My Tinnitus Has Seriously Improved Over 6 Months Since Acoustic Trauma

I had a terrible episode after playing with the speaker. It was next to my head, and I played frequencies upwards of 13000 Hz at around 80-90 dB for 10 minutes. I didn't think this would be bad, but the following six months completely changed me. For the first two weeks, I was on Prednisone 50 mg per day. I'm unsure if it helped, but I'm glad I did. I also saw a psychologist because I was in a very dark place.

The first two months were 10/10; I was in constant panic and suicidal. While having tinnitus, I also had severe facial/ear nerve pain and ear fluttering along with Eustachian tube dysfunction. ETD felt like I had a permanent cold; my ears would pop every time I swallowed or yawned. It was super annoying. My ears had some severe damage done to them. The next few months were terrible, too. I was getting jump scares from my tinnitus, so I was always on edge. Months 4-6 were better. I started to protect the hell out of my ears. I thought my tinnitus was nerve damage due to all the nerve activity on my face and ears. I protected everywhere. I used earplugs in the shower, driving, cleaning, doing dishes, going to the toilet, etc. I didn't use earplugs at night. I prefer to stay in my quiet room on my computer to avoid wearing earplugs because earplugs mean I hear my tinnitus more. I firmly believe that not protecting your ears after acoustic trauma just prolongs the healing. When you break your leg, do you walk on it immediately? You don't walk on it for a month, then ease into it. In my book, the same goes for ears; since we know ears take ages to heal, we must protect them for a long time. This is just my experience/opinion. I'm not a doctor

Six months later, it has got better. There are fewer jump scares, and I think the tinnitus volume has reduced. At first, it was like a dentist drill in my head. Later, it changed to a giant box of crickets behind my head. And finally, it became a few single tones and kept improving. I'm no longer going to bed with anxiety. It's still shit, and I have no clue how much more it will improve, but I still have nerve pain/tingling so I'd say there's still a good bit left to go. I am still protecting my ears and not doing anything noisy.

Honestly, I did not think I'd be writing this today five months ago. I was convinced it was permanent and I'd have to kill myself, but here we are. I am not suicidal, but I have severe trauma and PTSD from this experience. I also understand habituation more; it's interesting what the brain can do. I'm still nowhere near back to my usual self, but not being in a constant state of panic is a win in my book, and in hindsight, it might have been better for me to get some anti-anxiety medication in the beginning. Take the wins as they come, no matter how small they are.

This all happened from a small Bluetooth speaker at 90 dB playing high frequencies. My doctor said ears are more sensitive to the higher frequencies. It took six months to notice any improvement. Hopefully, the next six months will be better, and I can return to swimming and other things I used to enjoy.

 

It's great to hear you have some improvements!

Why have you played high frequencies on your Bluetooth box?

Have you done an audiogram?

Was your ETD caused by the acoustic trauma?

 

I am so happy for you!

 

Hopefully you keep improving!

 

My audiogram is normal except for a tiny dip at 13 kHz, which she said wasn't significant.

The ETD was caused by acoustic trauma.

 

Thanks for the post. It’s great to hear you are improving. Unfortunately, I have never taken Prednisone. Can I ask what type of earplugs you wear in the shower? I have been having bowl and flannel washes because I am terrified of using the shower since it is so noisy. I now regret removing the bath to install a shower in 2020.

I am going through a really bad time myself after experiencing acoustic shock from a screaming toddler next to me. I already had ear issues, tinnitus, and mild hyperacusis, but now it has turned into a nightmare. I was just coming to terms with my condition before this incident. I can't believe how a random, unknown screaming child next to me in a queue at the pharmacy has caused such severe distress and anxiety. I think the unexpected scream from behind, out of sight, really damaged my ears.

I hate that the tinnitus I developed in 2021, which I was just getting used to after three years, has now changed to a sound like a dentist's drill. This new noise isn't masked by my white noise machine, which was perfect for my cicadas-like tinnitus from 2021 to 2024. My tinnitus now sounds so intense and high-pitched, and my right ear is louder than my left, which wasn't the case before.

I also have severe hyperacusis now, making it impossible to leave the house without hearing protection, and my right ear won't stop aching along with my jaw. I am now two weeks into this, and nothing has improved or even started to improve. I am so sick of my ears.