Backsliding After Continued Loud Noises at Work

So I’ve had tinnitus since March ‘18 after an ear infection and a botched earwax removal. Had a noise trauma one month ago, fire alarm, which put me out of work for 2 weeks, increased the loudness of my ringing (which has mostly decreased to a bearable level thankfully) gave me a few more intermittent tones (which have also been decreasing) and gave me pretty terrible hyperacusis. I went back to work after 16 days off and have worn earplugs every day, half inserted when I need to talk.

The two weeks off improved my symptoms quite a lot, especially the hyperacusis, though since going back to work I have lost pretty much all that progress with the hyperacusis. People continually slam things for no fucking reason and I am so unbelievably tired of it. Today really sucked especially. I was working next to this guy who slammed a giant can down on the counter about 1 foot away from me just literally for a laugh. “To make a point” he joked. Measured at 100db. Immediately made my ringing spike a little.

People have dropped giant heavy containers of dough from 4 feet off the ground. People are constantly flinging pans around, slamming refrigerator doors and yelling for no reason. Today I had a break down at work, cried to some coworkers about how I almost want to quit since people can’t stop slamming things around. And it kills me because these things are completely avoidable. If my coworkers didn’t fling things around like animals I would be able to cope. But at the same time I know it’s not realistic to expect them all to baby me just because my ears are messed up.

I’m tired. The tinnitus, while worse than it was, is something I can deal with pretty easily, even right now when I have a mini spike from the idiot slamming the can. But I can’t deal with the hyperacusis and the constant paranoia and anxiety it’s causing me. I want to take more time off work but I can’t, I’m still recovering from those two weeks off financially. I love my job and I love my coworkers, I can’t quit but I don’t know what to do.

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...aring-aid-for-tinnitus-and-hyperacusis.37876/

In this thread @Jason E talks about a hearing aid that acts as a compressor for loud sounds in his hyperacusis ear. I’m inquiring about it in the thread, but something like that may be promising for you.

 

Thank you so much for alerting me to this, sounds like something that could definitely help me. I will have to look into it.

 

My dumb boyfriend decided to slap my ass as hard as possible, even after I spent lots of time complaining about how loud jarring noises at work made me feel so much worse today. Then gets mad when I get mad at him! Why can’t the people closest to us even bother to try and be quiet or god forbid think about how their actions affect us? I am so tired of constantly asking people who are supposed to love me the most to talk more quietly or not do certain things. If they cared more or thought the problem was legitimate they wouldn’t do it. I’m so done.

 

These jobs with intermittent noise exposures are particularly challenging to protect from, balancing overprotection and underprotection. What have you tried so far? Sounds like you should try wearing ear plugs at work for the next week, and see if it helps and quiets the T down. I am not sure if you are better off with musician or foam ear plugs.

 

Thank you for your reply! I agree, mostly my work is not terribly loud but the intermittent ridiculous noises just kill me. I have been wearing foam ear plugs every day though for decent portions with them only half inserted so that I can talk without hurting my ears, I tried talking with them normally inserted for a shift and ears ended up super swollen. I don’t have to deal with too many customers thankfully so I think I will just have to limit how much I talk to my coworkers so that I don’t have to have them half inserted as often. I work in a couple different stations, one making food to order and the other doing prep work and the prep work area is where I am most exposed to the jarring noises so I could also ask to limit my shifts in that area. Man this stuff just sucks, I used to love my job so much but it’s really a terrible source of anxiety now.

Do you think ear muffs could be beneficial here? I’ve been thinking of doubling up as well.

 

You probably need more time off work. There is a primary response in the human body that gets triggered with anxiety and is related to the more primary areas of the brain and the lymbic system, and to the "fight or flight reaction". This response remains triggered when the stressors (siren, sudden noise) have ceased to produce their effects, and depletes the energy of your body and mind. That's why it is best to rest before this gets chronic.

 

Your experience sounds so stressful I'm so sorry that the people around you are not being mindful of your needs. I think keeping your ear plugs in will be most helpful at work. Have you tried any supplements? For some people, certain supplements work really well. Me for instance, I take Lipo-Flavonoid and it has b-12 and other vitamins that are supposed to support ear health.

 

Ask people here about custom plugs?

I don't know how expensive they are but look into them. Many people swear by them and say they are more comfortable than foam plugs plus you can get different filters and control how much sound is allowed in. I don't know much about them and can't afford them but I think it might solve the issue of having uncomfortable foam plugs as it will eliminate the need for them but bring them as a backup. Try searching the forum on custom plugs or ask here about brands. Another poster said he likes westone but I suspect that there are lots out there to choose from.

The other thing to try is switch plugs. Some are more comfortable than others. I use Howard leight laser lite plugs. They're soft enough and although I have discomfort from wearing plugs, it's because I have messed up ear canals. I think the ear plugs are okay.

I hope that helps.

 

Maybe try taking some online coding classes and get a job doing stuff online, like javascript, html, and some database stuff. I can advise you like an academic advisor.

 

I don't think you need double protection, just better ear plugs. Half in ear plugs, and ear plugs for part of the shift is why this is continuing. You could switch to ear muffs instead and may work better. I would suggest either a slim fit plug (Dreamgirl soft fit), or the Howard Leight Laser Lites that are low pressure.

 

Unfortunately, I don't see how I can work unless it's at home/online.

Is there any chance of doing online courses or self teaching that can lead to jobs? Most employers want college/university degrees in Compu-sci or designations?

 

I know how you feel astaff... the people at my workplace tip over pallets after dragging them to the backroom to unload them instead of lowering them gently, and it makes an incredibly loud clap. Got a spike currently from someone doing that. The only suggestion I can give is to look for a change of work like working as a page at library, you're not going to convince people to stop doing that kind of thing because it's convenient for them and they're generally going to put convenience over their hearing. You could use custom earplugs, but then you'd have to keep them on for possibly 8 hours, which isn't very comfortable.

 

I understand your struggle, astaff, as I was once in the same position as you. After my tinnitus became severe in 2015 (I had mild tinnitus previous to this since I was 18) I started wearing earplugs upon leaving my house, in the car, and various other places. I learned that behaviour from here. However, rather than improve, my tinnitus and ear sensitivity gradually became worse and I was getting more and more spikes. To cut a long story short, I realised that in my case the spikes were driven by a mixture of anxiety, a fear of sound, and an increased ear sensitivity due to my over-reliance on earplugs. Many members here rely on protection far too much, in my opinion, which may explain why many struggle to make progress.

The advice an expert would give you (yea I know there are no experts ) would be to limit earplug use in everyday life and to desensitise your ears gradually rather than shield them. People with hyperacusis are often given sound generators to desensitise their auditory system gradually. This is done by slowly increasing the time they are worn. The advice you are getting here to default to wearing earplugs for prolonged times goes against the evidence we have. People who do this usually find their problems get worse and not better. This is not the same as protecting your ears when you are in an environment that is genuinely dangerous to your hearing. This would be places that have a constant background noise above 80 dBA and even then you would have to be exposed for many hours. The higher the background decibel level is, the shorter your safe exposure time would be (which I’m sure you already know). With tinnitus, many get stuck in a feedback loop and are constantly in a state of fight or flight. Over time, you are conditioning your brain to respond to sounds - that you have a negative association to - in the form of a spike. This may not be the case for everyone, I have to point this out, but it certainly is for the vast majority. Earplug use can easily spiral out of control if one is not careful.

With all that said, you could try using active earplugs at work. These shut sounds off if they go above a certain threshold. You could use these to help you slowly ease back into things.

It’s also important to destress as much as possible. Take good care of yourself, and if you can afford to, take a few weeks off and try to relax every fibre of your body. I know you said you can’t but your health is everything. I learned that the hard way.

 

You’re probably right, I’m sure I’ve been over working my ears. This damage from the fire alarm really messed me up I guess. My anxiety is ready to kick in about this at any second and certainly gets worse with more anxiety. And work stresses I’m sure don’t do it any wonders either.
Had to work and then attend a restaurant dinner today... ears are definitely loud for now!

 

It is a bit, thank you for your kind words. I’ve been taking magnesium every day mostly and zinc occasionally, I think the magnesium may help a bit. I’ve wanted to go for NAC as well but haven’t been able to find it anywhere yet. Have they helped you at all?

 

That’s probably a good idea to look into something that way. Kitchen environment is rough and unpredictable it seems. Thank you for that offer!

 

I’m sure you’re right, plus I get too involved with my work crap and then probably not quite as mindful with my ears. I’ll look into those options, I think the ear plugs i have might be a bit too big and I have to readjust them often. I’ll look into those options, thank you for the suggestion.

 

What kind of earplugs do you use at work?

 

I am curious about that. Which are good websites to learn coding?

 

If you can, try to buy bio curcumin, ginger etc.. real spices, the actual "roots". Having meals seasoned with real spices makes a difference, at least when you start using them. In the longer run the effect may fade, because the body gets used to them, but at the beginning for some people it is almost like a miracle, they make you feel better!

 

I feel so bad for you as controlling your environment is so important with this awful condition. I was walking out of a market today when a worker slammed a bunch of shopping carts together. I said to my wife why people have to be so loud, and she reminded me it is our responsibility to protect ourselves. They are just doing normal things. As bad as it sounds, she is correct. My tinnitus has ramped up to levels I never thought I could bear. I struggle massively. This is why I am up at 2 am writing. All I can say, is take care of yourself and create an environment as best you can for your health and longevity. Boyfriend included! My T has been continually ramping up over the past several years, and I can't seem to do anything about it. I have custom earplugs with me all the time and probably use them 20 times a day whenever I think there is a risk to high sound levels. I do not leave them in all the time with all the advice we need to keep hearing safe levels of sounds. The custom plugs are really small and easy to insert. They have a little tail on them so you can pull them out slightly when talking to people and shove them back in when done. They are very comfortable to wear and not noticeable by others. I paid $150, but you have to make sure they are formed small and not formed to the outside of your ears if you want them to be inconspicuous. As I said, I really feel for you and wish there was an easy fix. Surround yourself with people that really care for you. You don't deserve this T, but you deserve to be cared for.

 

Hi Mark, I just read your reply on the suicide thread - as well as here - and have to say it’s really heartbreaking what you’re going through. I feel so sorry for every person who struggles with this each and every day, and that is why we ultimately need a treatment that can bring the volume of the noise down.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but your increases may be due to the horrendous anxiety that you’re constantly under. The stress of worrying about what everyday sounds you may encounter is not good for you at all and there are many studies that link stress with tinnitus. This is both as a cause and as a mechanism towards ramping up the tinnitus volume.

Dr Josef Rauschecker is currently trying to raise money to conduct a study that may provide some evidence towards his hypothesis that there is a “gating” problem within the brain of those who have tinnitus. This would likely be comparable to other conditions such as chronic pain. The idea is that chronic stress may change how our brain functions and that signals which would normally be filtered out - before reaching the higher functioning levels like the prefrontal cortex - actually make it to our conscious awareness. This is either perceived as tinnitus and/or pain and may also explain why some have hearing loss but no tinnitus.

There are other studies which indicate further possibilities in which prolonged stress may cause or exacerbate tinnitus. Interestingly, there was a chance for us here at TT to part-fund such a study as one of the candidates for Danny’s Memorial Fund was looking at the correlation of blood cortisol levels and tinnitus. We know that having chronically raised cortisol levels for an extended period of time is bad for the body and brain. In fact, it’s known that the brain can actually shrink under such conditions and it can also impact upon how memories are stored and retrieved. This is all very relevant to tinnitus as indicated by other studies.

I’ll post some excerpts below along with the sources:

"Many people who suffer from tinnitus believe that stress is the cause. And first studies indicate that there is indeed a connection. What is lacking is scientific proof.
The project “Influence of emotional stress on auditory functions” (for short: “Tinnitus and Stress”) is contributing to remedying this lack. It draws on research done by the molecular biology research laboratory of the ENT Clinic and the Tinnitus Center Charité.

It is established that chronic stress can, in general, induce and exacerbate changes to the auditory system. They include above all the hypersensitization of auditory perception (hyperacusis), tinnitus, and Menière's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that leads to attacks of rotatory vertigo, one-sided hearing loss, and ringing in the ears.

But how does stress arise? As a rule, it develops when people cannot cope with the growing and/or unexpected demands of their environment. They live under constant emotional pressure. The most frequent reaction is to deny any physical risk in an effort to enhance one's own achievement potential and staying power.

The physical effects of stress include increased production of the stress hormone cortisol. This raises the blood sugar level (gluconeogenesis) and intensifies the breakdown of stored fat (lipolysis), as well as protein breakdown (proteolysis), making more energy available. Higher blood pressure, a high pulse rate, and constipation are the result. But the immune system also suffers. Many patients complain of sleeplessness and a lack of appetite, psychomotor disturbances, and growing feelings of anxiety.

According to Professor Birgit Mazurek, “All these stress-induced mental changes can also influence auditory phenomena, leading, for example to the development of tinnitus or the exacerbation of existing tinnitus. In the ear, cortisol causes a massive release of glutamate into the neurons. This ultimately leads to a greater accumulation of calcium, which damages auditory sensory cells and nerve cells in the ear.”

With the “Stress and Tinnitus” project, the Foundation seeks to promote research in this field to develop better individual therapeutic approaches for patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis.

The HEINZ AND HEIDE DÜRR FOUNDATION is contributing € 150,000 over a period of three years to fund the research project."

http://www.deutsche-tinnitus-stiftung-charite.de/en/projects/tinnitus_and_stress/

"We report three novel findings that establish differences between tinnitus participants and controls in terms of cortisol hypersuppression, longer-lasting effects of the DEX test on basal cortisol levels, and hearing discomfort threshold. The first novel finding is that tinnitus participants had more strongly suppressed cortisol levels than controls after pharmacological challenge, despite similar basal cortisol levels. This is consistent with the normal diurnal and blunted response to psychosocial stress in tinnitus participants described in a previous study [23], and supports the hypothesis that tinnitus participants have greater sensitivity to HPA axis negative feedback. Hypersuppression in the presence of normal or near-normal basal cortisol levels has also been found in other clinical populations, such as patients with chronic fatigue syndrome [45–47] and burnout [48]. All these findings are consistent with the notion that basal cortisol and post-DEX cortisol suppression are mediated by two separate receptor feedback systems. More importantly, the suppression effect was independent of hearing loss. This is a key finding, because these factors are difficult to disentangle in tinnitus studies [19, 23], and it argues for a true effect of tinnitus in addition to, but unrelated to, hearing loss. Our findings therefore directly link tinnitus to a stress-related disorder, and not just to a hearing-related disorder, as some recent population studies suggest [12, 49].

The second important finding is that tinnitus participants showed a long-lasting carryover effect of cortisol manipulation. They had lower basal cortisol the day after the post-DEX day assessment compared to the two other basal cortisol assessment days, indicating not only cortisol hypersuppression, but also a longer-lasting effect of DEX administration. Although it cannot be excluded that these findings could be related to slower DEX clearance in these patients, this possibility is unlikely, because there is no rationale for altered liver function in this particular group, which moreover did not differ from controls in terms of age, BMI, or physical or mental health. Furthermore, the carryover effect was observed in the tinnitus participants approximately 36 hours after DEX administration, whereas cortisol and DEX levels should return to baseline 24 hours after oral administration of 0.5 mg DEX [50]. A likely interpretation is that the carryover effect might have been due to HPA axis homeostatic vulnerability, and that hypersuppression might have been caused by increased glucocorticoid sensitivity."

"Subjective tinnitus ("tinnitus") is the perception of sound in the ears or head in the absence of an external sound and difficult to treat. Individuals with tinnitus can experience severe emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia [1–5]. A recent study in 14,278 adults reported an overall prevalence of 25.3% for any experience of tinnitus in the previous year and 7.9% for frequent or constant (at least once a day) tinnitus [6]. Prevalence increases with age, peaking at 31.4% and 14.3% from age 60 to 69 years for these two tinnitus frequencies, respectively [6]. The increasing prevalence with age is not surprising, because hearing loss is known to be an associated risk factor for tinnitus [7]. With increasing life expectancy, and because hearing loss and noise exposure are increasingly affecting military personnel [8, 9] and youth [10], tinnitus has become a significant public health issue.

Hearing loss predicts tinnitus presence, but not severity [11, 12]. Conversely, individuals with hearing loss do not necessarily experience tinnitus. There is, therefore, a need to determine other factors for this debilitating hearing disorder and its consequences for health in order to better prevent and treat it. One likely candidate is stress. Because stress has long been identified as a trigger or co-morbidity of tinnitus, based mainly on anecdotal and retrospective reports, this idea has been taken for granted in classical teachings on tinnitus [13]. In addition, recent large population studies have established that emotional exhaustion and long-term stress are predictors of hearing disorders, including tinnitus [14, 15]. Functional and electroencephalographic brain imaging studies have also shown aberrant links between limbic (involved in emotions) and auditory system structures [16–18]. Structural brain differences (i.e., grey matter decrease) in tinnitus involving parts of the limbic system have also been reported. More specifically, less grey matter in the nucleus accumbens [18, 19] and the left hippocampus [20] suggests a depletion that could be related to long-term exposure to stress, among other factors."

"Our findings suggest heightened glucocorticoid sensitivity in tinnitus in terms of an abnormally strong GR-mediated HPA-axis feedback (despite a normal MR-mediated tone) and lower tolerance for sound loudness with suppressed cortisol levels. Long-term stress exposure and its deleterious effects therefore constitute an important predisposing factor for, or a significant pathological consequence of, this debilitating hearing disorder."

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6815/12/4

I’ve had tinnitus since I was around 18 which is most likely from playing in bands. At around the age of 33, it became severe to the point that my brain was full of it. It was an extraordinarily difficult time in my life, so when I read stories like yours I can truly empathise and understand what you are going through. However, mine also became more problematic when I started using earplugs around everyday sounds. Just the fear of thinking about a situation that might occur always had me on edge, and this is not a good mindset to have with tinnitus. I can’t pretend to know for a fact what the individual cause or mechanism is in each case because it’s such a heterogeneous condition. However, from the evidence we have, it’s widely reported that people who overly rely upon earplugs often experience a worsening of their symptoms. This is why clinicians don’t advise people to take this route. The reason is most likely down to the overbearing anxiety and stress that one puts upon themselves whilst they are constantly in fear of their environment.

Of course, this may not apply to everyone but it’s certainly worth noting. In my case, my symptoms of rising tinnitus and constant spikes improved dramatically when I stopped my over-reliance on hearing protection and addressed my anxiety head-on.

Whatever the situation is with you, I sincerely hope it eventually improves and you get some quality of life back.

 

https://www.khanacademy.org

 

Hi Ed209, I'm never offended by anyone offering to help. So not taking the wrong way. You may be on to something with this. My tinnitus was completely under control until a series of traumas began with my parents. My mom got in a car accident and totaled her car. A month later, she fell on a hiking trail and broke her hip, putting her in a care facility for three months. Just as she was released to go home, my father found out he had bone cancer and passed away last year. Being their neighbor and best friend, I took care of my dad everyday until he died, literally of starvation. It was absolutely horrendous. The night he died, for some reason he tried to get out of bed, but only made it out with his legs and died. I was at my house when that happened, and rushed over and picked him up and put him back in his bed. My mom laid down beside him until they came to take his body away. That was one year ago yesterday. Besides grieving for the loss, I was dealing with elevated tinnitus, which I wasn't taking very well. But I seemed to manage until the past couple months were it seemed to become reactive to noise, such as driving on the freeway, or it is simply so loud I clearly hear it all the time. Either way, I am cursing this tinnitus every waking moment of the day now.

So yes, everything you bring up could the cause of the increase in tinnitus misery. And if it is, the question is how to manage the stress and is it reversible or permanent nerve damage?

Thank you for sharing this, and it does give me a new insight.

 

I have no words. What you have been through is horrific and it has no doubt took its toll on you. I send my condolences to you and your family as that’s beyond tough to deal with. Your experience of extreme stress echoes many others at the onset or worsening of their tinnitus. In fact, I believe this is what sparked Josef Rauschecker’s research, as a combination of stress and hearing damage seems to be pretty significant. We know that many experience the onset of tinnitus during times of emotional turmoil such as losing a loved one, during pregnancy, burnout syndrome, PTSD, etc. This is especially true of veterans returning from conflicts who have seen some disturbing stuff along with the noise exposure.

I can’t possibly say anything to make your grief go away but if I were you I’d look into counselling and/or any kind of activity that can help bring your stress and anxiety down. It’s so hard to break free from its clutches once you’re in a hardwired feedback loop. It’s incredibly hard. Talking about what you’ve been through may help you process your emotions and allow you to release some of the stuff that you may have built up inside that you’re holding onto.

I think this image speaks a thousand words.



Never lose hope buddy. I’ve been to the depths of hell in my lifetime but I clawed my way back to sanity kicking and screaming, but I did it. Nothing is impossible. Stay strong and take good care of yourself whatever you decide to do.

 

@Ed209, Thank you.
@astaff14, I was here for you, but ended up receiving much needed help myself. This is a great place to reach out. Thank you.

 

Oh god I can’t even imagine dealing with that kind of noise all the time, I’m so sorry you have to go through that! Those people are probably hurting their own hearing as well! Ugh. That is true, and everything in a kitchen is certainly done for convenience so you’re certainly right on that. I did just get permanently put in an area, making pizzas, that doesn’t seem to bother me too much so hopefully that’ll keep up. I am probably going to look into custom plugs or at least a better kind than what I have.

 

@astaff14

Congrats on the transfer to the pizza area. Sounds pretty good, and less noisy. Remember to protect your hearing as needed with a solution that is comfortable for you.

 

I wasn't there, and you can still be mad at his reaction, but ass slapping is not quite that loud. Source: slapped a lot of ass