Hearing test..

[djb]

I'm 52. I have shot guns, hunted used chainsaws, & been to many loud concerts. I have also had mild tinnitus for as long as can remember. For the most part I have been as careful as possible to use hearing protection and only hunt with silencers now (absolutely legally). My left ear bugs me more and gets more annoying with stress, clenching my jaw, or if I focus on it. Decided it was time to get a real hearing consult.

Surprisingly, my hearing is still good, and the tinnitus is not hearing loss related. Frequency test was between 250-8000 hz. Even my 8k heading is considered good. I know my high frequency hearing has been reduced somewhat by loud environments and incidents but I am was relieved with the results.

I'll keep trying to protect my ears and tune out the ringing. Funny thing is, concentrated listening can draw my attention to the tinnitus. If you haven't, I'd advise all of you to get tested. There are many things that we don't even consider to cause hearing loss. You may be surprised and be able to make adjustments for improvement or at least establish a baseline for your hearing.

 

[Joe Smith]

This is a good idea for people to do. I had sudden onset tinnitus at age 65 (three months ago). It's constant but mostly noticeable in quiet rooms or when I'm in the car. I had an audiology check and subsequent MRI to rule out benign tumors that can form along the auditory nerve. My type is related to age-related hearing loss in my right ear, still mild, but with a drop in sensitivity between 1-4 khz. It's certainly annoying, I'm hoping my brain will tune it out more over time.

There was a good interview with Paul Simon on The Late Show (Colbert) last week, long discussion of Paul's near-total hearing loss in one ear and the research he did into current research activity. Pretty interesting. A number of things now in clinical trials that may be generally available in the next five years, genetic corrections that may be available further down the road. A lot of people have it, and there are a lot of different causes. It's good to get a baseline audiogram to see where you are by age 60 at least so you can keep tabs on it.

A good free app for an initial personal check (both for pure tone and noisy room hearing) is the Mimi Hearing Test, available for iPhone and probably Android as well.

 

[djb]

Interestingly I did some of the free online tests. They mirrored my results with the professional audiologist. So, it is a place to start.