My 3rd Success Story with Noise-Induced Tinnitus

I am writing this 3rd tinnitus success story today in order to give hope and help to those who are currently in a difficult period. It is very difficult for those who have not experienced “severe” tinnitus to understand the distress in which we find ourselves during these periods of “crises”.

I will try to make it short but complete.

The first time I had my tinnitus was June 18, 2008, I was 37 years old. I remember the date, time and place where I was. There followed 18 to 24 months of indescribable suffering. My tinnitus was severe, I could hear it everywhere and most of all, 24/7. Left ear was accompanied by hyperacusis.

At that time it was new to me and I, like everyone else who goes through this for the first time, I tried everything you can imagine: Osteopathy, acupuncture, vitamins, diet, sound therapy, TRT etc. including participating in clinical trials like AM-101.

I was told that my tinnitus was noise trauma induced (hearing loss in the high frequencies). It is true that I listened to a lot of music at very high volume for years on the iPod, went to clubbing etc...

I had no suicidal thoughts but I told myself that if I had to leave now, it would be no worse. But ultimately, being a believer and very attached to God, and having faith that if something happens, it is for a reason, helped me.

Around December 2010, my tinnitus started to calm down, I think that at that time what helped me the most and allowed me to get out of this crisis were mainly TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) and meeting the right people who advised me on the right hearing aids, it was miraculous! In a few weeks I was back to life. Again, I worked, I had a good social life, I went out to clubs, concerts, and restaurants.

Between 2010 and 2016 I led a normal life. My tinnitus was present but much less intrusive. During these 6 years I did not take any medication (zero antidepressants, zero Clonazepam etc.)

I protected my ears with earplugs during these years, but I do not think I did so enough. With time we gain confidence and we let ourselves go. It was June 2016 when I went to a concert without earplugs. BIG MISTAKE.

Two days later, sitting at my desk, I suddenly got new louder, higher pitched tinnitus sounds in my head.

At the time I thought it was passing, that it would go away in 24 hours, that it was just a spike... but no, on the contrary, my tinnitus got worse. I could not believe it. I panicked very quickly and all my bad memories of 2008 came back. I think I understand now what PTSD is. I experienced it at that time. I quickly found myself in a descent into hell. The more days and weeks passed, the more I lost hope. I said to myself, that's it, I've damaged my ears too much, I'm going to have this noise all my life, I can't live like this anymore. Again these morbid ideas resurfaced. This 2nd crisis lasted 18-24 months. During these 2 years, despite the suffering, I still had this survival instinct. I couldn't give up, I had to do everything to keep hope that one day it would calm down. I prayed a lot to God. Some days when my tinnitus would calm down, I managed to regain hope but most of the time it was very difficult. I forced myself to walk at least 30 minutes a day, to sleep well, to eat well... and I took out all my tools (hearing aids, white noise, acupuncture, medications.. you name it) but without success at first. Then after a few months, around the 18th month, I started to feel an improvement, I had more and more good days and the bad days became more manageable. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, my bad days were 8-9 or even 10 and slowly they went to 7, then 6, and then 5.

I finally saw the end of the tunnel, or rather my hope of getting out of this 2nd crisis became real. It was from that moment that I started to return to life, see friends, go out, play sports with friends (tennis), work.

Again, God was giving me another chance. My tinnitus was present, but as in 2010, I had gone from a severe, acute tinnitus to a less intrusive, less loud tinnitus. My brain had once again managed to get used to it. A miracle.

From 2018 to early 2021, I resumed a normal life. Social life, work, sport...

And again, unfortunately in March 2021, I went to a friend's house who was having a lunch with loud music without earplugs. Since there was only one speaker, I didn't think it was necessary to protect my ears. BIG MISTAKE. And I'm off again for a ride with a new spike (for the 3rd time) which this time will last 9 months. Again, everything went wrong. Depression, loss of appetite, fear that it will last forever. But over time the intensity of the tinnitus subsided. As if the tinnitus was an inflammation and it took time, a lot of time sometimes, for it to die down.

You must never despair, even when you are at your deepest and with immense “pains”. We must arm ourselves with patience and resilience because in all cases there will be an improvement. This improvement does not happen overnight. It takes a few days, weeks or months, but it will arrive. Some call it habituation. I think it's like an inflammation that takes time to resolve. Like when you break a bone, it takes months to recover. The brain is more complex... it's just a feeling. It can take 3, 6, 12, 24... months but it still does get better

You always have to keep hope. The faith has helped me a lot. Those who are not believers can simply attach themselves to the faith of life. Because it will get better!

Today my tinnitus is still present, I have some days when it is strong (but manageable). But the most important thing is that I am back to life. I go out, I see friends, I work... I wear hearing aids from the Hansaton brand which were recommended to me by a specialist in tinnitus. We set up white noise in the background according to my tinnitus and that helps me. There are quite a few brands like Widex that offer the same features.

In conclusion:

1) It will get better. Even after 3 very severe tinnitus episodes it can get better.

2) Protect your ears at all costs.

3) Keep hope. Some routes can be long, but with time it will get better. NEVER DESPAIR.

I share your pain and understand you 100%. It happened to me, I had moments when I no longer believed in it, that it was the end. And in these moments, I prayed hard, I took each day as a new day, I tried not to think about the next day (very difficult), but once again with time it would be better.

May God protect and bless you.

 

This is a good detailed write up. Thank you. I would like to ask some questions to get a better understanding of what you experienced

1) Was your tinnitus bilateral?

2) Did you have pain with the hyperacusis?

3) Did you have reactive tinnitus that got louder with external sound, so essentially got harder to mask?

Best wishes,
Nick

 

Thanks for your bright story. Can you tell me how do you protect your ears? What protection do you use and when (e.g., all the time when you are out in the street)? Have you noticed any impact from the overprotection?

 

That's great and I am glad you seem happy.

However, is this a success story? With what you've been through in these three cycles, have you merely hardened to the strong tinnitus that you still have to deal with on these bad days?

 

Thanks for the detailed and inspiring story @jacob21. Can you tell us more about your experience with hyperacusis?

 

Hi.

No, mainly on the left side. But sometimes all over my head.

Kind of pain. Don't protect your ears too much at a minimum noise level (restaurant , street noise...) to heal the hyperacusis.

YES, at the beginning of each crisis, and with time the reactivity becomes less reactive.

I am using custom earplugs. I use them only if the decibel level is higher than 80 - 85 dB. I don't use them in the street or in restaurants, only if there is loud noise, such as music. I have downloaded an app called Decibel Meter. ALWAYS have earplugs with you. I also bought some musician earplugs on Amazon that follows me everywhere in case I forgot my custom ones.

No. I am 100 % positive that with time the intensity of the noise fades. For me, in the mornings my tinnitus is often very intrusive when I wake up and then after 20-30 minutes it fades and I can do my day. After the first crisis, my tinnitus intensity went from a 10/10 (catastrophic) to an average of 1-2/10 for 6 years. I am sure if I had protected my ears well, I wouldn't have had a new episode. PROTECT YOUR EARS when there is loud noise (clubbing, iPod...)

I had several episodes of hyperacusis. First I could not go to the restaurant. The only thing I heard was the sounds of the cutlery, forks and knives on the plates above all the noise. I think the TRT with pink noise for 2-3 months helped me a lot and my hyperacusis reduced by 80%.

The other hyperacusis attacks lasted 2 to 3 months. What bothered me the most was the reactive side of my tinnitus. I think it's a form of hyperacusis. Because with reactive tinnitus, it is impossible to find comfort with the masking noises.

This sound helped me a lot during these reactive tinnitus period:

8000 Hertz ANM cycle

PROTECT YOUR EARS IN LOUD NOISE SITUATIONS. WITH TIME YOU WILL GET BETTER!

 

Hi @jacob21, thanks for posting your story, you seem like a kind person. How have you dealt with the feelings of regret and self-blame etc after your mistake?

 

@tniuf, thank you

Yes, I felt kind of guilty, blamed myself, and then I told myself, this is what it is, I have to accept it. It won't change anything. This is why I want to spread the message to any new tinnitus sufferers and others to protect their ears and not make the same mistake as me, because when you'll get better, as humans, you tend to forget quickly and gain confidence.

 

Just want to chime in and say that so many people appreciate posts like these. I wonder how many never make an account, see posts like these and then have relief. Even if just momentarily. It still counts!

 

I made this post because I share your opinion 100%. When I go through difficult times, even with the experience I have been able to acquire during these 14 years, it does me a lot of good to read success stories and it reminds me that even if we are feeling low and suffering greatly, with time it will get better. We must keep hope and be resilient.

Never forget to protect your ears.

 

This story from multiple traumas and the accompanying tinnitus spikes/increases certainly offer hope that things have the potential to get better or the ability to manage even years down the line. Thanks @jacob21.

 

@jacob21, the only thing you haven't mentioned i think is what type of sounds did you hear? Morse code/ring/hiss/cicadas/high pitch/low pitch etc. Did some of the sounds resolve or did they all subside? Did you get new sounds/tones with every trauma?

 

Thank you for sharing. This is why I don't ever, EVER, leave the house without earplugs in my pocket, and extras in the car if I lose mine. There will be the damnedest most random unexpected situations that arise and I'm glad I have the ear plugs.

Keys, wallet, cellphone, ear plugs. Just the routine. They have a little hardshell case that fits in your pocket. Good luck everyone.

 

@tniuf, my initial sound in 2008 was a pure sound very high pitch of 8 kHz. Then when I got those "crisis spikes," I got new sounds; white noise mixed with a high pitch sound, like the sound of a jet taking off. I could hear the sound all over my head and not just on the left side. But the good news is that each time over time I returned to my baseline after a while.

Protect your ears in noisy places.

Another important tip. I have on my phone 2 or 3 applications to measure decibels (Decibel Meter, Decibel X). When I arrive in a noisy place, and the decibels are > 85 dB, I put in my earplugs.

 

We live in too noisy a world. Suddenly a fire engine siren, construction noise, etc. every time I go out I am assaulted by noises even earplugs can’t reduce to a safe level. A visiting friend played loud music on her phone stupidly. For years I was ignorant and my tinnitus got worse and worse.

Posts like @jacob21’s are all that keep me going.

 

Hey @jacob21, thank you so much for sharing your story. I am 7 months in from onset after unilateral SSHL from ear infection. I do not experience loudness hyperacusis, but man my reactivity is not budging and it is awful, especially because my super high frequency tone(s) are reactive. What do you feel helped you with reactivity? TRT / pink noise? Time?

I do not overprotect but am very mindful to avoid louder situations/environments and use earplugs if needed.

 

Curious on this too.

 

Thank you for your story, @jacob21. It is good to hear that people do recover. I pray everyday that God will lead me and heal me. It is difficult and I feel very hopeless most days but I pick myself up and keep going. It’s hard on my family though. But reading your story gives hope.

 

Reactive tinnitus was not easy for me either. I think it was the most difficult part to manage.

TRT sound therapy helped me. You have to find the right level and the right sound that suits you. If possible, with the help of a specialist.

Reactive tinnitus seems to be a symptom of hyperacusis.

But, I experienced several episodes of reactive tinnitus and time helped every time. Sometimes it only took 3 months, other times it took longer, 6 to 12 months.

Conclusion: Protect your ears from loud noises and give it time. In any case, it will get better. I hope your tinnitus reduces and stops being reactive.

I wish you all the best and a quick “recovery.”

 

Hey @jacob21, good to see you back. Did your tinnitus ever have a pulsatile component to it?

 

Thank you @jacob21 for the input. You are a part of a handful of people who dealt with reactivity and/or loudness hyperacusis that confirm that TRT with sound therapy helped desensitize your reactivity and hyperacusis. Was this sound therapy in the form of pink or white noise through your hearing aids?

 

Hey,

During my first hyperacusis crisis, around 2010, I remember I used pink noise. But later, during the new hyperacusis crisis (2 more), pink noise disturbed me so I used white noise with a frequency close to my tinnitus (around 8-10 kHz) but at a very low volume.

My tinnitus is tonal, not pulsatile.

For any type of tinnitus , give it time and do not forget to protect your ears in very loud places (> 80/85 dB).

 

I keep a folder of stories from Tinnitus Talk that help me get through the rough times. I just added your post to that folder and appreciate so much that you shared your story.

 

Thank you for staying on Tinnitus Talk to encourage those who are struggling.

I saw your audiogram and your left ear hearing loss is very similar to mine. My tinnitus is somewhere in the 8000 Hz to 12000 Hz range.

Can you please provide some details regarding your first experience with TRT and hearing aids?

I did try hearing aids but I think they were programmed in the wrong frequencies (4000-8000 Hz).

 

I really wish @jacob21 came and answered your questions...

My question to @jacob21 is: can you elaborate more on "kind of pain"? Did you ever have burning/stabbing sensation in your ear no matter how light/short lived?

 

Hi. Sorry, I was abroad...

Regarding hearing aids, I have a slight correction in the high frequencies (> 8000 Hz) but what helps me the most is the white noise at a very low level, at the frequency of my tinnitus. This white noise is located around a frequency of 10 kHz (TRT concept).

It's not easy to find a good audiologist specializing in tinnitus/TRT.

I now use the Hansaton brand hearing aids.

I can confirm that TRT is a very good tool to accelerate habituation.

When I talk about pain, I mean the figurative kind. It is not pain in the literal sense. My tinnitus was so bad that it was a real handicap where I could no longer do any activity. Now, thank God, I still have my tinnitus but it's manageable.

I urge everyone to PROTECT YOUR EARS in noisy places. I can now confirm based on my experience, that my crises - spikes - have always been preceded by exposure to loud noise with poor hearing protection.

My best to everyone.

 

Hi @jacob21,

Loud noise sends my tinnitus way up in a spike, I think that means that I have reactive tinnitus.

So wearing the white noise generators kind of precludes a person from wearing earplugs. It's fine if you decide to go into a restaurant, you have time to take out the white noise generators and put in the earplugs. But how did you deal with the sudden loud noises, e.g., ambulance, police, fire brigade sirens, motorcycles with little or no silencers, fireworks, Halloween, etc?

It's either one or the other; the white noise generators or the earplugs/earphones. No?

 

Some hearing aids can be fitted with "plug" tips. I don't know how efficient they are noise blocking wise - but should give some protection vs. open ear canals.

 

In an emergency situation, I plug my ears with my fingers. It's not ideal, but I find I can leave the white noise generators in (and they sound louder) and still block some of the noise. At times, I've had to walk several blocks away from the noisy area (e.g., fire alarm, construction noise) before taking my fingers out of my ears.

I try to carry earplugs, but I don't always, except on days when the tinnitus is super aggressive and feels reactive.

 

Indeed, the goal is not to overprotect. It's not even recommended, you have to let sound in at a correct level so that your brain gets used to it and, in my opinion, those who have reactive tinnitus, have to let sounds in even more. Not easy because I remember that even the slightest sound could make my tinnitus even louder. Over time, this has diminished, and today I have a tonal sound, constant, maskable, not reactive.

And yes, if I find myself in a restaurant where suddenly they are going to play loud music, I always have a pair of earplugs with me.

I do the same. If an ambulance or alarm starts suddenly, I protect my ears with my hands