I'm Scared :( ... Sudden Loud Noise Exposure

[SugarMagnolia]

DH and I went into the garage. Sometimes another car parks too close to the passenger side, so then DH backs the car up so I can get in. As he backed up, he ran over something, probably a plastic bag. (The garage floor is covered with litter that blows in). It sounded like a gunshot - BANG!

It was crazy loud. My ear started to hurt right away and of course I was shocked by the noise. I don't yet know if my tinnitus will be louder because I'm just a big ball of anxiety right now.

It's been about two or three hours and the discomfort in my ear is less, but it's not the pain that worries me. It's the possibility of my tinnitus being louder.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I am so sorry that this had happened to you...

It's the possibility of my tinnitus being louder.

It is a good sign that thus far your T hasn't gotten louder.

If you get a spike, keep in mind that most spikes are temporary...

Let's hope for the best.

 

[Gman]

@SugarMagnolia this is the type of bad luck thing that tends to happen to me. Did you take anything for it? NAC, ALCAR, nicotinamide riboside, melatonin, magnesium and other vitamins?

I think that often these unexpected noises set off your nervous system which can make T spike but not necessarily make it worse.

 

[Gman]

Speaking of unlucky noise events, I just had one too. I was playing soccer with my kid and it hit a metal tray leaning against a wall and it make a huge bang like a gunshot just as I was running towards it. It was maybe 4 metres away but hella loud.
Not happy but hoping it is fine. Had a bit of ear/head pain momentarily. Probably have a tensor tympani jam session tomorrow as a result.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@Gman I didn't take anything. I just hoped for the best.

On the one hand, I figure that if something like this is going to increase T, it's pretty much unavoidable. Loud sounds will happen when we least expect it. Unless a person wears ear plugs 24/7 (which is bad to do), there will be times when it seems perfectly safe and then something crazy happens out of the blue.

On the other hand, I was terrified when it happened and terror is hard to hide. So when I got into the car and expressed how scared I was, my DH became enraged. How stupid! To yell at someone who's frightened! I had to cover my ear because of all his shouting. He doesn't believe I have T. He says it's impossible to get T from a telephone.

I really envy the folks here who have supportive spouses. It's bad enough to have a chronic incurable condition, but to be told it's fake just adds insult to injury.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

It is a good sign that thus far your T hasn't gotten louder.

One of the problems I have is that I'm mostly habituated , so when something happens I suddenly become hyper-aware of it. Then I don't know whether it's the usual sound or a louder sound.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

The garage, eh? Sounds familiar...

 

[Gman]

I really envy the folks here who have supportive spouses. It's bad enough to have a chronic incurable condition, but to be told it's fake just adds insult to injury.

I can totally relate to this. It's not nice.

Did you get a spike? I didn't but my tensor tympanis are being troublesome today. They may have been going to do so anyway, as they tend to cycle between ok and irritable.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

Did you get a spike? I didn't but my tensor tympanis are being troublesome today. They may have been going to do so anyway, as they tend to cycle between ok and irritable.

I had pain for a few hours, but it's gone now. Not much clicking this time, which is good. I had T for two years without any TTTS symptoms. Then a noise in February brought on TTTS symptoms which are now a regular part of my life.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Then a noise in February brought on TTTS symptoms which are now a regular part of my life.

TTTS can go away or at least get better. Hopefully within a year yours will be gone.

 

[Gman]

I had pain for a few hours, but it's gone now. Not much clicking this time, which is good. I had T for two years without any TTTS symptoms. Then a noise in February brought on TTTS symptoms which are now a regular part of my life.

I started with mild fluttering about a year and a half ago. Then last October or so, it progressed to the full muscle contractions in one ear that can last for days. I still get it and it cycles between totally normal some days to fully jammed and is mostly, but not always, due to sound (not necessarily loud sounds either). I think it can also be sleep related. The nerves around my ears, face and neck start getting more sensitive and even touching these areas cause the tensor tympanis to contract momentarily, then they just decide to go fully contracted.

According to Dineen Westcott Moore TTTS/ASD can last indefinitely for some people. I'm hoping one day the cycle will break, but there seems to be no logic to it or way to avoid it. Ear protection doesn't make much difference and too much can actually make it. It causes no damage, although if it is jammed for too long I get vertigo when it releases and hyperacusis can get worse for a day or so after plus sometimes a T spike - not always. One just has to get on with life and try to ignore the thoroughly unpleasant sensation of having unbalanced hearing (temporary conductive hearing loss due to malfunctioning middle ear), tympani muscles that make an ultra low frequency pulsatile humming sound and tightness inside the ear, which is like having a sock stuffed inside the middle ear. Strangely my T can be extremely low, sometimes almost non existent, even whilst this is happening.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

I think these symptoms would go away if only muscle tension could be relieved. I believe anxiety adds to muscle tension and then the muscle tension causes symptoms that increase anxiety and it all becomes a vicious circle. When I heard that bag POP I was so scared that of course my muscle tensed up. The only thing I could do after that was try to get the anxiety gradually lower.

Ear protection doesn't make much difference

If anxiety sets the cycle in motion, then I don't suppose ear plugs would matter. The only thing that would matter is not having anxiety, but when surprised by a loud noise, how do you not automatically tense up? It seems to me the only real solution is to not have any unexpected noises or to have a devil-may-care attitude, neither of which is possible for me.

 

[Gman]

I think these symptoms would go away if only muscle tension could be relieved. I believe anxiety adds to muscle tension and then the muscle tension causes symptoms that increase anxiety and it all becomes a vicious circle. When I heard that bag POP I was so scared that of course my muscle tensed up. The only thing I could do after that was try to get the anxiety gradually lower.


If anxiety sets the cycle in motion, then I don't suppose ear plugs would matter. The only thing that would matter is not having anxiety, but when surprised by a loud noise, how do you not automatically tense up? It seems to me the only real solution is to not have any unexpected noises or to have a devil-may-care attitude, neither of which is possible for me.

But it can also just happen without anxiety too. It's an involuntary physical reaction due to built up sensitivity. The brain has been conditioned to brace itself, via the middle ear muscles, for potentially damaging sounds. I liken it to an allergic reaction, only it's to sound. It's automatic. Actually come to think of it, wind also can trigger it. I often ignore it and it still happens.