Will It Get Better

Hello all,

I am still in the acute stage of tinnitus (16 days in) after noise exposure. It was horrible the first week as my anxiety and depression were at its worst but I feel a bit more optimistic now. Although I have seen the ENT and I feel better each day I have a slight ring in my left ear. The right ear healed after two days and my hyperacusis is pretty much gone now (took like 2 weeks).

I wanted to ask two questions: 1) Do any of you have or know anyone that had noise induced tinnitus go away after weeks or months? 2) I am starting to accept the fact that I might need to learn with this. I think about my gf and family and it helps me make a great effort to try and ignore it so that I continue being who I used to be but it is hard since it is easy to try and pay attention to hear for the ringing. About how long did it take you guys to habituate?

Like I said, I feel a lot better but have my moments of stress still and moments where I feel "normal" again. I am scared if I reach the 6 month mark I will have a breakdown. I hope to have accepted it by then and learned to ignore it most of the time. Any thoughts would help. Thanks!

 

My own was noise induced and i still have it, but just like you i am in the acute stage, so far i have moments but i still have habituated a lil bit about it. I dont listen for it anymore but when i do hear it i say: Hi there lol. What I learn in CBT has helped me alot with anxiety and i use those methods to the response to tinnitus. Don't worry sbout how long it take to habituate because no man is promise 2morro. Worry about today and your happiness for today.
I am glad you are getting better Enrique
God bless
Btw i know people who terminal cancer randomly disappear. The same can happen with tinnitus. The body is very complex

 

Very true. Staying optimistic and sieze the day. I was tired of being someone I am not. That really is my main motivation, I don't want this taking over my life. I am also a believer in God and that has helped tremendously. There is nothing he puts in our lives that we can't handle. This experience has truly humbled me. I hope to grow stronger and help others with this condition.

 

Enrique, what was your noise exposure?

I'm glad your situation is improving! Keep us posted!

 

Thank you, I will. It was from shooting at an indoor range. I had ear plugs but they obviously weren't enough. My one and only time at the shooting range. I've never even been to a concert. I work at a park. Don't have too many high risks for developing hearing loss. My ENT tested my hearing for conversational frequencies of which I heard all from both ears just fine. I took online tests and hear frequencies up to 17000hz mainly because I feel my speakers are limited to playing anything higher than that. My hearing seems like it is back to normal aside from the T. I have a friend who shot in the army and said his took a month for the T to go away. That gives me some hope.

 

so it looks like you don't have a hearing loss then? could be promising.

Don't give up! it could go away. But even if it doesn't, you can still live a happy life.

Big hugs, from Canada ...

 

Thank you. I also hope so but if it doesn't I'll definitely live. It will take some time to get used to though.Day by day

 

It seems amazing that you are already showing such improvement within such a short time. I was in a total mess within the first few months and you are so much better comparatively. You will be just fine. Don't worry about it much and don't set a time table how your T or your reaction to T will be at a given time. Doing so will get you anxious about T and the brain will zoom in on T if it senses that you are treating it as a threat. The best is like what the success story 'Doing nothing' says, don't worry about it and over time it will just get better. I say live our life normally and enjoyably and time will do the healing. Congrats to your improvement within such a short time. Keep it up and God bless your recovery.

 

A note to those using ear protection in the form of ear plugs (foam/silicone type).

It is easy to use this form of ear plugs. It is also easy to follow the instructions for the correct use which is indicated on the package. However, there is one additional step that must be followed for optimum protection: after gently inserting the earplugs until they make contact with the eardrum, release and keep gently pushing the earplugs in as the foam expands inside the ear. Doing this will add an extra 10 db of protection. The difference is quite noticeable.

I suspect one reason people end up with tinnitus after having gone to a concert wearing earplugs is because they simply didn't use them correctly. Really sad when trying to do the right thing in the first place.

 

earplugs never make contact with the eardrum

 

Earplugs should not be squashed against the eardrum. Agreed. But in English and in this specific context, "to make contact" means to "touch" the eardrum. If earplugs do not touch the eardrum, they have not been pushed far enough inside the ear canal. See below. Second diagram shows/describes the kind of information that many package instructions fail to mention (3rd picture instruction is the critical step that many people probably leave out ie. keep the earplugs pushed in while the foam expands; this is very important for getting the full protection benefit).