Difficulty with Tinnitus Spike After Being Exposed to a Firework at a Carnival

Hey guys

Two days ago and I was feeling almost normal (see my success story), as if I could wait easily for years for a cure, so used I had become to my tinnitus and VS.

I went to carnival on Saturday evening. This is a small village carnival in the open, so noise was fairly moderate and predictable. I wore my plugs and spaced a bit further away or cover my ears with my hands when something somewhat noisy passed by.

The last number of the carnival was somebody blowing up firework (I initially thought it was some random bloke). He actually yelled to cover up your ears when he blew something off (according to my parents, who where at a different location), but that was impossible to hear if you weren't in the front row. So just when I wanted to leave (like 30 seconds or so) I was exposed to one of these fireworks quite closely. I immediately noticed the spike since before I couldn't hear my tinnitus when having plugged my ears with the sound levels going on there (we're talking about 60 dB or less at average). After that it was clearly audible.

My tinnitus is a 4-5/10 when before it was mostly quiet room stage and I was even happy sometimes to just listen to it. I started to like it. Was not a bother at all, I felt normal, and happy. Now it's bad enough to make me write this thread at the middle of the night. I feel godawful, although I'm aware that I ought to get used to this new level and a large part is the stress reaction. My tinnitus is very high pitched and just a moderate increase to it as I received makes it a lot more noticeable through the day. It's not that much louder but it has gotten quite a new "edge" over before (tone is more aggressive). I had also a mild drone before that I perceived only rarely which is now much more prominent during the night. Sleep has become difficult, since my high-pitched tone gets a lot more aggressive when lying down (was never a problem at all). My stress level is very high, I could feel the panic ramping up when trying to sleep and now suddenly being difficult. Sleep has only ever been a problem when VS popped up. I could sleep even at the beginning of my tinnitus. So far my VS has stayed the same, though the dark seems weirdly bright currently, the dark itself feels bright (stress probably makes me notice the self-light of the brain, which is a symptom that was minimal before).

Why did this have to happen? I'm not angry, neither on myself nor on the guy who blew the firework off, but fate is making this unnecessarily difficult... At first I went mostly because this was a whole village thing, just happens every couple years. I was aware that it might be potentially loud, so I was being careful. When I was there, I actually found the risk to be very manageable and I was happy as I hadn't been in a very long time. Made me actually think of the evening I got my tinnitus first, because I was also really happy at that concert. But how should I have anticipated this damn firework?

What should I do? Should I rush to my ENT to get prednisone? That only helped the last time with hyperacusis, if it did at all (my hyperacusis was unaffected because it wasn't a problematic pitch). Should I just wait it out and hope it this spike goes down again? I already took NAC, magnesium and curcumin.

Thanks whoever is reading this. Writing this made me feel a bit better. It helps somewhat that sometimes I think that my new low is just a bit above the high's I have been experiencing before now and then. So the new level is at least still partially familiar. Still difficult with this new stress level and I'm not very happy having to wait potentially weeks or months for this spike to settle.

Does somebody have any advice?

 

Learn from your mistake.

Don't "do the crime" unless you are prepared to "do the time".

 

I guess you're right. Maybe I can make this experience a good thing if I manage to avoid potential spikes in the future thanks to this. At least I know now my limit and what the consequences are.

I managed to calm a bit after my post. I still couldn't fall asleep, but I was more relaxed, so it should get better. Some part in me still thinks that it's anxiety to a large degree and the actual increase was minor (I have always been a worrier). I get a startle response currently before dozing off because this tinnitus currently increases right before falling asleep (it's like I can hear it more clearly just then)... But if I manage to really calm down again, I believe I'll be good even if my tinnitus takes some time to return to the previous level.

 

I am sorry that happen to you. I certainly hope things improve for you. I am glad this forum exist for moments just like yours. I hope someone can give you some sound advice, as I am relatively new to this heinous condition. Be well.

 

Seriously? That's your advice? Holy shit what an insensitive person you are. He was asking for advice on how to cope with the spike not feel regret for what he's done. Unbelievable.

 

Bill does that a lot, he's part of the "told you so" brigade of spreading doom & gloom with a dash of no hope.

 

He'd do really well as an ENT or Audiologist with that opinion.

 

What I admire the most is the gentlemen asking for advice, our someone just to listen took the "high" road... I wish him the best.

 

My advice (should he follow it) would actually increase the chance that he would get better. What you have in mind would result in him continuing hurting himself and his chances.

My Original advice/reply (that I changed to the one above) was: "You knew that if you were to do the crime, you might have to do the time, and you still chose to do it. You must have done it because you knew that you could handle the spike should you get one (otherwise why would you take this risk). So what's the problem?"

There is NOTHING that could be done about the spike (which might end up being permanent [but probably won't]). THAT is the reason that the only thing to be done here is to learn from this experience, and act accordingly in the future.

 

Don't compare my advice to that given by Audiologists/ENTs
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...orum-more-useful-than-your-ents-advice.28006/

 

I didnt take offense to Bills comment. The problem is that in some situations there is that small minuscule chance that something unpredictable happens that leads to a spike. This is like living in a city as opposed to the countryside, as the chance of random loud noise in cities is vastly greater than in a village. Can you still live in a city and keep your previous job? Sure, but you have to live with the increased risk of random noise. This is essentially the same as going to a small carneval (I would avoid bigger ones completely).

Anyway, I'm doing ok. It feels as if my hearing has gotten slightly more accute again when before it felt normal (maybe slight H). So it is all like my first half year again. Too bad! But it is mostly just disappointing, I'm quite optimistic since I know this level of T already. Just get that sleep under control.

 

Ah no, actually I didn't expect to get a spike since I was really careful. The reason my calculations were off was the unexpected firework. But you're right insofar as I have to consider unexpected situations in the future, as far as it is possible.

 

Were you wearing earplugs when the firework went off, it wasn’t clear?

Prednisone... what’s there to lose? If you tolerated it ok last time, I would go get some.

Good luck.. .you can never trust other people not to be loud in some way.

 

Careful = not going to a carnival with live music.
Check out the posts that I quoted in a post below. In those posts people also thought they were careful, and learned the hard way that they need to change their definition of the word "careful".
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/

The damage is cumulative:

 

You have the wrong impression. This is a small village carneval. There was no live music, except from 2-3 cars and some orchestras/drums (thats maybe 10 minutes of exposition at max). Those were loud, so I increased distance to 10 meters from the street and plugged my ears with fingers. The sound wasnt channelled into my direction, it was an open place with a single house at the road.

 

I was wearing plugs, but those dont reduce overly much (theyre quite decent though).
Prednisone has side effects and didnt work the last time either.

 

So for my first day at work with this increased level:

I was able to function decently, despite only 3,5 hours of sleep (always takes two days of bad sleep to really become a problem for me).

T is louder. It's still a static hiss, more intense, but when it fluctuates up, this eery eeee sound that has always been there very mildly becomes quite a bit louder (that one was the reason I had trouble falling asleep yesterday). However, in a quiet room it can be hard to say that it is louder. It only seems louder when comparing it to other noises. Both T and ambient noises are louder. It's more as if I had to turn music and TV up a bit higher than before as to drown out T.
Might I have hearing loss? Everything sounds still normal to me, except that T meddles more now with everyday noises (it's ok, still can't really hear it in the shower). My pain H is back. Certain girl's voices are bad again. I also have a mild burning sensation in my ears. Is that a sign of inflammation? Then I probably should get that prednisone, right? I mean it should help in that case.

Since the increase brought me back to a previous level, I am rehabituating somewhat more quickly (also I already have experience with this now ^^). Still hope it goes down, but since it was not a drastic spike, I guess my chances are intact for this time. As long as I can fall asleep again, there ought not to be a problem.

 

Sometimes a few minutes or seconds (my case) is all it takes.

 

I shall remember it. My previous T was quite spike-resistant. I was exposed to loud clanging, loud motorbikes, and a firework that was extremely close (that one came out of nowhere, no spike though, but I fled immediately). My T has its old dynamics back. Fluctuactes readily between 3-4. It's less intrusive since my stress has gone a bit down and I keep trying not to listen for it. Hope some good sleep (if I manage to) will help further.

How are you doing anyway?

 

During the first two years I would get serious spikes. I don't want to jinx it, so I won't talk about my experience during the third year. I just got a notification from this forum regarding the third anniversary of me joining this place...

 

Aye, I understand.
On a cautionary note, it has gone down considerable this morning after managing to get some sleep. Falling asleep was quite difficult though since my VS in combination with anxiety produces awful images in the dark/when closing my eyes (plus the extra ringing). Made me think of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_release_hallucinations

 

D

Does it still improve then despite your severe spikes? Could use some hope that I havent jinxed my chances with this spike now.

Couple things I noted from today:
Loudness H on high frequencies is back and even a bit worse. Random noises like dish clanking or some printer noises are uncomfortable again. Fuck my life.
Girls and loud men voices are bad as well. I forgot that I considered H by far the worst symptom for me because it is so isolating.
My H is pretty much as bad as when I first got it. Does that mean I have to wait for another 10 months til I am back where I was? Or even longer? This really depresses me. I feel as if I had to start all over again. Thing is also that H makes me focus on all noises around me (guard up), but with this I also always hear my T. I cant rehabituate with H, since then I would let my guard down.
I could just go home and cry...

 

Hyperacusis is the worst. Earplugs are my best friend.

Ignore your ENT's advice not to protect - most of them never mention hyperacusis unless you do.

Even people on this forum who don't have severe loudness hyperacusis often fail to comprehend the condition. They think we are exaggerating or paranoid when we talk about never leaving the house without earplugs and avoiding social situations. Meanwhile we keep seeing these stories about musicians and TV celebrities with tinnitus who are able to keep on "living their lives". On closer examination, they all seem to have escaped the dreaded hyperacusis.

I'm holding onto the hope that it will continue to ease off for me, as it has done for many other people.

 

I live in a village fortunately, so there aren't many noises that became problematic due to H (I just have to block anything loud).

 

Judging by the posts on this forum, it is impossible to avoid spikes, and so everyone who got better has been dealing with spikes throughout their tinnitus experience.

I don't know hyperacusis as well as I know tinnitus. My guess is that over the next 1-3 months it ought to get back to baseline.

Its normal to feel this way. There's a good chance that eventually you will feel better.

 

It’s possible that it cranked up its intrusiveness even if the volume is comparable to what it was in a silent room. I’d suspect residual inhibition is gone but you can expect that to improve if it has before. The way I look at it:
1) you had earpro (good)
2) you didn’t get prednisone (not good)

I’d estimate this to be a 2-5 month setback, realistically. 2 months for the H & intrusiveness to begin abating and ability to residually inhibit the sound, thus decreasing preoccupation and anxiety. 5 months for return to baseline. Examples like this are why we need a fucking cure and why habituation is no replacement for a healthy auditory system.

Sorry about your luck dude. We have a similar tinnitus profile and I was hoping to be where you were in 3-5 months. You seemed to be mostly at peace although you stated it still hurts your ability to relax.


I can’t wait for the day that we can all properly relax again.

 

I think you will be fine especially if you were wearing plugs. My tinnitus spiked today too because I manage a bike shop and every once in a while they blow tires and it echoes throughout the store . I was standing right next to it and was not wearing any protection . My t is very loud now . Be thankful you don’t have to work around that noise it sucks. And I say unless you have noticeable hearing loss you will be all good. It should go away with time .

 

Small update on my situation:
- The T in my right ear has worsened in the sense that it now has a high pitched ringing. It's not louder than my static noise, but more annoying. More prominent at night.
- My previously good ear now also has tones. Usually it's a static noise as well or a muffled ringing, a bit less loud than on the right side so usually it is masked. In the night it tends to become either a drone or a ringing that is a bit louder than the static on the right side. Quite annoying, managed to prevent me from falling asleep again (falling asleep for a first time was normal again though!). So I have now 4-5 tones in the night, previously it was 1-2 mild ones.

 

I used to love fireworks day (November 5 in the UK). Ever since I got tinnitus I avoided fireworks at all costs. I won't even leave the house. What on Earth was going through your mind man? Earplugs are only there for situations you cant avoid. Using them as a defence to enjoy yourself rather than to protect yourself is one sure way to get fucked.

Learn from your mistake, don't ever do it again.

 

I shall remember it. I could live with this level of T, but another worsening would be problematic.