Greetings! 23-Year-Old, Tinnitus for One Week, Possibly from Loud Sounds Through Headphones

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum. I started getting tinnitus in my right ear including some slight hearing loss just about one week ago. I don't know exactly what triggered it, but I suppose my habit of listening to music & watching videos online with my headphones on has ended up damaging my hearing :/

I have been lucky though, it's not a very loud sound (high pitched, but faint) however I can still hear it at all times unless I mask it with other sounds from my headphones.

I am new to this experience, I'm not sure how to handle this. I hope I can make it better by not listening to any loud sounds anymore, but I fear it is too late.

I am 23 years old, and I am a little discouraged by my tinnitus. I hope to live a long life and having to cope with the fact that I might have bad hearing and tinnitus in my right ear forever is hard to accept.

Wishing you all a very nice day and thanks for reading my introduction

 

Hey there and welcome.

Since your tinnitus is probably noise induced, you will first want to avoid all noise sources that can make it worse. This ensures that you still have a good chance that it will fade on its own (over the next months, maybe up to two years).

It is often suggested here that listening to music through earbuds or headphones can make it worse. Some users have experienced this and as such I would consider the advice of not using them anymore. Use computer speakers or something like that instead. Also obviously loud concerts, cinemas, clubs etc. are a problem and you have to decide whether to keep going with hearing protection or skipping them totally. Hearing protection is not a guarantee that you won't get a worsening. It all depends on your susceptibility. Some people can go to loud concerts for decades without hearing protection, others get problems even with hearing protection after just a couple concerts. I will stress that you do NOT want a worsening. There is mild tinnitus such as yours now that has little to no effect on your life quality (after some time to get used to it), moderate T that comes with a noticeable drop in life quality (but definitely manageable) and severe tinnitus that will make you want to quit life.

Good thing is that in 3-10 years we can expect some sort of cure/treatment for hearing problems and tinnitus. Things are looking pretty optimistic. Until then, try your best to not worsen your tinnitus. You have to decide on your own how much risk your willing to take. As somebody who has experienced a worsening after taking just a small risk (it was bad luck / lack of experience) I will tell you that no amount of fun is worth the risk of getting a worsening (even if the risk is small).

 

Welcome. Sorry this has happened to you, believe me I know it's a tough pill to swallow.

There are a number of supplements that people have had varying degrees of success with reducing their tinnitus and even getting a little hearing back. I thought I'd let you know as you're still in the early days when they'd probably be most effective.

NAC
Curcumin
Magnesium
Astaxanthin
NAD+
B12 (or B complex)

As Sevv pointed out, we are awaiting the first generation of regenerative medicine (3 to 10 years). Head over to the research news section and check out FX-322. You may not be stuck like this forever. If your ears don't heal on their own, there is hope in the future.

 

Tweedleman, would you recommend taking all of these supplements? Or only one during any period of time, etc.

 

I'm currently taking all of them. I didn't start all at once, only because I didn't know about them all. It can get expensive, especially the NAD+, but seeing as I'm not spending any money on alcohol or other vices anymore I said screw it. If you had to choose just one I'd probably start with the NAC. I couldn't tell you if it's best to take one or a few supplements at a certain time, although my guess is it probably doesn't matter. The fewer you take the easier it will be to attribute any positive gains to, though.

 

Thanks for the comments. I will keep your tips in mind.