Feeling on the Edge

Hi All,

My name is Stacey from Australia and I'm 22 years old. On the 31/08/2014 I noticed an extremely bothering ringing in both era (worse in left) after I woke up from a couple of days of using waxsol drops and also going through some built up stress etc. I've always believed I've had mild mild tinnitus prior to that on and off. But this time it's not going anywhere! It's here to stay.

Over the past few weeks I have been a wreck. I can't sleep all I hear is the ringing/ fluttering and war popping that comes along with it. Went to an audiologist and doctor who have both told me no issues and no hearing loss. Just tinnitus. Also, I believe it would be to do with night clubs for the past five years that I go to every few weekends.

Anyways, just as I started to adjust ( small adjustment ) last night I was at a BBQ and someone blew an air horn (in a can, like the ones uses a sporting events) about 5-6 gets (twoish metres) from my ears, left ear more exposed (happens go be my worse ear already!)
By the time I blocked my wars it was too late. It was so loud!

I am so scared that is is going to cause my tinnitus to get permantely worse!!!!
I had a small anxiety attack after (crying and shaking) and woke up this morning and it definitely feels louder!

Can someone please help me and let me know if that will definitely cause a permanant increase? I could hear it over the television this morning. I'm on breaking point and have been thinking terrible things. I'm so depressed and think it is now worse permantely. I don't know how muh more I can take. I feel so isolated and alone. Almost like I don't want to be around anymore.

I would really appreciate someone's help. If be forever great full if someone could please respond.

Thanks in advance, Stacey427

 

Regarding your initial onset in August, it is too late for you to get on a course of steroids now (it will have no effect). To seek out help (and a course of steriods) for a so-called spike (an increase in tinnitus volume) would normally be a bit much (you simply have to be careful and vigilant against all the fools/noise out there; wear earplugs). But if you truly feel that your tinnitus has worsened (permanently), then seek out an ENT immediately for a consultation + steroids. You should ensure that you get on the course of steroids within 24/48 hours after onset of tinnitus for maximum benefit. It may or may not help. But that is your only option during the very acute stage. After that, it is wait-and-see.

Wear earplugs from now on whenever things get loud (eg. gym sessions, loud traffic, etc.). Stop going to nightclubs. Stop going to concerts. For the rest of your life.

Take care.

 

Thanks for your reply @theedgeofsceince, do you think the air horn (from two metres away) is cause for steroids? What would you do in this case?
I'm not sure if my tinnitus is worse, or if my anxiety has pushed it through the roof.

Thanks so much

 

Here's the deal... I cannot predict the future, so... either you do or you do not.

Scenario 1: you do not get steroids + your tinnitus goes down again = no problem
Scenario 2: you do not get steroids + your tinnitus does not go down again = problem + regret
Scenario 3: you do get steroids + your tinnitus goes down again = no problem
Scenario 4: you do get steroids + your tinnitus does not go down again = problem + no regret

Since you must decide within a short window-of-opportunity, you will need to apply some basic decision making (= see above). Only downside with steroids is side-effects; these will usually only be temporary for a short course of steriods (= 7-10 days incl. taper - ie. in total).

Air horns and a lot of other non-sense should be banned, but that is besides the point now that the damage has already been done. Air horns are loud, stupid, and pointless. For a healthy ear at two metres and brief exposure - that shouldn't be a problem. But for already damaged ears, who can say. An air horn blown right next to the ear - at eg. a football stadium - could be damaging in either case. That's why air horns and many other things should be regulated/banned.

Neither do I. You are going to have to figure this out on your own.

Take care.

 

Hello
maybe your anxiety is causing your tinnitus to spike even more. It is essential that you get some sleep and rest oreslse its downhill from there.
hope ur tinnutus gets lower soon.
regards

 

Thank you for your reply again.

Regarding damaged ears, I don't have a hearing loss. Only tinnitus, I'm heading to the doctor now as it is a Sunday and no ENT's are open.

Do you think the doctor would be able to provide the core t steriods if nessecary? Or trust the ENT only?

Thanks for all your help

 

Thanks nana, I'm not sure if its the anxiety or not?
I woke up this morning and it was definitely louder! It's just how am I supposed to love my whole life scared of noises like that. An air horn is ridiculous and shouldn't be aloud anyways, but now Im going to forever (the next 60 years) walk around scared. I just don't know what to do, I was doing ok up until the air horn!

The thing is two other people were standing near me and it didn't bother them at all!

 

If you have been going to night clubs every other weekend for 5 years, then you have hearing loss. You just cannot feel that yet. Everyone has some degree of hearing loss. Audiologists usually only evaluate the speech frequency range (0-8 kHz) and your hearing loss may well be in the higher frequencies above that (8-20 kHz). And in any event, audiologists only define hearing loss as a hearing threshold which is worse than 25db. However, even 20db of hearing loss - at any frequency - is significant (especially for young adults) and can cause tinnitus. An audiogram cannot diagnose tinnitus; it can only diagnose hearing loss.

Yes. But a regular GP may not be aware of the protocol for using steroids. Therefore bring some kind of documentation from the Internet eg. some Australian ENT site describing the use of steroids for tinnitus. Again, I do not really recommend the approach for a "spike" - but, since you asked for help, that is the advice I can provide. You will need to decide on your own in the end. It's your decision.

 

Thanks for all your help it's been great!

Regarding the "spike" I've notices on other people on here that when they took steriods it was because their spike caused pain and muffled wars etc. mine did not happen that way (touch wood) I only felt anxious and an increase in the ringing, I also don't know of it's know louder or I am looking for it over background noise.

This is such a terrible condition and monitoring it makes it so hard. I'm so scared I've done more damage with that damned horn!

 

I can't advise on steroids or weather the increase is permanent. But what i can say is that my T is so loud i can hear it over the TV, music, outside noise and even my motorbike. I've only had it for about 4/5 months (i think) and although the first month or so was awful, i am pretty used to it now. And the dark thoughts i initially had are completely gone.
What i'm trying to say is that the sadness and despair you have are only temporary and will get better.
If your T gets better, great. If it doesn't, you will get very used to it. And you will be happy again.
So as corny as it sounds. Just let time do it's thing, and in the meantime try and stay as positive as possible. It will get better.

 

Thank you for your reply!

Wow, you are one truly amazing person if you have managed to overcome that level of tinnitus. Do you mind if I ask does it increase with stress?

How do you go about protecting your ears? Now you have T?

Was yours caused from hearing loss or sudden trauma? Etc. if you are comfortable me asking.

I thank you for your reply. It gives hope to those of us who aren't as strong as the rest. I know my mentality and strength is very low and this T has proven that to me.

Thank you Bob means alot

 

If it was all about strength, then tinnitus would not be the #1 cause for disabililty amongst war veterans. You would think that the #1 item on the list would be disabilities such as physical/mental handicaps eg. lost limbs and PTSD. But it isn't. Instead >$1 billions is spent on tinnitus disabilities in the US on war veterans, annually.

 

If you think that there's been some serious damage done to your hearing, I would suggest you give the oral steroids a go. They have definitely helped me out of a couple jams over the last couple years.

You should be able to get them off your GP, getting into an ENT's office in time can be a bit of a pain in the ass. Just go in, explain your concerns and ask if you can go a short course of high dose corticosteroids. Bring along some documentation if you need, that's what I did with my family doctor.

There are considerable side effects to consider, but these aren't usually an issue short term. The most common side effects are things like increased anxiety and insomnia but these weren't an issue in my experience.

Either way hope it's just a temporary spike and things return to normal for you soon, good luck!

 

I can recommend corticosteroids as well. I have gotten injections 8 months after the onset of my NIHL and the improvement was significant.

 

Hi there. How are you feeling now?

I'm afraid I can't help much, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm experiencing something similar. My T is also noise-induced beyond my control and I'm no stranger to anxiety and depression. I can totally relate to your last paragraph.
You're not alone in this, although I know that this may not remove the feeling of isolation. Please hang in there.

 

Regarding hearing loss - as well as all the people who claim they don't have any - here is a very realistic simulator of hearing loss from the Hear-The-World-Foundation:

http://www.hear-the-world.com/en/hearing-and-hearing-loss/hearing-loss-what-it-sounds-like.html

The simulator above is - in my opinion - one of the most accurate there are; it demonstrates exactly how subtle hearing loss is in the early stages. Which is why even initial hearing loss prevention is so important...

Friendly warning: the simulator is probably best used with earbuds, but be mindful of the sound level settings before starting the simulator. Follow the instructions carefully...

 

No i don't mind answering any questions. I was really depressed with it when i first got it. It's a high pitched screech in my left ear that is consistent and loud. at first i was depressed. For like a month. Then i slapped myself (not literally) and told myself, tinnitus isn't going anywhere, and neither am i, so i'd best sort it out. Since that day i've been getting better and better. Although i wish i never had it. And sometimes it gets frustrating, I'm at the point now where i can quite happily live with it forever.

One of the best things i've bought is a pillow speaker. I listen to a tv program called QI, as i fall to sleep. I also have a fan on. Both act as a masker and work well. Especially the speaker.

I believe it was caused by trauma after listening to headphones far too loud. But i can't be certain.

I protect my ears from now on by doing the following. I have stopped using headphones completely. I'm not sure listening to headphones at a lower level would cause any more damage, but i'm not risking it.

I use earplugs while using my motorbike. I use cheap disposable ones. Each pair are bought individually wrapped. This is because i'm paranoid of putting a dirty pair in my ears and causing an ear infection. But i do have a pair of more expensive pair of Alpinestar headphones i intend on using when i go to the cinema (haven't done that yet).

I also wont ever be going to another night club, fire work display, music concert or anything else with excessive noise levels.

Lastly i limit how much i speak about my tinnitus. And i also limit how much time i spend on this site. Basically i limit the amount of time i spend doing anything linked with tinnitus. Reason being, the longer i can go without thinking about my tinnitus, the better. Talking, typing and reading about it doesn't help that.

Good luck Stacey. If there's anything else you want to know, don't hesitate to ask.

Bob.

 

PS yes it does get louder when anxious.

 

@BobDigi,
Would open back headphones be ok to use do you think? on a low or reasonable volume
amanda

 

I actually think open back headphones at a sensible level would be ok. But because i don't know for sure, i'm not willing to risk it.
I used headphones more than anyone i know. So it is a sacrifice. I used them at work, riding my motorbike/bike and just walking the street.
If you are sugesting open backs, then thanks for the sugestion. If you are asking my advise, then my guess is as good as yours.
My theory is that the sound of headphones are more damaging to ears because of the close proximity of the sound source. If i looked online i'd find some evidence to support my theory, and some evidence which says i'm talking nonsence. So i have to make a decission either way.
The way i look at it is, wearing headphones might damage my ears further, not wearing headphone wont damage my ears further.

 

Ps in my earlier post i meant alpinestar ear plugs, not headphones.

 

@BobDigi

Yes I know what you are saying about headphones and not risking it any further.
And I appreciate you using ear buds now on your motorbike.
I dont use ear buds but i live in the countryside which is pretty much silent.
But it says everywhere that the worst thing is to be in silence and to have ambient background noise or music etc all the time 24/7. Therefore in order to go out and about but have mobile background noise inclu being in the quiet outside or in the house one would need either an iphone or mp3 etc...So one would need either ear buds or headphones with these things (so I said open back.)...I used to love being in silence....how do you deal with having mobile ambient noise around you all the time for the quiet times (incl going to sleep).....if you dont use headphones or earbuds..? Really asking cos trying to find the right solutions for me too....

 

@BobDigi

Just would like to add that it seems to me that the only people who get through this are the really positive mentally people like yourself Bob.
I have a friend who told me a month ago that he had T this year during the early summer. It lasted for 2 months. He was unemployed and struggling and mentally bored and unhappy and frustrated. Then he got pxxxxd off with his T and said to me that he got busy and ignored it. Then he got a job. It slowly faded away and now he doesn't have it any more. He also told me that he had some form of T for years and years but he had gotten used to it and didnt hear it any more. He said that he had like a drone in his ear...

 

>My theory is that the sound of headphones are more damaging to ears because of the close proximity of the sound source.

I just completely blew my ears out with a studio accident bass blast through headphones. Analysing the level of the sound that hit me, objectively it was nowhere near as loud as volume I've experienced at concerts/clubs/etc., so the only conclusion I can draw is that the headphones contain and compound the damage. I've spoked to several musicians who also got T through headphones.

 

So is it safe or not safe using headphones at a low level?

 

Attitude is a huge part of it. I came to the conclusion my tinnitus is probably here forever. I'm only here once. So i'd best hurry up and get used to it. Don't get me wrong. I still think about my t a lot. And at times it gets frustrating. But it gets easier with time. When i first got it i couldn't stop thinking about it for about a month. Now i can go two/three hours without thinking about it. That's progress. You never know. One day i may go a whole day without thinking about it. But that seems a long way off. Till then i'll just make the best of it. Keep a positive mind and enjoy habituation.

 

Or should i say journey to habituation.

 

Approximately around this time last year, I posted a link to a hearing loss simulator within this thread. The same link has been shared by TinnitusTalk today. You can rate/share/comment on the Facebook update below...

 

i agree Bob, there comes a point with T that you need to make a choice with it....either let it destroy your life completely by always focusing on it or do what you can to bear with it. i listen to a lot of binaural beats/brainwave frequencies for feeling positive, motivated, inspired. if you don't get yourself into a positive frame of mind then you're going to go insane.

i have bad days too when it is unbearable and i am very moody but whatever the day is like for me i continue doing things i love. if you have something you're really into get stuck into that, it will help to focus on something else so you're not bothering about the noise. i hear mine constantly because it is so loud but i dont let it take over my life.

look on youtube.