Noise-Induced Tinnitus — Positive Success Stories

https://www.bcmj.org/worksafebc/hand-arm-vibration-syndrome-havs

Sounds like HAVS- hand arm vibration syndrome

Definitely wear thick gloves, and also try some additional foam padding on the handle of the power tool.

 

Looks like the low-level machine noise, just in my left ear, is going to stick around for a while. It seems to be almost constant but sound levels in the room determine if I notice it or not. This is over 14 months after getting t.

I haven't noticed the h increasing, perhaps a little but not much. Not like it did last after loud noise exposure.

I knew I was screwed when I wrote my first post on this site. I was so desperate that day, month, year. I feel so stupid for thinking things would improve with time. They have improved but I keep going one step forward and two steps back.

It's my own doing. Every time I use a piece of battery power equipment, even with plugs and muffs, it gets me. Luckily I've kept the use short term except for the battery weed wacker two days ago. At one point I thought to myself I should stop but I decided to keep going another 30-45 minutes.

I don't feel as upset as I have other times in this thread but it never seems to end. I have started moving forward, back to some semblance of my old life, but I keep getting knocked down again.

Thanks for listening everyone and giving me a place to vent.

 

We are all here for you, this goes without saying.

I know this feeling only too well. We have to keep pushing through, one day at a time.

 

I know how that feels. I have had a nice volume reduction about a month ago but it lasted only for 2 weeks and now I am back to square one. I guess us T sufferers must learn how to push forward with our lives regardless of whether the T improves. I am learning to do that but it’s still hard as hell.

 

@winstona

I started to write that the machine noise had gone away this morning but I noticed it was still there. I think it's on and off now. This tone is definitely my ears tell for too much noise or too much vibration.

I'm trying to move forward as well, and I'm light years ahead of where I was last year at this time, but I still have a ways to go.

 

I arrived at a job this morning and heard the low level humming machine noise in just my left ear. I think driving in my diesel dump truck, with hearing protection, got it started. I've driven that truck a lot with no problems but whatever is going on is causing my ears to be weaker and more vulnerable than before.

I have to lay off the new battery powered weed wacker and blower, no matter how quiet they are. Whether it's vibrations or the high pitched noise of the blower I don't know but my left ear has been getting that machine vibration noise a lot more since I started using the battery powered tools a couple of weeks ago. I used the blower for about 10 minutes yesterday with anti-vibration gloves on and double ear protection and kept the decibel level under 75 but today left ear still feels off.

I've noticed fleeting t a lot more in my left ear as well. One or two times per day. Sometimes I don't get the fleeting t ring I just sense my hearing is gone and then it comes back.

Finally, my ears feel 'tense'. Not sure how to explain that one. They're not full like the beginning, my eardrum isn't fluttering but my ears feel like whatever muscle is in the ear canal or behind the eardrum is tight.

I feel like all these symptoms are going to settle down assuming I've nailed the proper cause.

The t, in general, hasn't changed much. I suspect it's more of a tone, harsher than it was a few weeks ago. Not sure the volume is much louder but I don't want to risk it.

Only time will tell.

 

Used the battery weedwhacker and blower for about 15 minutes total today. Kept the volume of both under 80 db with double hearing protection and anti-vibe gloves. Six hours later the noise is in my left ear again.

It's well after midnight and I'm up with anxiety and another dose of reality. I thought the new quieter tools were going to get me closer to where I was. They're not.

I'm going to put the stuff where I can't see it so I'm not tempted to use it again this year.

Had a softer day with the t though it did rain much of the afternoon. I'll take what I can get.

 

Why do you keep using those tools?! Can't you ask your wife, or hire someone to do this for you (or just let the grass do its thing)?

 

When people say to do what you enjoy I think of working in my yard. I'm into the manicured look but I know I have to let it go. I hired a neighbor to mow but he doesn't do the trimming. I'll let it go or do it by hand with hand tools.

You'd think I'd know by now but never in my life have I had a health issue not heal after this long and I get that it may never heal.

 

I know...

One of my neighbors mows his lawn once a week. Is that normal, or is he mentally ill?!

The rest of my neighbors are also into the manicured look. Before T, I would mow my lawn twice a year - one time in July, and one time at the start of September. Now I just don't water the lawn (and don't mow it). I think that this natural meddow look is wonderful. I am afraid that my neighbors might disagree with me.

 

Once a week is 'normal' but the environment appreciates the meadow. While social norms say there's something wrong with you for not mowing you're doing a good thing for the environment.

Last year I didn't touch the weedwhacker and I was so happy to be able to do it again but it looks like I'll be waiting until next year.

 

Woke up last night, half or more asleep, and the sound of the t was more like a hissing, though loud hissing. I don't know if it was a dream or reality because I was exhausted. Perhaps my subconscious wish of the solid tone turning to a hiss made its way into my dreams. I was so tired I woke up, thought 'whatever' closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

 

The h has been making a lot of progress going away the past month or so. I didn't realize how much I damaged my ears until the h started going away. Everything is so quiet!

It's been 15 months and my ears are just getting near the end of h if it does end. I can't believe I did something so stupid! In my defense, I had hearing protection on but it was too loud for too long.

I've used the weed wacker on the lower setting (under 80 db) with plugs and muffs and sometimes think the t has gotten a touch louder but I haven't gotten the low-level vibration through a tunnel as I did a few weeks ago. The t goes from softer to more pointed through the day normally so I can't tell if it's noise or the normal pattern.

I'm keeping the time with the weed wacker short, under half an hour, in case there is trouble it will be minor.

 

A lot of the sensitivity you've been describing over these months seems H related, so if it's starting to lessen, great!

I hope and pray that assessment proves out!

 

I think I figured out why left ear has been getting the low vibrating sensation.

Yesterday I was on my cell phone for 2 minutes at the most. I had the volume less than halfway and the phone held up to my left ear. When I got off the phone I immediately hear the low vibrating sensation/noise and it lasted about an hour.

My theory is I've been protecting my ears so well that when I'm exposed to louder than normal noises I get the vibrating sensation noise but only in my left ear.

When I got it after splitting wood last December that was pretty heavy hitting even with plugs and muffs on. When I got it about a month ago with the battery weedwhacker and blower I used them both at higher throttle creating more noise.

I haven't checked lately but I'm sensitive to, stay away from, noises over about 70 db. Perhaps I need to gradually expose myself to more noise, at safe levels.

The thing is I live on a busy road and I assure you traffic noise is easily above 90 db for perhaps 5-10 seconds at a time. I plug my ears usually when that happens but I have been exposed to louder noises. I also don't plug my ears as often for things like helicopters and airplanes as I did last year.

I can't quite figure out what's going on but the fact that the cell phone call gave me the low vibrating noise/sensation seems like a clue I can't deny.

 

Walking in the yard yesterday a neighbor tried to start a car that sounded like it had no muffler on. It was really loud. Luckily it only ran a couple of times for 5-10 seconds. The noise was probably 80-100 feet from me.

About 1/2 hr later I heard the low noise/vibration in my left ear. Luckily it only lasted 1-1.5 hours.

It's odd I only get that noise/sensation in my left ear.

I admit I had a few moments of panic, is this my life now feeling. Luckily I was busy and didn't dwell.

 

@OnceUponaTime

I read a post by you saying you got a low drone/hum after briefly attending a loud event.

I have been getting a low drone/hum after being exposed to loud noises lately. I would describe it as it sounds like I'm standing on one side of a tunnel with machinery running on the other. The length of my exposure determines how long the low drone continues.

Have you had any progress with the low drone hum?

 

Sadly no...it has gotten worst a couple of times now. I get no break.

How are you these days?

 

@OnceUponaTime Overall everything is improving with the exception of the volume of the t. I can't believe how much less sensitive my ears are getting to noise. The h was so severe I must have really hurt my poor ears.

I haven't heard the low drone/hum noise since last week but I'm sure it will be back again. Actually, I think I barely heard it for a while this morning but told myself to not focus on it.

I hope the low drone hum starts to soften for you as well as everything else. Thank you for responding.

 

Oh, this is great. Just really be careful not to hurt them again. I had h. twice and thankfully got better quickly.

​

Awesome....ignore it! Hopefully it wont come back ever!

I hope so too...its been 4 1/2 hard long years .

Anytime!

 

For anyone following my thread the low drone/hum went away and I haven't heard it for perhaps 3-4 weeks. I think it's going to come back if I expose myself to too much noise. It's my warning sign.

I've only gotten it after being exposed to loud noise or vibration from splitting wood with an ax. When I initially got it I had been using my new battery-powered weed wacker on the faster aka louder mode and I think it was too much noise. I also used a battery-operated blower on full throttle, too loud again even with plugs and muffs.

I've only used the weed wacker on half-speed mode and the blower at 1/3 to 1/4 power and it's been fine.

 

Hiya
I've just started experiencing this à few days ago. It's so scary. Right now it sounds so loud, like someone is drilling outside but I know for a fact that nobody is there.

It makes me so relieved to hear that yours went away. How long did it take to leave? What signs did you see when it began to fade?? I'm totally freaking out right now. I've had this before and it went away so I thought Id never have to experience it again. How did yours come about??

 

@Optigirl19

Unfortunately, the low noise/hum was in addition to the regular t. I still have a ringing, sometimes harsher sometimes softer.

If you went to a loud concert and you're young you have a good chance of the t fading and hopefully going away. There are many posts about that here.

I recommend avoiding loud noises and no more earbuds or headphones. Your ears need time to heal. I would also stay away from going to any other loud concerts or a bar or club when it's loud. Your ears need a chance to heal.

From what I've read on the site when it starts to go away it will either get lower in volume or turn to a hiss. Many concert t people have noticed a change within a month or two, hopefully, you will too.

Good luck!

 

18 Months

When I first got t I looked forward to the future, when t would either get better or I'd get used to it. Time moved so slowly those first months. I want to assure anyone who gets t that you have a future but you have to be patient.

The last few months things that have caused me anxiety have crept back into the picture. Things that didn't bother me are starting to bother me again. My focus is slowly shifting back to everyday life and not constantly focusing on t.

Like many on this website, I assumed my life was over. How could I not with how bad things were, but it isn't. I have a lot of living to do.

If you're new to t and in the freaking out stage please be patient and give it some time. If things don't improve give it some more time. Things are going to get better.

I don't think the level of the t is any less than it was a year ago. It's the same level, sometimes harsher sometimes softer. I probably do have days where it stays harsher and louder than others. I have stopped trying to compare to the day before and accept that what I have is what I have. What else can I do?

I can't believe how messed up my ears were with h. As the h continues to fade noises that bothered me no longer do. The fan in the bathroom, traffic noise in front of my house, music at the local big box store, a leaf blower 50 yards away. I sometimes get sad because I know I messed up my ears by how bad the h was. I've never experienced anything close to that in all my life.

My ears were perfectly fine, even with an almost 40 db dip at 4000 hz, until the day I used the power tool for 2 1/2 hours (with ear protection) and threw it all away. I haven't gotten over that yet. However, I realize how lucky I am to be here.

My secret is to not be in a room with no noise. Make sure the window is open or my sound machine is on. Summer was easy with air conditioners and open windows. Winter can be hard when it's snowing out and the house is quiet. I have to be vigilant with my sound machine.

I talked about a humming or vibrating noise in my left ear a month or two ago. I still get that once in a while. Some nights I hear it when I lay down to bed. It's just barely audible under the t and over the sound I'm playing in the background. If I hear it I try not to focus on it and roll over so the ear with the humming or vibrating is up and gets more ambient noise as I try to fall asleep. It's almost become a nightly thing.

That noise will return for an hour or two if I'm exposed to loud noise. It's my bodies response to too much noise or vibration I suppose. The vibrating will come right away for loud sharp noises or be a lower, barely audible tone/feeling at night for quieter loud noises.

The regular t is still a steady tone, sometimes with crickets underneath, sometimes without. Sometimes softer, sometimes louder. I can hear it easily standing next to a refrigerator. I can hear it when watching tv at a normal volume but manage not to focus on it. I usually watch tv at night when the tone has become more steady and sharp. I don't hear it when in the shower and a stream will usually be enough to drown most of it out. I just need a little background noise not to focus on it.

My ears still get a full feeling almost daily. The feel inflamed, not full like in the beginning. I don't hear a noise when I swallow like in the beginning. Thank goodness.

I've started wearing 32 db earplugs when I drive. I use the X5A's sometimes for short drives, or long drives, but I like the plugs because they don't stand out as much. I can drive my wife's Honda CRV at 40 mph without hearing protection for 10-15 minutes. A year ago I was too scared to do that and the noise seemed too loud. I like driving my wife's car because it's much quieter than my diesel pickup truck.

I don't carry the X5A's with me all the time anymore. Like at the grocery store or a fast-food restaurant. However, I make sure to wear them if I go to the bathroom where they have hand dryers. I don't use the hand dryers but man they are loud.

If I hear a loud noise I plug my ears and move away quickly but I don't fear a spike from something like a baby crying or a motorcycle or truck passing as long as I plug and move away quickly. I wouldn't want to be near a fire alarm or piece of power equipment though.

I hope you're having luck in your recovery.

 

Weird night.

I was in my garage with the radio on and I noticed a high pitched eee coming from just my left ear. It was a very sharp eee, unlike the softer eee I'm used to.

As usual, you don't realize how much you've improved until you go backward.

It lasted about an hour and a half and the t on the left side is definitely louder. I think it's one of two things.

Either it was an extended episode of fleeting t. I've heard that happens to some people on this site.

Or I used my battery weedwhacker with only earplugs for about 10 minutes today and I didn't have my left earplug inserted well and noise got in. I fear this is the cause but hope it isn't.

Right now, about two hours after I first noticed the high pitch eee it's gone but the t is louder on the left side. Hopefully it calms down by morning.

 

For whatever it's worth, when I mow the lawn I wear insertable foam 32 dB plugs and then 3m muffs on top of that. Works well.

 

Thank god it’s calmed down.... you’ve got one hell of a love affair with your weedwhacker... go old school and use a sickle, I also am a chronic “whacker” , I understand. Just lay of the power tools, believe me, I’ve been a power tool gut for 35 years, it’s painful not to be able to do shit I used to. I built a freaking house for goodness sake.
No more whacking bro... give it a rest.

 

This is the truth, John. I sincerely hope today is quieter for you. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place, given your line of work.

I have had two setbacks over the course of the summer, although mine were stress related for certain. We have both been at this for pretty much the same amount of time, I still hold out hope that things will get better, even a small reduction in the volume would be greatly welcomed. Let's do our best to remain positive.

 

Tonight I had fleeting t on my right side, it lasted perhaps 30-45 seconds with my ear going quiet for the first 10 or 20 seconds. The most unusual thing happened after. I heard no t on that side for the next 2-3 minutes and only crickets on my left side. The background eee was gone, even if for a moment.

It amazes me that after over 18 months I'm getting fleeting t way more often than ever in my life and it lasts much longer as well.

I don't know what's going to happen but it's good to know my body is still trying to get rid of the t.

 

It's a quiet, rainy day today. I'm sitting indoors with no masking and I hear the ringing but it's not bothering me too much. I remember sitting in this same spot almost a year and a half ago listening to the t and crying because I thought my life was over.

I drove my diesel truck for about an hour and a half this morning, wearing earplugs.

The low vibration is back in my left ear only. It's fairly quiet, almost like a mosquito buzzing around my ear. I don't know what to make of it.

I used the battery weed wacker yesterday and didn't notice the low vibration last night until late. I'm trying to figure out the time between exposure to loud noise and the vibration starting. There is usually a delay.

I have to believe the low vibration mosquito sound in my left ear is my loud noise trigger. Whether that be noise or vibration. It makes no sense that the first time I experienced this was last December after I split firewood by hand with double hearing protection. That was 9 months after I got t. I have never heard that noise on the right side of my head.

I've had the noise set off by the battery weed wacker, using my cell phone (dumb phone style) by my ear, a loud motorcycle, splitting wood by hand with double hearing protection.

I don't notice an increase in sensitivity to loud noises when I hear the noise. It just lingers for a day or two. There seems to be a trend of the low vibrating noise lasting longer but staying at a lower level.

I have to wonder if the noise has been there before, possibly lower, but I couldn't hear it through the t.