Likelihood of Noise-Induced Tinnitus Going Away?

So my tinnitus has been present for 3 months now after a loud concert and I keep wondering every day if this is going to be haunting me for the rest of my life. Considering that a lot has changed since the onset, I wonder if my hearing/brain is recovering.

I had several tinnitus sounds in the beginning: ringing, buzzing, chirping. They have all gone away, but there is still the white noise sound, like an old tv, present. I estimate that the volume of my tinnitus is about 50/60% of what it was at the start and in the morning it is even lower, maybe 30%. But it is still bothering me every moment, even though I can only just hear it in places with little ambient noise.

I know I have to be patient, since 3 months is such a short period when it comes to tinnitus, but I feel like I will only ever be happy again if tinnitus goes away. I love silence and I find it hard to accept that I might never experience it again.

Masking it with music works, but watching tv makes it louder, like the tv is creating a frequency that irritates my tinnitus. Anybody else experiencing the same thing?

 

I know what you are talking about. I went to a heavy metal concert as a youth and my tinnitus saga started. It never went away and just like yours...it was an old tv/white noise. It may or may not go away, but i can tell you this much. If you you go to loud places and do it again, that level of noise can increase....

Yes, i wish for silence too, but IT IS -- WHAT IT IS...we move forward and still try to live quality lives....

 

I attended a Def Leppard concert in March 2016. In May, I began noticing my Tinnitus. I don't know if the concert caused it, but it's possible. My tinnitus was rather severe throughout the summer and into the fall. Now, however, it has completely gone except for an occasional soft click which I will hear if I'm listening for it. So yes, it is quite possible that yours might go away after enough time passes.

 

@Bill Bauer has found statistics showing that 70% of cases or so will probably recover. I hope so too, I'm at 5 months with no positive changes however. Stay strong

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/

 

Age plays a big role
The younger the better

 

That's true. Having said this, take a look at post #37, on page 2 of that Stats thread. That post describes a study of tinnitus sufferers over 50. A considerable fraction of those people recover or experience their T fading.

 

Age and extent of the damage

 

I'm 30. Does that work in my advantage?

 

I'm 39 and my noise induced trauma after a year is barely a 1 if I don't stress out or play the entertainment center too loud or too long.

 

Yes
I'm closer to 50 so that's 20 years of loud noises added to the bill

 

Yes, my baseline T is static and i have this as well.

Sadly, not only with tv, but with fans, water noises and wind.

When exposed to those sounds, it becomes a much higher level whistle.

 

I'm 20 and have just finished my last year of university. I unfortunately got noise-induced T at the very start of the year, meaning that I've had a year of a number of loud noise exposures (2 club nights [stupidly], bars, and two concerts).

Now that university is over, I have no obligation whatsoever to do any of these things again. Even though the T has got significantly louder after initial onset, I'm now in a position where I can keep up with people socially without needing to subject myself to the university lifestyle of being around loud music.

Hopefully, given enough time, mine will decrease as well. I'm not betting on it though, because I know how unpredictable T is - it could become louder without reason, or could stay the same. Who knows?

 

Im 69 years young T caused by ear infection. For four months it was unbearable, then it went quiet with a mild ringing. Then no ringing at all it was a relief. One morning the beast returned with loud ringing. Now it has gone all quiet now for a week and half. Can only hope it's the end of it

 

i am 4 month in and similar to you my noise induced T has gone from high pitched to staticky. volume has also reduced about 60-70%. It went up abit after i went to a outdoor concert last weekend. but the overall trend has been very positive.

TV doesnt bother me so much as just regular background noise. I find my T will compete in volume with this noise generator i used to fall asleep. so i no longer use it.

 

Even if it doesn't go away, there must still be room for improvement, right? If it would just go down just a little bit more it would make a huge difference. I'm tired of this noise constantly filling up my whole head whenever I'm somewhere quiet.

 

I got my noises induced T from a shooting range. One of my ear plugs fell out when fired off a shot. I'm two and half weeks in. My T seems to be all over the place. From a whistle, to a buzz and static. I actually experienced what seemed like quiet for a few minutes these past two days. But then it came back. If mine doesn't go away I hope it at least counties to fade.

 

I sure as hell hope my long term noise exposure T will improve over the next year.....either that or that i habituate fully......thing is......I am not sure habituation is good enough for me, i'm a real perfectionist by nature and I can not imagine myself having intrusive T and be fully happy in life with it.

Problem is that T came at such a bad time (is their ever a good time??) my life was already chaos and empty (no job, no boyfriend, no children) and now I have to deal with T on top of it?! Not sure i have the strength to make a valuable life for myself with this condition.

The worst part for me about getting T is knowing I caused it myself (headphone use) the regret and guilt is just overwhelming at times. I'm not sure I can ever forgive myself.

Sorry.....I'm just having a bad day

 

We all feel negative about life and our circumstances now and again this is quite normal. Try to look at the positive things in your life when these difficult times arrive.


The Big Picture

Tinnitus can affect us in a variety of ways. A difficult hurdle for some to get over especially in the early days is to stop thinking of the past. The way life used to be before the onset of the condition. If we are not careful this can cause stress, anxiety and in some instances delay the habitation process. Understandably, a person wants everything to be as it once was but sometimes this is easier said than done because it takes time.

If the tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise, which is often the case and not an underlying medical problem, this could be another cause for concern, as some people might constantly berate themselves. Thinking what they are enduring might have been avoidable if they hadn’t done this or that or known of potential risks that were involved, then they wouldn’t be going through this ordeal now.

As compassionate as one might try to be, it’s not so easy to convince someone they are not to blame, when their own conscience has decided they are judge and jury. The benefits of hindsight can be a wonderful thing it’s just unfortunate we haven’t the ability of foresight too. Of course not all loud noise exposure is avoidable because a person might just happen to be in a particular place or situation at the wrong time. Nevertheless, some people do find themselves at a crossroads and not knowing how to get over the stumbling block that’s set before them and therefore, I have a few suggestions.

We cannot change the past because what has happened has happened. No matter how many times we replay the scene in our mind it will remain unchanged. I believe it’s a total waste of time and energy to keep reliving it. Lay it to rest and forget it and move on. However, we can do something about our future because it hasn’t been written yet and there is a world out there and you’re a part of it. Put your mind in gear and start thinking what you’re able to do with your tinnitus instead of thinking what you’re unable to do. The positive vibe will come through with time, patience and determination.

It is the important things in your life that really matter so hold on to them. In essence I am saying to look at the big picture. This will give you clarity, perception and will cut a clear path that will enable you to see where you want to go in life.

Michael

 

In time a lot can be achieved. You are in the very early days of tinnitus. Just be patient and try and focus on the positive things in your life. The advice @fishbone has given is spot on. Please click on the links below.

Michael

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

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

 

I have exactly this, 10x worse than normal constant T as it's ubmaskable and oscillates so it's not easy to ignore. Thankfully mine comes and goes after noise exposure and seems to have settled down at the time - but will most likely come back as it always does.

 

Do you mean, your T stopped being so reactive at some point ?

 

Yh currently the reactive component, the whistling noise, has gone. It flares up for weeks after noise traumas (car horns alarms etc) then gradually goes away over the course of 3-5 weeks. Had t for 5 months and the reactive whistling has come and gone but probably been there for a Total of 2.5 months. It's pure hell, hopefully yours migjt go as well. No way could I live with it constantly.

 

You give me hope, it's been 7 weeks for me with that.

Without the reactive whistling, i will feel pretty much half cured.
I mean, today, it's raining outside, i'm inside the house, the whistling is going mental from the rain sound...

 

Do you have it in only 1 ear?

 

@Kratos it's primarily my right ear and my head. Although I have a very faint ring in my left ear every now and then.

Today I I felt a pop in my right ear and it seems like my hearing improved. For the most part today my T has dropped in volume and is now a hiss instead of a ring. I'm hopping this continues. Fingers crossed.

 

Flobo, it goes down to the previous level right after the noise stops? Or does it take some time?

 

Three years in, noise induced.

If you had said to when my tinnitus started that it would become an insignificance in my life, well i'd have laughed at you. Those early months I just wanted this noise out of me head, learning to live with it was not an option.

Yet here I am getting on with life like it was before it started.

Even if your tinnitus doesn't go away, the chances are very much in your favour that it will just become part of the background. The people who unfortunately suffer long term with severe forms of tininitus are the minority so don't give up hope. The first year can be rough, the first few months especially and you are still in this stage.

Good luck.

 

Hey @eldudebro, what do you mean you're living life like before T started? For me the biggest concern is that I'll never be the fun, relaxed, and carefree person I was before it all started, because I'll always be worried about worsening it through another noise exposure. How did you come to terms with the fact that you'll always have to be careful, even in everyday situations like traffic or restaurants?

 

Hey, I know how you feel. You also said something about benzo withdrawal. I actually had to start taking medicine to help with the depression caused from benzo withdrawal and tolerance. My medication that I am taking is Lamictal. I had to slowly taper up but it sure has helped prop me up. I used to have one bad week every three weeks. The bad week would usually mean I didn't want to leave my bed unless I was taking a shower, eating, or going to the bathroom. I don't know the solution for you but the brain can change. Many people have tinnitus and it doesn't bother them at all. Its hard for me to understand that but I am very grateful that most people aren't devastated by it. When I was on Lexapro I was habituated to my tinnitus and it did not bother me. Unfortunately, I didn't like the side effects so I got off. Cardio exercise may help you too. Lately my T has been fluctuating and I can't figure out why so it has been frustrating but fortunately I haven't "crashed". I hope you feel better asap. Oh, one other thing that REALLY helped me was hearing aids with maskers.