Hello Everyone

Hello everyone. My name is Sven and I'm 30 years old. On the 4th of May I went to a metal gig and this evening has drastically changed my life. Afterwards when I got home and went to bed I had the sensation that a kettle was going off in my ears. I've never been exposed much to loud music in my life, once every 2 maybe 3 years, but the ringing in my ears I had experienced before. It was always gone when I woke up in the morning. This time it didn't.

At first I thought I'll give it one more day. The ringing had subsided somewhat, but it still wasn't gone. I also had the feeling there was cotton in my ears (don't know if this is the right way to say it in English). I started to panic and immediately made an appointment with my GP. He noticed there was a little bit of fluid behind the eardrum of my right ear, so he gave me a nose spray.

Last week has probably been the thoughest period of my life. I had panic attacks and was constantly focusing on the sound. Was it there? Had it subsided yet? I'm so afraid this won't go away. I've read stories on the internet of people who've been in the same situation, being exposed to really loud music, and having their tinnitus go away after weeks/months. But there were also stories in which it didn't go away.
I wish I could turn back time to the 4th of May and take the proper precautions for my ears. I'm trying to be positive, but it's really hard at the moment. I want to remain hopeful and believe this problem will pass, but I also don't want to create a false sense of hope in case it doesn't go away.

The only positive thing I can mention is that in the last 24 hours the ringing has been replaced by a humming noise, with only a peak in ringing every now and then. The feeling of cotton in my ears has also become less. Maybe this is only temporary, but I hope not.

Are there people here who've been in the same situation and whose tinnitus went away or at least got a lot less worse. I've read that hair cells inside the cochlea can heal, but only if they haven't been completely damaged.

Other things I've experienced are that when I push at the side of my head, just above my ears, the ringing increases. I've also become more sensitive to certain noises.
Sleeping really hasn't been a problem so far, considering my ears seem to become more stable in the evening. Sometimes when I'm in bed the ringing seems to go down a lot or stop completely. Anybody else also experience it this way?

I can't really judge how bad the experience of tinnitus is in other people, but I can't hear it when for example my computer is turned on, when I'm outside or when the A/C on my fridge kicks on.

I'm sorry for this long story, but I have so many questions running around in my head.

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk Sven.
Your ears are telling you they are not happy around loud sound.
Your tinnitus might settle down over the next week or so as time is a great healer and time helps you adjust to your sound .
Keep relaxing sound on around you if the sound becomes troublesome.
Try not focus on it and I'm sure it will settle down a little more.
From now on you need to protect your ears from that kind of sound and 84db is the National safety limit .
Keep posting for support as we are here around the clock .Hope your one of the lucky ones it goes away for.

Love glynis

 

Hi @sven1987
Try not to dwell over what happened on the 4th of May as your tinnitus has been coming on for some time and you didn't realise it. I feel this is the case because you said that you've had the ringing before but it always went away. This unfortunately happens quite a lot to people that continue to subject their ears to loud sounds. There is a possibility that the noise will go or reduce to a very low level in time but you need to take action now.

If you use headphones that I advise you not to even at low volume. Please click on the links below and read my articles: Tinnitus, A Personal View, and Hyperacusis, As I see it. They cover treatment and coping methods for tinnitus. Try not to sleep in a quiet room by using sound enrichment. More about this is explained in my article.
All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

@sven1987 a few people in your situation have seen their t calm down...the fact that the sound has changed to a hum could mean that it's fading...

Mine almost got stronger in the first few months, so it looks like yours is travelling in a different direction.

 

I want to thank everyone for taking time to answer my post! It means a lot coming from people who have experienced what I'm going through. Maybe I've been paying too much attention to it again, but the ringing noise rears it's head again... At the moment I wish I could fast forward the time for about 6 months just to see if it has gotten any better. I guess I must stay strong and just wait for those months to pass.

 

Providing you keep away from headphones and loud music I think you will be just fine. Get a referal to ENT and then see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, trained in tinnitus management.
Michael

 

I've already arranged an appoinment this wednesday to have otoplastics made for me and whenever I am in noisy surroundings I always wear ear plugs. Also no loud music for me anymore! I shall make an appointment tommorow to see an ENT. Only problem is that there is a 3 week waiting period to see one here in the Netherlands...

 

There is no need to hurry to see an ENT doctor. Most doctors prefer to see a tinnitus patient at least 4 months preferably 6 months after the tinnitus onset. Unless a person has additional problems such as: Hearing loss, dizziness, balance problems and pain in the ears, there is no need for a quick appointment. The best treatment for tinnitus is to leave your ears alone in the early stages. I advise you not to wear ear protection too often as you risk making your auditory system hypersensitive. Only use them in noisy surroundings such as a club, cinema or operating noise machinery such as garden equipment or power tools. Normal everyday sounds use them with caution.

Michael

 

Thank you for all your advice Michael!

 

The term for this is "ear fullness." It seems to eventually go away, or become less intrusive in most people.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/
You may consider HBOT treatment.

This is rare. You are fortunate.

Good for you! It sounds like your T is minor. Your prognosis is probably better than that for people whose T is louder (which would be most sufferers).