I Won't Leave the House Without plugging. Is This normal?

i'm confused! can everyday sounds make Tinnitus worse ... traffic, loud children, dogs barking, motorbikes, etc ... etc ... if you're not plugged doesn't that make it more likely that it will increase in sound, so does that mean that i will always have to plug forever ... i hate wearing plugs as it increases the T, and i feel as though i'm not really living in the real world. I'm so frightened every time i leave the house and as a result tend to stay in, not much of a life, i was just wondering what the rest of you do~!

 

My T got better by exposing my ears to everyday sounds. Just avoid sound levels that could cause further hearing looses, like loud concerts ect.

My T is reactive. And when I am outside it hisses, prior to that it used to whistle louder. So it improved.

When I did protect my hearing to everyday sounds it was much worse and increased its sensitivity when not wearing ear plugs.

Of course its very much depends on T type cause and person. But I would try and get used to it (Yeah its dam hard), but exposer may in the long term get your ears/brain tuned in....

 

My strong opinion is that you shouldn't do that, as this in no way helps your tinnitus, but may (and eventually will) lead to hyperacusis. Everyday sounds cannot make your T worse, but being afraid of them just increases your anxiety and overprotection makes your ears more sensitive, which resulst in louder tinnitus.
I would advise you to seek help to overcome your fears, and gradually introduce yourself to the usual sounds (start with something quiet, then shift to louder ones).
Once again, everyday sound CAN NOT HURT YOU, but overprotection will.


I felt similar to what you feel, I was afraid of taking subway to work. I plugged my ears, which made me hear my T very clearly, I got anxious, and my days were spoiled starting from the morning.
In the end I decided that it's not worth it. And by the way, when I measured sound levels in the train, it turned out to be at about 80-90 dB max, which is okay for a 25 minutes ride. After I stopped plugging my ears, life got a lot better. I still carry the plugs, though, just in case.

 

Totally wrong way to go. You are making it worse and soon it will be unbearable for you to stand normal everyday noises even with ear plugs. What will you do then? Stay at home or double protect yourself with ear defenders? Keep a set of earplugs with you at all times, in case there is a street festival, a loud restaurant or something like that, but don't plug your ears everywhere you go. So I really do agree with what garden ring said.
BTW keep in mind that your tinnitus isn't even noise induced!

 

Thank you so much for your reply ... i'm scared but you've given me hope, i'll try little by little.

 

Thank you, i feel relieved, i'm going to try to go without plugs, hope it doesn't make things worse ...

 

Thank you, i know you're right, i don't want this to get worse ... i'm such a wimp at the moment, i'm so scared of everything ...

 

Yes noise was the finish for me, i didn't know my ears were weak, my husband drilled with a blunt drill bit, a day and a half later T started, so i know that's what hit my threshold ... thanks for your help.

 

Carol it is absolutely normal that you are scared! Take it step by step and you will see that you'll be fine. Think of
the beginning when you were scared chocolate or wine would make your tinnitus worse and afterwards you saw that that's not the case.

 

Thank you Seal ... you are a wise woman, and i'm so grateful for your advice ... i'm so lost and confused at the moment and really rely on people like you who know what you are talking about ... god bless you for helping me.

 

As others have said, you'd be harming yourself more than protecting yourself if you continue wearing plugs at all times. Don't be afraid of a little environmental noise. Having it there can act as a natural mask for T. I know if I could I'd definitely be thanking all the cicarders around my area for making so much noise. It's so consistent and soothing for me that I actually notice when they stop because my T becoming briefly noticable again.

I don't mean to downplay your misery, but it's interesting that you report feeling detached from the real world. Awhile ago I had a rather extreme spike in my T that lasted around a week and the same feelings became really apparent. I theorized at the time that tinnitus may be a causing factor in depersonalization, and maybe its disorder by extention. Though unrelated to tinnitus itself, I wonder if any researchers have made that connection. I guess though if they have it doesn't really get anyone anywhere.

Stay strong. It's hard to believe but in most cases it does get better. Better to the extent that life becomes livable again.

 

We are always here for you to support you! You are definitely not alone carol keep that in mind

 

Thank you so very much, as i'm not living at the moment, just crying and panicking every single day, on the hour every hour ... i'm so tired but can't sleep ... i ask myself what on earth did i do to warrant this hell!! Maybe i was Hitler in a past life ... i really hope not !!!! ... what happened that your T spiked for a whole week, i'd love to know that ... is spiking that easy to do ...

 

I really have no idea what caused it. As reported by other users on here though, it's not uncommon for peoples T to spike for no apparent reason. It sucks but there isn't much we can do about it when it happens other than trying not to panic and learn to cope, which while possible, from past experience I and the rest here understand how hard it can be. When it first spiked that horrible week it was in my right ear yet I usualy only have it in my left. That's what really made it unbearable, because it felt like what I previously saw as a minor and mostly non-irritating problem in my ear alone had transitioned into a 'worldy' issue coming from both ears and my head. It was like a wall between me and reality. It was the first instantce that encouraged me to a doctor, and all he did was advice I see a specialist. Not that there was much he could do though unfortunately. Anyway the strange part of the story is in between waiting to see this specialist (whom wasn't able to do much for me either despite their best efforts) when for again no apparent reason it just ceased in my right ear and went back to how it always was in the left. It's a funny in the most horrible way condition T.


I don't think there's enough dictators in history to cover millions having to suffer through this condition!

 

Thanks TJpositive ... it is the strangest condition ...

 

Mine can spike for odd reasons. Yesterday was fine until I was in a meeting for 1 hour close to a projector fan. Then bam a spike that lasted an hour or so. T certainly behaves strange sometimes...

 

Somehow people here make a distinction between loud sounds and everyday sounds while one doesnt rule the other out.

Everyday or not, when a sound is to loud you have to protect your ears. I was in the bus once and the noise was sometimes getting to 100 db. Thats everyday noise thats bad for you, and then you should protect your ears I think.

 

Mother nature gifted us with fingers that fits the hole in our ears it only takes two seconds to get them into your ears.

that's pretty safe in case there's a noise coming in, i don't talk about a bomb or a missile but something noisy like a jet taking off or an ambulance passing by.

Of course if you're visiting a noisy place like a factory, have earplugs in your ears, you"ll look less strange than with your fingers in

since the onset of my T i've been exposed to firecrackers, i drive my bike everyday and enjoy the wind in my ears, i've been at the sea yesterday, i drank few beers at a local concert WITH earplugs WAY before the noise reached a dangerous level so far, so good.

 

I advise you to find a good doctor and speak to him/her about it. If its a good doctor, he will know

 

I noticed that there are people who have T and yet can be exposed to a certain level of noise without any effect. Then there are people who have spikes and all after exposure to noises that are considered normal like slamming the door, car bonnet, car horns etc. I wonder if there is a difference of the effect of daily noises for someone with solely T and someone with H & T? Of course, I do not discount the heightened anxiety and phobia of noises that can affect the perception of daily noises.

I was and sometimes still am as troubled as Carol. The fear of noises mixed with T & H really mess with my perception and actual experience of the volume. I wear plugs when I am at a busy traffic junction, in the gym or a noisy restaurant.

As I was going about feeling good that the tolerance of noise seems to have improved today, this woman braked hard on her bicycle beside me and the screech was absolutely horrible to my ears whilst everyone else went about like nobody's business. Immediately, I started to think if this is going to cause a freaking spike.

 

Thanks Shan, i'm glad i'm not the only one ...

 

It's difficult Carol but I also know it is not healthy to be plugging at every occasion. Hence, I always try to sift out if my response is out of fear or actual discomfort during normal daily activities. Otherwise, I allow myself to just take it in so as to allow the ears to adjust and plug it in when it feels a bit too much.

It did get better for me the previous round. Slowly, I noticed that I don't need plugs during most occasions unless at noisy gatherings or events.

 

Stop wearing earplugs for your daily life. That is what my TRT clinician told me at first.