Just Developed Tinnitus 5 Days Ago and I'm Unbelievably Scared

About 4 days ago I woke up with my ears ringing incredibly loudly and high pitched. I haven't been to any concerts for the past month or two however I do listen to music *a lot*, and subsequently, I almost always have headphones in playing songs, albeit eating, walking around, at school and even sleeping.

These past four days have been living hell. I've read an article that says that some medicine I'm taking may worsen tinnitus. I take minocycline for my skin and I'm unsure whether that's a contributing factor. Nevertheless, I suspended taking it for the time being as, quite frankly, I am paranoid this is going to be a permanent thing. I have been reading nonstop about tinnitus, being the curious person I am, but I am 14 and despite other medical problems I have encountered in my short life, this is by far the biggest tragedy and honestly, I don't know if I want to live through this if it doesn't go away. I'm not depressed right now (I think) nor have I been depressed in the past, however these past four days I've just wanted to kill myself, especially at night. If life is so miserable, why should I bother living? Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

Now it's important to try to calm yourself down.

The first weeks are unfortunately horrible, I am not going to lie about that. But it will usually get better during first months or so.

The first 2 weeks when I got tinnitus, I slept 3-4 hours per night! I thought I was going insane. But now, over month later, I can sleep again.

What to do now is to avoid any stress for your ears. Avoid loud places, noises and environments.

And no headphones! No music listening!

If you have earplugs, use them when vacuuming and when doing dishes.
But don't overprotect your ears.

Go visit ENT to check out if you have an infection in ears.

Eat lots of vitamins, magnesium. Avoid sugar, alcohol. You don't have to stop eating those, but cut off some.

Getting good sleep is now your number one priority. Rest whenever you can, body heals itself during rest. Sleep as much as you can.

Trust me, you will be tired. And you need to use every amount willpower you can to overcome this.

But don't worry, we are here to help. We have are all gone trough the same stages you are going trough now.

 

There is a high chance it will fade away.
Just lay off the headphones completely, especially ear buds, and if possible, minocycline.
You have a good 3-6 months for it to fade away so don't waste that opportunity.

And another thing, there is a high chance your brain will stop stressing over the sound and it won't bother you as much. but that takes about 1-3 months. But it's very common so at the very least you won't stress about it. But again, there is a great chance it will fade. Just don't make it worse.

 

HI @enthusiast

The onset of tinnitus can be very frightening for some people but with time it usually improves so try not to worry too much. I am going to give you some advice and hope that follow it and keep to it. It isn't meant to scare you but if you listen, hopefully your tinnitus will reduce to a very low level and probably eventually go away. You are young and that can be an advantage in making you recover more quickly.

Your tinnitus was caused by playing music through headphones at too high a volume and too often. The tinnitus has been there for some time but at a low level so your brain was able to comfortably ignore it. The tinnitus has reached a stage where your brain can no longer ignore it and that is the reason you have started hearing it.

My advice to you is to stop listening to music through headphones even at low volume for at least 1 year. I know this seems like a long time but if you want your health to improve this is my advice. I would prefer that you never ever use headphones again, not even at low volume but it is your choice. I am just giving you advice that will hopefully help you and save you years of distress and misery. Keep away from loud sounds especially at concerts and clubs.

Click on the links below and read my articles. I strongly advise you to print them and take your time and read them more than once to fully take on board the information.

All the best
Michael

PS: Leave headphones alone for at least one year. If you return to using them keep the volume as low as possible and don't wear them for too long.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

 

Thank you all so much for your responses. I don't know if this is worth mentioning but 3 months ago I went to two major and loud rock concerts in the span of a week. I definitely recall temporary tinnitus after those evenings but I was certain it had disappeared since. Is it possible that it was always there, unbeknownst to me, and something I have done has exacerbated it?

Also, I attend concerts relatively frequently: I am supposed to be going to one at the end of this week (6 days time). Is this an absolute no? I have earplugs that claim to block out 22 decibels of noise. Furthermore, in response to your advice about headphones, am I still able to listen to music, perhaps through a speaker? If not, that's okay, it's not life or death by any means.

Thanks again, I really appreciate all of your responses already and wish you all the best of luck too.

 

@enthusiast

Your tinnitus has been there for quite some time possibly a year or more but at a level where your brain could ignore it. At night when it is very quiet, if you had listened you would have heard the tinnitus, then you would know the steps to take in order for it not to get worse.

Because you were unaware of the tinnitus in the background, you continued using headphones at too high a volume and for long durations and possibly going to concerts. Because you are young, your ears and auditory system were able to cope but everything has its limits.

Follow my advice which is based on many years experience and in time you will improve. If you choose not to listen to what I'm advising you then you risk many years of distress, misery and heartache. I am sorry to sound so sobering but I'm giving you the honest truth. Tinnitus is not something to take lightly as it can become a living nightmare if you are not careful. Read my articles and I wish you well.

Michael

 

HI @enthusiast

Keep away from concerts and clubs and don't put your trust in earplugs. All the information is in my articles that I have sent you in the links. Please read them as they will help you and save you a lot of distress. I only wish I had someone to tell me this information 23 years ago, when I first got tinnitus due to using headphones at too high a volume.

Keep away from loud sounds and if you use a speaker to listen to music keep the volume low.

Michael

 

Michael
I think it's in my best interest to not go to this concert, and I will definitely stay clear of headphones for a while. Thank you so much for this. If anything else happens I'll post in this thread again or something. (edit: I'll be sure to read your articles now, too.)

Thanks all.

 

Leave headphones alone for at least 1 year. I am very serious about this. I would prefer that you never ever use headphones again. Believe me when I say I know what I am talking about, just as many members in this forum. We have the experience. If you are lucky in time your tinnitus will improve and possibly go away. However, even if your tinnitus reduces or goes away, if you continue to go to concerts and use headphones where the sound is too loud - the tinnitus will return with a vengeance and a ferocity that you would not believe is possible, that I promise you.

Do not put your trust in earplugs or moulded types. This is the reason: If external sound is loud enough as in a nightclub or concert, the sound will pass through your head/skull and be transferred to your inner ear and irritate the cochlea. This will most likely cause your tinnitus to return or get considerably worse.

I am not saying that you mustn't go out and enjoy yourself but you must be careful of loud noise. Read my articles all the information is there.

Michael

 

Not using headphones ever again will be extremely difficult for me... Currently, I play professional e-sports and am travelling a lot, and in 10 weeks I'll be going to Melbourne, Australia for a tournament. If leaving headphones for a year is truly necessary, I will do so. I am also sorry if I come off as arrogant, selfish or ignorant. Playing games professionally has become a significant part of my life in the past 6 months, and although there is obviously reluctance to stop, if this truly is what is best, I suppose I'll have to.

 

You are not coming across as arrogant or disrespectful. If you were then I wouldn't be giving you my advice. The advice that I am giving you along with other members in this thread, most doctors do not know. You can only obtain this depth of knowledge through personal experience.

I understand your requirement for using headphones so you have to make your decision. All I'm telling you, headphones and tinnitus, especially when it's "noise induced" such as yours mine and others, do not go well together. Under these circumstances, using headphones even at low volume a person is playing with fire.

All the best
Michael

 

@enthusiast: Hi there bud, everyone struggles in their early days. Mine were terrible, I barely slept for a whole week. You need to try and stay calm (I was hitting myself with a belt when it started!!)

What worked out for me is trying to create a 'spa' environment at home. Nothing fancy, fill in bath with hot water, throw in Epsom salts, turn off the light and maybe switch on some candles (this is beginning to sound romantic).

Stay strong buddy, I know it's not easy, but it will get better.

Virtual hug!

Clint

 

I have attended a concert that I thought were too loud for my ears but the tinnitus didn't show up until may be 6 months later so it is possible.

I know it is hard for you to accept this at this point in time but you are not alone. We are here to help you and perhaps give you some helpful advice.

In most cases, the tininitus will fade through time.

I have had Tinnitus for most of my life but the debilitating tinnitus didn't show up till about a year and a half ago. In the early going, I thought about suicide just like most sufferers did but I was able to gut it out. Now, my tinnitus has gone down quite a bit and there are days where I don't feel it. Although the loud days still kind felt like a living hell at times, I chose to survive through it. The good news for you and I is, in my case, it seems like my tinnitus is slowly improving although it's still a little slow. I think you will get there. Just hang on and don't give up!

 

Couldn't agree more with ya!

 

Hi Michael

I am struggling even after a day to not use headphones - I play games both as a hobby and professionally religiously. On top of that, I have to be frequently be practicing one game in particular in which I am taking part in a international tournament for. Is there any way I can use headphones in moderation, or at a very low volume? If not, that's fine, perhaps I should invest in some speakers... Needless to say, I prize my long-term health above all.
Thanks in advance

 

If it helps you make a very difficult call, bear in mind that a lot of us were working musicians who have had to walk away from successful careers. Its a nightmare decision to have to make, and you may not make it for a while while you try and test the boundaries, but you will have to confront it eventually.

 

HI @enthusiast

I am an Audiophile and used to listen to music through high-end headphones that eventually gave me tinnitus, because I listened at too high a volume without realizing it. Looking back on those days fills me with dread and wonder, how my ears and auditory system coped with such abuse. It is true that ignorance can be bliss. That's all water under the bridge for I no longer miss headphones and haven't been tempted to use them once in 23 years. Instead, I enjoy my music much more listening through quality speakers and pleased that my hearing wasn't impaired as that would have had a lasting affect on me that wouldn't be good. When I'm not listening to music through my audio system I'm listening to my Bose Wave music system. This delivers high quality sound on a smaller scale but all the subtle nuances in music are still able to be heard.

Unfortunately the crux of the matter is that you have to decide what's important to you? There will be people in this forum and those in the medical field that will say, providing the volume is kept low through headphones you'll be just fine. I assure you based on my experience, corresponding and counselling people with "noise induced" tinnitus that use headphones at low volume, it's not a good idea - even more so that you are new to tinnitus. I believe you will be pushing your luck to the limit using headphones but it's your choice.

You have asked for my opinion so I have given it. If I were you I wouldn't use headphones for at least a year. If you return to using them after this time keep the volume as low as possible. Please be aware, using headphones after a year even at low volume, I believe there is a risk of your tinnitus returning or getting worse. So please be careful.

Take care and I wish you well.
Michael

 

That's what I do.

I reintroduced headphones slowly (first only one minute, then two, etc...) to see if it had any impact and I have to say that I can now do 1 to 2 hours at low volume comfortably.

The one thing I would emphasize though is that when I say "low volume", I really mean it! It is very easy to get carried away, so it's important to be responsible and disciplined.

 

Hi @enthusiast -- Your comments make me think you're a quite a mature young man for your age, who's willing to look at and listen to advice, even though it may not necessarily be what you want to hear. That said, I would just mention that your referencing to "struggling" could indicate that your brain has become addicted to the fast-paced action from the games you play so intensely. They've scanned brains of people playing these games, and the reward centers of the brain light up in remarkably similar ways to what happens to the brain when drugs are introduced.

Not trying to make out that this is a terribly bad thing, but to just make you aware of this phenomenon. It seems most people have their own favorite addictions, whether it's some of the heavier duty things like drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc., to less heavy duty things like certain kinds of unhealthy foods, high-sugar diets, excessive TV, cell phone or internet usage; especially when it involves intense social media.

The world we live in today portrays excessive stimulation of our senses as normal. It's not. Many people today literally can't stand to be alone, or get away from things and spend some time in nature. I've heard about young people going to "outdoor camps" for 2-3 weeks at a time, as part of therapy to wean them off of their electronic addictions. It's often very hard for them at first, but after many days of quiet and stillness, then often end up in tears when they realize they don't have to be so caught up in ways they had been.

Not in any way trying to "preach", but to perhaps give you some added perspective. Sometimes the things we think are not good, turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps what you're going through will be a catalyst for re-evaluating many things in your life. After all, it seems the things you've done and taken for granted ended up giving you permanent ear damage. I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but ears are so vulnerable, and once they've been traumatized, it seems they will be more vulnerable to future trauma than for people who have healthy ears.

Regarding your use of Minocycline, I just did a quick google search, and came up with the following:

Minocycline, but not other tetracyclines, can cause vestibular disturbances with dizziness, ataxia, vertigo, and tinnitus. ... As a result of the frequency of this bothersome side effect, minocycline is rarely used in female patients.

So let me ask you something: If you were a doctor, and you had a very young person come to you with skin problems, would you prescribe a medication that has the potential to cause life-long damage to the brain and/or inner ears of that young person--and cause them untold amount of pain and distress? Probably not. But that's what doctors and conventional medicine does all the time! They think it's a normal thing to do. It absolutely is NOT normal. It's almost criminal in my mind.

I would suggest you google "natural therapies for acne", and take a couple hours to learn how you can treat your skin disorders without resorting to extremely dangerous drugs, with potentially horrible long-lasting side effects. I changed my diet as a young person, and was able to almost completely eliminate my serious acne and skin issues. I believe most people can do the same. It all depends on whether the person has the incentive (and discipline) to look very closely at their situation, and discern what the safest and most effective therapy might be. -- Most doctors don't do that, even though you would think they would.

Didn't realize I was going to write so much. But my heart breaks for some of the young people such as yourself who come to this forum and face such difficult situations. Anything I can do to help young people like yourself begin to think "outside the box" will be the best thing I can offer. As overly relying on licensed medical professionals who often bring on many ear problems is generally not a prescription for optimum long-term results. -- All the Best!

 

@Lane

Thanks for writing this post Lane. It was informative, well written and interesting to read.
All the best
Michael

 

Most Tinnitus sufferers have similar response at the initial stage. It is important to stay positive. You will be fine. All I wanted to do at the initial stage was die too but here I am, living happy with Tinittus reduced to a very low level and often times completely silent.

Avoid places where you can be exposed to loud noise such as concerts. Put your head phones away and allow your ears to heal. Visit an ENT ASAP to check your ears out but don't let them scare you. Eat healthy, pray and be patient. Healing is often times slow but it has been known to disappear in a few days for some.

 

Hi all. I am so happy to have come across this post, I too also seem to have developed tinnitus a couple of days ago. So you are not alone @enthusiast.

I did go to the doctors as I was suffering from ear pain, only to be told my ears were fine, it was then I noticed the ringing sound (something I normally experience after a concert) I am only 27 so I am devastated and extremely low. I’m not too sure if it’s stress or years of concerts and listening to music through my headphones

@Michael Leigh, your post and articles have provided me with a lot of relief. Is there anything I can do in the early stages aside from not using headphones which will help? I am hoping to try to see the doctor again this week. I commute to work using the tube in London daily, should I wear ear plugs? Also what are your thoughts on apps, I downloaded one last night in desperation, will it be okay to listen to rainfall noise whilst trying to sleep. I am only sleeping 4 hours on average!!

Thank you!

 

HI @Riz23

Thank you for your kind comments.

The early stages of tinnitus can be difficult for a lot of people to cope with especially when it's very intrusive. As time passes things will get easy. Since your tinnitus was noise induced I advise you not to use headphones even at low volume; preferably, never use them again for the rest of your life. This is my advice however the choice is yours.

The best treatment for noise induced tinnitus in the early stages is to do absolutely nothing regarding treatment. Stress and anxiety which often accompany tinnitus needs to be managed. If you are having difficulty with these two issues, then having a word with the GP on how you feel hopefully a solution can be advised. A mild antidepressant or sleeping draft and prove helpful. Not all antidepressant make tinnitus worse although for some people the tinnitus can increase but this is usually temporary.

I advise you read my posts articles on my "started threads" as often as possible. This will help reinforce positive thinking over time. If you have a printer then I advise printing the articles which I will paste below in the links. It sounds like you may have hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound)? The Tube can be noisy so wearing noise reducing earplugs that have filters in to suppress external sound (not block it out completely) can be helpful. However, try not to get in the habit of using earplugs or overusing them, as there's the risk of lowering the loudness threshold of the auditory system. I explain more about this in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it. I will paste it in the link below.

Using a sound App for sound enrichment is fine, especially at night as silence should always be avoided for people with tinnitus. Attaching your phone to a docking station with external speakers or blue-blue tooth the phone to a speaker will be more beneficial and supply superior sound enrichment instead of using the phone on its own. I prefer using a dedicated sound machine. The brand I recommend is Oasis, model S-650 is particularly popular.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-ent-doctor-and-hearing-therapist.24047/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/inspiration.22894/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/a-change-of-lifestyle.20643/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/i-would-rather-be-happy-than-right.12084/

 

Yes I am dealing everyday with a hissing sound, hang in there you have support here!

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822