Noise-Induced Hearing Loss at 18 from Listening to Headphones with Volume at 70% Level for Years

For the past 2-3 years I had been listening to my headphones with volume at 70% level most of the time. And since the 18th of December my tinnitus came upon me. I will never forget that night were I was just filled with anxiety and dread knowing this was gonna be the remainder of my life. I could have been enjoying it but now I cannot even sleep without some background sound. I used to be the type of guy to wake up then fall asleep, then wake up again and fall asleep with no issue. I really enjoyed my lazy days of sleep, but now they are gone.

Even though my tinnitus and hyperacusis are not as bad as the other cases I have read about, I still feel bad and depressed. I have, in a similar fashion to you guys, mourned the loss of silence and the person I used to be... From the loss of silence and piece to the possible risk of dementia in the future (I learned that hearing loss increases the risk of dementia).

I did go to an audiologist but I only got the standard human speech perception test. Based on the results, my hearing is clinically normal, but I basically scraped by being clinically normal, as in I'm kinda on the edge of going to mild hearing loss instead of slight hearing loss if I don't look after my ears. I also suspect that I probably got hearing loss at the higher frequencies that were not tested.

 

Welcome to the forum @JimmyStrong. It is quite common for a new tinnitus sufferer to experience the worst during the initial onset of tinnitus. For many people, improvement will usually happen from 6 months to 18 months. So try to be positive that this level of suffering is only temporary. Better days will come. If you read enough success stories, you will realize this happens to many people. Habituation will kick in at some point. After some time, the brain becomes more used to the ringing, which then can reduce the intensity of tinnitus.

I was really miserable too like others at first, with ultra high-pitched tinnitus and severe hyperacusis. But today I live a normal and enjoyable life. I never thought it would be possible during the worst time.

So don't worry too much. Give your body enough time to heal. Take good care. God bless.

 

Similar to yours, I had my onset back in 2021. I was playing a video game on my phone for prolonged hours with over 70%+ volume levels on AirPods. It has been over a year now and I have habituated to it most of the time.

The only measure that has truly helped me reduce my tinnitus volume is changing my diet. Eliminating salt, sugar, and carbs has made a significant difference. However, during cheat days when I indulge in guilty pleasures, my tinnitus volume tends to increase again. Just like others, you will surely pass through this phase...

 

I feel like my hearing loss has worsened. When it came to washes dishes, the sound of the plates clashing together would make me flinch. Other similar items clashing together would give me the same reaction.

But during the last few days I have felt worse. Sounds are perceived as further than they should be from the actual source from what I recall when I had perfect hearing. The clashing sounds no longer has me clinching. It's as if my stereocilia responsible for hearing the frequencies made from the plates clashing are completely dead...

What do you think, and what do I do?