My Dad's Tinnitus Success Story — From a Loud Flute Down to a Hiss Heard in Dead Silence

So I figured while I am living in this unfortunate space currently with my own acute tinnitus, I might as well share my dad’s tinnitus story and success with it!

When my tinnitus came on 3 months ago, my dad shared with me that he had “a flute going up and down notes in his right ear” many years ago. It came on out of nowhere, but not a surprise as he is a Vietnam vet and ran his own contracting business (lots of loud noises).

So when he told me this, I asked, “wait, was I alive?” I asked this because I never once remembered him talking about it. So I asked further questions. He basically said “Yeah, it would get annoying, I even went to an ENT eventually who did a hearing test and I asked him ‘can you hear that?’ because it sounded loud enough to ask that. It interrupted my sleep from time to time, but I would just put on the radio at work or let work sounds drown it out”.

He never did any type of heavy duty protection following it or any therapy or meds, he said he just tried to ignore it. Within 7-8 years, he said it went from the alternating flute playing to a hiss sound. He said over that 7-8 years, the flute became quieter and quieter and turned into the hiss, but it took its time for sure. Just imagine if he took care of his ears a little better, probably would have happened faster. To this day, it’s a very quiet hiss that can only be heard in dead silence, and he doesn’t even think about and it doesn’t bother him at all (the man falls asleep all the time within 5 minutes, it’s insane and I am beyond jealous). I share this just to show that there really is no set time frame when it comes to this thing, and he for sure was noise induced tinnitus and also has hearing loss.

Also in sharing this, I know many, like myself, would do just about anything for one sound in one ear that is non-reactive. I type this as I hear my not so beautiful orchestra of 5-6 alternating sounds going on in both ears along with my static reactivity going on my right ear by the low volume of the TV and heater. So, this isn’t to downplay because I wish I had his tinnitus, but I figured another success story can always give some hope.

It should also be noted that my dad has said many times since this has taken over my life and mental state in the past 3 months, “I would do anything to take it from you and deal with it myself”. He’s a great dad

 

It's a well known fact that most tinnitus goes into remission. I wish you luck on this journey and hope the very best for you. There's lots of new promising developments in tinnitus treatment coming soon.

 

This is nice, thank you! My mother also says very often „I would take it from you and deal with it myself if I only could“. This is the kind of parent one needs!

 

My dad said to me that he had tinnitus in his forties (he is now in his 60s with no tinnitus). He said it took many months until it started to disappear. It appeared out of nowhere and he had trouble sleeping. He said to me to ignore it and just carry on focusing on what I need to do. He also said it’s not good to be working from home because it’s too quiet. He knows it wasn’t my choice to work at home - it’s the pandemic and not many people is in the office anyway, so it’s also too quiet in the office. He said try to be in a place with noise and he said don’t think about it and it will just go. I love my dad. I’m also in my forties - the same age my dad experience his now-gone tinnitus. Mine was due to COVID-19 5 months ago. I’m now sleeping well. I can fall asleep within 5 or so minutes with the bells and whistles.

 

Thanks for your story. Did he attend clubs/concerts with no protection when he had tinnitus, with no irritation/worsening to his tinnitus?

 

Awesome!

 

Always uplifting to hear these stories of how tinnitus miraculously disappears. You have to keep hope and that's what I do daily For me, it's faded to a mild hiss before today and I really hope I can do it again; I doubt it, but I still keep that hope

 

Thank you so much. What scares me with mine is the multiple sounds and reactivity, and since it started 3 months ago, it’s only gotten worse, no improvement or even steady state. I know this can happen in the first months before it gets better and I try to tell myself that, but it’s just hard. Last night was night 3 of little sleep due to the loudness when I lay down, and I can’t mask it because it’s reactive.

Positive thoughts and healing right back to you!

 

He’s not a club or concert guy, so didn’t go to very loud events like that but did attend regular sporting events for my sister and I, holiday parties, family gatherings, restaurants, etc. and continued to work his job which had louder sounds.

 

Thanks for sharing. I have reactivity which takes the tinnitus beast up a significant notch. Can’t drown it out with sound, and when I lay down, the noises get louder. Hoping by month 5 I’ve made some progress like you, because right now sleep is very hard to come by.