Hearing input in the good ear creating Tinnitus in the dead ear?

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

My tinnitus is directly related to what sounds go into the good ear. I can control the tinnitus by wearing an earplug when I drive and I am in malls, big institutions with fan systems etc.

So far I have not come across anyone else  who has this – i.e. can control the tinnitus. Example if I rub the skin and hair on the entrance of the n the “dead earâ€? (AN tumor removed side) I hear nothing. If I do this on the good ear- it rings in the dead ear.

I have asked 2 neurotologist about this and they looked at me like I was from Mars.

Are there any other Martians out there  , on our ANA forum, which also experiences this?

I ask as I am considering a Baha implant however I am worried this will only make the ear ringing, with the new added sound input, worse.

I read this interesting post of Jeff’s- (in the PS)
http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=6645.msg76236#msg76236
… and I am beginning to conclude that I am only one out there whose tinnitus is related to sound input.

It is SOOH Lonesome here on planet Mars    … are there any others out there with this weird phenomenon?

DHM

[Eva]

Hello,
I would like to calm you, you certainly are not alone. I have the same kind of tinnitus (and some noises independent on external sounds) in my bad ear. One of my doctors told me that it can be caused by efforts to spare my hearing nerve during my surgery because I had a very good hearing.

Many greetings to everybody on this forum from central Europe. I discovered this site some time after my surgery last summer and found here many interesting information and what was most importent I did not feel so lonely anymore.

Eva

 

[oHIo]

Greetings fellow Martian...
You are not alone.  My hearing in my 'good' ear is quite sensitive to loud noises, etc.  When I am in a noisy environment, try to turn up the TV to hear it, etc., my deaf ear has horrible tinnitus.  It is to the point that I cannot stand to have the TV up to the point that I can hear it, totally avoid the radio in the car and have pretty much given up listening to my MP3 player.  When I am around someone who talks loud, I have to stop myself from putting my hand over my good ear to block out the tinnitus in my deaf ear.  Even a fan blowing in the room makes me crazy(er).  I have had this from the moment I woke up after surgery.

I figured I was just somewhat of a rare case because my hearing was normal in my AN ear prior to surgery.  Waking up deaf in my right ear (I had a translab due to location of the tumor), extremely sound sensitive (two people trying to talk to each other in the same room initially caused me severe pain), and having feedback in my deaf ear from the phone in my good ear certainly is a new experience.  I have mentioned this to the neurotologist and audiologist. 

When I went for my BAHA eval, (I am anticipating surgery mid September) they tested me to make sure I was really deaf in my deaf ear.  I got a chuckle out of this, but they had to document it for insurance purposes.  The sounds they put into my deaf ear were audible in my good ear.  The audiologist explained why this happened.  The only thing I remembered she said was that it had to do somethig with masking. 

So fellow Martian, I too am affected by noises going into my good ear and find myself wearing an earplug to block out the noise in my hearing ear.  Sort of ironic, isn't it?  I plan to move forward with the BAHA figuring that if it makes the tinnitus worse (not sure how it could be much worse) I will just take off the processor and discuss it with the doctor.  Someone gave me the name of a doctor locally that deals with tinnitus and biofeedback.  I am already considering this an option.

I will see the doctor here in a few weeks and talk to them about this issue and also see if they think having a BAHA will make it worse.  I'll let you know what they say.