Tinnitus question
Posted by ShadowManBart@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 55 comments
Hey yall, quick question… does anybody else have like CRIPPLING tinnitus? I just turned 25, been a pilot since I was 20. was a flight instructor for almost 2 years and been working a corporate 91 job for the last year and a half. Ever since I was an instructor, I absolutely CAN NOT stand to be in a room/area that’s any sort of remotely quiet. my ears ring so loud and I literally feel like I’m getting dizzy. It honestly really worries me like I’m going to have to carry a white noise machine around with me for the rest of my life just to not go absolutely insane. I know there’s no “cure” for it, I think I’m really just looking for others going through it so I know that I’m not alone in this.
zoomzoomzoomie@reddit
I'm a military physician and a private pilot. After my first year of flying GA, I started noticing some very mild tinnitus. Now I fly with hearing protection (flanged tip ear plugs) every time, even under my A20s.
I've done some basic internet searches and I can't find any studies or claims by the big ANC manufacturers that ANC prevents hearing loss.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
That’s shocking, I never thought to look into that. Maybe I outa start doing that, I do at least know that hearing loss is cumulative so I can still prevent it from getting worse.
dilemmaprisoner@reddit
I think it's a good idea. Mine is mostly constant, but does get worse from fatigue and long exposure to loud noise (a long day of driving or flying). With earplugs under headset, you're reducing all noise, but you turn up the volume for the only the sound you actually want to hear.
My trip to an audiologist/ENT showed me that mine was related to some high frequency hearing loss - i.e. the tinnitus I'm hearing is mainly frequencies I can't hear real sound of anymore (those cells are dead or dying and misfiring). I suspected this when I did some (I think BS) online tests to listen to sounds and find my tinnitus frequencies. But I never could find them, because I can't actually hear those freq well; they're generated in my hearing cells.
I do get you about the maddening of silent rooms. But I also already had a bit of hyperacusis (sensitivity to loud sounds), and always loved silence. I have memories of my favorite silent places on trips to the desert southwest. Paradoxically, I often sleep with earplugs; other sounds are so annoying when I'm trying to sleep that I just cocoon myself with nothing but my tinnitus sound. I can't stand it at any other point in the day and can't think. It's just when I'm trying to sleep that I can take it.
zoomzoomzoomie@reddit
One of my buddies who is a CFI has started to fly with double ear protection as well.
Military personnel on the flight line are routinely recommended to wear double ear protection (granted they're working with jets).
And my physics understanding of ANC is that the headset is emitting an out of phase sound wave to cancel the external sound. But the external sound wave still comes through and hits the ear drum to some extent. Happy to be proven incorrect by others if my understanding of the physics behind this are incorrect.
AuspiciousSnowflake@reddit
ANC is just destructive interference of the wave. If done perfectly no sound will be heard and the eardrum won’t move. Obviously it’s imperfect so there isn’t complete destructive interference hence why you still hear some sound. That being said it is a misconception that there is still inaudible damage being done. The volume you’re hearing in ANC is what’s hitting your eardrum
SimonHK90@reddit
You're not alone dude. I played in rock bands and went to loud gigs and mixed live music, but generally survived that without too much damage. Then 10 years ago I got a cold, went on an airliner flight, must have got something infected in my middle ear, woke up the next morning with noticeable tinnitus in the left ear. It has stayed with me ever since. It's liveable with mostly. I don't notice it when there is noise in the the environment, only when it's quiet. It does affect my ability to hear conversations in noisy rooms though. It is part of the experience now, it barely registers. I only hear it when I listen for it. I'm 57 and a couple of years from hearing aids I think.
mustang__1@reddit
I've been around putt putts since I was a few months old. In my 30s now. Thankfully, no tinnitus. I do think I should get some ear plugs to wear on busy ramps with jets running their damn APUs though
Booogers27@reddit
Put the foam earplugs fat end in and they work twice as good
saml01@reddit
Have you had this tinitus diagnosed or are you just saying you have tinitus?
loopsbruder@reddit
Who doesn't know if they have tinnitus lol
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
I dare not get diagnosed with anything. Doesn’t seem like too difficult of a condition to figure you have though
old_flying_fart@reddit
"Are you sure your leg is missing? Have you been *diagnosed* with a missing leg?"
When you have tinnitus, you KNOW. You don't need WebMD.
saml01@reddit
Could also be caused by a tumor.
old_flying_fart@reddit
Yes, those hoofbeats could be a zebra.
The tumor test is easy - one ear or two?
saml01@reddit
If its as bad as you describe then it could be something worse. But whatever you feel is right.
bureaucrat37@reddit
Nope, more likely to win the lottery while being struck by lightning.
saml01@reddit
So you're saying there a chance?
flyingron@reddit
I have it pretty bad (though I'd not say cripping). Airplanes are not quiet rooms so it's not much of an issue. As long as your hearing (with or without amplification) can pass the spoken word test (or the FAA audiogram standard) and you have normal sleep patterns, it's not a problem.
old_flying_fart@reddit
I have it, but not as bad as you. I started in a plane with a handheld mic, and I flew an experimental with inadequate protection for too long. I hear it but it's annoying, not debilitating. My wife has adapted.
Good luck to you.
Also, you probably know this - but my AME has no idea.
healthycord@reddit
What’s cool is that you’re totally allowed to have hearing aids. You just get a note on your medical saying that hearing amplification is required. And guess what covers that requirement? The regular aviation head set you wear. Totally a non-issue unless you’re like legitimately deaf
old_flying_fart@reddit
There's a word in OP's post that's incompatible with 18b on MedExpress, and it's not tinnitus.
Migglle@reddit
Dizzy?
old_flying_fart@reddit
Shhhh! AMEs are listening - at least the ones that don't have tinnitus.
Migglle@reddit
Never been dizzy in my life. As a matter of fact, I dont even know what the word dizzy means. Guess thats what happens to people who never get dizzy like me. AMEs rejoice
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
I appreciate your comment and the advice. I have also been known to unintentionally spill beans that definitely should not have been spilled.
FeatherMeLightly@reddit
Interesting posts here.
Tinnitus is not always caused by lack of hearing protection. I played, recorded and mixed music for along time throughout the 80s and 90s, I always wore hearing protection when I played live, literally was the guy at the concers wearing the ear foam, all my life but still encountered some issues.
Genetics is a real thing. Also, other external factors.
See an ENT, some root causes can be mitigated, probably not reversed but not getting it looked at for fear of some diagnosis is risking everything for something that may be addressable.
Best of luck
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s a good point, plus I don’t think tinnitus is a disqualifying condition anyways. I will say, I have always disliked silence. My ears have always rang a little bit in quiet rooms for literally as long as I can remember. I vividly remember asking my parents as a kid why that happened, but it was never unbearable until I started flying. Probably not a bad idea to just go see the doc, though. I appreciate your comment!
old_flying_fart@reddit
"disqualifying condition"
"dizzy"
I'll let you connect the rest of the dots. You might want to start here: https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_process/app_history/item18/b
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
You might just be the goat kind sir. Anybody ever asks me about it I’ll just say “well it’s never silent in the plane is it?” 😂
old_flying_fart@reddit
I appreciate it, but who's going to ask you about what?
My wife knows. Nobody else does. And like many others in this thread, I have learned to live with it.
The di**y part is worrisome. I've been dealing with an 18b issue, and one challenge is that it's more open to OKC judgement than most 18* questions.
d4rkha1f@reddit
Your phone is the only white noise machine you need
JSTootell@reddit
I wouldn't call mine "debilitating", but it's bad.
Years around loud cars. Very loud cars. Then into the military where I spent 16 hours a day in an engine room* for days on end. Many years of spending countless hours of my life in an engine room, or other loud space.
So yeah, it's pretty bad. But it doesn't stop me from living my life.
*Being in the engine room is like just hanging out under the hood of your car, while driving down the freeway. Multiple engines screaming (it's literally painful just to remove your hearing protection for a second), 180° temperatures, it sucks.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Yeesh man I can’t imagine how bad you’ve got it. I may have been a *bit dramatic in my post, I just got to the point earlier where I was crashing out and just needed some reassurance that this isn’t going to be the death of me.
Da_hoodest_hoodrat@reddit
I’m just a bit older than you, but I have always been around loud things with my hobbies from racing, shooting, live music etc. And in college when I was 19 I came back from a show with my friends in the car and everyone sounded like charlie brown muffled voices, from that point on I an VERY strict about having no budget on the best hearing protection available to me.
I have tinnitus and it sucks, but I try and reduce exposure when I can. Also have you tried lipo flavonoid? OTC supplement that can help some cases. Worked amazing for my old boss, gave me headaches instead so results may very lol. Doesn’t hurt to try.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the info Mr. Hoodrat. I have not heard of that but like you said, definitely can’t hurt to try!
CantHaveWhatIWant@reddit
When I went to have my debilitating tinnitus figured out with a tinnitus specialist, it was found to be caused by a hearing deficiency. As it was explained to me; tinnitus is caused by your brain forcing you into a constant state of fight or flight because it can no longer hear a possible threat approaching. Because of that, it fabricates that threat by creating the tinnitus sounds you “hear.” I was given hearing aids and I almost immediately got relief from the static ringing. I only hear it now when I think about it, as in while I’m typing this explaining what was explained to me. Might be time to go see an audiologist with a speciality in tinnitus.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Awesome info, thank you for your comment! Another guy was telling me about something called tinnitus retraining therapy I think it was, but that was also with an audiologist. After this comment I definitely think I outta just go do it and see what my options are. I appreciate you very much!
CantHaveWhatIWant@reddit
Best of luck to you! Getting my hearing aids at 36 years old was life changing. It’s definitely worth looking in to.
bureaucrat37@reddit
I have it worse than you. Promise. But, while there is no cure (don’t think I’d ever want one) there is treatment that is very effective.
It’s called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. It’s those hearing aids someone else spoke about but so much more. The white noise is only a small part of it. Learning the hows and whys this is happing to you is the biggest factor to beating it.
Here’s a little secret, the ringing in your ears is about as consequential to your life as the speed that your fingernail grow. It’s just that right now your autonomic system in your brain has latched onto it and is telling you DANGER! The trick is to retrain your brain to no longer recognize it as something harmful.
So, search around for TRT in your area. Many audiologists specialize in it. It works but, it takes time. In the meantime, if you are having trouble sleeping try listening to campfire sounds on a Bluetooth speaker. It weirdly works wonders.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Dude! I literally almost missed your comment. A lot came in at one time and I was trying to respond to everyone. I’m glad I came back to make sure, this is great info! Another dude had me almost convinced I outta go see an ENT, but I’ll definitely look into audiology. I really really appreciate your testimony! It’s been very helpful to hear stories of other people going through it, but even better to hear from you that it’s conquerable. I am literally going to look into this right now! God bless you!
HotCompany8499@reddit
I have it too, maybe not as bad as yours but for a couple years I struggled to sleep at night because the noise would be unbearable.
I tried a lot of different things, supplements, reducing coffee, etc. I found that not going to the gym anymore somehow turned my tinnitus down by like 80%. I don’t know if it was the exertion or what, but ever since I stopped going, I went from not being able to sleep because of the ringing, to now i don’t even notice it day to day.
Sorry for what you’re going through man. It’s hard to understand the insanity unless you’ve been there, and I get it.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the comment man, it’s really just nice to know I’m not alone. I’d rather not stop going to the gym but I suppose it might be worth a shot. I didn’t mean to sympathy farm in my post I was just crashing out a bit while I was typing it out lol
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the comment man, it’s really just nice to know I’m not along. I’d rather not stop going to the gym but I suppose it might be worth a shot. I didn’t mean to sympathy farm in my post I was just crashing out a bit while I was typing it out lol
LizardKing77733@reddit
Yes, it sucks. Flew metros for years. Played in various bands. My hearing is shot and constant ringing in my ears. My fault…I just didn’t take care of them properly. Might not be as crippling as your because I prefer a quiet room.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
I’ve always disliked silence, but it was never a problem till I became a pilot. I don’t mean to sympathy farm, I could’ve kept the details in my post to a minimum I was just crashing out while I was typing it lol.
Ok_Truck_5092@reddit
I’ve been flying for 4 years, just bought ANC headset. Before that I worked close to aircraft in the military. You are not alone and I’m only a little bit older than you. Playing a podcast or silly TV show in the background helps.
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
It’s definitely helped just hearing that other folks deal with it too especially some my age. Thanks for your comment!
RadeZayben@reddit
I have tinnitus too and you just get used to it. I know it’s hard but try and find peace with the noise. For me it’s how I know it’s truly silent. I don’t know if mine came from flying but it started after few months after I got Covid for the first time. Had it ever since. You’re not alone and I wish you the best
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your comment, I’ve read that meditating helps with learning to come to peace with it. Difficult indeed, but I will keep trying. Best of luck to you as well
SatisfactionDeep3821@reddit
You can get hearing aids from an audiologist that play a customized white noise
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
All the homies calling me “unc” since my birthday are going to have a hay day when I show up to the next function with hearing aids 😂
SatisfactionDeep3821@reddit
You can always grow out you hair lol
ShadowManBart@reddit (OP)
Great idea, if only I hadn’t been balding since I was 23! Flight instruction was not kind to me lol but I do appreciate your comment!
SatisfactionDeep3821@reddit
In all seriousness though-they are pretty effective and they work under headsets
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hey yall, quick question… does anybody else have like CRIPPLING tinnitus? I just turned 25, been a pilot since I was 20. was a flight instructor for almost 2 years and been working a corporate 91 job for the last year and a half. Ever since I was an instructor, I absolutely CAN NOT stand to be in a room/area that’s any sort of remotely quiet. my ears ring so loud and I literally feel like I’m getting dizzy. It honestly really worries me like I’m going to have to carry a white noise machine around with me for the rest of my life just to not go absolutely insane. I know there’s no “cure” for it, I think I’m really just looking for others going through it so I know that I’m not alone in this.
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