I Was Doing So Well for 3 Years — Now My Tinnitus Is Sort of Back

Well as we all know this lovely thing we call tinnitus never goes away BUT I was doing so so well for like 3 years and now this week has been weird. I feel like I can't stop focusing on it. Like I feel like I'll be distracted but when I'm home and alone all to myself I dwell on it and it's so annoying.

I don't know why all of a sudden now it seems like I'm honing in on it and it also seems louder? Is it mentally louder because I'm focusing on it? I haven't been exposed to anything loud, I don't use headphones, I'm not on any medication that I just started and could be effecting it. I literally have been sitting home all day for the past couple weeks as I quit my job (not because of tinnitus, because I'm focusing on my online university and I'm moving soon).

Maybe because I'm home most of the week with nothing to do my brain is bored and wants to focus on something so it chose the tinnitus? Because I noticed it only happens when I sit home for days upon days with nothing really to look forward to or to occupy my time. It's not loud to where it's unbearable it's just more annoying than it was (which was not very annoying, I never heard it during the day only in quite time).

What do you think happened? Also I've not been eating great so I'm thinking it's a combo of everything: boredom, bad eating and now dwelling.

P.S.: I'm going on like a 6.5 hour flight May 1st, do you think I'll be okay? I usually wear noise cancelling headphones with very very low music or YouTube videos.

 

You mention that you have quit your job to start university. You have been experiencing changes in your life and you could be anxous or stressed without you even knowing. It's normal to have temporary setbacks with tinnitus, but you'll be fine again, trust me.
I'm guessing it's due to changes in your life, a new reality, and you perhaps worry too much, feeling stressed or anxous without you even knowing it yourself.
You also mention that you are moving soon. So Im guessing you have a lot on your mind, a lot to think about, which could make you worry or feel stressed.

Trust me when I say you will be ok again. It's normal to have temporary setbacks with T, specially when you experience changes in life etc.

 

@Raphael7713 you're right. I never thought of it that way. I guess the stress of school, moving to Los Angeles, etc is worrying me and making me anxious without even knowing it. I do have unspecified anxiety disorder so I think that's starting to kick in.

 

I'm due on a long-haul flight soon, from what I've researched - flying should be absolutely fine and if you experience any changes in your T, they're highly likely to be temporary. Apparently you should avoid ear plugs and try sitting in front of the wings so you're not taking the brunt of the engine noise.

Maybe somebody with more experience can support that or disprove it but it certainly put my mind at ease a bit!

PS. Sorry to hear your T is back on your mind!

 

I had this happen to me, too: I was habituated to my tinnitus for many years, then suddenly during a period of very high stress, I became hyperaware of it. The actual noise didn't change, but it was suddenly at the front of my consciousness. ENTs, anxiety, depression, the works. Then something "clicked" and I realized that undoing years of training doesn't happen in a minute, the "circuitry" to tolerate the tinnitus is still there in my brain, and it will no doubt activate again. And after that I got better and my earlier level of habituation came back in a few days.

So I definitely believe that stress can temporarily make you very aware of tinnitus that has previously receded to the background. But I'm also sure that like me, your habituation will also reassert itself if you give it time, especially if your external stressors recede as well.

As for flying: I've flown countless times (including many transatlantic flights as well) and never had any trouble. I follow these guidelines:
1. suck on candy/chew gum during ascent and descent so that you have plenty of saliva and can swallow regularly to keep the outer and internal pressure equalized;
2. during flight (once ascent has completed, when the pilot turns the Seatbelts sign off), use earplugs or noise-canceling earphones to block the drone of the engines. I've measured them using a decibel meter several times and the readings always were around 75-80dB, which _theoretically_ shouldn't be damaging even for several hours, but they're pretty close to the limit so I wouldn't risk it.

 

It still surprises me how unaware people is of themselves and their emotional life, though they already gave themselves the correct answer, again without being aware.

 

I have also been feeling better, tinnitus not so annoying, for at least a year.

But now I have also changes in my life so it's become intrusive.

Usually I get my mind off the tinnitus for many minutes, sometimes even hours, if I'm outside doing something I enjoy, with my brother for example.

I don't think that our tinnitus is louder... we are full of stress and anxiety you and me, at least it seems like that.

And that's why it's harder to deal with the tinnitus. I have also slept worse for many nights now so that's also not helping me at all!

 

Have you ever think if in your house there are some source of ultrasonic that could affect temporary your T? Example my house is very near to an airport and i live in the last floor of a condominium where there are the engines of the elevator. I found that when I spend more time (days or weeks) outside my home my T is somehow low. Thinking of moving home. And you? Could it be possible in your case?