Increased Tinnitus After Shooting a Pistol a Couple of Rounds

Hello. Please help me with my problem. I have had tinnitus for about 5 years and I totally habituated to it and didn't hear it (only when I was going to sleep).

But a month ago I shot a few rounds with a pistol without ear protection and my tinnitus became very loud (higher than it was in 2015).

I'm stressed and can't sleep. The ringing changes its pitch and loudness. It doesn't go away. I have no hearing loss and it seems like the gunshots have only affected on my tinnitus.

Could anybody help me: is this increase temporary or permanent?

P.S. Sorry for my English...

 

Sorry to hear about this.

I don’t think anyone can confidently say if the increase is permanent or temporary.

Has it improved at all over the past month? You didn’t say...

FWIW I would recommend staying away from firearms for the rest of your life.

 

Based on some study data, consider:

Antioxidants: Alpha-Lipoic-Acid, CoQ10, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Astaxanthin
Minerals: Magnesium

 

Yes, my condition is currently better than right after the gunshots. Initially, I had a high frequency beep with significant tinnitus loudness but now I have more quieter noise which always fluctuates (different pitches and different loudness but quieter than after the gunshots).

 

How long did it take until your tinnitus went back to normal?

I just got exposed to large sound February 10th and experiencing a little louder than normal tinnitus. Hoping it goes back to normal just like yours.

 

The fact is that my tinnitus isn't get back to normal yet. It just became quieter then after gunshots, but not to baseline.

 

Is it a good sign if my tinnitus became quieter and it changes its pitch? Generally, my tinnitus is still louder than it used to be and it is scaring me.

 

I'd be asking for steroids if it was a gunshot but only immediately after.

 

It is a good sign if your tinnitus spike is becoming quieter, it can fade back to baseline. But it's clear from your accident that exposure to loud noise is dangerous for you, so try to avoid that. If it's not possible, wear ear protection, even double protection. Best of luck.

 

Can anyone tell me how long the spikes go on average?

 

But why would I need steroids in my case? When I browse this forum, I often see people saying they're effective only right after an acoustic trauma.

 

Yup I got my tinnitus from shooting a .223 without earplugs. Dumbest decision I ever made. If you don’t have hearing loss hopefully it should go away. Be careful man, don’t make the same mistake. Don’t go shooting anymore. Trust me. It’s not worth it. What brought on your original tinnitus?

 

My original tinnitus was caused by listening to headphones I think. The increased tinnitus after the gunshots has been gradually fading over the past month. I hope it fades away completely. And what about your tinnitus? Has it faded over time?

 

Well yeah my normal tinnitus basically would go away if I was careful for about 6 months with no loud noise. Years would go on with me getting it back from loud noise, then resting. I had no recorded hearing loss. Now my ears are worse than ever, I was deadlifting 455 lbs and when I got home my hyperacusis went from a 3 to a 8 and I developed dysacusis which is the distortion of sounds.

It’s pretty messed up tbh. No idea what the worsening was from still. My advice, don’t take any chances with your ears. I kept going to car meets with loud exhausts, clubs, with earplugs, and kept getting incidents. I don’t want to make you feel like crap but live a quiet life so you don’t have to suffer.

Honestly if it’s low ringing you only hear in a quiet room it’s not bad at all. That’s nothing. Mine does not bother me at all after 4 years so it gets much better. Dysacusis and hypercausis are definitely some conditions you want to avoid.

 

You said your hearing was normal and now your ears worse then ever... What does it mean? Did you get hearing loss after continued exposure to loud noises?

And could you tell me: my tinnitus fluctuates in loudness and pitch - is that bad?

I have different days: some days are quiet and some days are loud with high pitch tinnitus. Also, it seems like I have sound sensitivity: when I watch TV my tinnitus gets louder and becomes louder than the TV sound. Can my tinnitus fade away?

 

I think yours will. Just be really easy on your ears for a year or two. It takes a long time. And my normal ringing is the same but the hyperacusis and distortions came on from lifting heavy weights with earplugs in. I know it’s that because I tried it again a month later and it got much worse only when I was wearing earplugs.

I’m screwed though. I was in a bad car accident yesterday and my ears are so messed up man.