3 Weeks Tinnitus, Uncertain Cause. Super Worried. Sorry, Long Read.

Hi all.

I am new to this forum. Been lurking for a short while. Excuse my English, I'm from Central Europe, and English is not my mother language.

I'm not a guy that often asks for help or advice, but now I do. First a little background. I'm in my mid-fifties, good health, quite fit, enjoy (or did enjoy) action sports like motorcycling, flying, outdoors, hunting. I work in an administrative position with high demands for exactness and detail, and have always experienced a certain level of stress due to this. My hobbies do (did) reflect the need to get away from this, and give me a much needed break.

I enjoy (enjoyed) listening to music, even on a daily basis in the workplace to mask out noise, mostly the last three years due to the open office environment I work in. I have always been aware of my hearing, and have tried to keep the sound at reduced levels, though not always.

Since youth I have been aware of a sound disorder that I have, Misophonia. I react (with stress and angryness) towards smacking sounds. Also I have had very mild T since youth, perhaps because of motorcycle riding, due to wind noise. This has not bothered me though, and I could only hear it at night. It has been stable for 20-30 years.

I have been using earplugs at night as well the last 6-7 years, due to my noise sensitivity. I tend to wake up very easily. The earplugs I use are soft silicone, since these dampen very well and do no force open the ear canals.

A little over a month ago, I had a mishap at the shooting range. I had put my hearing protection on incorrectly, and was exposed to some gunshot sound from nearby shooters. I tried to position it successfully, but was not able to completely. I was distressed by this, but experienced no immediate ringing or hearing loss. I didn't notice any change in my slight T that night, nor the following week. However I was irritated at myself, and worried, for making that mistake.

One week later I sat by my computer, and then suddenly heard this loud hi-frequency sound, in both ears. Very noticable. I tried to 'shake it off' and forget it, but became very aware. The sound, best described as a high-pitch chirping, went away, but came back later. I heard it that night, and did not sleep well. The following day I tried to 'shake it off' again, going skiing. It came on and off, and the night was terrible. I could not sleep with the earplugs anymore. Later that week I went to my GP doctor. She looked into my ears and said she could see some redness, and that my ear canals were a bit narrow, and the eardrums seemed a little 'squeezed'. She prescribed an in-ear antibiotic, which I took for one week, without effect. In the meanwhile the T became louder and came more often.

One week later, back at the doctors, she could see no redness, but the ear canals were still narrow, and eardrums looked the same. She said it could have been like this before, and that it was not the cause of the T.

I could now discern two sounds, a basic loud T that never changed, best heard with my ears closed up, and the chirping loud-pitch sound that varied in intensity, changed from ear to ear, went away and came back.

After one more week, now on sick leave, I had one day in complete silence, well almost complete since there was still a basic T, but not loud. The chirping sound was gone. Next day it was back, again changing from ear to ear, and in intensity.

I took a hearing test at a local hearing center, this shows that my right ear starts at 0db, then from 250hz - 2khz it stays at 5db, 3khz jump up to 0db, then 5khz at 10db and 8khz at 15 db. My left ear curve is about 5db lower than the right, with a dip to 25db at 4khz and at 8khz.

The audiograph guy said I had very good hearing for my age, and had no explanation for the T.

However later I took some frequency tests from YouTube, and can detect a slight anomaly at 6700-6800hz, changing from left to right. Then good again to 9500hz. Above 9800hz I hear nothing.

My T has worsened the last week, during the day. It could be better at night (I no longer use ear plugs), OK in the morning, and worsens during the day. The chirping high-pitch can also be 'provoked' or increased by background noise, like a car engine. Sometimes it disappears, for minutes or hours, but comes back. It seems more stable now. I have headaches more often than usual. I take sleeping pills to sleep.

I am now back at work and feel awful. Cannot concentrate. My boss is worried. Wife is distressed. I seriously talked with her that I perhaps cannot live with this. I am considering the financial situation the family will have without me. Really desperate now.

Have tried four times with a chiropractor, without any effect. Going to a new doctor tomorrow, accupuncture after that, then homeopathy and physiotherapy. Must try everything now.

I seek advice about what could have happened here? Did I suffer sever damaged from the shooting range mishap, but did not notice it before a week later? Is it accumulated damage and misuse, a virus, age, stress or what? Could it be medication? I often take Ibux, for my headaches, and PPI (Omeprazol) for my stomach. But have now stopped with both.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Ento

 

Welcome to the forum, Ento. Here you are never alone so feel free to rant and ask for support. Members here have empathy for your sufferings as most of us have been where you are.

While you say the cause of your T is unknown, it is probably due to the acoustic trauma with the gun shot noise. Sometimes T doesn't come out right away but can suddenly show up and swarm us to cause much panic. I myself can't pin point the exact cause too. I fixed a faulty smoke alarm at close range for a few minutes and was ok for weeks and then suddenly one night I woke up with this mad scream in my ears.

There are many causes, single or combined, which can trigger or aggravate tinnitus including but not limited to drug side-effects from ototoxic drugs, ear wax build-up, ear-wax removal suction, inner ear infection, Eustachian tube disorder or ETD, ear drum injury, fluid build-up in ears feeling pressured or fullness, sinus infection & congestion especially with a bad cold, TMJ, TTTS, autoimmune disorders such as Lyme Disease & Fibromyalgia, high blood pressure or blood circulation problem, anemia, loud noise exposure or acoustic trauma/shock, head injury or TBI, neck injury or muscle problems, hearing loss from aging or other causes, Meniere's Decease, barotrauma from rapid pressure changes in flights or diving, especially with congested nose or sinus causing failure to balance the pressure changes, slapping of the ears, deep grief, untreated sleep apnea, extreme/extended stress, anxiety & panic disorder, depression, sleep deprivation, etc. See if you any other symptoms similar to these causes.

The worst suffering is the initial 1 to 3 months, perhaps 6 months or more for people like me with both intrusive T as well as severe hyperacusis. All your described symptoms are quite common. In fact if you read the success stories, you will find it like reading your own story at the initial period of sufferings. So mentally budget that it will take some time before we can become better. We are not super humans so when something as traumatic and alien as T hit us out of the blue, and without any solution, the brain just goes into shock and the limbic system with its 'fight or flight' mode of reaction takes over and everything looks a lot worse than it is. I was in a mess initially too and had to depend on meds to survive the relentless anxiety and panic attacks. Like you, I never thought I could live with that. But never say never. Today I live a normal, productive and absolutely enjoyable life. I wrote my success story and share some insights and strategies like others did. If you have the time, check it out. Perhaps you will find something useful in your journey with T. Don't panic nor despair. Your T is very new and it may get better sooner than you think. Better days will come. Believe it. Take good care. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

 

Thanks for the support billie48, I clutch at every straw now.

Ento