Fireworks Gave Me Tinnitus a Second Time — First Time It Went Away Completely

Hello everyone!

I'm from Germany and I got tinnitus in January this year, after New Year's celebration. There were a lot of fireworks, and at first I didn't think it would do that much damage to my hearing, but here I am. In the first days after it happened I was hoping it would be temporary, but now, a month later, I'm worried it will be permanent. I still hope it will go away or at least get quieter in the course of 2023. Time will tell.

The very first time I got tinnitus was 8 years ago. It eventually went away completely, but now I'm back at the start. This time, I don't want to be alone with it, and that's why I registered in this forum

Today I read the news about Frequency Therapeutics, it's a real shame. I was euphoric that it would work and that the cure for our suffering would come soon. We'll have to wait a bit longer, I guess, but eventually we'll have it. I'm positive that a cure will be found within our lifetimes.

 

Was it noise induced the first time as well?

 

Hey! Even if the onset was a month ago, I would go and see a good otologist. You may try some treatment, such as Prednisone, or NAC, Magnesium + vitamins ACE. It is worth a shot and you lose nothing by trying.

Maybe also do an extended (high frequency) audiogram.

Best wishes and stay strong!

 

How long did you have the tinnitus the first time? How many tones? How loud?

 

Yeah, the first time was due to a loud concert. I remember wanting to cover my ears because it was almost unbearably loud. I've also had some very short episodes after going to the movies, but those only lasted for a few days.

Thank you! I'll make sure to try those. Back when I first got tinnitus, I went to get my hearing checked, and even though the results were all in the normal range at the time, I'm a bit scared that if I go this time, there'll be some degree of hearing loss. It's probably best to get an audiogram, though. Best wishes to you as well!

It was at least a few months, but I don't remember exactly how many. The recovery was so gradual that I almost didn't notice it being gone. After it was gone, I took the silence for granted, and it's only now that I realize how much I should've appreciated it. At the moment I have just one tone at about 7000 Hz. I was hoping that FX-345 would help me since they promised it would regenerate hair cells down to 8000 Hz and maybe deeper into the cochlea. Still not sure why they discontinued FX-345, too, when it was only FX-322 that failed. In terms of volume, I hear my tinnitus mostly when I'm stressed, but when I'm concentrating on something, I don't always notice it.

 

Not to be captain foresight here, but why in God's name did you go to see fireworks after having tinnitus go into complete remission the first time?

This is bad advice. It's too late for Prednisone. And either way, it's very hit or miss.

Prednisone and these supplements have shown to make some people worse. NAC and Magnesium almost never, but either way poeple should be careful.

@kyokucyou, I think FX-323 wasn't a silver bullet to begin with. Tinnitus, generally speaking, is hyperactivity/crossfire in the DCN and higher up in the auditory pathway. I don't see how restoring hearing could fix that.

Good news is that Susan Shores's device is on the way.

 

Hi @AnthonyMcDonald. It is not bad advice, there is an open window, the soonest, the better. But even at 1 month after onset you can see some benefit, and that is much better than nothing.

Steroids have their risks, and should not be taken on your own, but the risk is worth it in case there is some inner ear damage and not much time has passed since the trauma. There is a lot of literature supporting this.

 

It's beyond 1 month now.

 

It's not worth the risk. 1-2 days after trauma, max a week, shows the best results. Little to no results are seen after that time and the risks of catastrophic side effects too large to have it be worth it.

 

I made a huge mistake in thinking it would be okay after so many years and that nothing would happen. After getting tinnitus for the first time I was usually very careful, never put my headphones beyond the recommended volume, never went to clubs and things like that. I thought that just this one time it would be okay, but it turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Learned to protect my hearing the hard way, I guess...

Yeah, I'm praying that it will work and that we will get relief from it. I think (and hope) this device is the closest we can get to a cure right now.

 

Hi @AnthonyMcDonald. I have had tinnitus since 2017, due to noise trauma, and have spoken to many people during this time.

For example, you can check this paper:

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Primary Care Update

"High dose oral steroids are recommended and should be given as soon as possible, with best improvement during the first two weeks, but treatment should be continued up to 6 weeks, with little chance for success beyond this time"
​

There is plenty of literature like the one above. Even if there is little space for improvement, in my opinion, taking in consideration all the effects tinnitus can have on a person's well-being, it is worth a shot. Obviously in consultation with an otologist and knowing side effects steroids can have. But hearing is a precious gem we have, in my opinion it is worth a shot.

Probably the benefits are minimal, but in science and health nothing is so exact. I would definitely do a complete extended high-frequency audiogram and speak with a qualified otologist about the options. 1 month is not 7 years, like mine.

Best of luck @kyokucyou. Your wound is still fresh, don't expose to very loud sounds, try some proven antioxidants and have your ears completely looked with tests (mainly extended high-frequency audiogram) to see if there is some visible inner ear damage.

I think you will recover well, I'm pretty sure about it. Try to stay calm. Best!

 

How long did you have it the first time before it went away?

 

About half a year, give or take a few months. Can't remember exactly how long it took, but I do remember that it eventually got so quiet that I could only hear it at nighttime or in a silent room, and I became able to ignore it to an extent, and to live life again. At some point it got so quiet that I could barely notice it anymore. Around that time it must have disappeared.

 

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for your answers Also, I would like to post a small update. The frequency of my tinnitus has increased—it's less of a beeping and more of a hissing sound now (could this be a good sign?), albeit still a loud one—and I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I'm probably going to have it for a long time. It still bothers me a lot, however, especially when trying to concentrate on work.

In addition, I have an ENT appointment tomorrow. I'm not sure how much they can do for me now, 2 months after the incident, but at least I will be getting an audiogram to check if I have any hearing loss. It can't hurt to gather as much information as possible.

 

I can tell you I had really loud tinnitus with pain and fullness about 12 years ago from an acoustic trauma and it faded completely in about 1 year. Then about 5 years ago I had a second acoustic trauma from an outdoor church concert. That also faded (95%) in about 18 months.

So I would suspect you will recover from this in time.

I now have a 3rd acoustic trauma (my 2 daughters screamed while playing a family board game). It didn't hurt anyone else but it was too much for my compromised ears. It's been 2 weeks and I'm very upset about it, but it does seem to be fading. It is a loud world out there and trauma can come out of nowhere in an instant.

 

If you are not experiencing hyperacusis, then maybe it won't be too bad?

 

I do have slight hyperacusis from it, but nothing like the first 2 traumas from years past. I also have slight pain. The scream only lasted about 3 seconds but it felt like a vibration in my ear nerves. My guess is it was in the 80-85 dB range so I doubt it caused any permanent damage, it's just that I don't seem to tolerate any loud sounds since the onset of my tinnitus.

 

80-85 dB is extremely low for an injury. It may have been louder than that. Have your traumas always resulted in immediate tinnitus, or have you experienced any delay in the onset of your symptoms?

Btw I remember you said you don't believe that overprotecting is bad, maybe with less overprotecting you will build more tolerance?

 

I know what you mean. I've never been tested to find out which specific type of tinnitus I have, but when I first got it, loud noises would make me literally jump out of a chair. The only empathy I have ever received from a health care provider was a nurse who thankfully had tinnitus temporarily it and it went away.

She said that during her tinnitus period she couldn't eat in any restaurant that had an open kitchen, the clattering of plates drove her right back out the door. When I was sitting in a Portland bus shelter one day, a bus passed a few yards away and that was like a jet taking off in the street. Now, 20 years later, I just avoid anything that might produce loud, unexpected noises, which is hard to do when a fire truck or ambulance is near. I notice that now the firefighters wear ear protection.

 

Yea, it might have been louder, but it seems it was the tone that rattled my ears? It was kind of a baritone yell.

Not really much of a delayed onset in my past bouts with tinnitus, although it got progressively worse for the first few days. Maybe my inner ears were swelling.

I haven't really protected my ears for a couple of years now, because they seemed to be doing fine with mostly unnoticeable tinnitus. I would only put earplugs in if I was going to a loud place like a casino or the gym. Daily living was fine with no protection.

 

So sorry to hear about your third acoustic trauma @jjflyman. I've been dealing with loudness & pain hyperacusis, along with reactive tinnitus, for about six months now, & your posts re: your recovery have helped to keep a sense of hope alive for me - thanks so much for sharing them!

How is your recovery this third time around coming along?

Sending virtual hugs & healing energy your way!

 

I can't wait until a cure/treatment comes so this tinnitus stuff becomes a thing of the past
seriously. When I first got this, I would have never thought there would be no cure for this.

 

Hi! I'm so sorry you're suffering again. Do you also experience hyperacusis or any sensitivity to sound at all?

Hope it gets better for you soon

 

My (3rd time) tinnitus has faded quite a lot. It has been about 7 weeks now. I would say it is about 60% faded. When it first happened, I thought it would take between 3-6 months to fade away, and I would say it seems to be recovering right on schedule. I hope it goes 100% Gone!

 

That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you Can I ask if there's anything you've been doing to help the recovery process?

Yes, rooting for a 100% recovery for you!

Maddy

 

Yes, I experienced hyperacusis and pain all three times I had tinnitus, but it all went away in time. Acute acoustic trauma (not long-term noise exposure) usually resolves itself in 12-18 months.

 

I just protect my ears form noise. Also, I found low sodium diet helps while I'm recovering (maybe salty foods cause the inner ear swelling?).

Drink plenty of water and give it lots and lots of time. My first tinnitus took over 12 months to fade to zero, my second tinnitus (12 years after the first one) took almost 20 months to fade to zero.

As many other members here have said, wear ear protection in loud places for the rest of your life, because it seems once our ears have been compromised, we have far less tolerance to noise than other people. What is no problem to someone else, may be catastrophic to our ears.

 

Thank you for the reply. I read a little bit about your story and it is amazing to hear that you have recovered twice. Sorry to hear about your third time with it

I know your second trauma was caused by a concert at the church, but I was wondering what was the cause of your first trauma, if you don't mind me asking?

Mine was from a very loud gunshot (157 dB). I did not have any symptoms immediately after, so within a week after the trauma I also attended a loud hockey game and rodeo show, after which my tinnitus, hyperacusis, and TTTS started.

I'm also curious to know, if with your hyperacusis, you found certain low-level sounds such as wrinkling plastic, clashing plates, pushing a door shut, etc. incredibly loud?

Thank you and take care

 

My first trauma was from a riding lawnmower that had a bad muffler (it wasn't even my lawnmower). I stupidly kept mowing (no earplugs!) for about 45 minutes until my ears actually hurt. I had tinnitus & hyperacusis, pain and fullness for months. Screaming loud tinnitus. I was suicidal. But it went away 100% in just over a year. One notable thing is my progress was only noticeable in months, not days or weeks.

As far as hyperacusis, yes, clanking dishes where the worst! It takes a lot of time for ears to heal. But even when your tinnitus & hyperacusis fade away, you must always be careful of loud noise, even many years later, because the tinnitus can return if you are exposed to a loud sound, even if it is not loud enough to affect other people.

You will get better.

 

Thank you for your kind words. I noticed that a lot of your replies on Tinnitus Talk over the years have been very encouraging and positive, which has been a great source of comfort for me too. I'm also worried since a lot of people do not get better and for some, it gets worse, and reading about those experiences is scary and heartbreaking at the same time.

It's just ridiculously hard to deal with. I'm worried that my acoustic trauma from a gunshot was just so loud that it did some permanent damage to me. That level of acoustic trauma most commonly happens in the military or with someone dumb like me who forgets to put on ear protection

I'm so young, at the beginning of my career, and now I feel like my life has come to a standstill. I can't imagine living like this for the next 50 years. It would have honestly been easier to accept when I was already 50 years old... close to retirement and could just live my life quietly in nature.

I think like a lot of us here. I feel like one dumb mistake has flipped my whole life upside down, with this damn hyperacusis making everything so impossible right now. How did you get through this?