Hurt My Hearing After Using Air Hammer without Hearing Protection, Followed by Tinnitus

Hello.

Probably can't make it short...

I hurt my hearing about 1 month ago, stupidly using a loud power tool (air hammer) without hearing protection. This is after years of being good about using earmuffs for most things loud. I had great hearing (at least not aware of issues), zero tinnitus. I had a very vague idea about tinnitus. My understanding was that if one wants to protect hearing, it is to reduce/prevent hearing loss. If I had had the slightest realization about what a monster tinnitus is, I'd NEVER EVER neglected to protect myself.

I am in my late 40s. When young, I'd go to loud concerts/clubs and such, but since mid-20s I was using hearing protection when attending concerts. Not because of fear of tinnitus, but because those events were simply too loud, and I thought/read that hearing damage can be cumulative. I admit I liked to listen to fairly loud music, but that has not been too common/frequent over the years. Some headphone usage at work, or on a plane, but hardly otherwise. Like none since COVID-19 started, because I have been working from home.

I had a happy life.

Now, I felt something was off afterwards, but it did not seem too bad. My ears were full, but I also had a pretty bad cold at the time, so I thought maybe it's that or a combination of. I had heightened noise sensitivity but maybe only for 2-3 days.

Maybe 5 or 6 days in I started feeling very faint tinnitus, mostly in one (left) ear. Kinda minor static/buzz tone. But not much. I went to see a GP. He told me tinnitus never goes away, but it should not be a big deal. He prescribed a nasal spray. It took me like 2 weeks to battle the sinus/cold.

Almost two weeks in I started reading Tinnitus Talk, getting scared. My situation was more or less stable, with some worse and better days - but overall this has been minor at this point. I stayed home in a pretty calm environment. I started taking Magnesium.

3.5 weeks in I went to see an ENT. They did the standard audiogram test (I refused other tests). Hearing loss at 6 kHz-8 kHz, up to 40 dB at 8 kHz. More in left ear than the right.

I was prescribed oral Prednisone, which I was too afraid to get started on, everything I read about it indicated it was too late, and it usually does not make things better.

My worst day with loud high pitched tinnitus happened the next day after the ENT visit. I woke up to loud high pitched tones like never before. I cried. But I took a long shower and after setting down, it subsided. The high pitched tones for the most part did not return; it's been mostly buzz/static since. I've been sleeping well until this point.

Intratympanic injections were an option yesterday (1 month after), but I also chickened out. They also seem too late with a potential to make things worse.

I drove to the office today after 1+ week break. It wasn't too bad, I could do some work, have conversations, avoided very loud settings. I came home, the tinnitus spiked up. It calmed maybe for a bit, but then spiked again.

I just woke up with a major buzzing spike. I am terrified. Maybe I made a mistake not taking the steroids? Not sure what I should/should not do...

 

40 dB hearing loss at 8 kHz is not minor. You should try hearing aids. They can be very beneficial for tinnitus.

 

Thank you for reading my post.

I can't say I have any trouble hearing in normal everyday situations.

My audiogram shows for left ear: 10 dB loss at 3 kHz, 25 dB at 4 kHz, 45 dB at 6 kHz and 55 dB at 8 kHz. For right ear it's: 15 dB at 6 kHz and 50 dB at 8 kHz.

I think I exposed my left ear more to the noise during the trauma event, so perhaps that makes sense.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry that you are hurting from tinnitus. The initial phase is the toughest. So try to relax and stay calm to avoid triggering the limbic nerves to make things appear worse.

You have suffered acoustic trauma and it will take months to get the ears settled. Try read the success stories to give you hope. Follow some helpful strategies shared by others. I wrote my success story "From Darkness to Light..." where I share many helpful strategies. I hope you can benefit from these strategies.

Take good care. God bless.

 

Thank you @billie48. I came across your thread earlier, but re-read it now. I am trying to be hopeful for the future. I do have wonderful family to live for.

 

A pneumatic hammer drill at work took me out after 15 years of manageable tinnitus. I wasn't using the drill and I was using earplugs in the loud manufacturing area that I occasionally worked in. A contractor, installing new partitions, fired that drill into the concrete 20 feet away and I immediately felt ear pain. I left the area.

4 days later my new tinnitus arrived and it became so obtrusive that I could no longer concentrate to do my engineering job and had to retire after four months of exhaustion.

One shot was all it took to ruin my life.

 

@Jammer, so sorry to hear it. It's absolutely terrifying to hear.

What age did you get your manageable tinnitus? What did you do during that time to manage the risk? Have you had exposure to similar levels of noise until that bad one?

 

Your hearing loss is very substantial. It's really interesting that your hearing loss is greatest in the 8 kHz region, because in noise-induced hearing loss the main reduction is in the 6 kHz region and a recovery is seen at 8 kHz.

And you are telling me that you have not noticed any issues in hearing functionality in your daily life?

Anyways, do protect your hearing now whenever necessary.

 

I have zero issues understanding people talking or issues with other sounds (radio, TV).

I haven't really listened to music much since the accident, but I don't notice issues either.

 

I spent now the 2nd day in a quiet room in bed taking a break from work. This has really calmed the tinnitus to a point where it is quite faint!

I watched a podcast on my laptop (with low volume) for half an hour and it seemed to start aggravate it. Do I have a form of "reactive tinnitus" / hyperacusis?

Loud bang of plates or scraping a fork against a pot makes me cringe a little bit (no pain), but do not seem to cause the volume of the tinnitus to go up.

 

44. I'm 64 now and it's been almost five years living with this horrific tinnitus level.

Wore earplugs in obvious noisy places.

No, not really. I think I had been exposed to normal environmental noise over time that added to my tinnitus burden.

 

Waking up is a horror. So loud.

 

Waking up to a loud tinnitus is quite common especially when tinnitus is new. This is called awakening response. You can search the forum, there is lots of discussion on this. It is the body's way to check on the vital signs of the body upon waking up but unfortunately it mistakes tinnitus as one of the vital signs.

 

That's great that your hearing functionality is fine. I'm hard of hearing with hearing levels 15 and 20 (dB) at 6 kHz. Goes to show that hearing functionality is too complex to quantify in today's measures. You say that your tinnitus volume is low, which is great news as well, so my advice is to go on as usual and just use protection in loud situations when appropriate. You will be fine as most people who acquire tinnitus and have no hearing problems are.

 

I want you to be right. Today has been much worse, and the higher level has not dissipated much.

I had a nervous breakdown again. I am really worrying it is going to get worse.

 

@AnonymousGuest, are you under doctor's care? 'Breakdowns' are common if you're not under doctor's care. Please seek outside help. We care. We've been there. We survived! You can too!

 

Thank you, Ken.

Not really. I just saw a random ENT over a week ago, and have a follow-up scheduled. I never needed mental health care, but maybe now I do.

I am trying to look for tinnitus-specific help. I am also getting a hearing aid, I read these may help with tinnitus.

 

I felt better and went for a walk in the woods. It was fairly windy, but fairly quiet overall. I came back.

I have this deafness sensation now, the tinnitus is filling my head, even though objectively it is not super loud; it was louder in the morning.

I am desperate. I should have taken the steroid injections earlier this week. Given my hearing loss, maybe this could have helped.

I am terrified, I destroyed my ears and my life.

 

New tinnitus sufferers tend to be worried about tinnitus so much that we tend to monitor it often, so much so that we can let it dictate our emotions. That is understandable. This tends to be common in the initial period. But in general things will improve after a while as the body is getting more used to the new normal, which is especially easier if we go back to living or take on a new hobby or project. These can distract the brain from zooming on the tinnitus. This then also tends to cause tinnitus to lose its intensity. There will be ups and downs, so called setbacks on any given day. So be prepared for this and try to stay calm and positive that time is on your side for habituation to occur.

If you feel too anxious, then perhaps try some natural supplements that can help calm the nerves, like lemon balm, chamomile tea etc.

So don't worry much and give it time. Have hope. God bless your recovery.

 

Hey,

I empathize with your situation because my tinnitus is also noise induced (concert) and I have a similar hearing loss as you (-70 dB in left ear). My tinnitus was unbearable during the weeks following onset, but it does get better. When I first got the ringing, I lived on this forum and I was stressed all the time. I wanted to learn all I could, but the thing about tinnitus is it's very subjective to the individual and it's going to take time to adjust to it.

I am 8 months in and I can honestly say that tinnitus does not bother me at all anymore. It takes time and some deliberate effort to get better. For me, talk therapy and some SSRIs (Cymbalta) helped get me over the hill. I have been to over a dozen concerts again since the onset and with earplugs I am fine. Life is not over because you got tinnitus. It's just different.

Hang tough and build a support network. Don't suffer in silence (pun intended)

Camp