Can Tinnitus Just Get Worse for No Apparent Reason?

I think what scares me the most about this condition is how unpredictable it can be. Especially for those of us with reactive tinnitus or hyperacusis. I’ve read many stories of people’s tinnitus getting worse for no apparent reason after having it at a stable level for 2-5+ years. Is this really possible?

I know that as we age, naturally we will develop some hearing loss but how can slight hearing loss cause such a dramatic shift in the perception/noise level of tinnitus?

Sorry if this is a bad question, but I know that this sudden worsening isn’t only the case for older tinnitus sufferers but also for younger people who normally wouldn’t experience such a huge shift in their hearing if not for other factors.

Is there sometimes just never a reason that causes tinnitus to worsen?

 

My take is, it can get better over time if catalysts for worsening are avoided, and it can definitely get worse if catalysts are not avoided. My prior tinnitus went completely away over a long period of time. I got complacent and got microsuction which gave me S level tinnitus. I can’t say for sure, but I think had I not had microsuction, I would never have gotten tinnitus again at all, or maybe in old age, by which time I hope it is curable. So takeaway is remain vigilant.

 

I would say there's always a reason, the problem being science doesn't know enough yet about tinnitus to be able to tell why, how to prevent it, and more importantly, how to cure it.

But it never gets worse for no reason. Can be sound related, can be not (physical injuries, stress, anxiety...)

 

That's one of my my biggest fears as well. I'm rigorously protecting my ear, but it is just not possible to avoid every trigger. I can't control the level of the outside world's volume, other people's actions, I'm pretty sure that I will definitely need ototoxic medication in the future and stress can't be avoided either. This scares me so much. And my heart breaks for all the fellow sufferers who habituated, have stable tinnitus for years, then get worse. It really feels to me that Damocles' sword is hanging above us, just gives me tremendous amount of anxiety.