Anyone Else Get Spikes That Last a Really Long Time?

I hear some people here talk about a normal spike lasting less than a day for them. I never get any that short! Maybe I will get a minor spike last for a day or two but most of mine last for 1-2 weeks. I don't know what about my ears makes them last this long but I just wanted to see if anyone else was in my shoes and finds getting out of a spike is a bit rough.

 

Spikes happen for various reasons and they usually last for a day or two as you've mentioned. Many people that have tinnitus due to "noise exposure" will experience spikes. The cause often relates to an underlying condition associated with tinnitus caused by noise trauma, which is Hyperacusis. This takes time to improve, either naturally or with treatment. If it does not make improvement naturally and there are various things a person can do for self help that I've mentioned in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it. The link is below. Professional help will need to be sought. If hyperacusis isn't treated or improves by natural means spikes will always remain a problem. In the majority of cases most people see significant improvement with time. I once had very severe hyperacusis that has been cured for 20 years.

Michael

PS: Spikes that last for 1-2 weeks could be an indication of overusing hearing protection or keeping away from natural everyday sounds. Both of these things can lower the loudness threshold of the auditory system and make it more sensitive to sound. Stress and anxiety can also prolong the duration of spikes and counselling with a Hearing Therapist may be needed.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/are-spikes-from-loud-noise-permanent.18156/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

Mine normally last a couple of days to a couple of weeks (and sometimes longer than a couple of months)...

 

My longest spike was 3 weeks (and all my spikes all extremely loud).

 

Mine is now almost 4 weeks , with a couple of good days mixed in, kind of sucks because the volume is drastically increased. Never had one this long in the 4 years I have it , hope it goes back down, but I count having good quiet moments as a good sign , sometimes it fluctuates from loud to mild on an hourly basis for some reason.

 

Well...
When I had Mild T back in Oct-Dec, spikes would happen 3-4 days and would go away
I now have high moderate T with severe Hyperacusis on R ear, spikes last 3-4 weeks, but this is because i further have damaged my ears.

 

I have Severe H as well. Talking to people is awful, it hurts my ears and head, also when other people talk it hurts me. I hope my H goes away....I been using sound machine every night and I avoid being in quiet rooms. It has been 2 months since I had Intrusive T/Hyperacusis, it was attributed to the tests and loud noise I did which further exacerbated the condition and caused more damage.

 

Twenty two years ago my hyperacusis was very similar to yours. When in conversation with anyone I had to ask them to please lower their voice as my ears hurt so much. Although tinnitus and hypercusis as become more intrusive I don't believe there is any long term damage. As I've mentioned to you before, try not to keep focusing on this and the recent tests that you had at ENT, as it is negative thinking and can delay your recovery if you're not careful.

 

My spikes are usually gone by the next morning, but I do get longer ones, too.

The longest temporary spike was 3 weeks - caused by smoking pot. Previously I had no problem with pot, maybe this batch was contaminated, don't know. Mercifully, it subsided and sadly pot is now on my "unsafe&avoid" list.

I also had a permanent spike. 15 months ago I got wonderful new tones and they're still present. They seem to be fading, ever so slowly, but I consider them part of my baseline now.

My opinion is that if you get a spike and you weren't exposed to loud noises/new drugs/barotrauma etc (so things that can cause physical damage to your hearing system), you can confidently consider the spike to be temporary, an artifact of the complex workings of our bodies, something that will be corrected as the body returns to equilibrium.