Increased sensitivity to High frequencies

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Weird phenomena time. Last week I joined the SAGA brigade :) which puts age into perspective for the next bit.

Now the wiring is done, I hooked up the door entry system last night which has a 13.8v 1.5A PSU

All well and good until I powered it up.

A high pitched "coil whine" seemed to be evident. I thought it was just one of those noises old people hear so went down into the hall where it was still audible. Summonsed the 14 yr old whom November last year nearly left home when the solar inverter was powered up due to a noise us oldies couldn't hear and he couldn't hear anything of the PSU whine.

Went back into the loft and removed the PSU cover and the noise got louder.

So 2 questions. Is this a phenomena anyone else has come across when getting to 50+ ? Also is such a noise likely to settle down over a few days? Or is it likely to stay or get worse with age (components not me) and in need of getting a replacement under warranty. The solar inverter certainly seemed to at least change frequency to a point I can now hear it but in the first month our son claimed he could hear it all over the house. I had the same experience with this PSU whine. Not only that but at work I seem to be picking up other high pitched frequencies now.

Am I going slightly mad? Cheers Pete

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Could I suggest going to your doctor? Most large practices will have a nurse who will check and clean your ears. Mine has a clever machine which breaks up the wax with little discomfort.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - I tried to imply that. But it's not something they all do. Just badly designed/built ones.

[GB]

Our practice refuses to do that. They tell patients to put olive oil in.

[Tim Streater]

They expect you to put Olive Oyl in first, for three days (few drops each night). Then go back and they will use their squirty widget to break up the wax and get it out, as Dave says.

[T i m]

I had that when we went motorcycle-camping at Porthmadog and I had one really bunged up ear. I treated it myself for a couple of days (Otex?) but we really needed to move on and managed to get seen at the Surgery in Pwllheli, even though they were closed!

She used warm water in a little pressure washer thing and the moment when you heard that welcome loud sound of rushing water around a clean eardrum was such a relief (as it was also affecting my balance, not good for a long motorcycle trip).

All I've ever had in my local (Norf Lundun) doctors surgery was a huge syringe of pretty cold water that left me with something akin to ice-cream induced brain freeze. ;-(

I remember once getting a near instant banging headache when working under a car and a drip of petrol fell straight into my ear!

I used to look forward to it raining at night when camping as the noise of rain on the tent would help mask my Tinnitus and allow me to get to sleep and reduce the chance op people staying up late outside their tents talking (that I can't seem to be able to ignore etc). If it wasn't raining I'd wear some earphones plugged into a small radio set off station. I don't know if it's the Tinnitus that disturbs my sleep but I do find it difficult mask out extraneous noises (especially when camping) and still often hear (or am aware of) noises that others can't.

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup. The oil doesn't remove the wax - only softens it. It has to be 'washed' out after softening. The device my surgery has is rather more gentle than a syringe - it sort of pulsed with warm water.

[Tim Streater]

Ha, the old turkey baster. That gave a nice whooshing sound in the ear. But I suspect the pulse jet jobby is more effective.

[damduck-egg]

Wonder if an old fish tank aerator would pump warm water, Unfortunately I've thrown all mine away otherwise I'd see if I could build a DIY version of the doctors gadget.

One of those drill pumps on a very slow drill might work.

G.Harman

[Terry Casey]

I've got an old ear drop bottle with a glass dropper, so the end is smoothly rounded (unlike the modern plastic ones.)

I fill it with hot water and squeeze it into the ear and repeat with the water as hot as possible. I then keep squeezing the dropper bulb to force water into the ear, then suck it out again.

If there is really a lot of wax, a lump of it eventually gets stuck on the dropper by suction. Having removed it, I repeat as necessary.

[T i m]

Ok. I guess as time goes on and more is known about such things ...

Ok.

That would be good (win win). ;-)

Ok. If I make an appointment on Monday and see if I get seen before I die. ;-)

Not sure how easy that is to resolve ...

Cheers, T i m

[GB]

It's a bit like computer help desks getting you to reboot the PC. That cures an awful lot of problems. Likewise, a lot of not-very-ill patients recover in the 3 weeks it takes to get a non-urgent appointment with the GP.

Good luck.

[T i m]

Yup, that's often the way it's gone here ... which of course is fine if whatever-it-was clears up on it's own and doesn't get worse or to a position that make it less easy to treat.

Thanks ... whilst I know much medical science (and especially at General Practice level) is still improving, my track record with said GPs hasn't been brilliant.

Like, at 18 I went to mine (at the time), sat in front of his desk and told him my symptoms. Aching, lethargic, weak and without even getting up from his desk, 'diagnosed' that I had arthritis.

Luckily Mum and Dad didn't just let it go at that and paid to get my blood tested privately and it turned out (from memory) I had a 'differentially high white blood count' and the remains of glandular fever.

A short while later I was fighting fit again. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Even although this is a DIY group, the only sensible way.