Ear Fullness / Pain + Tinnitus Spike After Using Earphones

Good morning All -

Lifetime sufferer of tinnitus here, seemed to have habituated to it quite well. Up until about a month ago when I had an exposure to a fire truck siren inside closed garage door.

Severely spiked my right ear - To the point it was roaring over everything. Along with hyperacusis.
ENT prescribed me Prednisone (60mg - 7 days) (40mg - 7 days) ( 20mg - 7 days) (10mg - 7days)

Spike did come down a very very very small bit - Hyperacusis seemed to improve greatly.

Trying to take my life back and get back to exercising and living my regular life.

2 days ago - I decide to go for a bike ride. I put in the earphones my phone comes with -
Ride 15km - Get back home - and am scared to take them out in fear it may have gotten worse.
I take them out - No change. *PHEW*

Yesterday - I decided to try a different set of earphones (noise cancelling) this time. As the ride 2 days ago allowed to many every day noises, trucks / airhorns etc. to filter through.

I take out this set of earphones - without even thinking it would spike my tinnitus / hyperacusis. As 2 days prior it was fine.

I don't even think about it - and go on trying to ignore my regular tinnitus (which i am able to).

About 7 hours later - I start hearing the loudest roar - pressure and fullness in my right ear =(

And normal level of tinnitus / hyperacusis has not returned.

It's worse than it's ever been.


My question I guess, Is this temporary - or did I just put myself back with all the progress I have made =(
I was doing so well / felt like I could finally accept what has happened.
And am now back at square 1 - IF NOT WORSE =(
HELP!

 

I think it’ll be temporary, though many say you’ll need to wait 1-3 months to say for sure. Take great care of your ears for now, don’t listen to earphones at all, limit noise exposure, and so on... take supplements like magnesium or zinc or NAC (magnesium took the edge off for me) and take good care of yourself generally too.