21-Gun Salute — Now My Tinnitus Is Much More Noticeable

Dr. Nagler,

I've had tinnitus in one ear since January 2016. I suspect it was from using a firearm without ear protection. After an initial period of great difficulty, I had come to terms with it and largely habituated. I have been careful to avoid exposure to loud noises. Much of the time, I didn't even notice it or think of it. I became complacent and stopped carrying earplugs everywhere.

This last Saturday, I attended a funeral. The deceased was a veteran, and per the custom, several rifles were discharged about twenty yards from where I stood. I tried to plug my ears, but it was bitterly cold and my fingers were numb. I don't think I plugged my tinnitus ear as well as I should have. Immediately after the rifle shots, the ringing in my tinnitus ear became much more noticeable. It hasn't subsided to the baseline I had learned to accept.

I am worried that my tinnitus permanently worsened. Do you have any advice you can share? I appreciate your time and all you do for sufferers of tinnitus.

 

Hello @Sandra -

Thank you for your excellent question.

Based on the information you have presented above, my guess is that you plugged your ears adequately to protect against any sort of permanent damage and that given a bit more time your tinnitus should settle back down. In the meantime, please do not purposely seek environmental silence in an attempt to "give your ears a rest." Silence is actually stressful for the auditory system. So keep some soft soothing sounds around - that's the way to give your ears a rest.

All the best with it.

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.