Bluetooth Use with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Update

On July 7, 2018, I talked about my difficulties using a phone since being diagnosed with tinnitus and hyperacusis. There have been a number of products I've tried to use in order to help me gain, full, phone access back in my life.

Each of these products has failed for one reason or another and you can read about it in my post, Bluetooth Use with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

Today, we're sharing my first-week experience with this one particular Bluetooth device the Plantronics Explorer 52. Here's what we found:

• The device is so comfortable to wear, you can't tell you're even wearing it.
• It's hands-free, so there are no cords rubbing, which can be a distraction with amplified hyperacusis.
• While the device gives more volume control than others I've tried, it does still effect my r. ear. You have to remember my severe hyperacusis is worse in my r. ear. So I wasn't able to use it in my r. ear from the start. I tried it once and I immediately started showing symptoms. That's not to say down the line I wouldn't be able to use it, as our body is adapting all the time.
• The l. ear has no issue with volume control at all. I can use the device on the "lowest setting" which is very comfortable to hear people, receive a call, and make a call.
• I've had no major symptom flare-ups when it comes to this device, as long as I don't use it in the r. ear. However...

After wearing the device for a prolonged time, but still within my restrictions for phone issues, this is what we found:

• The device after prolonged use makes my tinnitus more noticeable. Now as you all know, I've worked very hard to habilitate to my tinnitus. I've gotten it so it doesn't bother me on many levels day or night. In fact, I don't even need assistance sleeping with my severe tinnitus which is 24/7. That's not to say I don't get spikes that can still be debilitating. But for the most part, my therapy and managed care plan WORKS.
• There's also an issue that upon taking the device out, my ear tends to be sensitive and itchy. This could be due to the products earpiece itself and the material it is made of so, I'm going to try and find a cloth or foam piece for it.
• The only other issue I've noticed with this device is that upon taking the earpiece out, my l. ear tend to feel blocked like I'm only hearing at half its level. After a few hours this does clear up and I hear fine again. So, this is something we will keep an eye on.

The Plantronics Explorer 52 has passed the First Weeks Trial. And now I'll be wearing it for another Two Weeks with the same restrictions just to make sure no major flare-ups happen with symptoms, which can make me severely ill.

Note: The device cannot be worn by itself in place of earplugs when traveling in a vehicle. My hyperacusis just won't allow that. In doing so major flare-ups begin. So, general use is fine but it doesn't have the potential "In my specific case" to provide the protection I need in some specific situations. However, others might find they have no issue at all with this.

Remember these are just findings for my specific case. It might be quite different for yours as each case is different. I was not able to do TRT Training but instead had to do walking therapy for my habilitation with t and h. So, this is my first time of ever being able to keep a device in my ears or on my ears that helps with my habilitation.

The other thing is I'll be speaking with my audiologist about the device and my issues. We may do a hearing test to determine if the device is causing a period of short-term hearing loss, like when I have acoustic trauma from dropping something and it spiked the t and h causing a period of sudden deafness. We've already documented the acoustic trauma experience and have not seen any change in my hearing levels, which means it's not causing permanent damage.

So be sure to check back, in another two weeks, for our next update on Bluetooth Use.