Tinnitus Spike from Seeing a Movie (Even Though I Used Earplugs and Earmuffs)

I'd really hoped I'd never have to post here, and I hadn't expected it to say the least what with everything going much better.

I've made some posts here and there about this, but since October 4 I've had a spike about a day after seeing a movie (like another on here.)

I watched it with earplugs (20 dB reduction, supposedly) then switched to safety earmuffs for the latter half of the movie just to be safe. I guess it wasn't enough, though, because my tinnitus was spiked quite a bit. Guess it must've damaged my hearing regardless of those measures. It's definitely not anything gradual, since I've been markedly cautious.

Speaking more directly, I'm not sure what I should expect here. It's been nearly a week now, and I'm starting to wonder if there's really a remote chance that this is temporary. Feels like I'm starting all over again, really.

 

HI @magicant

A person can use the best hearing protection available and if the sound is too loud for their ears/auditory system and they have sensitive hearing, the tinnitus can spike temporarily or increase for a longer period and in some cases remain permanent. The reason is this: If external sound is loud enough it will pass through the head/skull and be transferred to the inner ear by "Bone conduction" . Low level sounds such as Bass can spike the tinnitus too by traveling up through the body into the head.

If someone is sensitive to sound or has hyperacusis, then it's best to try and get this treated by seeing an Audiologist or Hearing Therapist, that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management and treatment. Please click on the links below and read my posts, that you might find helpful.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/are-spikes-from-loud-noise-permanent.18156/

 

Magnificient,
Have you ever had a spike before? You went to quite a precaution to protect your hearing going to the movie...more than I would have and my ears are sensitive to sound. Why so many precautions? Previous spikes? Sound bother you?

Your question is unanswerable. Nobody has a crystal ball about your tinnitus, my tinnitus or anybody on the forum into the future. All we have is our past to extrapolate from and because our bodies change each day, it is a pretty unreliable predictor of the future.

Meanwhile I do have a story for you....

Did you hear about the guy who changed his bike route? After years of taking the same route on his bike, he decided one day to stop at a candy store and buy a piece of licorice. He rarely ate it but always liked the taste. The next day, out of the blue, he developed Tourette syndrome. He couldn't shake it and all the doctors were baffled. His conclusion? His Tourette's was from stopping at the candy store. Btw, his name was Michael not that it matters.

 

This is definitely my first notable spike. The ones before this felt like they were possibly the result of my imagination and overthinking. Negligible and random, really. The precautions were simply because I didn't want to take any chances. I've been taking them ever since I got T, but I guess they weren't enough. Evidently, I should've just stayed away from cinemas altogether. Though, I felt that it was fine, since never before had I gotten a spike from going or anything like that. My T wasn't particularly reactive either, and I have no H.

But I guess you're right. There's nothing really that can be done. I have no idea if this is going to be temporary because, as aforementioned, this is the first time that I'm experiencing something like this, is all.

 

It certainly didn't damage your hearing it's just the bass of the sound system in the movies messing with your hyper nervous system. You'll be fine in a day.

 

A literal day? If so, I wouldn't be worrying or stressed like this. It's been near a week now already. It took about a day for this spike to manifest. I've seen some people say it can take weeks and sometimes months for one to fade, but... Yeah. I suspect the earplugs just weren't sufficient for the sound there.

 

Tinnitus spikes are not normal @magicant they are an indication that something is wrong within your auditory system and needs to be treated. You may have hyperacusis and therefore, it's best to seek treatment with the health professionals I have mentioned if possible. Read my posts about spikes. The type of spikes that I am referring to are people with Noise induced tinnitus. If your tinnitus is not noise induced, then something else within your auditory system is being affected by sound which is causing the spike.

If I were you, I would try and get an appointment at ENT then onto Audiology to see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, if you want to treat this problem.

Michael

 

I've been to an ENT already, but they weren't able to find anything off. My ears looked perfectly healthy, so they said. Although that was a year ago, they weren't able to find any notable hearing loss either. Apparently, if anything, my hearing is better than that of most people my age (I've always been the cautious sort about this sort of thing.)

I don't know, I guess... I should just accept it. Try to, anyway. It's possible that it could fade, but then it's also possible that it could be permanent; that much I understand.

 

@magicant

It is your choice magicant if you want to accept it. I don't know what part of the world you live, so I will tell you the procedure for tinnitus treatment including tinnitus spikes in the UK.

When a person with tinnitus is seen at ENT and tests are carried out. If there is no underlying medical problem causing the tinnitus, as in "Noise induced" then the patient is referred to Audiology to see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management. Depending on which NHS hospital a patient is referred to or one of their choice providing they can travel to the location, certain treatments will be available. These may include: TRT, CBT, White noise generators, hearing aids, counselling, sound therapy, relaxation classes, mindfulness etc. In the case of TRT, it may not follow the Jastreboff protocol, as some hospitals have adapted the treatment to their requirements. In any case, some sort of treatment is usually available including medication.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

@magicant

Earplugs rated at 20 dB of NRR are pretty wimpy, as the foam ones go up to a max of 33 dB.

Some movies, particularly action ones, can go up to 100 dB. Movies are getting louder these days to compete better with home video experiences.

Most spikes are temporary, but this can take months to calm down. Avoid further noise exposure, and stay out of the movies. Use the earplugs as needed, but not all day.

I hope this gets better for you soon. Unless you stay home in a quiet corner, these spikes are quite annoyingly inevitable to a certain extent. I had several along the way.

 

I understand that not it's not the same for everyone, but I'm inclined to ask nonetheless: how long did it take for yours to fade, and what were the causes?

 

Really 100 dB? wow

I have never been to a movie where sound was higher than 80 dB and I don't think it's realistically possible to have a movie played at higher than like 85 dB, it's not dance music.

Actually the average movie is about 72 dB with jumps occasionally up to 80 dB.

 

All noise induced as the cause. Most recent was a weed trimmer.

At 3 months there was little improvement. At 6 months things started to get better. Around 9 mos it was definitely improved, and at a year I was wondering the other day if this was silence when I woke up with my earplugs in. While it was not, that should tell you how low the T is at this point.

I also take daily omega3, at a dose of about 500 mg that helped as well

 

I see, I see. It sounds like this takes a lot of patience then. Thanks for replying. From here on, I've decided to completely avoid any remotely loud noise (I only went to see movies, but I definitely won't be doing that again.) Fortunately, doing this is not difficult for me, since these days I just sit at home.

As for Omega3... I could give it a shot. I eat plenty of fish and nuts already, but maybe a bit more won't hurt.

 

I eat salmon once a week, but hard to get enough omega3. Avoid the loud places as reasonable. Wear foam plugs for the rest. I still do plenty, and mow the lawn and do ok, although I use both plugs and muffs for that.

Another hint is to try multiple kinds of earplugs as they all fit differently, and need to find the one that is comfortable for you.

 

I think, just to be safe, I'll be using earmuffs instead of earplugs. That said, I won't use them when not necessary (which is pretty much most of the time, since I am so rarely around loud noise.)

 

Be aware that most earplugs are better at protecting from sound than ear muffs, so it may not be fully protective for really loud sounds.

 

Has your spike subsided?

 

It has, actually. It subsided completely after about... 10 days, if I recall correctly. I actually recently had another spike to deal with that lasted longer. That one was completely random, though. That one has also subsided now.

 

WOW!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!

 

Those foam plugs are garbage. I had one time where they failed to fully seal and have horrific tinnitus because of it. Get some electronic Walker's muffs.