Gained Insight Into Some People's Nightmare: My Brief Experience of Severe Tinnitus

This weekend I had a fainting episode. I'd drunk heavily the night before (stupid and very rare for me), I fell asleep with the heating on, woke up incredibly hot, got in the shower which was also incredibly hot and then promptly passed out! When I came round, I had an extremely loud hissing in my ears. It was like radio static but with the volume turned up to the max, I couldn't hear hardly anything over the top of it. I crawled through to my bed and lay there shaking for around an hour before it disappeared as quickly as it came on.

I feel I've gained an insight into what some people on here are experiencing, and it's really awful. It felt like there was a barrier between me and the world, even my own voice sounded muted. So much respect for all of you that are dealing with that level of tinnitus long term.

 

I had a very similar experience where I passed out in my bathroom for about 15 minutes and woke up to the loudest tinnitus I had ever heard in my life. My head felt like it was vibrating and it was also an extremely loud hissing sound that could be heard over pretty much anything, it was easily a 10/10 in loudness. It was gone within 40 minutes and was honestly one of the most terrifying experiences of my entire life. Reminded me that things could always be worse.

 

Earlier this year (around Feburary) I was woken up by 10/10 tinnitus. It has never been that loud before or since. It was four in the morning, and I was in a panic. I tried to mask but couldn't. Was absolutely in hysterics and actually considered going to the hospital. Faded within half an hour.

No idea what caused it.