Does Tinnitus Get Worse Over Time?

I agree we dont have much, they done this Vagus Nerves stimulation....

Never the less BIGGEST problem is THAT TINNITUS TEND TO GET WORSE, and it does it last few year and get worse... and then again, and again worse... Markku also got this problem, for me is not worsening after 2 years 3rd worsening... and many other people. Problem is it not broken arm and so on, it is neurological and it gets worse.... can be worse because dog bark too loud, you get car accident, you take pill that make it worse... how ever you look it when you get it does not go back but gets worse (if it does not stop just because not much time has passed)

I think your if fresh you have biggest chance just to lose it...

 

Its Hard to know. Dr N indicated only 10% of habituated folk get worse. He had 20 Good years before his worsened. However I agree it's a trapdoor and no going back once it starts.

 

Just on the above few posts. I know two people who have had it 30 years and generally neither worsened.

 

yeah; whatever the case is, the statement above that "TINNITUS TEND TO GET WORSE" is not correct.

 

On that, tinnitus for 5 years. 4 worsenings so far, 3 habituations

 

I'm sorry if you took offense to what I said; I didn't say it doesn't happen. I said there's no reason to assume it will, nor is there any evidence that it's a trend. (In fact, the longitudinal studies I've seen, generally indicate that it's significantly less likely for it to get worse, than it is for it to stay the same or improve).

Might my tinnitus get worse? Sure. Might I get hit by a bus tomorrow? Sure! It's useful to wear earplugs around loud noises, and to look both ways before crossing the street, but fatalistically assuming that I'm doomed to progressively worsening tinnitus might be just about the worst thing I can do, because of all the evidence that plasticity is influenced by attention.

I've had tinnitus at its current severity for about the same amount of time you have; there has been a waxing and a waning, but nothing like a constant progression in the wrong direction. This is driving me nuts and kicking my ass right now, but three months ago I remember a day where I was totally unaware of my T until about 4pm.

 

Hi @linearb so you have had t for 17 years and it has not worsened significantly?
I'm also of the opinion that the vast majority of people with t, habituate and carry on and it doesn't get worse, if you're smart about continuing to protect your hearing (I think this might be the key point).

 

It got significantly worse in 2009 following an obscenely loud Gang Gang Dance concert that I did not have plugs for and should have fled, but instead suffered through (and I guess am still suffering through, ha!)

Yes, I agree, though I think it has a lot to do with why you have T. If there's a strong neuromuscular component, and you don't fix your bad posture habits, then it's reasonable to expect things to get worse. If you have tinnitus as a result of Meneire's, it seems like Meneire's is often (but not always) progressive.

Slightly interesting aside: I have hearing tests from before and after the 2009 concert, which don't show any drop in hearing. Of course, it may be that I did suffer very high-frequency loss as a result of that concert, but it also seems possible to me that the sheer trauma of the event brutalized my CNS (and also made me super fixated on my T, and pretty bonkers with anxiety for weeks) and led to some maladaptive neuroplasticity, even without any additional cochlear damage. Who knows!

 

wasn't offended mate, just saying. I'm even prepared for it to get even worse, just so that I won't have go through the emotional response again when it does. Remember is the emotional response that changes your life not the tinnitus itself.

 

Tend to is not it does, in some cases it tens to, we are all different, but as understood here i did not see many people who wrote every few years their tinnitus became weaker and weaker and vanished.

Tinnitus it terrible thing, severe decease. You noticed from Vikings documents from Switzerland that doctor wrote he has to undergo entire psychological treatment of tinnitus psychological trauma after surgery.

And from my personal experience in my be very unlucky guy but my got severely worse in last 10 days... One just wake up with it and it goes worse and worse, this is 3rd time.

So wherether you had medicine that demaged your hearing, taking benzos demage nerves more and you lose hearing and your tinnitus has chance to become worse, or you get suddenly ill and have to use stronger pain killers same thing happen, and it is stupid to explain, sudden bang.

Lets hear from those who have tinnitus ca 8 years or 4, what do they think, did their got worse. Dr Negler is lucky guy, maybe becouse his age hearing got weaker and he got worse and t became worse... maybe it will stop... but i did not see that he expect it to stop. from his expirience he seen people who get it worse sudenly and remain 2 week it stay so, for some it is not like that. we are individual all.

What i wanted to say that as time passes there is lover chance tinnitus will vanish. (like from onset 1 mont, 3 6 one 1 year every time is lower chance by statistic). Also by statistic only tinnitus does not lover tone by time but opposite, but we do become more resistant and that is strongest motivator, that we get used on it and we stop paying attention, we make peace with it.

I think i should not have wrote this. I just based all this on statistic. I just pray Autifony come out and say that they are effective, or they find something else, some medicine that by have side effect that it kills tinnitus, or some implant.

it is inhumane when you go to hospital and they say to you that it is just sound you will not die from it and then send you to psychiatry.

and I often ask God what did I do, and i suppose many of you too, why did we deserve this, tinnitus is hell on earth. I know there are neurological pain and they are also hell on earth.

And how much did medicine advanced in understanding brain? it looks life they are fixing a computer chipboard with big screwdriver and hammer, that did advance immensely but brain remains still a mystery? or maybe i am totally wrong....

anyway i wish that tomorrow there is sudden information that there is some treatment for common people that helps a lot...

 

Go check people on tt, read when did they get tinnitus and did it got worse, or it remained same or did it change in any way. I have feeling what i read it that people did not get better but... it is not important

 

We can find all the contrary anecdotes that we want, but a large amount of longitudinal data from peer reviewed studies suggests that in most cases, t does not get worse with time. I certainly believe that it does get worse in some cases, but saying that it "tends to get worse" implies that's true in most cases, and I don't think there's any evidence to suggest that's true...

 

I would say that it does "tend" to get worse.
For starters, our hearing becomes more problematic as we age.
With age comes a greater need for different meds that can/do make t worse.
Our everyday world is becoming louder and louder, chances of noise exposure are getting much bigger.
Even something simple as grocery shopping is becoming a noisy adventure, with music blaring in evey shop you step in.

I know a lot of people with t, and most of them have experienced worsening, but those people are not part of any statistics.

When it comes to t I just don't believe any medical data since its very clear that t has never had much attention from medical world, therefore all the statistics are just a pure estimate/guess!

 

concur with you.

and tinnitus sufferers auditory system might be more susceptible to more damage?

 

You would think that over time the situation would get worse. Just about anything can trigger a worsening so I'm not sure how it doesn't.

 

I think this type discussion is a puree of personal experiences (of chronic sufferers, because that`s the majority of people that visit here on TT) not science based. Tinnitus has such a big influence on our lives ... best thing is to keep the discussions hopeful and positive and cure/treatement/habituation based. I don`t think anyone will get any happier about reading this ... and that is a big part of T, to find happiness. if you need support we have a section on that.

good luck to all!

 

So basically, people who get it young are doomed? Great!

 

Logically a survey like this on TT would have the negative result. The people answering are mostly people stuck with their T in one way or the other like myself..

 

Had it bad for 5 years. For me it has got a lot worse but that doesn't mean it will be same for everyone. I feel like a bit of a hardened sufferer but past few days it got gotten too much for me to bear. Feeling really down right now.

 

feeling down? than get out from behind the computer, meet a friend or go for a walk or something. I`m having quit a diff time myself lately but right now i`m correcting a video clip of a friend and giving comments on it ... it`s quit fun ... hanging behind this forum when you`re down doens`t help T at all. But I understand why we do it because we want to read something positive ... but if we are gonna post all this negative stuff we are going in a downward spiral ourselves ... so get up - get out - get moving !! the cure is on it`s way - we just need to fill in the time as best as we can till it is here!! love you all!

 

Nills, You're probably right. I should probably pick up my guitar and knock out a few tunes or something. It's tough though when the T is screaming for attention and keeping me awake at night. Guess we cant give up the fight.

 

I just played some guitar myself after I sat quitly for sometime and just let every emotion and tought just pass by as clouds ... the t didn`t leave but something about it changes ... the moment i`m behind this computer and on this forum it actually feel more annoying ... see yes, go play some tunes buddy! listen to the wind or something ... i`m making a rules for myself not to be on the internet in evening time from now on.

 

Surely it's a case of; every day sounds won't hurt your ears. If you expose your self to sounds which could have caused tinnitus in the first place such as concerts, perhaps the cinema and clubbing then T wil get worse.

If you just get on with normal life sounds, don't go to these places and if you have to - wear protection, then surely it won't get worse unless there's an underlying condition rather than just noise exposure for example?

Obviously there are things which can make it worse like ototoxic medicines, but just avoid those unless absolutely necessary?

Even if it does get slightly worse over time, surely habituation will be quicker than the rate of increase? So in reality it's a non issue.

Of course some people have acoustic traumas which are unexpected but unless it's sillly loud, you should have sufficient time to plug your ears to avoid damage?

 

had my t. nearly 10 years and although it has not gotten worse overall, there are times of the year it seems more intense, mainly during the dark months and of course when it's cold or very windy, when it's so bad i want to scream i try to get out on my bike as the wind rushing past the ears masks the t. and trying to avoid being killed really does help take my mind off the problem, 10 miles is usually enough, think the workout helps too, not sure if this is due to the adrenaline or perhaps a lower heart resting rate... of course it may just be concentrating on something else,

 

How did you get your T?

 

I voted "yes", but mine was stable for 10 years before a noise trauma made it worse 5 years ago, and I think it's been pretty much stable since then.

 

Would you mind me asking what the trauma was?

 

My got worse every 8 months or 9, 2x now. I dont thing i will survive last one

i used paracetamol for pain killer only i dont know what else

 

pretty sure mine is inherited, my Mother & Grandmother & 5 Aunts all have left side t. something to do with skull structure & density perhaps,

thanks for asking, hope you find relief for yours soon.
g

 

half better... half worse... not too bad odds on a TINNITUS forum!!