stethoscopes and tinnitus

[ibspider]

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good stethoscope for bad tinnitus?

I have a Littman lightweight II and can't hear well with it. I tried the Classic II and it was better but the ringing is so bad. I'm afraid of missing more subtle sounds in an assessment.

I have some birthday cash coming and wonder about going for the Cardiology III. Is it just too "over the top" for a nursing student? Will I just have to learn to tune out the ringing?

Any input appreciated.

[Melina]

I assume you have already seen a doctor about the ringing, right? If it isn''t something that can be remedied, like impacted wax, then I would recommend Doctor's Research Group Pure Tone steths. They are lighter than the cardio III.

~Mel'

[westtoledo]

I'm a SN, too and have tinnitus. IMO the Cardiology 3 isn't "over the top". Buy whatever works best for you. After all -YOU deserve the best! I've been on the lookout for a good steth for tinnitus. I've tried the Littmann Cardiology III, the Littmann Classic IIse, and the DRG Echo Amplified. I like the Card III the best, the Classic IIse second best, and the ERG Echo the least. I didn't hear a huge difference in sound quality b/t the two Littmans. The Card.III sounds slightly better and is what I'm using now. I was able to convert the tunable peds diaphram into a traditional bell from parts that Littmann supplied in the box of my new stethoscope. I also bought a cloth cover for mine. It significantly reduces the amount of unwanted noise picked up from bumping the tubing around. I dont really have any positive comments on the DRG Echo Amplified. The sound heard through the binaural was very tin-canny. The digital feature seemed to amplify more of the room noise rather than the sounds being auscultated. The first time I put the tubes in my ears and pressed the "on" button It shot very loud feedback into my ears for a split second. My hearing isn't like new anymore, so I wont have anything to do with something that may worsen it. The tubing was very stiff and had a very strong rubber smell about it. It also wanted to naturally coil in one direction only. This became a problem when rotating the head when switching between Bell / Digital / Diaphram modes. Its like the tube wouldn't just lay flat like I wanted it to. If I were ever to try another electronic steth, I'd probably try a Littmann. They've done a very good job designing their acoustic stethoscopes and more than likely their electronic models are of just as good a quality. Hope this helps. I'd love to read about what others have tried for their tinnitus.

[dmaccnursing_student]

My mother, who is a RN, has the same problem and bought the Cardiology III when in school. Just a thought. She swears by it and bought be one for Christmas, even though I can hear fine out of a cheap one.