Can Tinnitus Appear Weeks After Exposure to Loud Noise?

[Asvalian]

I've been dealing with T for 3 months now, and all I can say is the despite the fact that I've done 3 hearing test and non of them has shown any sign of hearing loss, no vertigo or anything wierd, only a constant ringing on my left ear, I know that it's very possible that I have some "hidden" hearing loss (since all the tests were at 8k max), the question is, the only moment before T that I got exposed to loud noise was with a "sound grenade" playing airsoft 2 weeks before onset, the question is, Is it possible that T can appear, not right at the moment when you expose yourself to loud noise (I see a lot of people that got T right after a concert or some show), but later (weeks, mouths)? Or I'm just overthinking and it's simply the fact that maybe I have damaged my ear because of hearing loss due to other reason (like headphones). Just trying to figure out what might be the cause since I not happy with the idea of "idiopathic T".

Thanks.

 

[Jahhsoul]

In my case, I have idiopathic T too, and went to a party 3 days before my T appeared. I would like to know the cause of my T too =(

 

[Dana]

I read that the damage caused by loud noise exposure is cumulative.
If you got fleeting T after a loud noise exposure, even after it went away the damage remained to be added to the damage from the next loud exposure. Until one day the T stays. That may seem besides the point, but it's not that far.

A loud noise exposure can do permanent damage that is not big enough to cause T, but the damage remains there to be added with the damage other events do to the hearing system and can contribute to the fact that in the end the damage got big enough to cause T. T can be multifactorial, and one of the factors can be the exposure to a loud sound that was not right before the emergence of T.

If T is a depletion of inhibitory neurotransmitters, an older loud exposure can contribute to that depletion.

So, IMO, the opinion is ...yes.

 

[AlexSongitus]

I read that the damage caused by loud noise exposure is cumulative.
If you got fleeting T after a loud noise exposure, even after it went away the damage remained to be added to the damage from the next loud exposure. Until one day the T stays. That may seem besides the point, but it's not that far.

A loud noise exposure can do permanent damage that is not big enough to cause T, but the damage remains there to be added with the damage other events do to the hearing system and can contribute to the fact that in the end the damage got big enough to cause T. T can be multifactorial, and one of the factors can be the exposure to a loud sound that was not right before the emergence of T.

If T is a depletion of inhibitory neurotransmitters, an older loud exposure can contribute to that depletion.

So, IMO, the opinion is ...yes.

Yeah I think you might be on to something.

I'd like to think mine was caused by acoustic trauma, except it was not very loud, but rather extended exposure. It came on while producing a couple of song using earbuds for an extended period of time on top of a lot of other bad lifestyle habits. Now I normally do rock, much louder, much more intrusive. I play my guitar much louder. Never had a problem. This time I was composing soft, beautiful, piano songs. Go figure! The level was well below what you would experience in a movie theater. But it was the prolonged exposure, ear buds, and lack of sleep, coffe cup after coffee cup, cigarette after cigarette, immune system probably on its last legs, while doing this for about 3 days, along with prior similar sessions that may have kicked it in for me. Mix that with a short temper, stress, bad diet, and unhealthy life style and not seeing a doctor in like more than a decade, despite warning signs that I might have some kidney issues on top(and even that could lead to T), and you have the perfect storm in my case.

So in my case OP, could have been acoustic trauma from extended exposure, could have been any of the others, or a combination of all of the above working against me all at once in moderate doses and the last time I stayed up too many hours without sleep, drinking too much caffeine, and with headphones in my ears was just the straw that broke the camel's back. One thing I can say it wasn't, it wasn't ONE loud bang. I'd like to find my cause for sure too, but I think I might have to see about 10 different doctors to eliminate each possibility one by one! Can't really afford it to be honest.

 

[Dana]

I'd like to think mine was caused by acoustic trauma, except it was not very loud, but rather extended exposure. It came on while producing a couple of song using earbuds for an extended period of time on top of a lot of other bad lifestyle habits. Now I normally do rock, much louder, much more intrusive. I play my guitar much louder. Never had a problem. This time I was composing soft, beautiful, piano songs. Go figure! The level was well below what you would experience in a movie theater.

But it was the prolonged exposure, ear buds, and lack of sleep, coffe cup after coffee cup, cigarette after cigarette, immune system probably on its last legs, while doing this for about 3 days, along with prior similar sessions that may have kicked it in for me. Mix that with a short temper, stress, bad diet, and unhealthy life style and not seeing a doctor in like more than a decade, despite warning signs that I might have some kidney issues on top(and even that could lead to T), and you have the perfect storm in my case.

Typical case of multifactorial emergence of T.
I doubt composing soft, beautiful piano songs caused T in anyone. There were the other factors. Tiredness and overstimulation were the causes, on a weakened body, the fact that T appeared during after playing the piano indicates the time, not the cause.

So many people reported waking up with T one morning after sleeping, or while walking in their garden. I do not think that the walking in the garden was the cause, or the sleeping, but the things that happened before that.

 

[Alue]

Yes, it can. You can damage the hair cells or nerve connections following an acoustic trauma, sometimes they die instantly, other times they die off days or weeks or months later through neurodegeneration.

Hidden hearing loss as you put it is not out of the question.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812055/ shows you can have pretty significant damage that never shows up on standard hearing tests.

 

[Dana]

Yes, it can. You can damage the hair cells or nerve connections following an acoustic trauma, sometimes they die instantly, other times they die off days or weeks later through neurodegeneration.

I read the same thing. The death can occur later.

 

[Asvalian]

Thanks for the responses, then I guess I'll just have to wait (like most people here with acoustic trauma) until someone find a way to either stop those hyperactive neurons or "heal" some of the damage done, my only regret is using headphones for 5 year almost daily...

 

[Steve Hubert]

I've been dealing with T for 3 months now, and all I can say is the despite the fact that I've done 3 hearing test and non of them has shown any sign of hearing loss, no vertigo or anything wierd, only a constant ringing on my left ear, I know that it's very possible that I have some "hidden" hearing loss (since all the tests were at 8k max), the question is, the only moment before T that I got exposed to loud noise was with a "sound grenade" playing airsoft 2 weeks before onset, the question is, Is it possible that T can appear, not right at the moment when you expose yourself to loud noise (I see a lot of people that got T right after a concert or some show), but later (weeks, mouths)? Or I'm just overthinking and it's simply the fact that maybe I have damaged my ear because of hearing loss due to other reason (like headphones). Just trying to figure out what might be the cause since I not happy with the idea of "idiopathic T".

Thanks.

You may want to try NAC. It may help. Look it up. It's a supplement.

 

[Telis]

Have you thought about any drugs/medications (even OTC) that you have taken in your lifetime?

It's very strange to me that everyone jumps straight to noise as a cause yet medications are completely dismissed most of the time.

Even if your tinnitus started after some noise trauma, the root cause could still very easily be medications. It's a fact that even taking a OTC pain killer can be ototoxic.

Somehow there needs to be more awareness about the dangers of medications causing hearing loss, everybody already knows that noise can be a factor in hearing loss, not many people realize that popping a pill can be harmful to their ears as well.

 

[Asvalian]

Have you thought about any drugs/medications (even OTC) that you have taken in your lifetime?

It's very strange to me that everyone jumps straight to noise as a cause yet medications are completely dismissed most of the time.

Even if your tinnitus started after some noise trauma, the root cause could still very easily be medications. It's a fact that even taking a OTC pain killer can be ototoxic.

Somehow there needs to be more awareness about the dangers of medications causing hearing loss, everybody already knows that noise can be a factor in hearing loss, not many people realize that popping a pill can be harmful to their ears as well.

I don't think my T appeared because of medication, I mean, the only thing that I affects me every year is just a cold, and as far as I know Frenadol (the only medication I use when I get a cold) isn't harmful for your ears.

 

[Ricardo1991]

I'm sure you have some sort of hearing loss. It's a struggle for sure. I think what bothers me the most is not knowing EXACTLY what I have. Like I have pain in my Eustachian tube but I guess it's a symptom of hearing loss. Which doesn't make sense to me at all.
Ah well, hope your day/ week is a good one!
Ricardo