Thank you so much for all the useful information. I'm learning to deal with SSD. It wasn't bad at all when it first happened. I was not experiencing all the extra noise. Now I'm hearing all this noise. I can't handle the noise/feedback I hear in my deaf left ear when a lot of people are talking or a lot of background noise is happening. It sounds like a loud honking sound. It gets so loud I can't hear anything but honking. It startles me because I don't know when it's going to, happen. I guess certain pitches set it off. I try to cover both ears to block the noise to make it not as loud and stop. That doesn't help. At night when I'm trying to sleep, it's a crunching, pulsating sound. Sometimes I hear what sounds like a radio that needs tuned in. When the sound around me is loud, these sounds gets louder in my ear causing me increased vertigo, headaches and anxiety. Is this what tinnitus is? I was under the impression tinnitus was a ringing in your ear. Could this be me ear trying to regain hearing? I have the same problem with trying to figure out which direction noise is coming from. The noise can be happening on my left and it sounds like it's coming from the right. So scary when I walk through parking lots. I'm also having trouble adjusting to the dark. When I turn the light off and start walking into a darker room my body almost freezes up and I lose my balance causing me to fall all over the place. It's almost as if my body is scared of the dark. It really throws my equilibrium off. This is getting better. I just have to remember and be prepared for it. My friend just told me about Costco. I will definitely go there. The hearing devices are a lot less costly. Good to know they are highly recommended. I have read a little about BICROS and will be sure to read the link. Thanks again. I was hoping to be able to cope without any hearing devices but if I'm going to be out and around in public areas, I think I'm going to need a hearing device that hopefully helps me deal with all my issues I'm having. My work place is loud and I would like to have something in place before returning to work so I am able to keep my job without being miserable throughout the day with all these added noises.