ending trip because of medical problems
 

hi,

I am riding from Belgium to Senegal but ended up in Dakhla because of medical problems.
I have problems with my ears, it is too noise to ride further. meanwhile, I got a permanently ringing sound known as Tinnitus.
I refuse to ride on before I make it worse.

I saw a few doctors, and got confirmed I have hearing loss. (which highly probably causes the Tinnitus). I have an inflamation wherefore I take antibiotics for the next days. this inflamation also can cause the ringing. I tried several wind screens, helmets and earplugs. But I am still feeling like I am destructing my ears when I ride.
the biggest problem is I know nothing. can it be cured or not? is there a way I can ride a motorcycle again without damaging my ears more? ...

what to do? I don't know.

Go home and go for further research back in Belgium.
but then - sell the bike/store the bike?


Any tips/hints/...are welcome.



grtz from a very dissapointed traveller.



Ratte

Ratte,
Very sorry to read of your medical condition: I read your other post, about selling your bike, and then this post.

Lots of riders are effected by tinnitus; I believe that it is pretty common (certainly I have had ringing in the ears; not continuously, i.e. for ever, but certainly for long periods of time).

I do suggest that you cross-post a link for this post and your potential sale of the bike, into the Morroco sub forum where more people who are there at present may see your requests.
It is certain, from lots of other posts, that you can keep your bike in country for upto 6 months AND you can leave it there while you go home for medical consultation - you do the latter by contacting the customs people in Maroc and "laying up" the bike in their care (this ensures to their satisfaction that you don't sell the bike in country and depart without paying the appropriate taxes).

I hope this helps you in your decision(s) and that you recover your full hearing soon!

ps
There's loads of info on the net about tinnitus, such as
Tinnitus - Treatment - NHS Choices

There is no definitive cure for chronic tinnitus, however it willl sometimes get better over a period of time. Having said that, there may be an underlying problem in your ears, like a blood vessel issue orr swollen vein. It,s important to see an ENT ( ear nose and throat) specialist as soon as you can. Don`t give up till you`ve had a definite answer.

Yes there is always a way. Most of the damage is done due to speed and the associated noise involved in travelling at speed, engine noise / wind noise.

All you need to do is cut the wind and engine noise.

one example of a way would be :

Buy a honda C90
Travel slower
Wear a good fitting Full Face sound reducing Helmet ( some manufacturers claim this?)
Wear earplugs

Motorcycle adventures don't have to be fast and furious to be fun. There are of course many other quieter bikes to choose from but I'm sure you get the idea.........

Firstly you probably need to give your hearing a good long rest before you do anything.

Sometimes bike is better without windscreen. It is that turbulence air which makes a lot of noise.
I use special earplugs, they are specially made to match my ear canals.
With this kind of earplug design, you can also select which kind of attenuation you want.
Personally I think this kind of earplug is so much better than those soft earplugs.

How is your helmet? Is it full face, motocross or mix? Full face is most quiet one.

If nothing else, ride slower and shorter days. :scooter:

I have had ear ringing and hearing loss as long as I can remember,there are many things that can seemly keep someone from going or returning from a ride. Damaged my back at age 18,they only tell me now , that I have 40 years of scar tissue,tried some therapy but was worse than any recent injury and continueing would have made me bed ridden unable to work ,retiring with the wife the end of the month and starting our travel sometime this year,did I mention migraines we both get,very headache-allergy and otherwise induced .If you must take some time off ,do so but many of these things donot get any better so you can read the reports or write them.The best to you what ever your decision but enjoy it as much as you can,I also have some bronchitis, so I guess some of the roads of India-Pakistan are probably out.

I too use special earplugs which are shape to my ear canal, had them made at a specialist. They injected a compound into my ear, waited until it had set then removed it to make a mould. From the mould my ear plugs were produced. They are very good. It would be a good option to allow you to keep riding.



Wayne

I can sympathize with the noise problem! I am a musician and so am VERY protective of my hearing!

For me the solution was to use no windscreen (to avoid turbulence around my head, which was the major source of noise) and use custom made earplugs. Riding slowly and/or taking regular breaks also helps.

thank you for the responses guys.

for information, I used normal earplugs before that I bought in motorcycle shops. I rode with them until now. I ordered earplugs on measure, like lonerider described. I tested them out a few days ago, but the noise reduction isn't that good as I expected.

noise reduction is maybe a little bit better then the normal (mousse) ones. the biggest advantage is that you can clean then very easily.

I tested 3 windscreens the last 2 months, from small to big. It is almost certain that no windscreen gives you the most laminar airflow. Turbulence is certainly not wanted. so i'm riding since spain without windscreen. although, the best to reduce sound, is a very well adapted and very big windscreen...


maybe because of the inflammation, my ears are very sensitive.
but for the moment I cannot ride a bike even at mid speed without having the feeling I am destructing my ears.
I cannot remember how it was before, how it felt before when I was riding day trips in Belgium...
the ringing... its quite loud...


sure there are many different ways of keeping travelling, honda C90's, I even was thinking of buying 2 camels :)
but it isn't the same...



I have some time to think about this. I can live on 15€ a day here. But for the moment I think going back to Belgium, leave the bike here and do better research in belgium Hospitals is what I will do. Hoping that after a month or so, the problems are maybe not solved, but sorted out. then I can continue...

My sympathies as I've had that for years - originally from the noise of a single gunshot. I was really worried about it to begin with but you can learn to ignore it over time and it hardly ever bothers me now. If you have an infection it may just be a temporary thing that will improve with medication and time. Some things do set it off - I don't like taking ibuprofen for example as it makes the noise worse for a couple of days. The hearing loss is equally frustrating - I have 25% loss in my left ear and it's gradually getting worse with time.

Loud noise is a problem as I end up with distorted hearing for a day or two and ear plugs are a must on a bike now. That must be the same sort of feeling you're getting about damaging your ears. I back right off when I get that as I also have the feeling that some (more) damage is being done. Usually a couple of days is enough for the worst to pass and I can ride with ear plugs.

The foam ones that you roll up are awkward to use but if you can get them into the ear tube rather than shoved in there somewhere they are the best I've used. Fitted properly you'll hardly hear anything at all and I have no problems riding a bike.

If this has come to you recently it must be very upsetting but there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will improve even if it doesn't go completely and you do adjust to it. Most definately see a medic just to check there isnt anything underlying it but the reality is that not much can be done. I'm still having checks on mine nearly ten yrs on (MRI a few weeks ago and an appointment with the ear specialist in 3/4 days time) but while the hearing loss is occasionally annoying most of the time my brain ignores it and I don't notice it much.

Good luck as this is not a nice thing to happen - and it's probably compounded by being stuck in Dakhla (not my favourite town)

I hope your Doc's can help reduce inflammation and that tinnitis will be reduced.
hearing damage comes from low frequencies from wind buffeting. If you stop low freq's, no hearing damage.

I've used dozen's of types of ear plugs, including custom moulded ones, I don't like them. Easy to lose, get dirty,
not comfortable for all day use. ... and expensive.

I prefer Howard Leight Laser Light plugs. The BEST, in my experience.
http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/laser-lite

For quietest ride, least buffeting, I prefer NO wind screen. A good helmet and good, soft ear plugs work for me.

I follow the yoga instructions on this YT video when the ringing gets to bad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Uc_h9stgQ

It did not remove my tinnitus, but it sure reduced it. Seems that tinnitus has something to do with muscle cramps.

You also should see a good specialist ASAP. Usually you can get rid of tinnitus if you are getting infusions and rest as soon as when you get it. Do it NOW!

I did not, because I was too busy solving my customers problems that special day. So I kept the tinnitus .... and will be dealing with it for the rest of my life.

:9898:

Why would you stop your trip over this? I've had tinnitus for over 30 years, very loud ringing. My hearing loss is combat related from the 1980's when I was in the military, lots of shooting and explosions. I wear custom earplugs and the ringing gets even louder due to canceling outside noise but I would never cancel a trip because of it. Just protect the remaining hearing you have by wearing earplugs.
I have never let it stop my lifestyle. You will get used to it over time, it cannot be cured so you will have to learn to live with it.

I to have tinnitus ,loud constant ring and sometimes chirping.
Doesn't really affect me much anymore,I do like a fan when sleeping
Word of warning,easily preventable WEAR HEARING PROTECTION .

Sad to note that. Get back soon.

That's quite scary given you've been wearing earplugs too. I got bad tinnitus but thankfully it was just a buildup of wax that caused pressure on my ear drums. I can only assume you're ears have been flushed?

Mollydog, I always assumed that a windscreen would reduce wind noise and was about to go and buy one but you say it's worse?

Not all shields are noisy ... but many are. Getting the right shield at the exact right height and getting it quiet is a challenge ... but can certainly be done.

Many do a great job of blocking wind blast but set up "dirty air" over your helmet, which can be very noisy. This all varies broadly. The only bike I've owned where I was able to find a quiet shield was my DL1000 Vstrom.

I've tried and failed on four or five other bikes ... including my current 1050 Triumph Tiger. NO LUCK on my Tiger after 5 different shields and deflectors.

On my DR650 I really prefer riding with NO shield at all.
I'm in clean air ... yes, colder in Winter, but quiet with NO buffeting.

But if you get it right a shield CAN be made quiet ... and when you find that "sweet spot", it's well worth it for all season riding. Not great in super HOT weather.

You can rig up all kinds of wings and deflectors to help quiet your shield, products like the Laminar Lip. Others are more "tunable" and allow adjustment to tune out noise. I've tried them all.
http://www.laminarlip.com/
MRA X-creen Universal Motorcycle Screen Air Deflector Flip Spoilers

I wish you all the best and hope regardless of the outcome you are happy with what you have accomplished to date.

I also believe you should be seen by a specialist as your health is the most important thing you have in life, once you know fully what your dealing with you will feel better mentally as well. As it seems you are having a tough time right now, selling your bike is a choice you will have to make but i believe your travels should continue in the future.
The ringing may be reduced but it will not go away, I'm not a long rider but I worked on the oil rigs and have went to many loud music events (sometimes wearing earplugs, sometimes not) So I myself have very mild constant ringing and loud ringing will come and go on rare occasion. You will have to learn to live with it and remember to take precautions in the future, whatever works best for you. Personally I like EARBUDDIES, they are high end earplugs but not the expensive custom molded ones or the foam ones that expand in your ears and get sore after a while.

Yes, cheap foam plugs DO make your ears sore after hours of use. But the good plugs like Howard Leight, (maybe your EARBUDDIES?) don't typically cause soreness.

I wear mine 12 hours a day, have tried DOZENS of ear plug brands including custom molded ones ... the Howard Leight Laser Light are my choice. About $30 for a box of 200 pairs. As an Audio Pro, I've had quite a bit of experience with this. Listening is my job.

Very sorry to hear about your condition and trip cancellation. I think others have covered most of everything, but thought I'd add my two cents.

I recently developed (through exposure to a sudden, loud, higher frequency noise) chronic tinnitus. For 5 months now - frequency, amplitude are unchanged and constant. I'm very frustrated. More headaches, more frustration. And it's all impacted sleep cycles. Because I had a baseline hearing test a couple years back, I also see a hearing loss at higher frequencies - but that doesn't bother me - and arguably its slight enough it could be independent and par for the course. Tinnitus and hearing loss are not always coincidental.

I've seen two ENT specialist and an audiologist now. I was told in the most roundabout way - that its nerve to brain damage and there are no cures, per se (my case). It may still resolve on its own (or change), but nothing medically can be done. Yes, there are aids (frequency masking/white noise) aids, but no magic bullets. I was told to figure out way to cope - like others here, yoga, meditation, exercise, avoiding certain drugs, hydration…etc.

As others have suggested though - do seek medical help. A number of tests/exams that were performed on me (short of CAT/MRI scans), if nothing else, eliminated other possible causes of the hearing loss/tinnitus. The nature of my onset most likely points to the culprit.

I've also been recovering from wrist surgery, so taking ibuprofen (as suggested by others increases the tinnitus) has been a catch 22.

I have not ridden moto yet this year because of my wrist, but have managed cycling. Hoping that I'll find the right combination of ear plugs/helmet (and the other aids) that keeps me moving as I have grand plans for longer distance moto travel.

Thank you for your post, as I've learned much from others in this thread now. Wish you the best possible resolution and hope this is just a temp setback, and you find your way back on the road soon.