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You’re only about four and a half months in. You’re still in the toughest phase, so hang in there. I started seeing big improvements come all at once around the middle of month six. One day, almost suddenly, I was able to drop sound support and sleep through the night for the first time. I’m in...

I’m near Chicago. I never Google. I don’t spend any time researching tinnitus. I don’t chase doctors, clinical trials, products, or solutions. I believe time, patience, and protection are the only real healers for sound-induced tinnitus. This board and ChatGPT are the only two places I go...

What originally started your tinnitus? It looks like you have been on these boards for quite some time. Can you ask the barber to use scissors instead of clippers? I cannot imagine clippers being very good so close to your ears. Maybe it is time to consider a new hairstyle?

So basically, no one actually gets better. They just learn to accept their new reality.

I made the huge mistake of asking ChatGPT for recovery statistics. Never do that. I’m seven months in after acoustic trauma, and I KNOW I’ve improved, especially over the last two months. I KNOW there’s still plenty of time for me to keep getting better, possibly even to full resolution, or at...

Improve a lot, as in the volume going down? I feel like I lost my entire life the moment I walked into that furnace room. There’s a clear before and after now, and I’ll be living with this sound for the rest of my life. I still can’t wrap my head around it.

6 years is not very encouraging. That's a very long time.

What caused your tinnitus the first time, and what led to the worsening? I had very mild, low tinnitus before this that I rarely noticed, and even when I did, it never bothered me. It was always, “Oh, there’s my tinnitus,” and as soon as I started doing something else, I’d forget all about it...

I’m trying so hard to be patient, and I’m sure my feelings are shared by many on these boards. I keep remembering the “before” times when tinnitus wasn’t a concern and dreaming of the day it either goes away or becomes so negligible that it’s unnoticeable. I’m hoping my recent improvements are...

How are you doing now? I’m sorry you haven’t received any replies. I spiked in early July after being caught outside when the monthly tornado siren test started. The tower was only about 100 feet away from me, but the spike came down after about two weeks, and my overall tinnitus level is lower...

I’ve been told that delayed onset tinnitus can actually be a good sign. It suggests that your auditory system was irritated and sent into overdrive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean permanent damage. I experienced the same delayed onset after spending 15 minutes in a furnace room. It steadily got...

Thanks for the reply, @MindOverMatter. I’ve definitely discovered that reading the worst stories can trigger a panic attack when I otherwise would have been fine. I’ve been relying on ChatGPT to curate recovery stories for me so I can avoid reading the worst-case scenarios. The only thing is, I...

I’ve had sound-induced tinnitus for seven months now and have only been on these boards for a short time, but what I mostly see is a lot of suffering. Is anyone here actually getting better as time goes on and feeling like their tinnitus is moving toward resolving? Especially those who have had...

If I make it through this and get better, I’ll have a whole new appreciation for my health and for living life. I’m going to take that trip, eat that meal, buy that thing I’ve always wanted, and truly appreciate every second of my health. I’ve been so focused on saving money to secure my future...

I remember seeing your thread as I’ve moved around the boards. I’d like to keep following your story since we’re on such similar timelines and experiences. The hardest thing for me is the guilt. Knowing this didn’t have to happen if I had just stayed out of the furnace room. I don’t know why the...

Hi! I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this for 15 months. I’m just starting month 8 and I really hope it clears up soon. The first six months were hellish, but the last two months I’ve been making steady progress. Can I ask what you’ve tried in terms of treatment? Are you using sound...

Stress and tension can definitely cause headaches, and so can clenching. I recommend adding meditation or relaxation practices to your daily routine, doing head and neck exercises at least once a day, and using a nightguard. Also, pay close attention to your posture. All of these should help...

I was injured almost exactly a month before you, and I’m still suffering the effects as well. I only started to see my first real improvements in July, which was the sixth month for me, so hopefully they’ll start showing up for you too. I also have the tension in my ears that you feel. My ears...

I’m just about at the very end of Month 7 since my acoustic trauma. I can see some clear signs of improvement, but I’m struggling to believe them. Part of me thinks it’s all in my head and I haven’t really improved at all, while another part recognizes the progress but is still frustrated that...

Highly unlikely, especially in an open space and only for a few seconds. Did you experience any effects after the exposure? If not, it’s time to stop worrying about it. I’ve only been on these boards a short time, but one thing that stands out to me is the high level of anxiety many posters...

It sounds like you might have somatic tinnitus caused by clenching. The fact that your tone changes with movement points in the same direction. Somatic tinnitus is often related to tight muscles and can sometimes be improved with head and neck exercises as well as relaxation techniques. It’s...

It should be considered malpractice for doctors to tell people their tinnitus is permanent. It can get better or even go away, even with high-frequency hearing loss. Your brain can learn to filter out the ghost signals. I have mild high-frequency loss in my left ear and had very mild tinnitus...

TL;DR: I got tinnitus from a home furnace in January 2025. It started as a 10/10 siren. Doctors were useless. I lived in misery for six months, but now in Month 7 I'm finally seeing signs of relief. Along the way I've had many spikes that felt like regressions, especially after trips to stores...