Odd Unexplainable Buzzing in CIs

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scribbler86

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I'm a bilateral CI (Nucleus Freedom both sides) and had my mapping done a month ago. Yet I'm experiencing some odd buzzing/humming that just refuses to go away. I keep thinking it's the refrigerator running in the kitchen or the computer monitor or feedback from TV... yet my hearing companions can't trace it. I've tried decreasing the volume but it's still there... any ideas? It only stops when I put my iPod on and turn off the sensitivity levels and blast out music (Broadway showtunes).
 
i can only think of 2 possibilities: tinnitus or the fact that you accidentally have your speech processors set on t-coil mode.
 
Thats funny, i am having excatly same problem, I am sure i am not having tinntius as when i took processor off it stops immediately. I did mention this to my Audi (in early dec) she said it's computers etc but i am still hearing it outside. At the moment it is slowly disappearing. I am off to Audi on monday and will ask her again. It does stop when i am using my Ipod with Pac.

I also want to ask you, since we have Freedom. Had the voices changed?? I think mine had since last mapping. It sounds flat.
 
I had bilateral activation last week. I've had the 1st implant for 2 years and it is working great.

I had a low frequency rumble with ring that lasted a really long time and I was really focused on this just after activation. The ring is getting a lot better with time. The only thing we could link in the office was the computer hum which was for me really loud and not the right frequency so I had a hard time associating the noise with what I know a computer fan sounds like. Everything else is still off frequency but getting better. My 1st activation, the frequencies made a major shift at 3-5 weeks after activation. I understand that this time varies and could be up to 6 months.

I can hold a one on one conversation with my new CI. Voices don't sound right but it is working and the progress is the same as what I remember with the 1st one.

With listening to music on my new CI, I find that the lower volume helps with keeping the frequencies closer to what they should be. For me, the frequency shift may be due to higher stimulation levels/volume.

When the battery dies in the new CI, I really miss it and almost have a hard time with only one. To me, it is amaizing how fast the brain gets use to the new input. I do find with two, it is a lot easier to carry a conversation or hear something. I have found that with two, I can now listen to the radio in my truck at 2 steps above off instead of 7-10. I normally listened to the radio when I was the only one in the truck since it was to loud for others. Just my experience with Bilateral.

I have a couple things I'm going to try tomorrow afternoon during my 2nd programming.

* Lower my min levels. With this activation, I made sure I heard the low input which is definently 3-5 steps higher on some frequencies, I'm taking that back down.

* Increase the min level the processor sends so I don't pick up so much of the furnace/air flow noise. I can hear the wind whistle over the mics when just walking. My other ear, I don't hear this. May be linked to the 1st item above.

* Find out why my power consumption on my new ear is faster than my old.

I hope my normal audi is back in the office tomorrow. Not saying the one who did the activation didn't do it right, they just used different tools which I was not familiar with therefore, I think I set the min and max levels differently.


Keep a record of what is easy and hard to hear, any dislikes and your audi may be able to taylor the program for you. If they don't know how, you may want to turn to the Cochlear community for information.
Steve
 
I have AB and experienced that too. It was my ear hook(T-Mic). After changing it, that buzzing stopped.
 
steve,

i have many of the same observations you do when it comes to bilaterals.

i have a much easier time understanding speech with 2 ci's as opposed to 1.

i also understand speech much better with my right ci than i do my left (even though my ci audi says there is no significant difference between the two after being tested).

as for music, i'll have to try listening at lower volume levels to see if that helps make high frequencies sound closer to normal because right now they sound off-key and 1 or 2 octaves below where they should be.
 
In my experience, 4 possibilities:

1) You have not developed the ability to hear very high frequency sounds yet (1k hz and above)
2) Excess moisture, in unfortunate cases if it gets to the electronics of the CI, it will buzz.
3) T-coil program is on.
4) Very rare cases, interference from being near devices that transmit magnetic fields.
 
Check with your audi. The Microphone settings may be set to high.

My audi made some changes to my programming to reduce the white noise I was hearing. I know the frequency range was changed from 188hz-7600hz to 188hz-6600hz which helped. This was the input frequencies the CI will send to the electrodes. The numbers are not exactly right but somewhere close. There were several other changes that were made. All I can say is I'm not blasted by the furnace or refrigerator any more. I still have the whistle when walking and will try to change than next week.

For me, I'm still adapting. 2nd Mapping to my Bilateral CI yesterday afternoon. Some frequencies are better. During the visit, I did notice it seamed easier to hear some sounds.

I did pick up a really interesting hissing sound during mapping process. The sound was really similar to the hissing sound used during masking a good ear during a normal hearing test to make sure the sound is not jumping to the better ear. This sound would start just after the "loud" tones and continue for a couple seconds after the 3rd beep when I reached my max level and stopped that tone. I asked my audi about this and her response was "It doesn't supprise me with you" I am by no means hesitant with asking "odd" questions. I figure I better ask the questions since there just might be an answer to help me use the CI better.

I think this is the new sound I am hearing after using the CI for a week. During initial activation, it was a high pitch ring I was hearing. I am sure this will continue changing as I wear the CI until I adapt to the stimulation.

I am not at all concerned about this since I went through similar odd sounds with my first CI activation. At least with recognizing peoples voices. Again, I remember the change took place some time after week 3 but still had changes going on for a couple months.

Please keep posting. Sharing information is the best way to learn what to expect when having a CI. Not everyone will benefit the same but there are always questions to learn to ask, there might just be a fix for a problem but if the question is not asked, no fix will happen.

Steve
 
SteveESP52 said:
* Increase the min level the processor sends so I don't pick up so much of the furnace/air flow noise. I can hear the wind whistle over the mics when just walking. My other ear, I don't hear this. May be linked to the 1st item above.

* Find out why my power consumption on my new ear is faster than my old.

Steve
Click to expand...

Hey Steve,

I experienced the wind whistling and man it was annoying. It was because the high frequencies were set too high. After a map or two, it went away because the audi lowered it. Did you have NRT done?

The power consumption probably links to above or if you have higher DR, or more programs that's more powerful. Usually the first time of activation, they leave it "blank", just volume adjustments while after a month or so, the mapping should start having Beam, Autosens, ADRO, etc. My left will die faster than my right because the DR is 42 and my right is 30. However, I don't notice the differences because I use rechargeable batteries, they last me a good two days before dying.
 
I feel stupid and am at a complete loss.

What is NRT? Nerve Response _____???
What is DR? _____ Rate???

This is a test right.

Yes, they did perform a nerve feedback test at initial activation on my second implant. I have never had this before this MAP. My normal audi doesn't use that test.

I'm running 1800 speed. I've tried 900 and 1200 and just can't get use to them. I've never tried anything slower.

I do have Focus on one of my programs but normally use my manual controls program.

As far as the whistle, It's getting better. I think more so because the other frequencies and still shifting to what I am use to and what I'm hearing is the normal wind noise which I hear with my left.

Steve
 
SteveESP52 said:
I feel stupid and am at a complete loss.

What is NRT? Nerve Response _____???
What is DR? _____ Rate???

This is a test right.

Yes, they did perform a nerve feedback test at initial activation on my second implant. I have never had this before this MAP. My normal audi doesn't use that test.

I'm running 1800 speed. I've tried 900 and 1200 and just can't get use to them. I've never tried anything slower.

I do have Focus on one of my programs but normally use my manual controls program.

As far as the whistle, It's getting better. I think more so because the other frequencies and still shifting to what I am use to and what I'm hearing is the normal wind noise which I hear with my left.

Steve
Click to expand...

NRT - Nerve response test :)

DR - Dynamic range. Basically the range between your high threshold and low threshold. Look on the screen at your next map, and you see the green and red bars. The DR is the numbers in between. A large number indicates that you need more input, more precise sounds. Sometimes it can be too big (it would sound very loud or you hear almost every single thing, including all the annoying sounds you don't really want to hear). It really depends on your threshold of what you prefer.

NRT - is basically how the electrodes response to sounds. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to do and it can hurt if you're sensitive. It's like a beeping test, but the computer determines how sensitive your nerve reacts to the electrode. Since there's 22, that's a lot. :) Because of this, I was able to tell that electrode 12 was out of compliance, which means that the nerve at electrode 12 gets over stimulated. The audiologist turned it off, and since then the hard vowels (like the O in How), sounds a LOT less sharp. Most audiologist do not do this on adults. They do it on kids, and should be done during our surgery. For some reason, both of mine was never done...and since I got the NRT done in both of them, everything sounded SO much clearer and better.

As for the speed - I actually have NO idea what I have. I know some people say they have it on a slower speed or faster. All I know I have it on ACE. I'm curious what it SOUNDS like if it's "slow". lol.
 
Hear Again said:
steve,

i have many of the same observations you do when it comes to bilaterals.

i have a much easier time understanding speech with 2 ci's as opposed to 1.

i also understand speech much better with my right ci than i do my left (even though my ci audi says there is no significant difference between the two after being tested).

as for music, i'll have to try listening at lower volume levels to see if that helps make high frequencies sound closer to normal because right now they sound off-key and 1 or 2 octaves below where they should be.
Click to expand...


Sorry for getting off-topic as I don't have a CI so I can't address the buzzing issue.

But I did want to say that I can relate to you, Hear_Again, about hearing speech better on one side or another even if there is no difference in testing. I have always understood speech far better with my right ear even though both ears test the same. I think it just pertains to your listening training skills. So go with what you think and not what your audi says :)
 
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