After an Acoustic Trauma, How Long Do You Avoid Social Situations?

Hey,

Just wanted to check in, it's been a while. My acoustic trauma was a year and a half ago, with a second smaller one last summer.

By the 8th month after the first acoustic trauma, I was going out with no earplugs and living a pretty normal life. But after the 2nd acoustic trauma, my ears are still pretty sensitive and reactive even 9 months later.

Tinnitus and hyperacusis have improved so much, with the hyperacusis maybe not noticeable anymore - and I can live comfortably in my home and go to work with earplugs... but I don't really have my life anymore. I would never do a dinner with my girlfriends or do anything social really. I only see my 2 closest people who are both very cautious. My best friend from grade school wanted to come visit and I told her we would need to hold off. There's no way I could deal with a person staying in my house for a weekend... I would be so nervous constantly.

The second acoustic trauma was so random, it was from 2 glass bottles hitting (pretty hard). Freaked me out that something so mundane could cause months of agony. I am now afraid. Of sounds. Of life.

I'm just wondering how long people normally avoid life for? I feel like an indoor cat. Believe me I am so grateful that I am out of the severe agony stage of acoustic trauma. But I do miss life. I did a few gentle ab exercises the other day and even that made my ears hot and plugged and increased my tinnitus. So I know there is still something physical going on.

Do I ease into society despite my ears not being fully healed? Do I wait till they are less reactive to makes sure i have the best chance of healing?

Feedback appreciated,
Sara

 

Hi Sara,

It is good that you are making progress and this is likely to continue. Since you have asked for advice I have a few suggestions that you might find helpful.

Try to work towards using your earplugs less because they can hinder or completely stop you making further progress if you are not careful. Overuse of earplugs or becoming too dependent on them can lower the loudness threshold of the auditory system and make your ears more sensitive to sound. They can also instil and reinforce negative thinking towards sound and the outside environment which you refer to in your post, feeling like you are an indoor cat.

There are two ways to address your situation. One is self help and the second is seeking professional help with an audiologist, trained in tinnitus and hyperacusis management. Please click on the link below and read my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It, it explains self-help techniques for you to try and what help an audiologist can provide should you need to pursue this route. For now I think self-help will suffice.

If you are using foam earplugs when going to work I suggest you change to noise reducing earplugs. More about this is explained in the link below. Gradually work towards getting out more by going for walks without using the earplugs for some of the time. The idea to get your ears used to normal everyday sounds in the environment.

When at home try to avoid being in quite surroundings, this can easily be achieved by using sound enrichment particularly at night. Place a sound machine by your bedside and set to play throughout the night until morning. The idea to keep the sounds low so they are not drawing attention to themselves and can easily be ignored. Don't use music at night, play nature sounds. More about this is explained in my posts.

I strongly advise that you do not listen to audio through any type of headphones. This includes earbuds, AirPods, headsets, noise cancelling and bone conduction headphones even at low volume, as there's a risk of making your tinnitus worse.

Please go to my started threads and print and read: The Habituation Process, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, Will My Tinnitus Get Worse, Sound Machines and Tinnitus. Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset.

Wishing you all the best,
Michael

New to Tinnitus, What to Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Hyperacusis, As I See It | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

Sara,

I personally think you need to socialize as much as possible. You need that in spades. You definitely have to keep living even if you have to adjust. There is stuff out there for you to enjoy, there are people that will take it easy around you.

 

Hey, honestly, I think it depends on your level of hyperacusis. If every noise hurts your ears and spikes your tinnitus I would lay low. If you can go around but just have to worry about loud noise wear earplugs just in case and you should be ok. I have a really really nasty case of noxacusis and have been homebound for a long time. If you are not in horrible pain all the time, don’t let this completely ruin your life.

You should for sure be careful because I was like most people here, then I got in a car accident, and it took a turn for the worse.

Enjoy your life and be careful!

 

To be fair, any of us in a car accident with or without hearing protection will likely be screwed. Don’t beat yourself up on it

BTW, does your pain come on randomly or just when exposed to sound? Is it immediate?

 

Ugh, just makes me so mad, lifetime suffering and pain could have been avoided. I should have been wearing plugs. My left ear hurts pretty much all the time. It’s really really bad when I’m exposed to noise, almost any noise. It usually worsens like a minute later after exposure, unless the sound is loud enough, then it’s instant. I get delayed pain, instant pain, pain all the time, it’s a good time. I don’t improve ever so trying to figure out why. I’ve been doing acupuncture lately, it hurts getting there, but afterwards the pain is better for a few days. Gonna keep trying.

 

I’m glad you’re not giving up. I’ve been getting delayed pain, not sure why, just an aching pain that’s intermittent.

Have you tried carnivore diet and DNRS like what @Marin did?

People do recover from pain hyperacusis but it does take a LONG time. Stay strong brother.

 

Thx man. I tried a low histamine diet. It was very very strict, but it didn't do a whole lot. I did carnivore diet for a few weeks, and it did nothing. Acupuncture has been the only thing so far that has helped. The delayed pain is the worst!

 

@Brian Newman, does acupuncture help your tinnitus or what would you say it helps most? Thanks for the help.

 

@Michael Leigh, thank you for the advice, I appreciate it! I will check out the threads you posted.

@FearsforEars, thank you! I agree

@Brian Newman, I think the hyperacusis improved a lot. I'm sorry to hear that you are still struggling with this. I'm glad to hear acupuncture helps. That is a good sign. Keep healing!

 

You are welcome @SaraK18. As I have said, print them if you can as it's a lot to read but you will absorb and retain the information better reading from paper and not a screen.

Best of luck,
Michael

 

Been a while since I been on here . But don’t give up . I had it from shooting guns at range . I thought my life was over but please believe me when I say if you’re positive mentally ( which is harder for some) it will go away or at least you won’t notice it until you decide to listen for it .

 

Definitely helps the pain. The tinnitus it doesn’t do much. Maybe a little less shrill. Helps the depression a lot, I sleep better too. Your acupuncturist needs to be from China, and you have to keep going for months to see results. I see all these people saying it does nothing after going twice.

 

How much does the acupuncture cost and is it covered by insurance?

 

Not sure if insurance covers it. My place is $105 a session. I am going twice a week.

 

@Houstontx, thank you. I am consciously trying to be more positive and I will continue to do so

@Michael Leigh, will do! Best of luck to you as well

Re: Acupuncture, I noticed it helped the symptoms associated with the acoustic trauma- anxiety, nausea, uncomfortable body sensations. It seemed to make the ringing less sharp.

Brian is correct, you do need to go consistently. On rare occasions people can get cured from one or two sessions but that is not common. My acupuncturist is American and he is really good. There are some amazing ones out there, if anyone chooses to go I would recommend getting a referral or reading reviews.

Best of luck to everyone. I really appreciate the support.

 

In loud situations just use earplugs, you cannot habituate your ears to loud noise again, that's not how it works once you have had a serious ear injury due to an acoustic trauma

Any new loud noise will reset your tinnitus to high mode again, be careful.

The injury never really heals, it does get better over time of course but it does get worse a lot faster too.

I go out but I avoid people who speak loudly. I don't stay too long in loud bars even with earplugs on. I am glad I was able to enjoy the club scene of the 1980s and without earplugs and worries back then, as the club scene of 2022 just sucks in comparison.

 

@Bobby B, you think the injury never really heals? This is it for the rest of my life? I hope and pray that is not the case. That would be really devastating.

 

@Michael Leigh, I just read your post. I agree, our state of mind has so much to do with the course of healing... Not only with an ear injury but with any injury or illness. It seems it has been easy for me to slip into a fear state after the ups and downs of this injury. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

Best,
Sara

 

Hello @SaraK18,I am exactly the same, there is a fear state with this.

I have a counsellor and she is helping me navigate through this. This may be worth accessing yourself...

Sending hugs.

 

Thank you @Eleanor89. I'm glad to hear you are finding some relief from the fear component of this.

Do you go to a counselor that has an understanding of sound injuries?

 

Yes, she specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis. She is based in London, she is excellent.

I think counselling is so important with this... and I have found it so helpful.

 

@Eleanor89, great, I will look for someone in my area. Thank you again!

 

Depends on the extent of the injury itself, and everything before that since damage is cumulative. It's like saying "I cut my finger," is it a paper cut or chainsaw major cut?

What was you acoustic trauma?

 

Haha. Hopefully more like a paper cut...

The acoustic trauma was a wooden lid of a bench slamming shut, and I was about 4 feet away. I guess it got me at just the right angle, plus some underlying weakness in my ears. I never had any sound exposure incidents prior to that that I was aware of. Only very quiet tinnitus that I think was related to TMJ. But not bothersome at all.

Everyone else in the room was fine. Strange but true.