For any of you who experience Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) you know how distracting and 'mind bending' it can be. William Shatner (Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame) reached a place in his life when he was ready to "put an end to it all." Thankfully, he is still with us.
As you might expect, (given the nature of this blog) I have also endured Tinnitus for the past ten or twelve years or longer. And I can tell you,... it ain't fun.
Tinnitus affects older people, as well as people who have been exposed to loud noises. I am, at this writing, 70 years of age. I also sat behind the engine of a UPS truck for 20 years. And when I was in the military, I once walked behind a 105 mm howitzer when it was fired. Not a pleasant experience. (Thankfully, I wasn't on the "receiving end"). Every time I hear these cars go by with the 'boom boxes' turned up to 150 decibels I think, "Those numbnuts are going to regret it one day).
Be that as it may, there are a couple of treatments for Tinnitus.
Some people submit to surgery to repair damage to structure of the inner ear. However, in some cases this surgery has led to a more intensive perception of ringing.
Other people (if we are to believe the advertisements) have experienced relief from a device which looks like a hearing aid, and emits what has been referred to as "white noise;" a tone which cancels out the symptom of Tinnitus. I honestly have not attempted this remedy. (Perhaps I should consult with the representative of a hearing aid shop, and I may one day).
At any rate, the ringing in my ear, (singular) is especially bad today. (I never experience ringing in both ears, as I believe some people do. My symptom intermittingly switches from one ear to the other). At any rate, I thought I would share something with the people on my blog who are contending with this awful malady.
**I put a foam rubber ear plug in the affected ear. This reduces the 'volume' of the noise in my ear by about a third, and makes it more tolerable. (I suppose you could use two ear plugs if you experience ringing in both ears). Just don't drive with the plugs in your ears.
I felt I just had to offer my friends and family this suggestion, as it had helped me. God bless you.
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