Loud noises set off my tinnitus, but also low-level constant noises set it off... road noise on a long drive, or the hum of the microwave or fan.
After a long trip, fueling distance on my SuperDuty, It wasn't the normal high pitch, but a much lower itch and cyclical. It's like I've lost a frequency, with an over all loss of volume. The lower frequency sounds are enhanced with the absence of the higher range. The sound of my footsteps stands out way too much! Communication with humans is difficult. Women, especially with their higher pitch voice.
It tends to subside after about 20min or so. Kinda scared me the first time it did it to me. It's not really the first time it happened. It was the first time it was the degree of the change from normal.
Either 6/6 or 12/12 engine room watch, even with double hearing protection, there's a low level 'rumble' going on for a good period afterward. It's not like berthing is quiet, either. It's so noisy, if you went dead in the water, the silence will wake you from a dead sleep.
Like now, it's loud, but not screaming....yet. It's a little difficult hearing and understanding speech.
When it's screaming, my only hope is half ass lip-reading. On the phone, hang it up! Headphones
can help
sometimes.
People that don't have it can't really understand how impactful it can be. The randomness is also a larger problem. Ya can't plan for it. Most of the time I can deal and just not interact.....especially with women or kids.......and this one particularly persnickety gay guy. He got 'upset' with me now being able to hear him. He then got 'offended' when I said his voice was too high-pitched for me to understand.
All I could do is laugh, when he gave me a 'Harumph', a sorta flash of 'talk to da hand' and 'swished' away with his other hand on his hip.
He's lucky I wasn't high. It would have ended up faaaaaaar more amusing!
gaslampseeds.com
ppp
