My One Month Journey with Low-Pitched Unilateral Noise-Induced Tinnitus

Hi everyone! Like many, I've read countless stories here, some terrifying, others reassuring. I figured I should post mine, as I haven't see many in my specific tinnitus case (as I discovered, everyone's tinnitus experience is different).

Exactly one month ago, I went to some underground drone concert. It wasn't literally underground though: the show was outside, under the rain, and lasted 30 minutes. They were many musicians playing at the same time. A peculiar set up. I was about 15 meters from the origin of the sound. As I felt it was very loud, almost painful, I put some earplugs in both of my ears about 10/15 minutes in.

I'm used to these concerts, as I've gone to them weekly since January. I put some previously used foam earplugs from the get go most of the time. I'm used to having a short period of hearing loss right after, and tinnitus when I try to fall asleep afterwards. I did not expect to still hear it the day after. And the day after.

Now, I should mention that I'm a pretty anxious person, especially when it comes to noise. I always put the volume very low when using earbuds. So I really panicked when I saw, or rather when I heard that it was staying. I googled it and obviously I panicked even more. I tried to go to the emergency, but both the doctor I got on phone at h+48 and the person I saw at the hospital counter at h+72 convinced me that it wasn't really an emergency. And in a sense, it wasn't: I was just hearing a low, rumbling sound in my left hear all the time. I still managed to fall asleep. But to me it was the end of my world, the end of silence, the end of music. I was extremely anxious. I tried to schedule an ENT appointment, but the soonest I got was in one month... so the day I'm writing this (I just got out of the appointment, I'll get back on that). I eventually decided to see my regular doctor, who took a look at my ear and didn't see anything special. He basically just told me to wait and see, and to not panic. Easier said than done, as by the end of the week, I needed to see him again, as the sound really wasn't getting lower, nor was my anxiety. He prescribed me some low level anxiety meds, that I still take daily to this day. It's hard to say if they have an effect, but maybe it would be worse if I stopped, I don't want to figure out just yet.

Anyway, the following weeks, I had some back and forth. During the day at work, I could barely hear it thanks to the white noise in the background. I could barely hear it outside, with the wind blowing, the birds chirping, the cars passing. Sometimes, I was even thinking "wow this is the end of it, that really scared me!" But as soon as I was alone in my apartment, there it was again. That never ending engine in my left ear. Some nights are louder than others. The frequency is varying, but always low, from a straight up rumble to a low "hum". I can decrease it by sleeping on my left hear. I've learned to love the sounds of fridges and AC, that mask it for the most part.

Two weeks after the concert, I started hearing a high pitched sound that most of you must be really familiar with, in both of my ears. From the moment I heard them first, I was 99% sure they were purely because of anxiety, so they didn't really affect me (even though they were very real). They would go after some time of not thinking about it, and come back the second I'd remember. I still get them whenever I'm particularly stressed or when I think about them (like a button press) but really they're not my main focus here as they disappear or get masked quickly.

About three weeks after the concert, I was biking from work after a really hot day. I felt tired and anxious when I came home. Yet in my apartment, the tinnitus was at 30% of the usual level in silence. I should have felt relief. But I felt dread. I was only thinking "It's going to come back, louder, and it's going to stay here forever. I have to live with this noise.". This got me thinking. The tinnitus was lower than expected, yet I was feeling very anxious. Almost as if I was anxious that it wouldn't come back. This started a thought process. I noticed that for the past 3 weeks, I'd often think to myself "I ruined my life. If this tinnitus wasn't here, I would have a perfect life. Why did I do this to me?". The truth is, before my tinnitus, my life wasn't perfect. I had shitty days, I did anxiety about numerous subjects, not as much as now, but still. This past anxiety didn't just... disappear. The logical conclusion I drew was that it as now moved to the tinnitus. All my attention was heading towards it. Because it was there, I subconsciously didn't have to think about the rest that I considered less important (still big life decisions stuff, mind you). Curiously, the tinnitus and my anxiety were then lower for a few days.

And here we are at week 4. I had some loud and troubled nights, and I started to feel some pain in my throat and left hear when I was swallowing or yawning earlier this week. This was the perfect timing, as I would see an ENT a few days later. The ENT checked both of my ears, my mouth, and made me do a quick hearing test. She said everything was fine, throat a bit red but probably temporary. She said that the recent pain is unrelated with tinnitus because of the timing. She reassured me by saying that there were high chances of it getting away in the next months, as one month is still pretty early. She also said a lot of things that I already knew, using white noise to mask it, that it's really hard to pinpoint a specific reason for the tinnitus, especially in my case because even though there was a very loud concert, the tinnitus is still unilateral, which is unusual. She said hypnosis could help, eventually. But overall I didn't learn much honestly. I wished it was an infection or something I could simply get rid off, but no.

And there we are. The "don't measure it" team will hate this, but earlier this morning, the sound was at 150%. This afternoon, 10% at some point. And as I'm writing this it's at 100%. Maybe it will fade away. Maybe it will become a permanent anxiety-meter. Maybe it's 100% due to an acoustic trauma, maybe it's 50% psychosomatic, maybe it's for a whole other reason. I hope other will be able to relate, and I'm open to hindsight.

I'll say one thing: whether it disappear or not, my tinnitus made me realize that there are a lot of people in pain because of tinnitus. I don't see myself going to a concert anytime soon. Maybe I'll start using earbuds in a few weeks (the ENT said it was fine at low level).

Whatever happens, I'll try to update in a few months, if I'm lucky in the "Success Stories" section. Thank you for reading!

 

Welcome to the forum.

You are not alone here as many of us have been where you are. We understand your struggle which seems so prevalent among new sufferers at the initial phase of our tinnitus journey.

Remember to be positive and hopeful that things will improve as the body needs time to heal from acoustic trauma. Members here often quote 6 months to 18 months for recovery. I took 3 years due to prior conditions of anxiety and panic disorder plus PTSD. Recovery doesn't necessarily mean tinnitus is gone. It may mean we are more habituated to it to the point we don't notice it most of the time even when it is loud. You don't have hyperacusis and you already have times you can't notice the tinnitus. Those are the positives. Try to focus on the positives so you have less anxiety and stress as this will help calm the intensity of the tinnitus.

I have suffered nightmarish experiences from hyperacusis and ultra high pitched tinnitus about a decade ago. It took 3 years for me before I wrote my first success story "From Darkness to Light...". Then in December 2020 I suffered SSHL on my good left ear. Besides becoming deaf on that ear, it also gave me a new rumbling jet engine like tinnitus, plus constant sensation of pressured and plugged ears. So now I have a bass and a soprano singing their duet 7/24. I should join them to sing in trio. Lol. Anyway, I didn't panic nor stress out this time around, applying the strategies I mentioned in my first success story to help me deal with the new challenge. So after a year I basically habituate to the jet-engine tinnitus too. I wrote another success story "How I Overcome SSHL...". If you are interested in the strategies I use, please check the stories for detail.

So don't panic nor despair over the current and hopefully temporary struggle. Things should improve over time. Your body may heal and your perception of your tinnitus may also change over time like many members' do. Try do some relaxing exercises or activities such as leisurely walking or hiking, and try any new hobby you often love to do as this will take your brain from focusing on the ringing.

Give it time. Good luck and God bless your recovery.