What is deafness?

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

In light of the recent news concerning Rush, I thought it might be interesting to provide some reality here. For anyone who has no conception of deafness, what is it like?

I hear about 30 percent of what the average person does. It obviously effects many areas of my life. I am wondering who else out there lives with some form of deafness, and if there is anything anyone wants to share with "the hearing" to make this lifestyle easier to comprehend.

[Garin Hunt]

You know what sucks the most, I'm only 17, and I never liked music.

LOL. I know what you mean. I've always hated music... people don't believe it when I claim that music and vaccuum cleaners sound alike through the hearing aids!

[cva66snipe]

The disorder is a gold mine for the psychs and a crutch for too many parents.

This is way out of the phychs league and that's part of the whole problem. The alternative diagnoses I mentioned comes from Audiologist who test the processing of sound. The link at the bottom of my post is what I'm talking about. I will say this much about it though. I am being treated by a shrink for this simply because the needed medication is Xanax. It as well was a shrink /neurologist/ researcher who in the 1970's put the connection together. His name is Harold Levinson.

If they the Audiologist say there is a connection to Vestibular Dysfunction to behavior then I think it's a reasonable assumption to believe them. This is a second opinion away from anyone who could be influenced by the pharmacutical industry. Audiologist can not prescribe medications. They see this as a secondary or co-existing condition as a result of the offending Vestibular Disorder. Here's a great explaniation. Notice this was from a VEDA confrence and not a mental health confrence. VEDA is a respectable association that deals with hearing {Vestibular} disorders

Click here to get to the link

[cva66snipe]

By the way how many in here notice more problems with hearing & tinnitus when a weather front moves in? I feel like a walking Barometer.

[Wasichu]

In my case I appear to be stuck with it until I die.

My mom is deaf in one ear and can't hear well in the other...trying to find the right hearing aid for her was such an ordeal...
Now I've got tinnitus in both ears (different tones!) and some loss in one ear. And you tell me the tinnitus may be all I hear some day? What a future!
Thanks for your input, though. We'll all have perfect hearing in Heaven! (No virgins, though..LOL)
Wasichu

[El Sordo]

Me too.

"It's gonna rain. I can feel it in my nose."

[El Sordo]

Me too.

"It's gonna rain. I can feel it in my nose."

[cva66snipe]

"It's gonna rain. I can feel it in my nose."

I get nice sharp jabbing pains in both ears myself.

[WIladyconservative]

I know someone that suffered the same problems as Rush. He lost ever bit of hearing in less than 3 months. He tried every specialist hospital, including the Mayo Clinic.

Interesting, I too, know someone like that. Except the doctors ended up taking out her inner ear and drum completely due to equilibrium problems. But it all happened sooooooooo fast.

I just recently discovered that I have moderate to severe hearing loss in one ear and nerve damage to boot. I'm working on treatment as we speak.

[Theresa]

"In June I sat outside, in the dark, getting all teary eyed just listening to crickets. I had not heard a cricket since I was seven. "

How wonderful!! Thanks for sharing that.

[woofie]

Ive got 51 years of partial deafness ...(Nerve deafness since birth) I probably hear 40 to 50% maybe more ...The loss is in in the upper ranges and one ear is alot worse than the oyher..I compensate by reading lips ,figuring out what is happening,and what is probably being said, etc. And I hate my hearing aides so I rarely wear them ...Im college educated ..went to regular schools ...In general I have adapted fully ... Its gradually getting worse as we all loose our hearing with age (I have less to loose) I have felt stupid and different ar times although I now realize I must be pretty dam bright to have compensated....My speech is a bit muddy..I say "What?" alot and I am involved in the visual arts ...

[El Sordo]

In all seriousness, I had that problem after moving to the wet side of Oregon. It turned out that I had an allergy that caused the eustachian (sp?) tubes to close. Pressure in my ears then couldn't adjust.

[Texaggie79]

Except the doctors ended up taking out her inner ear and drum completely due to equilibrium problems. But it all happened sooooooooo fast.

My step-mom had a similar procedure. I'm not exactly sure what they did, but it had to do with calcium build up behind the little thing that vibrates (not the drum) and prevented it from functioning.

[Arizona]

Well between us, my husband and I figure we have one pair of ears. He hears sounds that I don't and I hear sounds that he doesn't. It makes for amusing conversation. hah! He paid $4K for some (supposedly wonderful) hearing aids and they stink! What a rip off. Probably the old ear horns worked better. LOL.

[cva66snipe]

In all seriousness, I had that problem after moving to the wet side of Oregon. It turned out that I had an allergy that caused the eustachian (sp?) tubes to close. Pressure in my ears then couldn't adjust.

Just guessing it sounds like mold spores then. I had to have an allergy test when I was about 13 and had about 4 years of twice a week shots but by then the damage was done. I'm allergic to mold, mildew, certain pollens, ans feather pillows.

[El Sordo]

Yeah, the doc tells me that it's most likely a mold or a spore too. Only causes me trouble during the wet season. The problem then is that the wet season is often 6 months long.

I've managed to do OK with medication. I can't say I'll ever be motivated to go through the routine of shots.

[cva66snipe]

There's one part of this I can't find any answers for though. I have a real bad startle reaction with this. What I hear and some of what I see gets distorted and from what I understand misinterpited as a danger. This triggers a rather bothersome problem like being shocked with a cattle prod or having a bucket of ice water poured down my back. It causes upper torso spasms that last about 5 seconds or less each time with as many as 50 in an attack. I don't feel pain or a shock sensation though it does cause a muscle spasm. That's what the Xanax helps control. My regular doctor says my next med would be Neurontin if needed. But the Xanax works a lot faster and gives me more freedom as far as going places.

[Poohbah]

Is this recent? I am "twitchy" when I'm under stress (and I was less than two miles from the Pentagon on 9/11). Basically, I started having neck spasms (no surprise, I've been seeing a chiropractor since I had a car accident in June), and my limbs would sometimes twitch (or even moreso) without any volition on my part (I twitched so badly on the night of 9/11 and 9/12 that I literally fell out of my bed in the hotel--good thing Mrs. Poohbah wasn't there, it might've been embarrassing).

[mr spike]

Its 'a' Good Cover "Dodge" That Your Hick-Rube listeners Will buy as You Flee The ANTHRAX....."Yeah I'm Hard of Hearing....I be Back Just as SOON AS POSSIBLE...I'm Goin for Treatments....Don't be Silly I Would Never Run out on my Loyal Listeners on Some Rumors of ANTHRAX....Just Don't Panic"........

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

No need to ever feel stupid, that's why I tell people up front, I create an advantage. Just like the paving crew that came to do my driveway the other day, I gave them all a soda when I came out see what they were going to do.

Turn things around whenever you can to your benefit. The driveway people hopefully did a better job because I spent some time with them and took care of them, and the people I deal with in business hopefully do as well when I bring up this deafness because they then pay more attention.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Eustachian. Phoenix is a great place to live and learn the language.