going to quit competitively shooting when compensated rifles are involved, the concussion rips right through your whole body if you catch it just right, it's insane.

[Islander]

There is a way to reduce the noise of tinnitus for a little while.

 

The following explanation does not use medical terms, but does convey the concept.

 

Tinnitus is the brain's reaction to hearing loss in a certain part of the audio spectrum, typically in the higher frequencies.  What happens is that the brain perceives a lack of sound in that range, so it "turns up the gain" to try to compensate.  The spurious sound that tinnitus sufferers hear is kind of like amplifier noise when you switch to a source with no output (no record or CD on/in the player, player not turned on, etc.) and turn the volume all the way up to hear if ANY sound is coming from that source.

 

The solution is to provide your ears with some sound in that range.  You can do this with a white noise generator, or just a bedside radio tuned between stations to provide that static hiss.  It doesn't have to be at high volume, either.

 

Set the radio playing at a volume that lets you get to sleep, and go to sleep.  After a few days, the brain will think your hearing has returned, and will "turn down the gain" to more normal levels, and the tinnitus noise will be reduced.  The effect can last for a week or more.

 

This is not a permanent fix, but it can give you relief for a while.

[Ceptorman]

There is a way to reduce the noise of tinnitus for a little while.

 

The following explanation does not use medical terms, but does convey the concept.

 

Tinnitus is the brain's reaction to hearing loss in a certain part of the audio spectrum, typically in the higher frequencies.  What happens is that the brain perceives a lack of sound in that range, so it "turns up the gain" to try to compensate.  The spurious sound that tinnitus sufferers hear is kind of like amplifier noise when you switch to a source with no output (no record or CD on/in the player, player not turned on, etc.) and turn the volume all the way up to hear if ANY sound is coming from that source.

 

The solution is to provide your ears with some sound in that range.  You can do this with a white noise generator, or just a bedside radio tuned between stations to provide that static hiss.  It doesn't have to be at high volume, either.

 

Set the radio playing at a volume that lets you get to sleep, and go to sleep.  After a few days, the brain will think your hearing has returned, and will "turn down the gain" to more normal levels, and the tinnitus noise will be reduced.  The effect can last for a week or more.

 

This is not a permanent fix, but it can give you relief for a while.

Very interesting concept, I think I will give it a try….thanks!

[dtel]

Ceptorman, on 29 Oct 2014 - 7:10 PM, said:

 

Islander, on 29 Oct 2014 - 5:24 PM, said:

There is a way to reduce the noise of tinnitus for a little while.

 

The following explanation does not use medical terms, but does convey the concept.

 

Tinnitus is the brain's reaction to hearing loss in a certain part of the audio spectrum, typically in the higher frequencies.  What happens is that the brain perceives a lack of sound in that range, so it "turns up the gain" to try to compensate.  The spurious sound that tinnitus sufferers hear is kind of like amplifier noise when you switch to a source with no output (no record or CD on/in the player, player not turned on, etc.) and turn the volume all the way up to hear if ANY sound is coming from that source.

 

The solution is to provide your ears with some sound in that range.  You can do this with a white noise generator, or just a bedside radio tuned between stations to provide that static hiss.  It doesn't have to be at high volume, either.

 

Set the radio playing at a volume that lets you get to sleep, and go to sleep.  After a few days, the brain will think your hearing has returned, and will "turn down the gain" to more normal levels, and the tinnitus noise will be reduced.  The effect can last for a week or more.

 

This is not a permanent fix, but it can give you relief for a while.

Very interesting concept, I think I will give it a try….thanks!

 

That is interesting, it could explain why I sleep better when we have the ceiling fan on even when it's not needed. It's old and makes a slight noise as it runs, I tend to fall asleep slower without it. 

[muel]

Oh, I see... that's why that tone generator seemed to work to block out that noise in my ear.  If you narrow the tone to the correct frequency I don't think I'd hear it at all except out of my other ear which doesn't have the problem.  That is why I didn't keep doing it... the volume was so loud to my good ear that I couldn't help but think that I wasn't actually doing further damage.  I do find that I sleep much better with some white noise in the background.  

[Cornman]

I had no idea so many others endured this same curse, sad thing so many of us or in the same unstoppable concert.

[muel]

I'm thinking about trying these next time I go to a loud concert: http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html

I've used regular earplugs but they seem to attenuate the mids and highs too much.

[Paducah Home Theater]

I'm thinking about trying these next time I go to a loud concert: http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html

I've used regular earplugs but they seem to attenuate the mids and highs too much.

Custom molded is the only way to fly. I have some Hear-Pro's now. Once they are made they can put a plug in them for music use, or an amplifier for hunting use. The problem I have is that my ear canal opening is apparently smaller than usual so unless I have some stiff plugs, they don't want to insert correctly. That's a non-issue with silicone molds.

[Boxx]

I just saw a TV commercial for Lipo-Flavonoid Plus (as mentioned in earlier posts).

 

http://www.lipoflavonoid.com/

 

Has anyone tried it?

[oldtimer]

I seem to recall it only works on tinnitus from certain causes.

[garyrc]

I just saw a TV commercial for Lipo-Flavonoid Plus (as mentioned in earlier posts).

 

http://www.lipoflavonoid.com/

 

Has anyone tried it?

 

 

I seem to recall it only works on tinnitus from certain causes.

 

I heard that it works on conditions that are misdiagnosed as tinnitus but are really caused by inadequate circulation to certain parts of the ear.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Garyrc

[BigStewMan]

“Will someone answer that phone."

Who said that?  Guess correctly and win … nothing.

[mattSER]

Scientists restore hearing in noise-deafened mice, pointing way to new therapies

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141020212308.htm

[Paducah Home Theater]

Last night I watched the Stone Temple Pilots concert at -25 db, thinking that was pretty mild.  I went to bed and my right ear was ringing just like my left one does.  Really disappointed.  I hope to goodness that these horns aren't making things worse.  I'll have to go back to soft domes or something if so.  

[dtel]

I remember reading it's a combination of volume and duration. The louder the volume the less time before damage, I was quite surprised to find that even at 90-100 db the time was longer than I would listen anyway.

 

I will try to find that chart again.

 

If I had to guess most of my damage was from around 35+ years ago as a shipfitter building boats and back them ear protection was uncommon in the shipyards.

[dtel]

Ok here is one chart, not the one I was thinking of but similar.

 

http://www.noisehelp.com/noise-dose.html

 

Exposure Levels

Noise Level (dBA) Maximum Exposure Time per 24 Hours 85 8 hours 88 4 hours 91 2 hours 94 1 hour 97 30 minutes 100 15 minutes 103 7.5 minutes 106 3.7 minutes 109 112 seconds 112 56 seconds 115 28 seconds 118 14 seconds 121 7 seconds 124 3 seconds 127 1 second 130–140 less than 1 second 140 NO EXPOSURE

 

What is also very important is this explanation.

 

"Each line by itself represents 100% of the allowable noise dose per 24-hour day. In other words, if you've already experienced 15 minutes at 100 dBA, you're "done for the day," and the remainder of your 24-hour period should have NO exposure above 85 dBA, and preferably should be below 70 dBA. If you spend a lot of time in environments with varying noise levels above 85 dBA, you can wear a noise dosimeter * and let it monitor the noise levels and exposure times and calculate the noise dose you're getting."

Edited October 31, 2014 by dtel

[BigStewMan]

I’m toast.

[garyrc]

i

Last night I watched the Stone Temple Pilots concert at -25 db, thinking that was pretty mild.  I went to bed and my right ear was ringing just like my left one does.  Really disappointed.  I hope to goodness that these horns aren't making things worse.  I'll have to go back to soft domes or something if so.  

 

How many dB was it in the room, from your listening position, as measured with a SPL meter?  Volume control settings (like the -25 dB you cited) are not meaningful unless you have set your system to Reference Level with something like Audyssey -- do you have your system set up that way?  It is possible that people who already have tinnitus are more sensitive to loud sounds than people who don't have it.

 

Horns should not make things worse, but soft domes may sound louder than they are, causing you to playback at a lower real SPL level than you would with horns, eliciting the tinnitus noise less.  The reason domes may sound louder ... but not be louder ... and get played softer ... is that, everything else being equal, they tend to have more sidebands (frequencies that are not in the original program material -- a form of distortion) that trick the brain into thinking the SPL is higher, when it is not.  Tinnitus probably is elicited by real SPL values, rather than perceived loudness.  There are some articles somewhere with photographs of sidebands in cone or dome v.s. horns.  Horns tend to look better in these photos.  

 

Also some speakers that do not use horns just can't reach the highest SPL levels without both gross distortion and potential self destruction, so they don't get played as loud.  A 105 dB, 1W, 1M speaker being fed 100 watts produces the same SPL (maybe 117 dB, or so) as an 85 dB, 1W, 1M speaker being fed 10,000 watts -- and, as PWK said, if you try the latter, you had better have a fire extinguisher ready. 

 

On the other hand, some horns may be have peaks that are in the area of maximum hearing sensitivity.

 

IMO, the better horn systems sound great at about 5 dB below reference, unless the filmmakers have gone hogwild by compressing the dynamic range and pushing everything up toward the loudest levels.  Some do.

[Paducah Home Theater]

How many dB was it in the room, from your listening position, as measured with a SPL meter?  Volume control settings (like the -25 dB you cited) are not meaningful unless you have set your system to Reference Level with something like Audyssey -- do you have your system set up that way?

I have audessey xt32 on a Marantz 7009 which I ran, so I think the receiver is accurate, but yeah concerts are recorded at a higher volume than movies. At the time I did not think it was very loud. 1.5 hours of non-stop cymbal crashes isn't part of a normal movie experience though.

Edited November 2, 2014 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[garyrc]

yeah concerts are recorded at a higher volume than movies. At the time I did not think it was very loud. 1.5 hours of non-stop cymbal crashes isn't part of a normal movie experience though.

 

Yeah, and the sound is pushed up against the top (by the engineers using dynamic range compression, and/or by the musicians themselves playing it -- and wanting it -- that way).  So nearly "everything" may be between 90 and 115 dB, or more, mostly near the top.  Movies, on the other hand, may have a few explosions, crashes, what-have-you as high as Fs 105 dB through most of the speakers and 115 through the subs, but those parts don't last long, and most music on movie soundtracks is traditionally orchestral, with a few peaks just as high as in rock/metal/ etc concerts, but most of the "loud" music being between 90 and 100 dB, with great variation.  Also, in rock/metal/etc, the cymbal crashes you mention tend to be "fatter" and more "socko" (please forgive the technical terminology) and miced closer, whereas in orchestral scores the relatively few crashes tend to be "thinner," with less intense attack. 

Edited November 2, 2014 by Garyrc