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hearing therapy

pdm4606

pdm4606

Super Member
I went for an audio test today. The result of a ringing in my right ear. It has been an issue for a few years. Lately though it has been a nuisance. Sometimes lasting for days at a time. It is bothering my right ear.
The result of the hearing test showed normal hearing level until around around 7kHz where it drops down around 5db with a rising to a normal at 9kHz. The left ear showed a perfectly normal hearing range with no dips or loss. There is no cure for this loss. It is the result of working for 39 years in a metal stamping/tool & die enviroment. Heavy machines and big noises were common. In later years the company I worked at gave hearing tests to everyone. Not as a detection for loss but as a legal argument if the ex-employee were to sue for the loss.
Talking with the audiologist and explaining my hobby and life around audio equipment he became convinced that I knew more about my issue that he did. he was primarily a hearing aid salesman and knew nothing of any hearing aid that would fix my issue. After talking further he said that I had more equipment than he did for checking the frequency of the loss.
His suggestion was to find the loss frequency and bombard the nerves with the loss frequency. He suspects that the nerves are looking for that loss frequency and the nerve ends become aggittated and start the ringing. He said that is the best explanation of the loss that he ever heard. There is not much known of exactly the cause, he said.
I am now listening to my Knight Kit audio signal generator connected to my Marantz 1060 and putting the signal into my Sennheiser phones.
The audiologist said to try it for 15 minutes at a low level and see if there are any changes.

So far so good.

Paul
 
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I was tested a couple of years ago and, same as you, they are concerned mainly with speech recognition and selling hearing aids. In my case, the left ear stops around 7kHz and the right is good to 14kHz. I don't think a hearing aid will help because if I crank up the left side of headphones above 7k (Koss Porta Pro that I can measure with a microphone and see on a scope as high as 25kHz), I am never able to hear it until it becomes loud enough to hear in the right ear from the left phone. BTW, I'm 66 years old and could once align the horizontal oscillator of TVs without looking at the screen.

What seems strange about my issue is that noise exposure should affect both ears equally, so maybe it isn't noise related.

My last company had periodic fire alarm tests. Ok, because we left the building immediately. But, one time it was a severe storm test and we had to stay inside listening to that squeal for about half an hour.
 
Keep us in the loop. This is an interesting test.

The theory that he speaks of is well documented. There is something called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy which seeks to do exactly what you are attempting. Yes, it may be snake oil but you have every right to try.
 
I seem to hear better without aids for a while after having them in. It's not normalized tho' and I still need them
 
hearing therapy continued

I did my therapy last night as in the first post. This morning I woke to a very clean sound to my right ear. The therapy(15 mins. at around 8800 Hz) seems to have had some affect. It is the first time in around 2 weeks that my ringing has diminished. However the ear is very sensitive to sound. Very big change from the previous.
I am not saying my ringing is cured at all. The ringing is much diminished and my right ear is very sensitive.
I will continue the therapy but I am looking for an accurate way to calibrate my settings.
First thing I need is a way to know the actual frequency I am matching to my ringing. Right now I can look at the pointer of a 50 year old audio frequency generator and guess if it is correct. No readout on this antique.
Second, I want a way to see how much pressure level I am giving my ear.
Or at least know what power I am putting into my Sennheisers.
I want to be able to duplicate the settings with actual data.


Paul
 
This is fascinating. Please keep us posted as events develop. I belong to the Iphone/Ipad nation. There are some really slick apps available for hearing tests via the apps store. I imagine the Android and other operating systems have similar available in case any of you want to DIY your hearing.
 
Interesting info!
I've had "Ringing in both Ears for 40+ yrs probably due to my Lifestyle of being a Musician for much of my Adult life I would think as well as other noise related side jobs. Had an Audiologist(Audiology & Speech-Language Specialist) check my hearing out late last year and found that I couldn't hear beyond 8,000 HZ in one Ear and 10,000 in the other and he seems to think that is fairly normal for my age(67) due to my Lifestyle such as it is/was! Although I have never had any problems in relation to listening to my Systems down over the years and it seems that I have grown accustomed to this ringing because I have had it for so long. I don't seem to miss much sound from anything or anyone around me not in the least or at least it seems to be that way but hey what do I know and who am I to doubt my Hearing Specialists down over the years:)
 
Paul wrote:
"First thing I need is a way to know the actual frequency I am matching to my ringing..."

For that, a frequency counter, as a stand-alone box, smartphone app, or PC program thru sound card. Last two should be available very cheap, if not free. (With some creativity, the app or PC program could address point two also.)

Also try to get a frequency response graph of the headphones. Few are ruler-flat, but all that's really necessary is to know what the response is supposed to be.


"Second, I want a way to see how much pressure level I am giving my ear.
Or at least know what power I am putting into my Sennheisers."

For SPL (repeatably) you'll need some sort of standard of measurement, in both microphone and whatever enclosure you use to measure in. Anything home-brew will be non-standard, but if you can duplicate the measurements, it can be compared to a standard later on if needed. Easiest would be to measure the voltage going into the phones on that channel, with a true RMS voltmeter that has a rated frequency response that comfortably includes your target frequency. Either measure while you're listening, while the cans are sitting on the table, or while they're hanging by an earcup over the edge, with the target earcup sealed against the tabletop. (Although these three orientations would likely result in the same voltage level, there could be very small differences if your headphone amp is very low power.) Again, this would be a kind of "non-standard but repeatable" measurement.

Knowing the Sennheiser's frequency response curve with a given input, plus their efficiency numbers (if available) could let you calculate the SPL... if the cans are "fresh", and the factory measurements are taken with a real head and ear involved, and if your real head and ear is somewhat close, etc. Numbers may not be traceable to NIST standards, but they would be valid for charting your progress with your hearing and your head/ear.


"I want to be able to duplicate the settings with actual data."

If you do your logging measurements in a consistent, repeatable way, with the same equipment, then it would be easy to re-create your settings when it comes time to make measurements with "real" calibrated test equipment.

It may be good to check out one of the app-based hearing tests, and run a baseline on yourself before things get too far along. (Plus you still have the audiologist's baseline.) This would allow good long-term progress verification, in a way that is as non-subjective as possible.

Very interesting thread, this is...

Chip
 
Last edited:
later this day

We dropped the dogs off and went for breakfast. I noticed some ringing but less than yesterday.
Around 11:AM the ringing was all back again. I felt some what disappointed but am going on with the therapy process today at around 7 PM.

Paul
 
later treatment

I did my 7:PM treatment.
I still hear the ringing for now. But diminished. Maybe I am telling myself that.

Will check tomorrow AM for O'night results.

Paul
 
pdm4606 said:
I will continue the therapy but I am looking for an accurate way to calibrate my settings.
First thing I need is a way to know the actual frequency I am matching to my ringing. Right now I can look at the pointer of a 50 year old audio frequency generator and guess if it is correct.
Click to expand...

You can download this tone generator, then tune your manual equipment to match the frequency. The demo is free but expires after a period of time. (There are ways to hack around that but I can't give that info.)

http://www.nch.com.au/tonegen/index.html
 
There are some health supplements out there which can significantly lower tinnitus. I've tried some of them, and they can definitely lower one's personal noise-floor a bit.
 
Success stories for tinnitus are rare. I tried the tones and it offered temporary relief.

Mine is, without a doubt , related to or affected by barometric pressure changes. Once I understood the pattern of my tinnitus it was much less bothersome.

The first two years were bad, very bad.
 
I use this online tone generator to scrub through my tinnitus frequencies.

http://plasticity.szynalski.com/tone-generator.htm

I can both feel and hear when I land on the correct frequency.It can completely eliminate the ringing and it feels amazing.

Unfortunately the relief is very temporary but if I am experiencing a particularly annoying whine,it is comforting to know I can knock it down.That will usually allow enough time for it to drop to normal so I can forget about it and ignore it.

The author of that webpage also has a good bit of informatiuon on dealing with tinnitus.(there is a link at the bottom with his name)

Stress,poor health/medications, and diet have an effect on the volume of tinnitus.

For falling asleep I listen to quiet music/slow tempo that has instruments in my worst tonal ranges.(2 to 4k naturally)

Violin music is strong in that range.

Good luck all...someday we may beat this...til then,learn not to let it beat you...that only makes it worse. :)
 
therapy

Like the post says, It is only temporary.
This morning shows the therapy. The ringing is more distinct but at a lower level.
Hoping for more.
Looking for a frequency counter.
See photo of my sophisticated therapy setup.

Paul
 

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Geez taking the test is depressing. No bottom or top any more, 97/12,335 solid nothing above or below.

Some days the ringing is better then others for me. To many years on the flight line, even with muffs on still got to the inner ear.


Barney
 
Some hearing aids include tinnitus treatment therapy, including mine which I presently don't need. The stimulation they provide otherwise seems to help it without.
 
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