Can My Tinnitus Turn Reactive?

Hey everyone,

I’ve had tinnitus since the end of January this year and think I am experiencing my first spike after going to a restaurant on Tuesday (it’s now Saturday) without hearing protection. I also got a tooth extraction on Monday, however, no drills or anything were used so I don’t think this has anything to do with it.

Can my tinnitus turn reactive if it’s just been your standard typical tinnitus up till now? I have extreme anxiety over this so I’m also wary I could just be over thinking and focussing on my tinnitus when I’m anywhere that’s not silent as I’m so concerned about making it worse which I know isn’t helpful.

It has been steadily declining at what feels like the slowest pace ever up till this point & I’m still unsure whether maybe some of the tones in my ears have reduced and it’s making others seem worse?

If anyone has ANY help or advice, please let me know

 

Hi Rhiannon - I had my first spike after going to a restaurant. I went on a Saturday evening and by Thursday I had a new tone and spike. Still with me 4 months later but it’s quieter.

I suppose it depends if it was a quiet restaurant or quite loud. Did you measure the dB when you got there?

I am not sure of the origins of your tinnitus, however one thing I have learned on here is that if you have tinnitus, your ears are compromised and you probably should consider protecting them in certain circumstances and at certain times. Especially since you are so new to it. I don’t want to scare you or make you alter your life.

Another useful piece of advice I was given was to keep on living and ‘live my life’. I have had spikes before that lasted just a week or two and went back down.

I suppose my best advice to you at present would be to try not panic, try distract yourself and not focus too much on your tinnitus. Don’t stay on here too long. Protect your ears in certain environments with earplugs etc. I think someone else will advise not to use AirPods for listening to music.

January is still very early into the process, hopefully you will heal x

 

To my knowledge tinnitus can turn into reactive tinnitus.

But, in my experience, spikes always do feel reactive. You’re much more focussed on your tinnitus at present because of your anxiety.

Seeing you are very new to tinnitus, these are just cycles you should expect.

Sorry I couldn’t offer more advice, I’m going through a crazy uncharacteristic spike myself at present.

 

HI @rhiannon.

Some people believe there is condition called reactive tinnitus but I do not. Tinnitus can react to sound but there is usually a reason for this which I will mention below. There is no recognised medical condition called reactive tinnitus so please try to relax, although I know it isn't easy since you are new to tinnitus. The more complex a person makes tinnitus, the more they are likely to increase their stress and anxiety and this will usually have a negative effect on the tinnitus, by making it more intrusive. Stress makes tinnitus worse and tinnitus makes stress worse. Therefore, it can become a vicious cycle which is something you don't want.

Keeping things simple with tinnitus in my opinion is the right way to go and this will have a beneficial effect on the tinnitus and your mental and emotional well-being. A person will find the path to habituation much easier by adopting this approach.

You have noise-induced tinnitus. People that have this type of tinnitus often (but not always) have hyperacusis which is having an oversensitivity to sound. It is the hyperacusis which causes the tinnitus to react to sound. Hyperacusis comes in many forms and intensities and not two people will experience it the same. Therefore, it is my belief you have noise-induced tinnitus with possible hyperacusis. The hyperacusis may be very low at the moment or it make increase with time. Please don't be alarmed by this because noise-induced tinnitus with or without hyperacusis, often improves with time.

The thing I advise you not to do is immerse yourself in silence, because quiet rooms and surrounds especially at night aren't good for people that have noise-induced tinnitus. Please click on the links people and read my posts. Go to my started threads and read: Hyperacusis, As I See It, The Habituation Process, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, Tinnitus, a Personal View, Will My Tinnitus Get Worse?

I advise you not to listen to audio through headphones, earbuds, headsets, AirPods, noise-cancelling and bone conduction headphones, even at low volume as you risk making the tinnitus worse.

All the best,
Michael

New to Tinnitus, What to Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Keeping Things Simple with Tinnitus | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

Hi Michael, I had no idea you were still on this site. You helped me when I first got tinnitus 8 years ago.

 

Lord I have never seen such gaslighting in my life. Hyperacusis is barely recognized as a medical condition and you're saying reactive tinnitus doesn't exist because it's not recognized by doctors? The same doctors who say stuff like "tinnitus can't possibly get worse from noise".

Basically, you're denying something exists, that numerous, if not hundreds of people have experienced on this forum alone. You know, there's very obviously tinnitus that gets louder with noise almost instantly and spikes permanently easily... And you deny this because based on what? Because you think so? That's bullsh*t. You're gaslighting many sufferers saying that they're experiencing anxiety? Are you joking?

How can you have such a strong opinion on something you haven't even experienced yourself? I've experienced reactive tinnitus, and seeing people like you gaslight and say it doesn't exist is an insult and a very bigoted point of view. Please stop spreading your nonsense here.

 

Hi @Hardwell. Thank you for your kind words. I regularly attend this forum and post messages. I have also created threads, that mainly deal with noise-induced tinnitus and hyperacusis. Please check them out and I hope you find something of interest.

Take care,
Michael

 

We all agree about what reactive tinnitus is, except @Michael Leigh. It does not matter whether it is a medical condition or not. This term simply helps to communicate a very specific flavor of the tinnitus experience, and not a very nice one by the way. I don’t understand the persistence and futility to convince people that it does not exist.

 

Hey, I’m not sure what the dB was but if I had to guess, I’d say probably around 70 dB approximately, thankfully I wasn’t there too long.

I have now got earplugs and will be wearing them whenever I’m in busy/loud places. I’m trying not to let it affect my life too much but I won’t lie, it’s very hard. The spike I have has really affected my left ear especially and is sometimes such a high frequency compared to what it was previously that it takes my breath away. Thankfully the volume isn’t mega loud.

I’m waiting to get a hearing test as well as an ENT appointment. It initially started after a night out, although at the time I also had chronic sinusitis and still have fluid in my ears.

I’m praying it goes away or I at LEAST habituate because I truly am struggling right now The anxiety is making me panic that I’ll get TTTS which obviously isn’t helpful.

I know even if it goes away, my life will never be the same as it once was but I really am struggling to see how I’ll be able to cope living my life like this.

 

My tinnitus turned reactive around a month in, any time I hear a "s" noise or "sh" noise, it reacts for a couple of seconds.

Don't overprotect, I made that mistake and now I can't even drive without earplugs, shower without earplugs, etc etc. Always have earplugs on you, but don't make my mistake by wearing them everywhere (especially when it's not necessary).

 

It is understandable that you are feeling stress and anxiety @rhiannon because you are in the early stages of noise-induced tinnitus. You will improve so try not to worry. Please read the posts that I have mentioned as they will answer a lot of your concerns. Talk to your doctor and explain how you feel.

@InfiniteLoop, you are entitled to your opinion and therefore, if you disagree with anything I say, that's fine. However, I would prefer you do not mention my name when voicing your disagreement about me to forum members, for it is rude and very disrespectful. I visit this forum to help people that are having difficulty coping with tinnitus and hyperacusis, not to engage in arguments. For this reason, I have had to place certain people on ignore because their only purpose is to make trouble with me. I hope you are not going to become one of them.

It doesn't matter to me in the slightest whether you or anyone else wants to believe in reactive tinnitus, because the underlying problem to this oversensitivity to sound is hyperacusis. Sometimes this oversensitivity to sound can improve by itself but if it becomes persistent, then treatment is required. This is best done using sound therapy by wearing white noise generators to help desensitize the auditory system. Preferably one should be under the care of an audiologist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management, as counselling is often advised. In some cases the affected person may need medication to help reduce stress and anxiety.

People that constantly whine and complain saying they have reactive tinnitus are not helping themselves, for I believe it is much better to keep things simple by calling this oversensitivity to sound hyperacusis, because in most cases people that have this oversensitivity to sound have suffered noise trauma. If this condition doesn't improve by itself, then it requires treatment in the manner I have mentioned above.

Michael

 

I think I’m maybe just overthinking it as I’m so anxious. If I’m distracted, I’m not reacting to it. Do you have any tips regarding getting to sleep? I’ve been having to take all sorts of medications which probably isn’t good for me.

Thanks for your help ☺️

 

I’m in the same boat in regards to anxiety. I have had a spike for a few days which has come with a lot of noise sensitivity that is raising the tinnitus level. It’s never done this for me before in the past 8 years.

I’ve seen quite a few people experience a similar spike and had the sensitivity/reactiveness resolve itself.

Fingers crossed ours follow suit.

 

You are not overthinking anything, it takes time for the stress and anxiety to reduce because you are in the early stages of noise-induced tinnitus.

Talk to your doctor and read my posts, they will give you better understanding of the things you are going through.

I looked back at our previous conversations @Hardwell and note that you have noise-induced tinnitus. You have done well for the past 8 years. The two main reasons for this type of tinnitus to spike, after habituating for more than a year as in your case, are further exposure to loud noise or listening to audio regularly through any type of headphones, even at low volume.

Please click on the link below and read my post.

Hope you start to feel better soon,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

All I want to say is, please let Dr. Susan Shore's device work. I'm so tired of this.

But to answer your question, yes, tinnitus can turn into reactive tinnitus. It has happened to me twice.

KNOCK ON WOOD, luckily it went away. But I had it twice. I was miserable. It can also go away, like it did for me.

Chin up and stay away from loud noises and try to recover bro. if a treatment ever comes out, let's promise to trade war stories and celebrate our victory.

 

Ignore @Michael Leigh.

He has been this insufferably obnoxious ever since I came on Tinnitus Talk.

I think he is actually a troll who for whatever perverse reasons enjoys being so pig-headded so that he can raise the ante on and gloat over other poster's annoyances.

Even @Markku recently felt compelled to characterize his advice as "horseshit."

I laughed at this so loudly that I nearly dislocated my jaw. Who the f**k does he think he is? A punishing schoolmaster out of a Dickens Novel"?

He is apparently so mentally lost that I never occurs to him that I sincerely do not give a flying f**k if he places me on "ignore" or not.

 

Dude, honestly, just f*ck off. Sensitivity and pain to sound is hyperacusis/noxacusis, tinnitus that spikes immediately/easily to sound is reactive tinnitus. I don't understand why you can't get that through your thick skull

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply Michael, you are correct in what you say. I do believe it was noise induced to begin with, however I will never know.

This spike could have been caused by either loud noise exposure or by me coming off my decongestant nasal spray I had abused for 8 months, as weird as that sounds.

I have read a few posts that say people have been through these spikes before with the sensitivity/reactiveness and increase of tinnitus loudness. I’ve read encouraging things that these can just be spikes and when the sensitivity dies down, the reactiveness/loudness follow suits. Is this true?

I also did read the link you attached so thank you for sharing.

Sucks this has happened to you twice, but reassuring to know that it went back to normal. I feel like a fool ever complaining about the tinnitus I once had, now that I have this ‘spike’.

Can I ask how long the periods of reactive tinnitus lasted before returning to baseline?

 

HI @Hardwell.

The kind of spike that you are experiencing suggests to me it is caused by exposure to loud noise, perhaps more than once, or headphone use. It could also be a combination of the two. I very much doubt it has anything to do with your nasal spray.

In most instances, people that experience spikes are those that have noise-induced tinnitus. Either the tinnitus or hyperacusis hasn't been treated. Once the hyperacusis improves with or without treatment, the spikes usually stop. After a long habituation period such as yours, I am fairly certain your spike is to do with exposure to sound or headphone use. Please take your time and read my post again in the link I gave you, and think back to what you have been doing regarding exposure to sound and headphone use.

Take care,
Michael

 

I would definitely agree with it being loud noise exposure, as you excellently described, I got very lazy and much less cautious. I work on a building site which can be a very noisy place. I’ve stupidly been stood next to lots of power tools and jack hammers without protection and not removed myself from the situation. Lesson very much learned, believe me.

I’ve not been on Tinnitus Talk for years so I’m not understanding all the animosity towards Michael Leigh. He was very helpful towards me 8 years ago and is the only one who’s spoken to me now during this horrific spike. His reassurance is going a long way.

 

Are you reactive to comments or oversensitive to comments? If you were less dogmatic, you would get fewer criticisms. "Oversensitivity to noise hyperacusis" is an opaque term, "reactive tinnitus" is not.

 

I have explained my reason for visiting this forum many times. That is to help people that are having difficulty coping with tinnitus and hyperacusis. This is based on many years living with noise-induced tinnitus, counselling and corresponding with people that have this condition. I don't come here to engage in arguments, for it is futile and a total waste of my time.

People are entitled to voice their opinion because this is an open forum. If that means to criticize my beliefs and anything I write about tinnitus or anything else, I can take it. Depending on how I feel, I may or may not reply. I certainly won't correspond with anyone that is disrespectful or uses any form of bad language towards me.

If you continue to be disrespectful and you know what I am referring to, then I have nothing more to say to you.

Good day,
Michael

Thank you for your kind words @Hardwell. I read your profile post and see that you went to nightclubs where loud music was played without wearing earplugs, went to football matches, rode your motorbike and used power-tools without using earplugs. Basically you completely forgot about your tinnitus and carried on living your life.

I have done the exact same thing as you and so have many other people that have noise-induced tinnitus. The result was our tinnitus spiked. In my case it took 4 years to habituate for the second time and my tinnitus changed considerably from what it once was. We are all different so this doesn't mean the same will happen to you.

One can habituate to the point where they completely forget about their tinnitus and this is where the danger lies. Hopefully, in time the spike will calm down and you now know what to do in future.

All the best,
Michael

 

I only noticed yesterday that my hearing seems duller in my left ear where the tinnitus is present. Is this due to the tinnitus being very loud and not being able to focus on external sounds as much or should I take a trip to A&E?

 

At least some of us are learning something here that we probably already knew but it still helps to have it recognized.

When a sharp sound makes me instantly uncomfortable from a pain like sensation - that’s more the hyperacusis.

When a sharp sound makes my tinnitus spike instantly sometimes to the point where my hearing temporarily cuts out - that’s more the reactive tinnitus.

Evidently both of these can be experienced to varying degrees during each instance - sometimes totally separate and sometimes in combination.

But to me they without a doubt have always felt like two distinct issues and equally fearsome in their own right. Regardless, if they both are often technically symptoms of an advancing case of tinnitus or experienced as singular issues on their own -
I think the people have now made it very clear that two distinct terms are useful despite the non-sense that the “Doctors” or @Michael Leigh wants us to think, say and believe.

 

Anything to do with impaired hearing should be monitored closely @Hardwell. If you are worried, then this needs to be investigated by your GP or an ENT doctor because this is medical and the ear is a very delicate organ. It is a decision that you have to make.

If I were in your position, I would monitor things for up to 3 days. If the hearing didn't improve or I noticed it was getting worse, then I would go see my GP or go A&E.

Take care,
Michael

 

All the symptoms that people talk about concerning reactive tinnitus, I have experienced them, and much more, believe me. It mostly affects people that have suffered noise-induced tinnitus such as yourself. By making it two, three or four different conditions of the same thing, which is hyperacusis, you are making a mountain out of a molehill. This way of thinking does not help one's mental and emotional well-being and will only serve to make your path to habituation more difficult.

Michael

 

I have just got back from A&E and they said there’s nothing acute going on so told me to contact my GP to be referred to an ENT.

I feel like the sensitivity has improved slightly today, still not great, but it seems I have a bit more tolerance before the tinnitus rises. I’m hoping this is a good sign.

 

Isn't it rather asinine to describe any manifestation of this most dreadful condition as being no more than "a molehill"?

 

That is good news from A&E. By all means contact your GP if symptoms don't improve. A referral to ENT is probably a good idea.

Whatever you do, don't go and see a private ENT, as you will get the best help and long term aftercare for your tinnitus under the NHS that no private practice can match in the UK. The best treatment for you at the moment, providing there are no underlying medical issues with your auditory system, is to leave your ears alone and give them time to heal from the spike.

Everybody is different, so the healing process may take time. I advise you to print my posts in the links that I have sent you and those mentioned on my started threads. This way you will absorb and retain the information better than reading on your phone or computer screen. I strongly suggest that you use low level sound enrichment during the day and especially at night by your bedside. More about this is explained in my posts.

All the best,
Michael

 

Did they perform an audiogram after you told them your hearing seems duller, or did they just look inside your ears?