Lyme Disease Support Group

Keebler

Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)

Member # 12673

posted 07-12-2010 05:50 PM

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BOSE Quiet Comfort 15 noise cancellation headset.

I've tried many different manufacturers' designs - read all the reviews for all similar products - had every generation of BOSE headsets and the QC 15 is the best. Still, far from perfect, but the best.

They have a fabulous plan for $25 a month, for year. It is well worth it.

With a doctor's prescription as a "protective hearing device" [same category as hearing aid] this should count toward medical deductions for the IRS or other qualifying agencies that discount rent or offer food stamps.

You can also get MACK's silicone ear plugs and put in lightly, not packing the ear. I use both at times.

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http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/ noise_cancelling_headphones/quietcomfort_15/index.jsp

BOSE QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones

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http://www.macksearplugs.com/products/Pillow-Soft-Earplugs- 2-pair-white

Mack's Pillow Soft SILICONE earplugs

[I find it best to put a tiny bit of a clean cotton ball in ear before using these.

The cotton absorbs sweat and keeps the silicone from total contact with the ear canal.

Just keep it loose inside the canal and seal more in the outer part of the ear. These do not pack the ear as other ear plugs do.]-

Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007

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Keebler posted 07-12-2010 06:05 PM

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These MUFFS that can also work if you need an MRI in the future or to go through an airport scanner (?). I think they meant to write their dB rating to be 20 dB, not -20.

These would not offer as much protection as the Peltor 29dB headband muffs linked a few posts below.

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http://www.scansound.com/MRI-Hearing-Protection.htm

Hearing Protective Ear Muffs - Part No. HP-66

Protects Patient Hearing and Reduces MRI Scanning Noise

Noise Reduction Rating of -20 dB ( $35 )

• Ear Muffs are Made Completely of Plastic and Composite Materials that are Invisible to MRI Scanners

• Helps to Quiet the MRI Gradient Knocking Sounds for Patients Who Have Trouble with Noise

• Excessive Noise Can be Harmful, Cause Anxiety and May Lead to Hearing Loss

• These Ear Muffs Can Calm MRI Patients and Less Motion Translates to Better Scan Image Quality

• Inert to the MRI Scan and Will Not Produce Any MRI Artifacts

• Can be Used with Scan Sound's Sanitary Stretch Headphone Covers

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http://www.sensgard.com/products-1

ZEM headset by SensGard. This headset is unique. The ZEM works by directing sound away from the ears.-

[ 07-12-2010, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]

Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007 | IP: Logged |

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kam

Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)

Member # 3410

posted 07-12-2010 06:12 PM

Thanks. Brain is having trouble processing what I am reading right now but will be back to reread it again later.

I can not listen to music so assume the Boise noise reduction will not work for me..the part of the brain that listens to music is not back yet.

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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Keebler posted 07-12-2010 06:16 PM

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The BOSE sets work very well without music, too.

I never listen to music (my brain just can't handle it) and the BOSE headset still saves my life everyday, even with my seldom going out.

It calms down leaf blower noise around to manageable levels, most of the time.

The QC 15 is the only model that really takes down leaf blowers.

In parking lots, with all the "beep beeps" of irritating car alarms, I'd be dead were I to have been without the Bose QC 15. Their previous model, the QC 3 helped some but not nearly as much.

Still, for me - nothing works at a cash register check-out lane against the harsh beeps.

I've been asked not to return to my neighborhood grocery due to seizure activity.

Even if a seizure was not triggered, though the pain from sharp sounds still just cuts through - probably some through the sinuses and with other bone conduction.

A blast of sirens out my window reminds me, too, that the QC 15 are not great against sirens.

Sturdy construction style ear muffs work best against sirens, but not against leaf blowers.-

Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007

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Keebler posted 07-12-2010 06:37 PM

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http://www.coopersafety.com/headband-earmuffs-83.aspx? gclid=CJD_lIeF56ICFQdGagodpESDvw

Cooper Safety Supply - Headband Earmuffs - Many selections with a range of dB ratings.

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http://www.coopersafety.com/product/peltor-h10a-earmuffs- 1229.aspx

Peltor 29dB NRR $20. [I have this model. It is very sturdy.]

Unfortunately, the best ones are bulky.

The slimmer models are lower rated and not all that helpful, really.

I've had various kinds over the years and, other than using the slimmer style to block out neighbors' snoring, the bulkier ones offer the best blocking.

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You may have already thought of this, but if you put a kleenex between your skin and the muffs, it can make it more comfortable with less sweating and irritation from the plastic. -

Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007

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kam posted 07-13-2010 03:09 PM

Keebler...thanks. Good to know. I recall contacting Boise when I first came down sick and heard about the noise reduction head set.

A salesperson told me at the time that they would not help me....but it is better to hear it from someone who really knows.

That was almost 10 years ago so good to know there is a model now that works better.

I hate that beeping sound at the cash register and the music overhead at the grocery store too.

There are 3 stores in town. i have found I can only shop at one of them and that is first thing in the am and when I am functioning higher than usual...averaging about 2 days out of the month being able to go to the grocery store due to health.

It always amazes me how I can't even thing straight when a car alarm or something goes off.

It is scary as we could easily put ourselves in harms way.

again, I will be back to read more. Just catching bits adn pieces of things now.

Wondering if I could carry the boise ear things in my purse. I tend to be out in my power chair or in the car and not have the head set with me when needed.

Getting better at bringing my purse when I am out but still need to work on that one.

I will go out in the power chair thinking I am just going to take Rosie out to toilet and then find myself being able to be out of the house for a bit longer than planned and needing the head set to get back home.

Now, taht I think of the next step..affording the boise that is out. Not in the budget..even at $25 a month.

OK back to reading what the other choices are.

I have gone through 2 pair of the other due to loosing the rubber thingy that helps keep the noise down and softens things between the skin and the head set.

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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kam posted 07-13-2010 03:13 PM

OK just looked at the Peltor. They look like what I had.

Thinking that if I keep them in my bag instead of hanging them off of the arm of my power chair when not using them, I might not loose the rubber seal this time.

Thinking via the keyboard since thinking in my head is not working right now.

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Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged |

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kam posted 07-13-2010 03:19 PM

I really dislike your neighborhood grocery store's solution to the problem...attacking you instead of the problem.

A local ma and pa health food store saw what a rough time I was having one day and told me not to think twice about calling or emailing them and they would bring me whatever I wanted at no charge to me.

haven't used that service yet...nto sure why..I jsut like beign able to take care of things myself and not ask for help.

but, iw ill if it means going without food versa's asking for help.

+Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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kam posted 07-13-2010 03:22 PM

OK looked at the sensergaurd site..they look like somethign we used to wear when i worked at a nuclear power plant

can't recall who posted this. have you tried them personally?

You may have posted this adn the brain didn't take it in.

pressure in brain is great right now and processing is struggling so guess I better give it a rest.

Appreciate the help with this.

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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By tomorrow? Actually the Bose each of the noise cancellation headsets that I've bought over the years arrived the very next day.

But - your street would be closed to traffic.

For street paving, if they have to tear up the street, I'm not sure that anything will help much as much of the sound will come through your bones.

But, the construction style muffs, rated to 29 dB would likely be best for most of it with the Bose working for some other tasks.

Hopefully, this is a light project and not ripping out the existing pavement first.

No, I've not tried the ZEM sensergard ones.

The only one in this whole batch that I'd don't have.

MAGNESIUM and FISH OIL - and curcumin (to moderate stress on adrenals) - be sure all that is in place for the paving the streets. Be sure to close your windows before they start.

GINGER capsules might help prevent or offset nausea from the deep vibrations of street paving.

Last year, my city government put me up in a hotel for 2 nights while they paved my street.

I just called wanting exact dates when I learned of paving project, explained why I really needed to know and they just offered to put me in a hotel nearby so I'd not have seizures from their trucks. The extra day was so I'd not pass out from the fumes of the asphalt. They insisted upon that, actually.

I never whined or begged - just was matter of fact with wanting to know the dates so I could "hide under my bed" or whatever.

They had this in their budget for a few very sensitive folks. The fact that emergency crews would not have been able to get in o

r out might have had something to do with it.

It was a life-saver for me, quite literally. I had no other options (no family and no friends able to have a guest at that time).

That intensity of noise and vibration can cause serious health risks for lots of people. Do you have a friend you can stay with for a day or two?

You might call your Projects Department and see if there is any sort of accommodation in the budget for your street project. All local governments have some special deals at local hotels for visiting guests.

Oh, as for my grocery store asking me to stay away, I should have done that long before I was forced to do so. I suffered terrible damage from every shopping trip.

My body and brain really just could not longer do that but I just pushed too hard, facing far too dangerous noise and light levels for my brain. I have lots of damage from hundreds of such attempts over the years.

And, they really can't have me passing out or spazing out just from walking by the checkout (even if someone else rings up my order, I still have to walk by the beepers to get in and out).

I'm better off not being in those places. Still hope to be normal again someday but being kinder to my body is the only way I can function now. Those big stores are hard on everyone, I think. They just don't pinpoint the irritation.

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[ 07-13-2010, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]

Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007 | IP: Logged |

kam posted 07-13-2010 04:05 PM

Tranquil Tree House....good dream to have and picture in our minds. Just noticed that.

Glad you were able to get a hotel. Tres bien.

they paved the half of the parking lot I live near yesterday. All went well for the most part by keeping windows closed.

Will be back to read all you wrote later.

Came back to get web site again

that is great bose is so fast

i would really prefer them and still hoping to get them on down the line

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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kam posted 07-13-2010 04:08 PM

The lady vacuuming in the upstairs apartment goes right through my bones.

The headset I had didn't help as it did not work well with base dc..can't recall how to spell it..decibels..and I was a deaf ed major..sheesh

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002

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Keebler posted 07-13-2010 06:13 PM

As for vacuums, although I have to pay someone, the only vacuum that I can tolerate - even with ear muffs or plugs - is the Miele canister. It is very quiet as vacuums go. There are sales now and then.

While you can't control what your neighbor uses if, by chance, you ever have a conversation with her and she mentions needing a new one, you might mention how a Miele (sounds like "Sheila") might be kind to her ears.

Most vacuums are at a decibel level that causes hearing loss in everyone.

I ask my helper to wear muffs - but with the Miele - they really aren't needed by most people. I still can't be in the same room, even with muffs, but at least when in the other room, I'm not so tortured as with previous vacuums.

Ideally, we could all live without any carpets. I think they are very bad for us, in many ways.

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www.mieleusa.com

Miele Vacuums

BOSE Quiet Comfort 15 noise cancellation headset.

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kam posted 07-13-2010 06:39 PM

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keebler..thanks for the idea of a vacuum too.

I need to file the web site away somewhere for future reference.

I am really tempted to get the Bose and do the payments starting the first of the month.

The fan in here for the air conditioning and the heating is too much stress on the body also. Hoping the bose will help.

I also noticed you can get replace cups for the bose.

That is good to know just in case I do loose them as I did with the cheaper brands I have been using. Sometimes it is better to purchse a more expensive good quality product than putting out lots of less money for a product that ends up costing over the years.

OK brain is going.

But, sure hope the bose help with this fan noise.

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Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged |

Keebler posted 07-13-2010 06:54 PM

I'll try to think of all questions you may have about this.

None of their previous models, but the Bose QC 15 does help VERY MUCH with fan vibration and from AC, and refrigerators, too. But, as the ear is cupped, carrying on conversation is not easy if people mumble.

The QC 15 also makes traveling in a car a bit more bearable. As I've used other models on planes and they've not been enough, I would think the QC 15 would be much better on a plane trip.

Can't say about buses, etc. but probably better than others, in light of how they work for other situations. Probably better for movies, too.

Maybe restaurants and stores. But there is such a mix of sounds in those places. I've not been out in years, so I can't say how the QC 15 would work in social settings. Their previous models did not work as well as I had hoped.

• EMFs ? & • Tinnitus increase

However, it is important to note that I think we should not use the Bose any longer than necessary. I would not want to wear these all day or night.

It has its own microphone and transmitter to cancel sound. The QC 15 has a double set, whereas previous models had one.

I don't know that that means in terms of EMFs but it does increase tinnitus for me. I asked the Bose guys about EMFs and they didn't have a clue. Phone conversations are hard for me so I just dropped it.

I use mine when the leaf blowers and lawn guys are around the complex, or on adjoining properties and when out. If there is other work being done around here I use them.

Sometimes, I do need them just to cancel out the fridge or the AC if I can't escape to the other room.

Since I've had this model, I've had wonderful neighbors, none of whom blast the bass or listen to beat driven music. That has always been the worst torture for me and no other ear devices helped at all. My guess is the QC 15 may help, minimally there - but since much of that travels through bones, probably not much.

But, I try not to use more than an hour at a time due to the fact that they are active electronics and I just don't like that near my ears. I'd prefer to not use at all but, for me, with sound triggered seizures, they do help to a degree that nothing else even comes close.

Tinnitus may be pushed a bit with Bose, though. Just to let you know.-

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Superior Canal Dehiscence

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Beyond basic hyperacusis and the fact that lyme and other tick-borne infections (and low magnesium) can raise hyperacusis to new heights, there is also another condition that sets hyperacusis apart.

According to a special CT scan (not just any CT will do), it appears likely that I also deal with this.

Lyme can be one cause of SCD but it is not the only cause. The video can help those with hyperacusis, for any reason, explain to others what sound, uh, sounds like to them.

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Superior Canal Dehiscence from ABC news:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6vAkdGw8T4

SCDS – THE MUSICIAN WHO HEARD TOO MUCH – 9 min. video

Article to accompany video:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4436348&page=1

EAR-INDUCED TORTURE: MADDENING NOISE, EVERYWHERE

Adrian McLeish's Rare Condition Led to Amplified Sounds Produced From Eye Movement, Chewing and More

-By ALEXA DANNER - March 12, 2008

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SCDSsupport.org - http://www.scdssupport.org/

Superior Canal Dehiscence - SCD Support Links & Forum

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http://www.hyperacusis.net/

THE HYPERACUSIS NETWORK

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Kam, I'm sure you've seen this but, for others new to all this - Specifically for LYME patients - lots of details about ears and what can help:

http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi? ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=065801

Topic: TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links - including HYPERACUSIS

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Posts: 15207 | From Tranquil Tree House in my dreams | Registered: Jul 2007 | IP: Logged |

kam

Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)

Member # 3410

posted 07-13-2010 08:49 PM

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Keebler..I was concerned about the ringing in the ears as it has been too much with some things I have tried to wear to cut down on outside sounds.

I too can not do restaurants or crowds etc where there is a lot going on.

I am thankful I don't have the seizures. I think that would be very scary.

I thought about the Bose helping with that but realized it is also the movement and ? in restaurants that is too much for me.

OK brain is going so going to stop now.

Posts: 8896 | From Lyme Land with a touch of normal now and then | Registered: Dec 2002