Anxiety After Unexpected Airbag Deployment

[Ab4477]

Hello,

Unfortunately, I was already dealing with a tinnitus spike for three weeks after attending a wedding, even though I wore earplugs.

Yesterday, after work, I was preparing to leave. I usually wear ear protection for most of the day at work until I leave. As I was outside, about seven meters away, I suddenly heard a loud "bang" that startled me. It turned out that some guys in the shop were deploying an old, faulty airbag. I did not know they were setting it up, or I would have stayed far away.

The airbag was placed inside a tire, which should have helped dampen the sound, and it happened outdoors. There was also a car behind me, which I assume might have helped block some of the noise. Still, I am very worried that this incident may have damaged my hearing or caused my tinnitus to spike.

I looked up how loud airbags can be and started panicking. My anxiety led to a panic attack, and my TMJ flared up, causing pain in my ears and jaw.

When I got home, I was so upset that I cried to my girlfriend, who also has tinnitus. I took a shower and then tried to calm down with a nap.

Am I overreacting in this situation? I struggle with severe anxiety about loud sounds beyond my control, and I do everything I can to avoid exposure.

I would really appreciate any advice.

 

[Ab4477]

After two days, the spike has not settled down, and my anxiety and stress are at an all-time high. This is making my TMJ worse at the moment, and I also feel like my left ear has a sense of fullness and is slightly muffled on and off. I am unsure if this is actually the case.

I did experience some congestion a day or two before this happened, so maybe the fullness and slight muffling are due to that. I have had tinnitus for eight years, generally at a mild to moderate level, but at the moment, it feels more intense, leaning toward the higher end of the scale.

I can hear it over everything, and my sensitivity to water seems worse right now.

Could my extreme anxiety and stress be causing this spike to become so severe?

 

[Maruashen]

Hi,

If you look up how loud airbags can be, you usually find numbers ranging from 160 to 170 dB. That said, you were quite far away, and all those obstacles probably reduced the volume by a significant amount.

I had an increased tinnitus spike four months ago due to fireworks. From personal experience, I can tell you that anxiety and stress greatly increase my tinnitus.

Five weeks after the firework exposure, two glass bottles fell into a large glass bottle in my sink. I measured the sound at around 105 dB. I was freaking out—my tinnitus was sky-high for about a week, but then it settled. I believe anxiety and stress played a major role in that spike.

Try to relax, give your ears a break from loud sounds for a few days, and keep looking ahead.

 

[Ab4477]

Thanks for responding. I will try my best.

I am currently trying not to focus on it as much, or at least trying not to let it bother me or ruin my mood.

Four months—that is incredibly long—but I'm glad it eventually went back down for you.

Unfortunately, I work in a somewhat loud environment at times, but I always wear ear protection during my shifts when needed. This incident happened as I was leaving, and I didn't even realize what it was until after it went off.

At first, I thought, "What was that?" I looked around and figured maybe a car had fallen off a hoist or someone had dropped some metal or a hammer.

I plan on seeing my doctor on Tuesday about the congestion, muffled hearing, and sense of fullness. I don't think it's related to the incident, as I already had some congestion the day before, but you never know. It could also be impacted earwax.

 

[JamesCole]

It might be worth looking into reports from people who used N-Acetyl Cysteine and/or Prednisone after sudden noise exposure.

You could also look into using hypertonic saline nasal spray.

 

[Nick47]

@Ab4477, sorry to hear this. To keep it brief, please take a look at the Neuromed thread if you are considering the medication route.

Also, if you are able to support our mission at Tinnitus Quest, please do. It is the only organization solely dedicated to real treatment.

 

[momus]

I'm a retired certified auto technician, so my first question is, how did they determine the airbag was faulty? This is a job best suited for an auto dealership. I can only imagine what they charge, but I personally would not trust an independent garage to handle this kind of work.

The good news is that you experienced a tinnitus spike rather than having an airbag deploy in your face. That spike should settle down soon. In my one experience attending a 12-step meeting for tinnitus, two people there had developed tinnitus as a result of airbag deployment.

Airbags are actually responsible for a significant number of new tinnitus cases here in the United States, and that number continues to rise every year. They are a relatively inexpensive method that might save someone in a crash, but cars should be built with stronger protection inside the cabin, where the occupants are.

Notice that you do not see airbags in race cars, even though they often crash at speeds over 200 miles per hour. Just yesterday, some IndyCars hit the wall at nearly 240 miles per hour and flipped multiple times down the track. Yet I do not think anyone suffered lasting injuries. Race drivers are protected by strong seat belt and shoulder harness systems, along with an extremely reinforced driver compartment. Helmets help too, but they only protect the head.

 

[slc]

After two days, the spike has not settled down, and my anxiety and stress are at an all-time high. This is making my TMJ worse at the moment, and I also feel like my left ear has a sense of fullness and is slightly muffled on and off. I am unsure if this is actually the case.

I did experience some congestion a day or two before this happened, so maybe the fullness and slight muffling are due to that. I have had tinnitus for eight years, generally at a mild to moderate level, but at the moment, it feels more intense, leaning toward the higher end of the scale.

I can hear it over everything, and my sensitivity to water seems worse right now.

Could my extreme anxiety and stress be causing this spike to become so severe?

Anxiety and tinnitus often create a kind of causal loop, or cycle. While it is not easy and not a quick fix, I have found that addressing anxiety eventually helps relieve tinnitus. However, the effect is not always immediate or directly proportional.

Since developing tinnitus, I have experienced at least two significant sound traumas. One occurred when I removed my headphones and decided to make one last cut with a power tool. The other involved about four minutes of exposure to a very loud household fire alarm. Both incidents led to muffled and distorted hearing, along with an increase in tinnitus. In both cases, the tinnitus gradually reduced over a period of months.

Your situation sounds somewhat less severe than the traumas I described. What helped me was finding ways to reduce anxiety. I took warm baths with bath salts, used vata oil (a sesame-based Ayurvedic soothing oil) for self-massage, especially on the scalp and behind the ears, and reduced my caffeine intake. I still have tea or chai occasionally, as well as some chocolate, but in moderation. I focused on eating warm, comforting foods in the winter, like soups and vegetable stews. I also tried to stop using screens at least an hour before bed and prioritized getting good sleep.

When the tinnitus was especially loud at night, I used pink noise devices in bed. A sound machine that plays ocean waves also helped me fall asleep. Additionally, I used Valerian and Melatonin to support sleep when needed.

I hope this helps break the anxiety cycle and brings you some relief.

 

[Dreamer]

Hi @Ab4477, have you considered trying Prednisone?