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How are you doing today? Did your tinnitus calm down after the firework incident?

The only medications I have been taking are Magnesium, B12, and daily vitamins. Other than that, I have been resting and avoiding loud places. That is all you can really do. Sleep, eat well, rest, and give it time.

I am nearly ten months in myself, and I can tell you that I have improved since Month 7. The intensity is dropping little by little. It is an outdated belief that once you have tinnitus, it is permanent. The fact is that most people do recover, either fully or to the point where they only notice...

When someone tells you something is "statistically unlikely", please ignore them, especially an ENT. They are not great at advising on tinnitus. In fact, they are downright awful and offer outdated advice, if any at all. Mine shrugged his shoulders when I asked him if I could recover. I didn't...

I’m happy to help and offer support wherever I can. This is a horrendous experience, and you’ll see a lot of hopelessness on these boards, but I think it’s important to emphasize that more people recover than don’t, especially after limited sound exposure. You can recover, no matter what anyone...

I believe so, but I have an Android, so definitely confirm before buying. If you use them, be very careful with your volume. I kept mine at volume levels 1 to 3. Now that my symptoms have improved, I have stopped using them because even volume 1 seems too loud. You do not want to accidentally...

Do you know what a CT scan or MRI might show besides a neuroma? Is there any reason to get one after sound trauma? I saw your profile post asking about when to begin counting your recovery and asking about hyperacusis, but profile responses are limited to 800 characters, so I figured I post...

Is it just a hearing test you are getting done? My parents have been encouraging me to go back to the doctor, but I have been refusing because I just do not see what they can do that would be helpful. It seems to be a waiting game. Fortunately, I do not have hyperacusis. I have heard it does...

These are the two I bought...

Have you had a hearing test since your second trauma? Did your doctor tell you anything about your prognosis or give you steroids?

I am doing much better with sleep than I was during the first six months. Those first months were brutal. I was only getting a few hours each night. Now I sleep pretty much normally with just a little ambient sound. It goes almost completely silent at night for me now. My doctor also suggested...

I’m so sorry you’re going through this too. It’s truly awful, the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I really hope it resolves completely for both of us. For the first six months, I used my Alexa, my cell phone, and my computer for sound support. At night, I would set my phone on the bed about...

Hi @Tika, Honestly, I don’t really know how to describe it right now. I’ve been at my parents’ house for the past week, hoping that not being alone all the time might help take my mind off it. I’m having longer stretches where I can barely hear it, or can’t hear it at all, but I still have...

Are you still noticing muffled or altered hearing? Did your audiologist say the 5 dB shifts were significant? I had a similar small shift in my left ear, but my audiologist told me it was still within normal ranges. I think the ringing is continuing to fade for me. I have longer periods where I...

I’m so glad! Your story gives me a lot of hope that mine will also resolve. I’m getting close now. It has reduced dramatically over the last three months, and I feel like I’m in the final stretch. Stories like yours remind me that recovery is possible.

That’s so great! Is your tinnitus completely gone, or do you still have it?

I read your original post, and I’m so sorry this is happening to you. It sounds like your case is exceptionally severe. Can I gently suggest that you still have time to improve, and that your condition isn’t necessarily permanent? It seems you’ve had tinnitus for about the same amount of time as...

Today is the quietest my tinnitus has been since this all started. I’m in a completely silent room, and I can barely hear it—it’s so faint. I truly hope this means I’m in the final stretch before it disappears for good. I’m running low on food, though, and really need to go to the grocery...

Your noise will go down again. It's very possible the spike would have happened no matter what you did. I had a day about 7 weeks in where it nearly vanished and I celebrated like you did, then it came back. I was injured in January and I think April through June were actually the worst months...

Are you lying flat at night? Elevating your head with an extra pillow, or sleeping in a recliner if you have one, could help the fluid in your ear drain more effectively. If it is collecting at night, that could definitely explain the reduced hearing in the morning. Try drinking something warm...

That’s great to hear! I think having a busy household is actually beneficial. It gives your brain many opportunities to learn that sound is not threatening and provides plenty of distractions from the tinnitus. Sometimes I wonder if living alone in a very quiet house has actually slowed my...

I had water irrigation after my acoustic trauma, and it didn’t affect me. If it had a negative impact on you, you would know by now, as it would have changed the tinnitus. I wouldn’t worry about it. Get plenty of rest and avoid loud noises. Your tinnitus has every chance of resolving completely.

I’m so sorry to hear that. This is such a difficult condition. This likely isn’t new damage, though. Your system is still hypersensitive and will be for a while. Seventy decibels is still a safe sound level, but your ears are re-learning how to process sound and will tend to overreact. It can...

Yes, you want it to reach your sinuses, not just your nose. I lean forward and aim the nozzle toward my eye. If you taste it or feel it going down your throat, you did it wrong. If you taste it, you waste it.

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...

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...

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

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...

How are you doing, @waterbird?

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing, @Ilikethebeatles.

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...

Honestly, your constant remonstrations are getting annoying.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

How are you doing, @Yu.3?

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...

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...

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...

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.