My Story with a Happy Ending

Hey guys, I wanted to post my experience since I've been a lurker for the last two weeks! Here is my story:

Two weeks ago I went to a concert much against my desire (I made a promise and I honor my promises); I don't generally like these kinds of gatherings but there I was at 9 pm stuck in a tiny little room with music so loud that the walls were vibrating and chairs were bouncing about! I have only been to one concert before (I am a book lover not a music lover) so it never occurred to me to bring ear plugs, thinking it was only once in a lifetime...I stayed for the entire duration of the event.

Situation over, I had a heavy ringing in my ear that lasted several hours and went away. Two days later I was on my ear bugs while jogging around the neighborhood. After I got home and gotten out of the shower, there was this incredibly loud ringing in my ear much like the sound of a heart monitor flat lining. It was SO loud that I had my tv on and can hear it over the television.

So I thought to myself, yeah this will pass I just got back from a windy jog. But 8 hours later it was still there and louder than ever. I struggled to sleep that night but couldn't because of the ringing...it was obnoxiously loud and ever present. The next day I went to a doctor who told me I had temporary Tinnitus, he gave me steroids to soothe the inflammation.

So there I was...crying and screaming into my pillow, terrified and scared that it will be permanent...logging on every forum and support group...trying to grasp a sense of hope or faith of some kind to sooth my broken spirit. With the noise much akin to a pair of screeching sirens evoking thoughts of depression and loneliness in my mind. I figured, I have been healthy all my life...never a single trip to a hospital...I guess it was only about time there was something that would affect my life in such a way. I was terrified that being in my twenties...I would have to live with this for the rest of my life.

So every day was another torturous event, crying all the time...watching classic films...trying to get over the obnoxious ringing in my ears. But surprisingly it started to get better and better, I was able to go outside without hearing it...then I was able to sit next to a fan without hearing it...then the next day I was sitting in my car with the engine off and could barely hear it.

My hope was coming back and my fear was starting to subside, it has been two weeks now and I can safely say that it has virtually disappeared. No matter how much I cover my ears...the noise has gone away. However, it can be either to placebo or what, but I can pick up certain high frequencies a lot better, this could be due to habitually straining to hear the noise which forces my brain to pick up any sound that might be similar to it.

Either way I am much much more careful with my ears now, I am always frightened of being exposed to loud noises...and I won't jog near busy streets. I know that any serious event might spike my T into over drive and make it permanent so I am always cautious.

I hope this story helps anyone else out there that might have induced T due to loud noises and music. Please, don't panic and take it easy. I was depressed for so long and although it is reasonable to be so, try not to assume the worst.

 

@coffee_girl
Tinnitus isn't easy to deal with and now you know what it's like. It is good that you will be taking precautions and keeping away from loud sounds. Just giving you a little advice which you might like to keep in mind. When listening to your music through earbuds, headphones try keeping the volume as low as possible. Many people (me included) end up with permanent tinnitus due to listening to music through headphones at too high a volume and not realizing it.

I wish someone had giving me this advice many moons ago.
All the best
Michael

 

I agree, I used to listen to my audio tapes at max volume!! Now I let it dangle next to my ear and gauge the volume by the sound of my footsteps. If I can't hear myself walking or moving my body then it is too loud.

I'm more worried about 4th of July Events and Chinese New Years, since I am Asian and fireworks are very important at certain times of the year...I will be prepared for it lol =D

 

@coffee_girl
Once someone experiences tinnitus, I normally advise them not to listen to music through headphones even at low volume. You might like to read an article I wrote on headphones and tinnitus. Please click on the link below.
All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/headphones-and-tinnitus.12062/

 

I read your article and it seems very interesting (thanks for writing it!). However, there aren't enough responses and so I have to ask...what difference would it be to have headphones set at ultra low volume vs...having a sound from a distance that is loud and intrusive?

Wouldn't it be the same thing?

 

In my opinion it is all to do with proximity. A headphone’s speaker or earbud is very close to the ear so the sound can only go in one direction, which is down the ear canal and hitting the eardrum. If one were to play music though it at an ultra low level, I don’t think it’s possible to hear the full dynamic range of the music and therefore it wouldn’t be enjoyable. Music played from a distance, providing it isn’t too loud is dispersed over a wider area before it hits the eardrum.

Since your tinnitus was temporary and now you play music through your headphones/earbuds at a low level I don’t think you’ll have any problems. As I said in my article: some people with tinnitus listen to music through headphones with no adverse effects while others do. However, anyone with long term tinnitus I think it would be wise to give headphones a wide berth.

Michael

 

I think it would, since the whole hearing apparatus downstream from the eardrum reacts to the pressure on the eardrum, independent from the actual source of that sound wave, whether it came from an earbud/headphone an inch away or a speaker 10 feet away, or an airplane a few miles away.
An ear bud is a speaker too. It's just smaller, and closer. Obviously it doesn't put out the same amount of power than a bookshelf/tower speaker that is supposed to fill up a room with sound, but it doesn't have to, because it sits very close to the ear drum.

I don't think there's anything magical about headphones/earbuds vs speakers. They both put sound in your ears, at whatever volume you control. One should be careful, whether s/he uses one or the other.

 

So how long did you have it before it went away?

 

What did you do during that period of time? Sounds like you're healthy and fit.

 

Very nice story. Hope I can find peace with tinnitus.

 

I doubt it went. Someone having a "doubtful" mood and writing 16 messages upon registration with a tinnitus-forum probably still has tinnitus (pretty bad).

 

You were luckier than 99% of people here, good on you..Even though it was very loud at the beginning - I wonder if it's not steroids that saved you. Someting that many people simply don't receive from their ignorant doctors in the beginning - like myself. Mine just asked me to WAIT. Who knows, had I been prescribed steroids , maybe I wouldn't still be living this 18 months later. Either way, you probably damaged a good part of your hearing at that extremely loud event ( how come people even organise such a thing ? ) and the good cells took over the lost functioning of the damaged ones. You really should be extra careful from now on but you know that.. Since T, fireworks are a big no-no for me.

 

Bad news, after it went away for 2 days my T came back in full force with a different sound than before. Instead of a dial tone on my right ear it is now both ears with a hissing noise somewhere in the middle of my head. I also feel a flu or symptoms of the flu with nausea, headaches, and chills. Not sure how I'm feeling other than miserable. I knew it was too good to be true

 

May be it is Temporary.

 

You definitely need professional help.....

 

I feel like the sound is swimming in my head, my symptoms are very flu like... I'm super weak and feeling awful. Not sure if this is normal?

 

I'm so sorry, @coffeegirl, it could be exactly what happened to me:
the steroids only temporarily stop the tinnitus, once their done I got
very sick, had to go to emergency. You need to see an ENT asap and
have your hearing tested as well...

 

Thanks for your concern.

As much as I like hope, I dislike false hope even more. However, I suspect many members of Tinnitus-Talk prefer false hope. Or so it seems to me...............

P.S. I believe you will win the lottery tomorrow.

 

False hope as in your "success" story?

 

Hello @coffee_girl how are you doing these days? Wishing you the best in your recovery.