The Hyperacusis Network Message Board

progress

debIam — Thur, 29 Jul 2010 14:34:55 GMT

Hi all, even though I'm not supposed to be here (according to my TRT person)... I thought I should jump in to give positive info...in case someone in crisis needs reassurance.

I will get my WSG's on 8/11..but I have been practicing sound enrichment, following the misophonia "protocol" and have been pushing the envelope regarding sound tolerances. After the first session... I did as told and quit wearing the earplugs to shower, flush the toilet, unload the dishwasher etc. I did and do wear the earplugs to go to Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes. I wear them "lightly" to go into some grocery stores. I do not wear them while riding or driving.

Each day has gotten steadily better. I've had a few bad days...but even then... I told myself that it would pass. I'd seen progress...this was only a minor setback and I would again see progress. I told my husband... stop babying me. Be respectful of my ears....but don't be overly careful.

So... I feel like I have made incredible progress considering how deperate I was at first. I was lost...miserable and very frightened. Now I've "got my game on" and "failure is not an option". This is the mental/emotional attitude I have adopted in order to get better. I am not so blind as to think I will ever go unprotected to a movie theater again...or to go to a fireworks display without protection. I will do what I need to do to protect my ears.

I still have H & T....but it isn't in control of me now. I believe the strong cognitive therapy provided on the first visit was the key to opening my prison door.

I've been much happier...all this...and I haven't even got my WSG's yet!
Thanks to all on this board for pointing the way out.

deb

Forum: New Messages

Myoclonus In Ear

Arnie — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:50:10 GMT

Hi i am very worried because i have myoclonus twitching inside my ear for 3 months now. I am thinking about getting it cut because i am really desperate. Please help me. The spasms are not sound sensitive they just appear from nowhere and last all day, then it will go away for a day or 2 or 3 then it will come back.

Forum: New Messages

Sensitivity to whistling and people eating

pbo1971 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:06:10 GMT

Hearing people whistling drives me up a wall and has done so ever since I was a child. I never knew what my problem was, but it has been a severe problem for me. Seeing and hearing people chew gum or food has the same effect.

Some days I can barely stand to go in to work, as my coworkers chew gum and there are chronic whistlers all around me.

Two other things, which seem strange, but fit the pattern -- I am affected the same way by the sound of someone yawning and by the sound of the someone saying the word 'sleep'.

Does this sound like hyperacusis?

Forum: New Messages

The Big Picture News stories in photographs

MirjamVonk — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:27:29 GMT

The Big Picture

News stories in photographs.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

New photographs all the time.

2010 Tour de France Part I

July 16 2010.

The first half of the 20-stage 2010 Tour de France cycling race is over, with the current overall leader being Andy Schleck of Luxembourg riding for Denmark's Team Saxo Bank. This 97th running of the iconic race started in Rotterdam with 198 riders in 22 teams of nine, and will conclude 3,642 km (2,263 mi) later in Paris on the Champs-Elysees on July 25. Collected here are a handful of images from the race so far - another entry will follow after the final stage has been run. (40 photos total)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/2010_tour_de_france_-_part_i.html

2010 Tour de France Part II

July 26 2010.

The 2010 Tour de France cycling race is now over, with Spain's Alberto Contador claiming his third win in Paris yesterday. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg finished 39 seconds back, and seven-time tour winner Lance Armstrong finished 23rd in his final Tour de France. This 97th running of the iconic race started in Rotterdam with 198 riders in 22 teams of nine, and finished yesterday, 3,642 km (2,263 mi) later in Paris, France on the Champs-Elysees. Collected here are a handful of images from the second half of the race - see part I for earlier photos. (41 photos total)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/2010_tour_de_france_-_part_ii.html

Stormy skies

July 23 2010.

In the past several months, powerful storms have wreaked havoc in many places, torrential rains in central Europe and parts of China, tornadoes in Australia, Montana and the American Midwest, and strong thunderstorms across the northeast. Now, as Tropical Storm Bonnie makes landfall in Florida and heads into the Gulf of Mexico, oil cleanup is being suspended, and the final "kill" operation is delayed for at least one more week. These storms have been destructive and deadly, but beautiful and awe-inspiring at the same time. Collected here are a handful of photographs of stormy skies, lightning strikes and storm damage from the past several months. (37 photos total)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/stormy_skies.html

Caught in the oil

June 3 2010.

A short entry - AP Photographer Charlie Riedel just filed the following images of seabirds caught in the oil slick on a beach on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. As BP engineers continue their efforts to cap the underwater flow of oil, landfall is becoming more frequent, and the effects more evident. (8 photos total)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html

More from Eyjafjallajokull

April 19 2010.

As ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continued to keep European airspace shut down over the weekend, affecting millions of travelers around the world, some government agencies and airlines clashed over the flight bans. Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed now as airlines are pushing for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward, if at a slightly diminished rate now, as the dispersing ash plume has dropped closer to the ground, and the World Health Organization has issued a health warning to Europeans with respiratory conditions. Collected here are some images from Iceland over the past few days. (35 photos total)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

Hurricane Ike previous message of Dan:

http://www.chat-hyperacusis.net/post?id=2989691

The short - but eventful life of Ike

September 15 2008.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

Love, Mirjam

Forum: Friendly Chat

Eardrum ruptured 2nd time, worried about H

earMan22 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:27:51 GMT

So I had an ear drum rupture from flying in 2007. That was painful but after the initial pain i really wasn't in pain.. i just rested and took meds and then it healed.

Well last week i got an aweful earpain after a week of being sick, first with extreme throat pain when swallowing, and then a fever and congestion/cough/sneezing etc. Then the pressure built up and at night POW. i felt like a snake was forcefully making it's way through my ear. It was sooo weird,, that lasted like 2 minutes on and off..and then I couldn't sleep cause i was in pain but i managed to sleep about 2 hours.

When i woke up there was blood coming out of my ear(blood and pus) it was semi dry. I went to DR. and he said my ear drum was torn and gave me new antibiotics to replace the Penicilin i was taking for the sorethroat(Sorethroat which i still have 9 days after .. it's stubborn).. And
gave me eardrops..

SIDENOTE: Anybody know why they're called Ofloxacin Ophthalmic Solution.. and the instructions say FOR OPHTHALMIC USE ONLY...
Isn't Ophthalmology mean Eye stuff?? Then why am i putting Eye drops for my ear.. My mother also has eye drops from her doctor and they say something about OPHTHALMIC. that's weird. Are eye drops used for ear problems always? i never knew this
***

Anyway, back to my topic.
So the first time i had an Eardrum rupture( 2007)
Some weird sounds started to appear and i still have those up to now. At night when i sleep, i feel like a salt shaker or Swashing water sounds inside my ear. So i often get up and have to stand up and wake up to make those go away.
I asked something about this here in this forum back in the beginning when i started having it and people said it could be part of my Tinnitus/Hyperacusis.

So since i got a new ear drum rupture(2010), should i expect to get more weird sounds on top of what i already have?

Forum: New Messages

For Dr J from Lou

kimberleydust — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:12:15 GMT

Hi Dr J,

I have just recovered 2 of my (separate) posts to you which seem to have 'slipped through the system!'. If possible could you please answer the following...

Quote:

Yes John is correct - I don't have access to a trained TRT specialist - and I definitely won't be flying anywhere for quite a long time - not till I have to, to have an MRI in October...I am relying on educating myself and others experiences and help...and of course learning what works and doesn't work best for me...So any advice you have would be most welcomed!

I actually wanted to ask you how you felt my brainstem tumour may contribute to my hyperacusis (or just hyperacusis in general). My tumour sits right where the facial nerve starts in the brainstem along with the abducens nerve to the eye muscles (my eyes are directly affected by the tumour). So is my balance - my body overbalances - falls to one side or keeps falling frontways...It is in the pontomedullary area and extends into the fourth ventricle - approx 2cm diameter. As you would understand I have numerous issues because of the tumour and one thing affects the other - I believe hyperacusis is just one of these...

I can give you more info if you like but don't want to take up too much of your time...

Quote:

Thank you DrJ for sharing your clinic's treatment protocol with us...I have a question...How would you treat someone like myself who has sound sensitivity in combination with light sensitivity and general stimulation sensitivity due to a brainstem tumour (maybe you have treated someone else not necessarily with a brainstem tumour but with a different brainstem condition with these same/similar symptoms). Or another condition where the auditory pathways (nerves/nuclei) are irritated/affected from a permanent lesion/constriction/shearing??

Since posting these I have been at my lowest point due to over exposure and not being able to escape from ongoing outside noise - waking up to it every day and affecting me on every level...until we 'plugged' up our bedroom window to block out the outside noise and create a 'safe' haven for me to start my day off on the right foot and also a place to rest from outside noise and light and all stimulation when needed. This has proven extremely beneficial and I have been able to get back a little bit of strength which has enabled me to gain some tolerance and it is improving a little bit each day. All my tumour symptoms have got worse due to the over exposure. I put this down to the fatigue created intially from the effects of the sound sensitivity which has exacerbated my symptoms. It is only since breaking the cycle and cutting out the noise first thing in the morning that I have made some improvement.

Thank you in advance for your help Dr J.

Forum: New Messages

Advice needed on a new problem

Gizmookie — Thur, 22 Jul 2010 21:26:42 GMT

Hi everyone! I imagine my problems answers are located somewhere in this site already, but I hate to search for things that may or may not be the same. Sometimes I think reading all sorts of dooms day info can make a person worse. But because you all are such knowledgeable people I figured it would be easier just to post my situation.

Last night, I was on my laptop with my earbuds in listening to music when I heard a 'thumping' sound deep in my left ear. I thought it was my earbuds so I took them out. Nope. It continued off an on, a thump every 15 seconds or so. The only way I can describe this 'thump' is if you put your hand up over your ear, as if to cover it, and then tap your ear lightly... that sound it makes is what I'm hearing only deep inside my ear.   Along with the sound, I'm feeling as though something is twitching at the same time. I went to bed, had trouble falling asleep of course with thumper in my ear, woke up and went about my day today. It disappeared for a few hours this morning but then returned only to be more frequent. Now it thumps (sometimes 2-3 times in a row) every 5 seconds or so before once again disappearing for a while.

There is NO pain involved, and my hearing is still normal. The only thing is that after it's been happening a bit, my ear feels a bit tired almost, or maybe a bit swelled inside? Gah, it's hard to describe.   Annoying is absolute. Ha ha.

If this continues a few more days, I plan to see a doctor. My question is which one to see... an audiologist, ENT, or someone else? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to ear problems.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

Ear thumping/twitching Darlene

Forum: New Messages

Hyperacusis Network Leads To Marriage

cbBen — Thur, 22 Jul 2010 16:27:13 GMT

Peachoid and I would like to share the remarkable news that we are getting married.

We never would have met were it not for the network, and accordingly we owe Dan a tremendous debt of gratitude.

With all the good this network has done, it now has done the additional miracle of bringing the two of us together.

Quite a silver lining.

Forum: New Messages

Burnt Biscuits

DanMalcore — Thur, 22 Jul 2010 13:01:40 GMT

This is great story I heard today:

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what

he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

What Ive learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most

important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

God Bless

Dan

Forum: Friendly Chat

Leaking earplug big risk for hearing

MirjamVonk — Thur, 22 Jul 2010 09:17:50 GMT

Leaking earplug big risk for hearing

July 12 2010.

http://kassa.vara.nl/actueel/consumentennieuws/artikel/nieuws/lekkend-oordopje-groot-risico-voor-gehoor/

People who are wearing leaking earplugs at concerts run more risk at hearing damage than people who are not wearing earplugs. That is what the Flemish (in Belgium) newspaper De Morgen reported on Monday.

The newspaper quotes audiologist Bart Vinck of the Ghent University. He stresses that earprotectors that are tested and leakfree do offer good protection. The consumer should just have his earpieces tested, according the audiologist.

The Ghent University and the consumer organisation Test-Aankoop sent tens of test subjets to different sellers of hearingprotections. After that the subjects went with the bought hearing protection to a three hours lasting concert with an average soundlevel of 105 dB. More than half of the test subjects was dealing with a serious decrease in hearing afterwards.

When you put in hearingprotection and it doesnt connect properly or the filter doesnt work as it should be, then the sound still comes through into your ear, it can hardly get out and is being send on to your ear-drum. Your ear just gets even more sound to digest and has a bigger risk for damage, according Vinck. He is also warning for the fact that the muffle/deadens level of hearingprotections often is much lower than what is given on the package.

Love, Mirjam

'Lekkend oordopje risico voor gehoor'

12 juli 2010. 12u.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/7155482/___Lekkend_oordopje_groot_risico___.html?sn=binnenland,buitenland

'Lekkend oordopje groot risico voor gehoor'

http://www.nu.nl/gezondheid/2290855/lekkend-oordopje-groot-risico-gehoor.html

Forum: New Messages

Brainstorm for a soundnorm

MirjamVonk — Thur, 22 Jul 2010 08:27:23 GMT

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=NQ2RSTNT

Brainstorm for a soundnorm

Hearing damage: how do we solve it?

Saturday June 26 2010.

Author: Peter Vantyghem

In the Flemish (in Belgium) musicworld everybody wants to have a clear soundnorm as soon as possible. The Government ia asking for one more year to achieve that new law. Meanwhile organizers and visitors of concerts have to try to make the best of it.

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=FV2S1M77

First the real excesses need to go

The sound expert

Saturday June 26 2010.

Author: (vpb)

Claude Bataillie (54) is working as a sound expert at the Provincial Centre for Soundresearch. In the entire province East-Flanders (in Belgium) he is doing measurements and is giving courses and explanation in the provinces Brabant, West-Flanders and Limburg.

Love, Mirjam

Forum: New Messages

Decreased Sound Tolerance and The Dentist Less Drilling YES!

LynnMcLaren — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:00:40 GMT

This is It, (((((( Smiles ))))))

There are a few dentists here and there that do this kind of treatment and if I didn't have these heavy metals put into my backteeth long time ago I wouldn't be going through this now.
There are so many options if you need to just fill a new cavity but I don't get those options because they have to take this metal stuff out.
It's old it probably has small cracks and leaks.
There is still tooth around it but better do it before it mess's that up to..
Most times they have to do crowns which is awful because they can break my husband had to have two replaced.
But read that with new technology thats more less likely having to always replace it with crowns and I do not like the idea of crowns much either.
They need to be replaced they are long past their shelf life and a dentist did tell me he saw small cracks at one time and he said if you don't take them out someday they will eventually crack your teeth too.
I've been to the dentist for cleaning polishing many times it's just 8 heavy metal fillings is alot of work it's not a fun thing and could be quite noisy.
But then doing some research on it cutting the amalgans into chunks involves less drilling.
With drilling come heat and fumes and I don't want to inhale that awful stuff...
How in the world could they put mercury into anybodies mouth anyway thats just a breech of common sense and when I finally found out what it was it really upset me alot as I was just 8/9 years old when the pediatric dentist started filling my teeth with this toxic metal.
At first it's so unreal but so true...
So this is it, I wonder if they would take dental insurance or how does that go....Hmmmmmm

Quote:

Cutting the Amalgam into Chunks

Most mercury-safe dentists use a removal process thats commonly referred to as chunking.

This involves less drilling, because the dentist only drills enough to cut the filling into chunks, which can then be easily removed by a hand instrument or suction.

Both chunking and keeping the filling cool during removal are very important and I believe all mercury safe dentists should follow this procedure.

But after this I'm going to do this because I truly want to stay well!

http://www.angelhealingcenter.com/AmalgamProtocol.html

I've read and studied up on too much of what mercury exposure can do to ones brain and auditory system.
And thats a recorded fact on what it can cause. Harm!

And sick is not what I want to get I plan on staying well...
Glad these kind of dentists are around less drilling so many people out there with tinnitus not to mention sound sensitivity disorders...
And alot of them probably have some of this junk in their mouths to deal with too.
They need to be more sensitive to people like us however ones condition is doing don't want to make it worse... (((( Smiles ))))

Forum: New Messages

pink noise/wsg

iasthai — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:38:56 GMT

I've been playing pink noise on a CD players for the past 4 months nonstop. The H has not improved one bit. I have WSG but the only problem is that they react with my T too much. Any suggestions?

Forum: New Messages

job

iasthai — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:34:19 GMT

What do people do around here for a job?

Forum: New Messages

bang and olufsen ear buds

pattiluv — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:52:52 GMT

just wanted to share one more thing
for those of you who have a problem with in-ear earbuds, consider trying these. the ones that have a swing style earbud. this is what they use with the neuromonics, too.
they allow you to swing the little bud away from your ear if need be
and they have little speakers in them so they are of much higher quality than a ten dollar pair
you can often get them used on amazon.com or ebay.com
i share this because having my music for walks adds so much to my life.
i remember finding out about them. they made me so happy!

Forum: New Messages