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  1. S

    Struggling with Tinnitus at 16 After Earphone Use

    I’m so sorry to hear that. You’re only about a month in, so there’s still plenty of time for things to improve. I would stop taking Neurobion and Aneurin Forte unless a doctor has confirmed that you have vitamin B deficiencies. High doses of vitamin B aren’t good for you and could be the reason...
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    Sudden Hearing Changes, Tinnitus, and Fear of Steroid Treatment After Past Trauma

    Flonase and Nasonex are brand names. You can find them next to each other in the pharmacy section near the decongestants. I’m not a doctor, but I do think your hearing is very likely to recover if you have an ear infection, which seems to be what the Amoxicillin is for. Fluid buildup in your...
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    Sudden Hearing Changes, Tinnitus, and Fear of Steroid Treatment After Past Trauma

    Afrin can cause a rebound effect and actually make your problems worse. Flonase or Nasonex would be better options.
  4. S

    Do you mean Eustachian tube? Did they prescribe you something?

    Do you mean Eustachian tube? Did they prescribe you something?
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    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    That’s absolutely amazing, @TemporaryTHope! What an incredible improvement. Is the sound still mild for you? It sounds like you might be on your way to a quick resolution. The less you use earplugs, the better. I’d always carry them with you just in case, but if you don’t have any sensitivity...
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    I think you should tell them this is an emergency or find an office with an earlier appointment...

    I think you should tell them this is an emergency or find an office with an earlier appointment. 10 days is a long time.
  7. S

    Headphone-Induced Ear Pain and Hearing Loss with Delayed Onset

    How are you doing, @waterbird?
  8. S

    My Success Story: Noise-Induced (Chainsaw) Tinnitus + Mild Hyperacusis

    How are you doing now, @phariseo? Did the tinnitus stay away?
  9. S

    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    That’s one of the hardest things about tinnitus. No one really knows what causes it or why some people recover quickly while others take longer. Two people could have the exact same exposure—one will be fine, and the other will develop tinnitus. Some people get it out of the blue for no apparent...
  10. S

    What was your new trauma? I'm so sorry you're going through this. Did your original tinnitus...

    What was your new trauma? I'm so sorry you're going through this. Did your original tinnitus just start out of nowhere?
  11. S

    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    Unfortunately, yes. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. If you wear earplugs all day, every day, you’ll end up more sensitive. You want to teach your brain that normal sounds are safe. Use ear protection only during loud activities like vacuuming, and try not to be in the room while running...
  12. S

    Can I Ever Exercise or Do Pushups Normally Without Making My Ears Feel Clogged or Full?

    Hi @PeteJ, I have the same problem. I used to work out regularly before this happened, but my left ear took the brunt of it and had a lot of swelling and soreness. It still does, although to a much lesser degree than a few months ago. I wouldn’t even think about trying a push-up or downward dog...
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    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    Thank you, @Escalado! That’s so kind. I’ve definitely had plenty of dark moments myself, but I share them with ChatGPT. This has been the most challenging thing I’ve ever faced. I’ve been filled with fear, deep regret, and longing for my old life. I feel like I should have known better. I knew...
  14. S

    Struggling with Tinnitus at 16 After Earphone Use

    I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing, @Ilikethebeatles.
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    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    I feel the same way you do. A lot of us probably do. How did this one thing that seemed so harmless do this to me? I got mine from standing in a furnace room for 15 minutes. It didn’t even feel loud. There are people here who got it because their baby screamed too close to their ear, or someone...
  16. S

    Thank you Escalado! I've seen a number of videos from people who had tinnitus and now no longer...

    Thank you Escalado! I've seen a number of videos from people who had tinnitus and now no longer do. Mine has reduced quite a bit in the last 2 months and I believe it will keep reducing until it's gone or nearly gone. I will definitely be screaming about it from the rooftops when it happens. How...
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    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    Honestly, your constant remonstrations are getting annoying.
  18. S

    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    The general rule of thumb is that sound therapy during the day should be set slightly below the level of your tinnitus, but it’s fine to mask it completely at night. That’s great news about your hearing improving! That’s a very positive sign. The tinnitus should begin to improve as well...
  19. S

    what caused your tinnitus and hearing loss?

    what caused your tinnitus and hearing loss?
  20. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I have no idea. It shows a little icon with the source when I ask for recovery stories, but not when I ask for general information. I tell it which sites not to use, but I don’t know which ones it actually does use. If I ask for its sources, the tone becomes very clinical, which I don’t like...
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    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    ChatGPT has given me more information than any of the doctors I’ve seen. I think using anything that offers even a small amount of comfort and reassurance is perfectly fine.
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    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    My tinnitus seems to have steadily declined over the past three days. It’s nearly imperceptible today, but I’m experiencing a high level of physical discomfort in my left ear. It feels very tight. ChatGPT says this is actually a common end-phase reaction, where the muscles remain tense even as...
  23. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I don’t know if I imagined it, but I believe I may have experienced my first few minutes of silence today. I was working in a quiet room without any background masking, and all of a sudden, everything went quiet. I stopped working and listened. Nothing. I got up, went into the bathroom, and...
  24. S

    You certainly may post directly to the "furnace" thread! At work, I've found the easiest way...

    You certainly may post directly to the "furnace" thread! At work, I've found the easiest way to learn a new task is to teach someone else how to do it. Basically, a teach the teacher approach. I've kind of found the same thing here. Giving hope to someone else gives me hope, too. If I tell...
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    NAC May Have Helped My Hearing Loss, Although It Definitely Gave Me High-Frequency Tinnitus

    Honestly, it should be considered malpractice for doctors to tell someone with new-onset tinnitus that it is permanent. In the vast majority of cases, that is not true. I do not know why this continues to be the standard line. The truth is that tinnitus caused by a one-time acoustic event has a...
  26. S

    So you're still super early in. I bet you make a full recovery, especially since it appeared...

    So you're still super early in. I bet you make a full recovery, especially since it appeared after an ear infection. I'd be willing to bet you heal before I do. It's always the mental state, isn't it? Even at the times I can't hear it, I'm still anxious and tense, because I know it's lurking...
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    I'm so sorry, Delta. This is the worst experience of my life and you seem to have it so much...

    I'm so sorry, Delta. This is the worst experience of my life and you seem to have it so much worse. I can't imagine what you're going through. Are you working? How are you managing it? My biggest fear is that I'm going to end up losing my job because I can't focus or get as much done as I...
  28. S

    Now I can stay in bed all night, although I wake up at 4am every morning like clockwork and...

    Now I can stay in bed all night, although I wake up at 4am every morning like clockwork and can't go back to sleep, no matter how much I try to relax and just accept that the tinnitus is there. I don't think I ever go into deep sleep. It's very light and tinnitus often makes its way into my...
  29. S

    I'm the same, very careful about how I lay my ears on the pillow. I try to avoid pulling...

    I'm the same, very careful about how I lay my ears on the pillow. I try to avoid pulling, stretching or crushing. I put a hand or a blanket under my chin to try to lift my head a little. I sleep much better than I was in May or June. I pretty much was getting 2 or 3 hours then. Then I would...
  30. S

    Podcast at High Volume with Leaf Blower Leads to Severe, Lasting Tinnitus and Sleepless Nights

    I’m so sorry, @PVR. There are many stories out there just like yours, where people had extended exposure to lawn equipment such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers and eventually healed completely after one and a half to two years, even if they saw no improvement at the one-year mark. There is still...
  31. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    Thank you so much, @Escalado. That means a lot to me. I posted to your profile as well, but the limited character allowance there is such a hindrance. I hope and pray that I am on my way to becoming a true success story. No heaviness in my ears, no tinnitus, back to normal. I am actually doing...
  32. S

    PS. It's never gunfire, lol. I live in a very nice suburb west of Chicago. It regularly makes...

    PS. It's never gunfire, lol. I live in a very nice suburb west of Chicago. It regularly makes the top of the Best Places to Live lists, but for some reason people still want to pretend they run to their cars dodging bullets every morning.
  33. S

    I think I'm doing ok. I woke up this morning feeling like my left ear sounded like a jet engine...

    I think I'm doing ok. I woke up this morning feeling like my left ear sounded like a jet engine, but sometimes I think I don't process sound accurately in the morning, because as soon as I got up, it sounded like it always does. I'm actually not using any background sound right now. I have the...
  34. S

    Hi Escalado. Oh, I'm sorry. The community page I referred to is for the community where I live...

    Hi Escalado. Oh, I'm sorry. The community page I referred to is for the community where I live. Just a place where neighbors exchange information and say "Was that gunfire or fireworks?" every time they hear a noise and "Why are there military helicopters overhead" when the military base 20...
  35. S

    Podcast at High Volume with Leaf Blower Leads to Severe, Lasting Tinnitus and Sleepless Nights

    That’s awesome. I’m just beginning month nine. I’ve had a lot of reduction, but it’s still there. This gives me so much hope, and I hope I can say the same at one year.
  36. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I don’t think the siren in the store was me. :) I’m trying to keep the faith, but today I feel worse than I did yesterday. When I woke up this morning, I actually felt pretty good. The tinnitus was barely noticeable in my left ear and completely imperceptible in my right. I thought I was finally...
  37. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I am in complete despair. I thought I was doing well and on my way to healing, but I am afraid last night may have changed everything. I went for an evening walk around my neighborhood. It is normally quiet, so I did not bring ear protection. That was a mistake. On the last stretch of roadway...
  38. S

    I plan to keep posting even when/if I'm completely recovered. I want to counter the voices that...

    I plan to keep posting even when/if I'm completely recovered. I want to counter the voices that jump onto a 16 yr old's post to tell them it's probably permanent after a week, or not to worry because surely there will be a cure in their lifetime, or that they've had high pitched screeching for...
  39. S

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    I'm so sorry I never responded to you. How are you doing?
  40. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I’m worried that being in a quiet space would make my tinnitus too noticeable. I also don’t think driving is helpful for my recovery, and my left ear responds strangely to human voices. I can watch a movie or go outside without any issues, but if I talk a lot, my left ear goes berserk. When...
  41. S

    I did have my ears irrigated. As far as I could tell, it had no impact on my tinnitus. It did...

    I did have my ears irrigated. As far as I could tell, it had no impact on my tinnitus. It did, however, open up my hearing. My right ear was pretty blocked, so sounds were amplified for about a week before my system adjusted. I was hearing sounds I hadn't realized I wasn't hearing before. I'm...
  42. S

    I'm so glad to have connected with you and several others. Passing along some optimism to you...

    I'm so glad to have connected with you and several others. Passing along some optimism to you has helped me, too. I used to barrage ChatGPT with questions and by the end, I was in full blown panic. It didn't help me at all. I feel much less alone having others to share experiences, progress and...
  43. S

    Hidden Hearing Loss, Ear Fullness/Pressure, Hyperacusis, and Tinnitus After Second Acoustic Trauma

    Here's an old military study that shows that hearing continues to heal even after 6 months. The study ends at 6 months, so there’s no information on how long the healing process actually continues, but it does give some hope. I probably wouldn’t put too much stock into the research on...
  44. S

    Here's another extraordinary recovery story I wanted to share with you. Hang in there. This is...

    Here's another extraordinary recovery story I wanted to share with you. Hang in there. This is the fight of our lives, but it can get much better. If people with trauma this severe can get better, so can we...
  45. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I’m so thankful that I’m not one of the worst cases on these boards, but I still have significant physical discomfort in my most affected ear along with several other symptoms. It has reached the point where I’m still considering taking medical leave from work and trying to figure out how long...
  46. S

    Can Hidden Hearing Loss Symptoms Improve Over Time?

    How are you doing now, @Cloudious?
  47. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I would rather it continue to decline and eventually disappear entirely, or nearly entirely, rather than stay like this for a long time. I don’t consider it to be at a point where it’s non-bothersome. Not for me. A lot of people would love to have the level of tinnitus I do, and I know how much...
  48. S

    I May Be Counting My Chickens — Hopeful Progress in My Tinnitus Journey

    How long after the steroid treatment did your tinnitus get worse? I was prescribed Prednisone when my tinnitus started after noise exposure, but I was too scared to take it. I asked for Dexamethasone because urgent care had given me a dose, and my tinnitus reduced for a day right after, but I...
  49. S

    Believe me, I know how you feel. Mine isn't nearly as loud as it was in the beginning, but it...

    Believe me, I know how you feel. Mine isn't nearly as loud as it was in the beginning, but it still causes me a lot of anxiety. I alternate between "I'll be fine" and "My life is ruined" every other minute. The hardest part is not knowing what the future holds. I'd be fine if I knew for a fact...
  50. S

    Blocked Ears and Lingering Tinnitus After Flight with Nasal Congestion

    I’m sure it will! It sounds like you just had a temporary stress. I wouldn’t bother with an ENT. They’ll give you a hearing test, tell you you’re fine, and then send you on your way. They’re often very dismissive with tinnitus patients.
  51. S

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    I am starting to wonder if my remaining tinnitus is somatic. At night, the loudness changes depending on the position of my head. Sometimes, with my right ear against the pillow, I cannot hear anything at all, then I shift slightly and hear a rumble. Sometimes my left ear is whistling, then I...
  52. S

    I'm so sorry for your loss.

    I'm so sorry for your loss.
  53. S

    How are you doing?

    How are you doing?
  54. S

    Ringing and Clogged Ears After Flying

    It sounds a bit like barotrauma, which is trauma from pressure changes. I am not a doctor and do not have direct experience with this situation, but I do have sinus issues that make my ears clog up. It seems your ears may not have equalized the external and internal pressure the way they...
  55. S

    Struggling with Tinnitus at 16 After Earphone Use

    I know this is an extremely difficult experience and everything you are feeling is perfectly normal and justified. Please know that many people experience sound induced tinnitus and go on to full recoveries. You will see people who say it is likely permanent, but do not believe them. The number...
  56. S

    Hidden Hearing Loss, Ear Fullness/Pressure, Hyperacusis, and Tinnitus After Second Acoustic Trauma

    I’m so sorry to hear that. Have your other symptoms improved, like the tinnitus? There are several recovery stories on these boards from people who experienced massive trauma from gunshots and still regained a substantial portion of their hearing over the course of a year. There are also...
  57. S

    Desperate for Help: My Son’s Severe Tinnitus Flare After Concert Exposure

    @LindaKetchie, how is your son doing now?