Take Care Of Your Ears

[pythonidler]

I think the subject of this thread should be obvious to anyone who has dry eye - how vital it is to take care of the second-most important sense you have when your most important sense has been compromised.

Unfortunately, the dangers of using in-ear headphones weren't apparent enough to me, and now I have non-stop ringing in my ears (tinnitus). It's only been a few days, but I'm convinced I'll probably have it indefinitely, like my dry eye. What's worse is that the ringing is irregular enough that it's very difficult to tune out.

So take care of your ears:

• Avoid in-ear headphones
• If you go to concerts, wear ear plugs
• If you're exposed to loud noises as part of your job, wear ear protection

This PSA brought to you by common sense. Common Sense - don't ignore yours.

[Hokucat]

Thanks Pythonidler for sharing this info with us. I definitely still rely on my hearing much more than before, after suffering with debilitating dry eyes for several years, even though the dryness is manageable now.

A few years ago, I had non-stop ringing in my ears for a couple of months and then it went away, so I hope that will be the case for you too. There can be other causes for the ringing, have you seen a specialist for this?

And I appreciate your post as a reminder to monitor my kids' use of headphones AND electronic devices. Last year they switched to mainly the larger over-the-ear headphones, but I still need to check the volume is not too loud. The article below estimates hearing loss among teens is already ~30% worse than in the 1980's and 90's, and in this forum there seems to be an increase in dry eyes in young people likely caused from excessive use of electronic devices. Having both these senses compromised at such a young age is definitely cause for concern, and a potential double epidemic not widely foreseen by the many who will be affected.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbc...r-buds-n360041

[PhoenixEyes]

I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember, not sure when it started. If it's a recent development be sure to be seen by an ear, nose, throat (ENT) doctor. If the cause of the tinnitus is due to trauma then it is possible for it to resolve as in Hokucat's case.

Forum with a lot of info:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com