Re: Intro and question about tinnitus

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome to the forum and good luck with the CI. Recently there has

been a lot of discussion on the forum about recruitment, tinnitus

and CIs. The discussion started on post 41846. I had bilateral

tinnitus left worst than right and severe recruitment in my left

ear. I was told the CI might improve my tinnitus. I was implanted

on the left on 11/3/05. The CI basically cured the recruitment and

markedly improved the tinnitus in my left ear. Here is a link that

you might find helpful:

http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/recruitment.htm

Best regards,

Jim

> >>

> >> I had recruitment in my ears prior to being implanted. Now I

have

> > the

> >> implant in my right ear and a digital hearing aid in the left

> > which I just received

> >> about 4 weeks ago. There is no longer any recruitment in the

> > implanted ear

> >> because the processor has upper limits that are set by you and

the

> > audie so that

> >> you are comfortable with loud noises. Any sound that is louder

> > than the set

> >> comfort level gets " squished down " by the processor.

> >>

> >> The digital hearing aid also does that to some degree. If I

have

> > to hear an

> >> ambulance cmong down the street, it's not as loud in the

implanted

> > ear as in

> >> the HA ear....but that's been ok. I hadn't worn anything in my

> > unimplanted ear

> >> fopr 5 years so now I have to wake up that hearing nerve again.

> > I'll have to

> >> wait and see how things change in my HA ear.

> >>

> >> I have always had tinnitus and still do, in both ears. I

learned

> > to live

> >> with it a long time ago so it is not an issue for me.

> >>

> >>

> >> N24C 9/28/2000 R ear

> >> Sumo 1/6/2006 L ear

> >>

> >> In a message dated 1/21/2006 6:25:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> >> prdavies@w... writes:

> >> Just wondering if any of you had severe recruitment before your

> > cochlear

> >> implant and whether it was successfully bypassed after

> > implantation? Or do

> >> you know of people who have had recruitment?

> >>

> >>

> >>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Gosh reading your story is like reading mine! I too was born with a

severe/profound hearing loss and did very well with my hearing aids. I

experienced a sudden hearing loss in my left, most depended upon ear 4

months ago and that is when the ongoing tinnitus began. It was very bad to

start of with but it is better now, although still constant. I wish now

that I had gone straight to ER upon experiencing my loss and tried some

steroids rather than hanging around waiting for my appointment to the ENT

specialist, maybe I might have saved some of my hearing, who knows?

However it didn't occur to me that I had SSHL - the loss took me completely

by surprise since the sounds I was hearing in my ear seemed too loud for me.

I am wondering if you are experiencing recruitment as well since you say

that your tinnitus gets worse when you put your hearing aid back in. I do

find that mine gets worse when I put my hearing aid in and sounds seem too

loud and distorted to me so I now leave it out completely. Recruitment and

tinnitus are both commonly experienced by products of sudden hearing losses.

I am seeing the surgeon on Wednesday to see if I am a suitable candidate for

CI. I've heard that tinnitus often does disappear or improve after a CI but

not always.

I didn't realise until recently how common it was for hearing impaired

people to lose their residual hearing. I wish I had been warned to protect

my hearing from stress. I did not know that I have had many episodes of

temporary hearing losses after acoustic stress in my life and didn't think

anything of them since my hearing bounced back the next day. Only this time

it didn't.

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Sprest2427@...

Sent: Monday, 23 January 2006 10:11 AM

Subject: Intro and question about tinnitus

Hi. My name is and I'm currently looking into getting a cochlear

implant. I was born hearing impaired and had a severe to profound hearing

loss. I wore one BTE (deaf in other ear) and functioned pretty well with it.

Too well to be considered for a CI. But then a few weeks ago I experienced

strong tinnitus like nothing I've experienced before and after a check up by

an ENT, I had my hearing tested. Well, I was shocked to find I had virtually

no hearing left at all. I had almost 80% word discrimination with my hearing

aids and now I couldn't hear speech sounds at all.

The ENT did put me on prednisone to see if there was some swelling that

caused this change. I put in my hearing aid yesterday and could hear some

sounds *but* the tinnitus was so strong that I had to take my hearing aid

out. It is either gone or hardly noticeable when I'm not wearing my hearing

aid. Has any one experienced tinnitus like that?

Anyway, I asked to be referred for a CI and have my first appt tomorrow. I

have been reading a lot about CIs and I'm wondering if any of you had severe

tinnitus both prior to implant and after the implant. Or if the tinnitus

went away with the CI.

I appreciate any help you all can give me.

in SC

recently lost all hearing after being severely hearing impaired since birth

Re: Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

Thanks, Jim. This was a good article about recruitment, and I

appreciate the link. Larry

Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

> Hi ,

>

> From what I understand recruitment is caused by damage to the

> cochlear hair cells and since the CI bypasses them it essentially

> cures the problem. My audie has turned up my mappings to full

> volume and I've had no problem with recruitment. Here is an

> interesting article on how recruitment works.

>

> http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/recruitment.htm

>

> Best regards,

>

> Jim

>

>

>>

>> I had recruitment in my ears prior to being implanted. Now I have

> the

>> implant in my right ear and a digital hearing aid in the left

> which I just received

>> about 4 weeks ago. There is no longer any recruitment in the

> implanted ear

>> because the processor has upper limits that are set by you and the

> audie so that

>> you are comfortable with loud noises. Any sound that is louder

> than the set

>> comfort level gets " squished down " by the processor.

>>

>> The digital hearing aid also does that to some degree. If I have

> to hear an

>> ambulance cmong down the street, it's not as loud in the implanted

> ear as in

>> the HA ear....but that's been ok. I hadn't worn anything in my

> unimplanted ear

>> fopr 5 years so now I have to wake up that hearing nerve again.

> I'll have to

>> wait and see how things change in my HA ear.

>>

>> I have always had tinnitus and still do, in both ears. I learned

> to live

>> with it a long time ago so it is not an issue for me.

>>

>>

>> N24C 9/28/2000 R ear

>> Sumo 1/6/2006 L ear

>>

>> In a message dated 1/21/2006 6:25:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>> prdavies@w... writes:

>> Just wondering if any of you had severe recruitment before your

> cochlear

>> implant and whether it was successfully bypassed after

> implantation? Or do

>> you know of people who have had recruitment?

>>

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome to the list. To answer your question, I had my worse ear (deaf,

didn't benefit from an aid at all) implanted. All I had over there was

tinnitus. The right ear, which was the better one (before the CI!) I still

wear an aid over there. The tinnitus has never been as bad on that side.

Since my implant last February (nearly 1 year anniversary!) my tinnitus is

barely noticeable. I can still hear it, faintly, if I concentrate on it

(who would want to? lol) but on my implanted side, I don't have it at all

anymore, a definite benefit of the implant.

Good luck as you begin your evaluation for a CI, hope you keep us posted as

your journey begins!!

Binns

----Original Message Follows----

From: Sprest2427@...

Reply-

Subject: Intro and question about tinnitus

Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:10:39 -0500

Hi. My name is and I'm currently looking into getting a cochlear

implant. I was born hearing impaired and had a severe to profound hearing

loss. I wore one BTE (deaf in other ear) and functioned pretty well with it.

Too well to be considered for a CI. But then a few weeks ago I experienced

strong tinnitus like nothing I've experienced before and after a check up by

an ENT, I had my hearing tested. Well, I was shocked to find I had virtually

no hearing left at all. I had almost 80% word discrimination with my hearing

aids and now I couldn't hear speech sounds at all.

The ENT did put me on prednisone to see if there was some swelling that

caused this change. I put in my hearing aid yesterday and could hear some

sounds *but* the tinnitus was so strong that I had to take my hearing aid

out. It is either gone or hardly noticeable when I'm not wearing my hearing

aid. Has any one experienced tinnitus like that?

Anyway, I asked to be referred for a CI and have my first appt tomorrow. I

have been reading a lot about CIs and I'm wondering if any of you had severe

tinnitus both prior to implant and after the implant. Or if the tinnitus

went away with the CI.

I appreciate any help you all can give me.

in SC

recently lost all hearing after being severely hearing impaired since birth

Re: Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

Thanks, Jim. This was a good article about recruitment, and I

appreciate the link. Larry

Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

> Hi ,

>

> From what I understand recruitment is caused by damage to the

> cochlear hair cells and since the CI bypasses them it essentially

> cures the problem. My audie has turned up my mappings to full

> volume and I've had no problem with recruitment. Here is an

> interesting article on how recruitment works.

>

> http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/recruitment.htm

>

> Best regards,

>

> Jim

>

>

>>

>> I had recruitment in my ears prior to being implanted. Now I have

> the

>> implant in my right ear and a digital hearing aid in the left

> which I just received

>> about 4 weeks ago. There is no longer any recruitment in the

> implanted ear

>> because the processor has upper limits that are set by you and the

> audie so that

>> you are comfortable with loud noises. Any sound that is louder

> than the set

>> comfort level gets " squished down " by the processor.

>>

>> The digital hearing aid also does that to some degree. If I have

> to hear an

>> ambulance cmong down the street, it's not as loud in the implanted

> ear as in

>> the HA ear....but that's been ok. I hadn't worn anything in my

> unimplanted ear

>> fopr 5 years so now I have to wake up that hearing nerve again.

> I'll have to

>> wait and see how things change in my HA ear.

>>

>> I have always had tinnitus and still do, in both ears. I learned

> to live

>> with it a long time ago so it is not an issue for me.

>>

>>

>> N24C 9/28/2000 R ear

>> Sumo 1/6/2006 L ear

>>

>> In a message dated 1/21/2006 6:25:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>> prdavies@w... writes:

>> Just wondering if any of you had severe recruitment before your

> cochlear

>> implant and whether it was successfully bypassed after

> implantation? Or do

>> you know of people who have had recruitment?

>>

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi. My name is and I'm currently looking into getting a

cochlear implant.

Welcome .....you have come to the right online digest to get all

your questions answered by so many experienced CI users. I learn so

much from all the questions and answers given since I am waiting to

have my CI surgery soon.

So your from South Carolina? Beautiful state! We have vacationed

there several times.

My best to you,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I forgot to mention my wife is originally from , SC.

Jim

> >>

> >> I had recruitment in my ears prior to being implanted. Now I

have

> > the

> >> implant in my right ear and a digital hearing aid in the left

> > which I just received

> >> about 4 weeks ago. There is no longer any recruitment in the

> > implanted ear

> >> because the processor has upper limits that are set by you and

the

> > audie so that

> >> you are comfortable with loud noises. Any sound that is louder

> > than the set

> >> comfort level gets " squished down " by the processor.

> >>

> >> The digital hearing aid also does that to some degree. If I

have

> > to hear an

> >> ambulance cmong down the street, it's not as loud in the

implanted

> > ear as in

> >> the HA ear....but that's been ok. I hadn't worn anything in my

> > unimplanted ear

> >> fopr 5 years so now I have to wake up that hearing nerve again.

> > I'll have to

> >> wait and see how things change in my HA ear.

> >>

> >> I have always had tinnitus and still do, in both ears. I

learned

> > to live

> >> with it a long time ago so it is not an issue for me.

> >>

> >>

> >> N24C 9/28/2000 R ear

> >> Sumo 1/6/2006 L ear

> >>

> >> In a message dated 1/21/2006 6:25:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> >> prdavies@w... writes:

> >> Just wondering if any of you had severe recruitment before your

> > cochlear

> >> implant and whether it was successfully bypassed after

> > implantation? Or do

> >> you know of people who have had recruitment?

> >>

> >>

> >>

[Guest guest]

,

I also wondered if perhaps things would be different if I had gone to ER

or ENT on the 28th when I lost my hearing but I thought like you that it was

just tinnitus. But you know what, I am glad now because I can qualify for a CI

and chances are really good that I'll end up hearing far more than I ever

heard. The challenge will be to learn how to process all that I'm hearing. But

I'm ready to take on that challenge. I'm going in with high hopes but low

expectations for the first few months. And I plan to really work hard with

learning to make sense of what I hear.

I also had no idea I could lose my residual hearing either but I've never

had any temporary loss either. There is a possibility it was a virus that

caused the damage but I'll never know exactly what caused this.

I had my hearing retested today and it is the same. So I'm a good candidate

as far as my hearing goes. However I have to have a balance test because I

had a labryinthectomy when I was in HS (they damaged my labyrinth on purpose

to successfully stop severe vertigo attacks that I was having back then). The

surgeon is concerned about that since the implant surgery can affect one's

balance in the side they choose to implant. But hopefully it'll just be a

matter of having the implant put in my right ear even though I have not heard

with

that ear since I was really young. I never thought they might choose my

right ear. Surgeon said research shows that the implant will work equally well

even though I have not used that ear since the stimuli goes to the same part of

the brain. I learned a lot today!

I will be anxious to know how your appt with the surgeon goes. I was able

to also get the CAT scan done with today. I wanted to get as much done as I

could bc I live about an hour from the center.

in SC

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for answering my question. I have some tinnitus in my left ear but

it is not noticeable now that I'm not wearing my hearing aid. I have never had

tinnitus in my right ear which is the ear that might be implanted.

People had asked me before why didn't I get a CI done in my deaf ear but I

had always thought it would be too difficult for me to get used to hearing

with a HA and a CI. And I probably wouldn't have qualified anyway due to my

speech discrimination with my HA. Now I wonder after learning what you have

done.

in SC

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

We have flown into the Greenville-Spartanville airport several times.

It is a beautiful area and a nice airport.

Jim

>

> Tony and Jim,

> Small world! I've only been to a few times but it is not

far from

> Spartanburg where I live.

> in SC

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Are you glad you followed the audie's suggestion or do you wish you had

not started wearing the HA again? I hope you don't mind my questions as I'm

really curious by nature and really want to learn as much as I can from other

folks' experiences.

in SC

in process of hopefully becoming a CI candidate

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

It WAS hard to get used to hearing with both the CI and aid. When I was

first hooked up, I wore the CI alone for about 3 months. My audie wanted me

to try adding the aid. I didn't like the sound of adding the aid, it

brought in too many low tones and I loved the pure crisp high frequency

sound I was getting with the CI. I hadn't had any high frequencies for

years, and I was just loving it. Finally, to please my audie, I did add the

aid, and over time (few months) I have become used to the 2 of them

together. I do turn the aid off when I use the phone, it still pulls in too

many background low tones that I don't need when I'm on the phone, using the

CI. So it's just something to play around with, you know, some people like

it and some dont.

----Original Message Follows----

From: Sprest2427@...

Reply-

Subject: Re: Intro and question about tinnitus

Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 18:10:11 EST

,

Thanks for answering my question. I have some tinnitus in my left ear but

it is not noticeable now that I'm not wearing my hearing aid. I have never

had

tinnitus in my right ear which is the ear that might be implanted.

People had asked me before why didn't I get a CI done in my deaf ear but

I

had always thought it would be too difficult for me to get used to hearing

with a HA and a CI. And I probably wouldn't have qualified anyway due to my

speech discrimination with my HA. Now I wonder after learning what you have

done.

in SC

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I always found my tinnitus was worse when wearing aids, much to the

suprise (disbelief) of my audiologist. With my implant I wake up in

the morning with tinnitus but this seems to reduce during the day and

I (almost) don't notice it by night-time. I have only been hooked up

for 2 months so it's early days yet.

You may have to have the implant in the ear most recently deafened

even though it still has some residual hearing because the nerve is

most likely to be the best preserved.

I have preserved hearing in the implanted ear but I have to wait until

1 Feb for the combimed hi/ci processor so I can't pass comment on what

it's like to combine hi and ci in the same ear until then. Using them

in opposite ears is difficult. I find myself listening to one or the

other and cutting the other one out as background noise but people are

reporting that they are noticing improvements, so things are happening

unconsciously, but it is hard work.

Best wishes,

Ray G

implanted 17 nov 2005

activated 1 Dec 2005

MedEl PULSAR combi40+ DUET-EAS expected 1 Feb 2006-- In

, Sprest2427@a... wrote:

>

> Hi. My name is and I'm currently looking into getting a

cochlear implant. I was born hearing impaired and had a severe to

profound hearing loss. I wore one BTE (deaf in other ear) and

functioned pretty well with it. Too well to be considered for a CI.

But then a few weeks ago I experienced strong tinnitus like nothing

I've experienced before and after a check up by an ENT, I had my

hearing tested. Well, I was shocked to find I had virtually no hearing

left at all. I had almost 80% word discrimination with my hearing aids

and now I couldn't hear speech sounds at all.

>

> The ENT did put me on prednisone to see if there was some swelling

that caused this change. I put in my hearing aid yesterday and could

hear some sounds *but* the tinnitus was so strong that I had to take

my hearing aid out. It is either gone or hardly noticeable when I'm

not wearing my hearing aid. Has any one experienced tinnitus like that?

>

> Anyway, I asked to be referred for a CI and have my first appt

tomorrow. I have been reading a lot about CIs and I'm wondering if any

of you had severe tinnitus both prior to implant and after the

implant. Or if the tinnitus went away with the CI.

>

> I appreciate any help you all can give me.

>

> in SC

> recently lost all hearing after being severely hearing impaired

since birth

>

>

>

>

>

> Re: Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

>

>

> Thanks, Jim. This was a good article about recruitment, and I

> appreciate the link. Larry

> Re: Recruitment and tinnitus?

>

>

> > Hi ,

> >

> > From what I understand recruitment is caused by damage to the

> > cochlear hair cells and since the CI bypasses them it essentially

> > cures the problem. My audie has turned up my mappings to full

> > volume and I've had no problem with recruitment. Here is an

> > interesting article on how recruitment works.

> >

> > http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/recruitment.htm

> >

> > Best regards,

> >

> > Jim

> >

> >

> >>

> >> I had recruitment in my ears prior to being implanted. Now I have

> > the

> >> implant in my right ear and a digital hearing aid in the left

> > which I just received

> >> about 4 weeks ago. There is no longer any recruitment in the

> > implanted ear

> >> because the processor has upper limits that are set by you and the

> > audie so that

> >> you are comfortable with loud noises. Any sound that is louder

> > than the set

> >> comfort level gets " squished down " by the processor.

> >>

> >> The digital hearing aid also does that to some degree. If I have

> > to hear an

> >> ambulance cmong down the street, it's not as loud in the implanted

> > ear as in

> >> the HA ear....but that's been ok. I hadn't worn anything in my

> > unimplanted ear

> >> fopr 5 years so now I have to wake up that hearing nerve again.

> > I'll have to

> >> wait and see how things change in my HA ear.

> >>

> >> I have always had tinnitus and still do, in both ears. I learned

> > to live

> >> with it a long time ago so it is not an issue for me.

> >>

> >>

> >> N24C 9/28/2000 R ear

> >> Sumo 1/6/2006 L ear

> >>

> >> In a message dated 1/21/2006 6:25:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> >> prdavies@w... writes:

> >> Just wondering if any of you had severe recruitment before your

> > cochlear

> >> implant and whether it was successfully bypassed after

> > implantation? Or do

> >> you know of people who have had recruitment?

> >>

> >>

> >>

[Guest guest]

Welcome ,

You and I know each other from SWC and I am glad to see yet another friendly

face here. I joined just a couple of weeks ago when I was approved as a

candidate and am now awaiting insurance approval. This group has provided me

with much insight into the world of the CI and I am grateful to be a part of it.

Good luck on your CI journey. Regarding tinnitus having my hearing aids in

place keep those awful sounds at bay and from what I've read its very possible

that may be a thing of the past " when " I get the CI (trying to think positively

here..lol) I can only hope.

Hugs,

---------------------------------

Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover

Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My hearing loss history isn't identical to yours, but you may find

this helpful. I had my worst ear implanted. It was essentially

deaf for over 35 years as I was unable to use a hearing aid in it

due to severe distortion, tinnitus and recruitment. I was in my

early 20s when my left ear went deaf. I am absolutely thrilled with

the performance of my CI in this ear. I was able to understand

speech during my initial activation session. That evening after the

initial activation session my wife and I agreed that if that was as

good as it gets then the surgery was well worthwhile. Well I have

to tell you, with time the CI just keeps getting better. Did you

see MacPherson's 1/13/06 post (Post # 41664) on implanting

the worts ear?

Best regards,

Jim

>

> I thought that there would be no question about which ear to

implant as I

> have never had any hearing in my right ear that I know of. Since

audie

> technology was not great 40 years ago, we really don't know what I

could hear with

> that ear. But I do know that at the age of 6 or so, I had very

little, if any

> hearing in that ear. When technology existed, it was clear that I

had no

> hearing in that ear.

>

> BUT due to balance issues they may *have* to implant in that ear.

The

> surgeon says that new research is showing that the bad ear can

process the sounds

> just as well as the good ear. They are not sure why that is. I was

really

> concerned about that since that nerve hasn't been stimulated.

Sitting here typing

> this, I am developing some questions about this information now.

I'll have

> to ask my surgeon and/or the CI team those questions.

>

> Have any of you had your CI implanted in an ear that had

essentially been

> deaf prior to the implant? Meaning you were born deaf or lost that

hearing at an

> early age? I seem to remember someone had lost their hearing due

to

> meningitis at 3 yrs of age.

>

> in SC

> in process of hopefully becoming a CI candidate

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

.. >

> I had my hearing retested today and it is the same. So I'm a good

candidate

> as far as my hearing goes. However I have to have a balance test

Hi ,

I am curious about what a " balance test " is.....what do they do when

they test you? Do other candidates have to have this....I didn't.

[Guest guest]

> Hi ,

>

> I am curious about what a " balance test " is.....what do they do when

> they test you? Do other candidates have to have this....I didn't.

>

>

I had one of these in preparation for CI surgery. They slip a video

gamer style helmet on you and you watch a red dot trace a horizonatal

line (or ping pong left and right, etc.) and they measure your eye

response to get a baseline, then they do it again while they pour hot

water in your ears, and then again with cold water in your ears.

The concept is people with balance are affected by the water temp

differences from room temp and it manifests itself in eye jitter.

Very weird test, actually. If you can keep your eyes still, you've

got no balance.

[Guest guest]

That's interesting. This whole process with CIs is just so fascinating since

people have such different experiences with them.

in SC

in process of hopefully becoming a CI candidate

[Guest guest]

,

I don't mind at all, I certainly ask enough of them myself. lol. I'm glad

I followed her suggestion. I think I did it best my way, though, by not

wearing the aid for awhile til I was comfortable adding it in, once I was

comfortable with my CI alone. I think it would have been harder for me if

I'd tried to use the aid from hookup.

LInda Binns

----Original Message Follows----

From: Sprest2427@...

Reply-

Subject: Re: Intro and question about tinnitus

Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 10:03:19 EST

,

Are you glad you followed the audie's suggestion or do you wish you had

not started wearing the HA again? I hope you don't mind my questions as I'm

really curious by nature and really want to learn as much as I can from

other

folks' experiences.

in SC

in process of hopefully becoming a CI candidate