Does Tinnitus Get Worse Over Time?

I only know personally few people with t and. Asked them if they ever searched online or visited a forum only one of them searched for cures online when he first got it but never joined a forum so I do agree with @Bart

 

Yes of course tinnitus will get worse with time as your hearing deteriorates with age. Reduced exterior signal = louder perception of T, same as plugging ones ears.

 

Mine has gotten worse! 16 months in and no matter what treatments, supplements, etc., I've tried, my noise has nearly doubled. For severe hearing loss & T, it doesn't get better over time for most. I agree with Telis.

 

.....but it will eventually stop getting worse and thats when you win and IT loses.

 

But there are plenty of users here that say the opposite, also by what their parents report.

 

I think the question that's being asked is whether intrusive tinnitus--tinnitus that's bad enough to cause a person to seek medical attention--gets worse over time. Is anyone aware of any studies that focus on this issue? If so, I'd love to hear about them. If, as I suspect, there are no such studies, then the only thing anecdotal accounts show is that some people get worse and some people don't, but we simply don't know the percentages or the odds. And, for the reasons that have been stated, I agree with those who've said that surveys on this site are not representative samples.

As for the notion that as hearing deteriorates tinnitus will definitely get worse, I'd also love to hear if there are any studies on that topic. We clearly know that there is no direct correlation between tinnitus and hearing loss--plenty of people with severe hearing loss do not have tinnitus at all, and some people who don't have any measurable hearing loss have tinnitus. So the argument that hearing loss will necessarily make tinnitus worse sounds specious to me, but in the absence of any well-done studies we can't really know for sure. However, in abundance of caution, I do use hearing protection when I know I'm going to be around really loud sounds.

 

It's very simple to simulate loss of hearing, plug your ears (even just partially block them), does your T sound louder? If yes, then you have your answer, your tinnitus will be perceived as louder as you loose hearing over the years. It may not actually be louder but the lack of exterior input will definitely make you perceive it that way.

 

Again, unless there are studies that show T consistently worsens as hearing deteriorates, I don't think you can make this generalization since the connection between hearing loss and T is so tenuous. In any event, if hearing deteriorates, you can always get hearing aids that will amplify the missing frequencies. I have hearing aids for my moderate hearing loss, and the hearing aids substantially reduce the sound of my T.

 

In my opinion , now don't beat me up if I'm wrong but in my opinion. , whatever spikes you're t , that's the reason for it so if you found what spikes you're t the most stay away from it as much as u can ,

 

You're confusing getting louder (a person's own objective criteria based on its perception without further damage to the cochlea). With "getting worse" (damaging the cochlea more through exposure to further loud noise).

 

It gets louder over time, and you get new sounds, my got worse 6 times up to now.

 

I have not read all this thread but I know about 50 people with T , an annoyance for all but no one says they suffer .
I am a postman and out of 600 people of voting age I know 32 with T on my round .I have not asked everyone just those that I chat too regularly , no one says its got worse for them

 

Also I know several people with very bad hearing and no T

 

Not so much a reply as a comment. Nerve damage is linked to/causes Tinnitus. The nerve cell damage might, one presume, be caused by one or more factors. These are ( and there are others no doubt); underlying damage caused by historical infection leading to reduced supply of blood to the inner ear, infection that reduces the ability of nerves to survive; infection that damages nerve cells in a way that causes non-stop stimulus of specific nerve cell endings at a specific place on the inner ear cochlear; impact/injury causing similar nerve cell trauma/damage/uncontrolled nerve cell discharge resulting in noise; impact or infection damage to the cochlear structure itself whereby uncontrolled stimulus of the auditory nerve us caused and associated hearing loss.....
Of particular neurological interest is the accepted idea that nerve cells act by chemical discharge. A nerve cell has to produce the appropriate chemical to release (and so cause a nerve impulse to generate/be passed on) in order to cause an output. In this case of the auditory nerve mechanical events in the outer, middle and inner ears results in stimulation of specific nerve cells through which the "sound" ( as nerve impulses) is carried to the brain to be "heard". Using this ear structure/auditory nerve/brain structural model, one can accept that the cause of a tiinitus noise can be caused by a problem pathology in any one of the three parts. Damage to the cochlear cells due to blood flow problems/infection/impact mean nerve cell endings are not correctly stimulated. Damage to specific nerve cells might possibly mean non-stop stimulation and transmission to the brain but this seems unlikely. Damage to the "hearing centre" of the brain raises the possibility that tinnitus noise is "heard" but is actually arising in the brain though it seems to be coming from an ear.

It must be time for much more medical research! There is a cure. It needs to be found.

 

We need to focus on getting a cure by getting more medical research on the problem. And it is a growing problem. Let's be clear about that. The "hearing" structure includes the inner/middle/outer ears where air pressure changes are converted into mechanical events that then act of specific nerve cells of the auditory nerve connecting with the inner ear cochlear. Damage to the cochlear might cause repeated stimulation of specific nerve cells leading yo this being heard as tinnitus. This sounds plausible but why would the tinnitus noise get louder or softer? We have to understand exactly how the connection between the ear structure in the side of the skull communicates with the auditory nerve cells.
Yes, the damage could be specifically neural. But how can nerve cells keep discharging without cessation. (Nerve cells work by making and releasing chemicals). If this is happening, however, if this IS what is happening, then the scenario is one of over-production of neural chemicals for whatever reason. Not damage then, but excessive chemical activity. The variation in tinnitus noise levels would be explained by this causal model.
The brain has a specific "hearing centre" and one can suppose that damage/abnormal activity could cause tinnitus here, not in the ear, even though the noise seems to come from the ear. We do not hear with our ears. We collect variations in air pressure with our ears. By an absolutely amazing process these become sounds. Different pressures, different nerve cell stimulation, different sounds in our brain. So... A continuous pitch tinnitus could be identified as a continuous simulation of a specific air pressure variation/specific nerve cell stimulation/specific pitch tinnitus. If the tinnitus is originating in the brain's hearing centre, variations in volume might be due to variations in nerve cell chemical discharge which is well known to vary with mood, anxiety.......
I believe there are cures to be found. I want to know if anyone has found drugs which are used to palliate mood conditions, or mental states, can say they have any or none evidence to suggest there is a functional link between the chemistry of the brain and the presence/intensity of tinnitus.
My own tinnitus originated during a period of extreme anxiety when the chemistry of my brain was disrupted. There is no doubt about that. The noise seemed to switch on and has never ceased. Interestingly, the doctor suggested it had been present for much longer but had gone through an "awareness of" threshold. Possibly.

 

Hello is anyone here? I would like tontalk about my T problems i have had it for only 2 month and its not that bad but i would like to know more about my T and how it may afect me

 

Oh well, that's the toilet not getting flushed anymore.

 

Habituation and How People Get Better with...

This dude always makes me feel better on bad tinnitus days. I swear good vibes is the best cure for this symptom.

 

Yes he is great. I did a personal Skype session with him and read all of his literature, watched all videos. he has helped me make some of my biggest strides yet in overcoming this.

 

I'm 44, and have had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. It is the high pitched sound, and for the most part I have been able to live with it, it's always been in the background.

Couple of weeks ago, I got back from a walk, and I felt my tinnitus instantly get worse. I felt a little nauseas, and my hearing was a little muffled. The next day, my hearing demuffled, but the higher level of tinnitus remained. I put it down to the cold temperatures, and the possibility of ear wax build up as I've always suffered from waxy ears too.

I went to the ear doctor, had a hearing test, and my high frequency hearing is shot. He recommends hearing aids in both ears. Something I'm not terribly happy with, but it is what it is.

Fast forward to today, my tinnitus is still at the higher level. I am very anxious about it, I can hear it over the tv, I'm finding it harder to hear on the phone, and occasionally it's like the speaker on the phone is distorting the sound. One night last week I couldn't get to sleep because of it, I was a mess. So stressed.

Been doing some reading on it, read this thread which has filled me with dread, until that video posted above which I watched with tears in my eyes. I really hope there is something I can do because I do not know how I can live like this. I'm going to see my GP soon, and maybe get some medication to drop my anxiety levels down and then work on a positive fix for this. I hope there really is a way out of this.

 

My T has only gotten better since I got it. I believe that T always will get better with time.

 

Hey there. I noticed my T about 6 years ago when i woke up one sunday morning. The night before had been spent with friends in a super loud club dancing by the speakers, DUH. I already knew about T because i read on the internet that it could be a "byproduct" of eye floaters which i also have. Both conditions would freak the shit out of me in the beginning but after some time i got used to them. Time went by and i really got used to my T and i would joke about it with a friend who also has it. Fast forward 6 years and to be honest it kinda got worse. About 10 months ago i went to a wedding party where i got so drunk and took hard drugs and when i woke up, i noticed it a bit louder. I don't think the music did it. I think it was more the alcohol. After that i went on a very long trip (i'm a travelling performer) and i kinda forgot about it untill recently. It is an issue again. I am noticing it more laltey. I think it kinda got worse, like i can really notice it in a silent room. I can still fall asleep but i'm slowly growing afraid about it getting even worse.
I cannot tell what it is. I know if i get high on weed or alcohol i notice it more, but does it get worse or is it that i am more sensitive to it? Also, does taking planes affect it? What about the sonic boom of a whip? I've been playing with whips lately and the crack of a whip certainly is loud. Do you think this could be another cause of it getting worse?
I will start researching treatments.

Thank you very much for your input and time.


LatexX

 

@LatexX if you only hear it in a silent room thats pretty good.

 

@Sam Bridge It's very noticeable in a quiet room. Like pretty obvious. Lately i've been noticing it also in rooms or places with noise. That's why i'm getting a bit more concerned.

 

If it makes you feel any better...

Mathematically, a day by day increase would = 1.8% daily increase...

How could you possibly measure that accurately?

I would say it's probably your anxiety Exercise, exercise, exercise beat it out of you, give the T a beating, go run for 6 miles, you WILL sleep!

 

I agree with you there, it's no laughing matter, society just has no clue about this and so did I...if I knew this was even remotely possible I would have ditched my MP3 years ago...

 

Hi Telis,
I tried your test. Covering my ears and my tinnitus doesn't change.
I believe my tinnitus source...like many...is due to long term sound exposure, age...fractional hearing loss...my H makes it feel like I hear too good and maybe allergy susceptibility and ET blockage.
Cheers

 

I feel like this guy is describing me! Very interesting!

 

I'm sure it's different for everyone so there is no black or white answer to this question since we all experience different forms of T. I know people who have said it's gotten worse, and I know someone--my father in law, who says his didn't, and he's very hard of hearing (almost 70). All I know is that the best thing to do is not worry (as difficult as that may be for all of us) what it'll be like 1 year or 20 years from now, but rather live each day to your best and take care of your mind, body and spirit.

 

I have Aspergers and I know I had tinnitus since 1985 or before. Mine sounds like crickets and I thought I was hearing crickets I didn't know it was coming from my brain because I only heard it at night. I was just 5. I hear it all the time now and it's loud. I let my 7 year old niece put her head close to mine and she heard the noises my brain was making. She said it sounds like a cricket. Sometimes it sounds like several of them. Sometimes I hear a high pitched noise. Sometimes it sounds like high pitched crickets. I think it's giving me headaches and causing me to hurt behind my left eye. I hate tinnitus it's annoying and starting to cause physical pain. So many cricket sounds that won't stop there's a lot of them and it bothers me.