Car Accident, Tinnitus and Post-Concussion Syndrome

Hello everyone, I have a question and need your opinion please=).

Until now I was mostly convinced that my tinnitus was caused by a cold last year. But I also had a car accident roughly a month prior (no airbags and no blow to the head or ear). Three days after the accident I developed whiplash symptoms and went to the ER. Around a week later I noticed some slight hyperacusis. No pain but a few thing sounded louder than normal and created discomfort. Since I did not know what it was I thought it was just anxiety or some form of whiplash. But then two weeks later my tinnitus started together with a cold.

Since then I always get a huge spike when I have a cold. Now, I was thinking, maybe I already had some very mild tinnitus and my cold made it just spike? Since I already had hyperacusis before the cold.

Also I remembered that eight years ago I already had a head trauma when I landed with my snowboard on the back of my head where I got a mild concussion and tinnitus for maybe one night.

Since then I had all the normal examinations and some physiotherapy. Is there anything I am missing or something I could do? I learned that post-concussion syndrome could take a long time to subside. What is your opinion on this?

 

Anyone?

 

Hmmmit sounds like there could be an issue maybe with your neck and shoulder area from the whiplash? Do you find that when your shoulders are tight your T is more louder? If so, then maybe try doing some proactive neck and shoulder stretches .

I think I’ve seen people on here who have mentioned that a bad cold can make their T worse - so that’s a pretty good reasoning in my books.

Regarding the concussion, that’s a bit hard to say. Concussions are very case specific. Some people have one and have a lot of symptoms, while other people have one and are fine in a week. It sounds like like you maybe were in the second group if your T was only for a night.

 

Definitely sounds like the car accident played a bigger role than you thought. Is your T low pitched?

 

Thank you for your response. Could be that my shoulders are always a bit tight, I will definitely work on that. I do not think that my tinnitus is louder when I don't stretch enough, normally I get just spikes when I have a cold.

Yes the concussion from eight years ago basically resolved in a few days. This time after the whiplash from the accident it took a while longer. I would say a month until all the major symptoms went away. Unfortunately thats when the tinnitus started.

Probably, but I somehow was always mor fixated on the cold because that night I heard my tinnitus the first time. But maybe that was just because it spiked. No, mine fluctuates from tea kettle to electrical hiss or white noise. But always high pitched.

 

My T is from concussion & whiplash. Started at scene of car accident. I believe T is largely due to the brain, so I would bet on the concussion. Though, when I'm tired or sick, my T is always worse.