Can Being Exposed to Loud Noises Many Years Ago Increase the Risk for Getting Tinnitus Later On?

Say in your 20s you were out and about in noisy venues not aware of ‘hearing health’ then you settle down and live a quiet life for many years after. Can tinnitus come and bite you later in life due to what you did in your youth even if you’ve been careful around noise since then?

 

Yeah, I'd say so. Doesn't matter how much you protect your hearing afterward, the damage is done. But it's not just hearing loss in itself that creates tinnitus, otherwise, everyone would have tinnitus, it's how your brain reacts to the loss of expected auditory input.

But I'd say if someone doesn't develop chronic tinnitus in their loud 20s and then they start protecting their hearing, their chances are definitely higher that they won't develop it than if they had continued to damage their hearing.

 

I agree with @Autumnly

Although the ear and auditory system are delicate they are also quite resilient and have the ability to recover from quite severe noise trauma.

When I first got severe tinnitus with hyperacusis 23 years ago, due to listening to music through headphones at too high a volume without realizing it. The noise trauma was so severe my head, ears and auditory system felt completely numb for about 8 months. It were as if I was listening under water the whole time. The hyperacusis was so severe I had to ask people to lower their voice when in conversation with them. Back then CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions were the norm in homes and emitted a high pitched sound that normally won't bother people. When watching tv I had to use foam earplugs or when visiting a store that had CCTV monitors I had to do the same, as I could hear the high frequency sound that they emit and it would seriously spike the tinnitus.

I contacted a herbalist that knew about the affects of noise trauma on the auditory system and causing tinnitus. She advised me to start taking Magnesium tablets as this will help repair the nerves in the auditory pathway. I am not referring to repairing ear-hairs on the cochlea . Magnesium is known to help repair nerves throughout the body. I was also advised to take Gingko Biloba in tincture form to help with my recovery. Gingko improves blood circulation to the extremities of the body: Feet, hands, head including the auditory system.

According to my ENT doctor I have no hearing loss. I wore white noise generators as part of TRT for two years. The hyperacusis was completely cured and remains this way.

Michael

 

Peripheral tinnitus anybody?