Noise-Induced Tinnitus — Positive Success Stories

Did you actually experience real silence?

 

@all to gain

No, it wasn't silence but the eee component of the eee plus crickets was gone for a few minutes. Things like that encourage me to continue to be patient.

 

It's the middle of the night and the house is quiet. All the windows are closed and there's no traffic outside or noise inside. I don't have masking on though I will in a moment. The t is loud! I feared things would be louder once closed window season came and man are they!

I wonder if there would be a difference in the volume if I put earmuffs on. I can't imagine much.

The encouraging thing is I hear the t but I'm not getting worked up about it. If I dwell I will get worked up so I try not to dwell. It's a noise in the background like an airplane in the sky, standing near a busy road, a car alarm going off on the other side of a parking lot.

Lucky for me my gray cat, which at the time of this writing is part of my avatar, is laying behind me. I don't feel so alone.

I used a battery-powered blower a few days this week for perhaps 15-30 minutes in addition to the battery-powered weed wacker. I had plugs and muffs on. I'm sure the t is a little louder but masking would help a lot too.

It's weird, I've been talking about this low rumble vibration in only my left ear but last night, after using the blower during the day, I didn't hear it. Once again just when you think you have t figured out it doesn't play by the rules.

The wind just blew outside. It's amazing how there can be such a racquet in my head yet normal sounds come through perfectly fine. When I first got t I wouldn't have believed it.

I am getting a little worked up, I'm realizing this is never going away, life will always be different. I tell myself that a different life is better than no life. Things have improved, perhaps not in the volume but the h has gone down. My reaction to t has gone down.

I do hope for a miracle reduction, even if it's getting closer and closer to two years (not that two years means anything). I want things to start moving in the other direction, which they have for everything except the volume. I hope for some fading, any fading. I want to write a post about how, right when I was ready to give up hope, things started to improve.

 

Not sure if it was using a battery leaf blower last week, listening to the computer speaker too loud yesterday, driving my truck with earplugs today or closed window no air conditioner season but the t seems louder and more piercing the last few days.

I'm not really reacting to it but I notice it seems a bit louder and more of a steady tone with some ear fullness again.

In all my life I never would have imagined having to deal with something like this though truth be told I never really imagined having to deal with anything.

 

I became optimistic about a cure becoming available within a few years after reading
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/mutebutton.124/page-81#post-416875

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/suicidal.31839/#post-452473

 

@Bill Bauer

Thanks for the pick me up. I've bookmarked plenty of success stories and posts, I should read through them when I'm getting down. I hope they release that mute button soon.

 

I feel the same. At the moment I am dealing with a spike, so I completely understand your frustration, John.

 

@emmalee

I think I'm dealing with a spike too and it bothers me because I think it was the battery leaf blower. I used it too long at a higher speed/volume. I had plugs and muffs on but I still should have known better. Yet again I think I've healed enough to move forward and get knocked back.

I hope things get better for you soon.

 

Thank-you, I hope the same for you.

It is during these set-backs, if you will, that I ask myself if this is as good as it gets. We never know what the next day will have in store for us. Like you, I will have days when I think that I have reached a pretty good place, in that I am able to deal with my baseline whistle, only to wake up to a ridiculous spike.

I know I repeat myself far too often, but all we can do is take this day by day.

 

@emmalee

Exactly!

I have sympathy for you Emma. You didn't get t from a lifetime of noise, you got t because who knows why.

It took me over 30 years to get to where I am today. I thought I was doing everything right (within acceptable tolerances, not perfect relating to noise) until the t started.

I'm hoping in time, perhaps a week or two, perhaps longer, there are no time frames, the eee softens again and becomes a little quieter. That's what I've been hoping all along.

 

It really could be any of the triggers you mention, or a combination of them. Best to try an eliminate them all, and the slowly reintroduce as needed the ones you think are less likely. This is the frustrating part, and it took me a while to figure out the paper shredder was triggering the spike to persist as once I got earmuffs to use it, things improved. Keep a diary, and you will find a way.

I also think daily omega3 supplements helped as well.

 

@Digital Doc

That's a great idea. I feel like I can put a finger on the cause, the leaf blower, but that could be guilt.

For what it's worth I have a Fellowes paper shredder which is about three times as much as an entry-level shredder but a much quieter machine.

 

Thanks for the tip on the paper shredder. I have two, a strip cut and crosscut; the latter is somewhat louder. I will look for a quieter one when one of these break. In the meantime, the ear muffs work well for this.

Every time I thought I figured out what was feeding the tinnitus, I ended up finding another one so keep on it. In my case it was first the power tools, then the vacuum, next a hair dryer used by another family member, then the hair trimmer, the electric shaver, and falling asleep in front of the TV (even at low volume). I do wonder what I am still missing.

 

A few months ago I used a lawn mower and strimmer for about 40 minutes in total, followed the next day by a lunch with friends, and listening to soft rock music for around 20 minutes. This was enough to make me wake up that night with a massive spike. That was when my T first reached "severe" levels. After around a month it settled back down to its "normal" moderate levels.

I've suffered another spike after some low-level socialising a couple of days ago, and feeling amazed that I've gone back to having such loud ringing again for 3 whole days now. Just reminding myself that this one is likely settle down like the previous one did...

 

Coffee machine?

 

@Digital Doc & @Mister Muso

Thank you for sharing your stories of things that caused the t to amp up. I can be hard on myself when I make mistakes. Knowing others makes mistakes, and things have settled for you, helps.

 

T settled a little bit today. Now it's the evening, and things are always louder in the evening. I still have a ways to go to get back to where I was.

While driving today with earplugs a weird thing happened. For perhaps 10 minutes my crickets and eee sort of combined and became an up and down hissing sound. The hissing seemed louder than the regular t but because it was hissing, not sharp like the eee, it didn't bother me. Frankly, any change that seems positive doesn't bother me.

I've had that happen before, but only for perhaps 15-20 minutes at the longest. I have no idea what, if anything, this means. It's good to know my ears are still fighting the good fight even after I abused them recently.

 

No coffee machine so not contributing to it. Also, my caffeine intake does not seem to influence it.

 

I went to dinner last night with a group of friends. I asked that we go to a quiet restaurant but we ended up in a busy place with the Friday night crowd. No band was playing, just conversation. Within 5 minutes of arriving I put my earplugs in to be safe.

I think things went well, my ears never felt weird last night. I thought it was odd that no one at the table asked about the earplugs and I only told one of the people there about them. Perhaps my friend had already explained the situation.

When things quieted down I took the plugs out.

I feel pretty good that I could understand the conversation, with the occasional missed words which I assume everyone has, wearing earplugs in a noisy restaurant. I have a lot of my hearing left though I know it's not what it was when I was younger. I also was happy that the t wasn't so loud, or I wasn't focusing on it enough, to be distracted.

We'll call this one progress.

 

We certainly will, John.

I rarely go out to eat, since getting tinnitus, sadly. It used to be one of my favorite social activities, meeting up with family and friends for a nice meal and a glass of wine.

I'm so happy that you were able to enjoy yourself.

 

I haven't heard the warbly low t for a couple of days now and I also haven't driven my diesel pickups with earplugs in. I wonder if there is a connection?

 

How much omega 3 did you take? And which brand, if may I ask?

 

It is about 500 mg daily. Brand is Spring Valley.

 

The t on only my left side is screaming today. I drove for about an hour and a half with an earplug inserted wrong (driving a diesel pickup with interior noise levels around 70-75 db), at least that's what I think I did. I would guess I messed up early afternoon yesterday, went to bed last night with my left ear feeling 'funny', kind of tight and itchy. I woke up this morning with the volume about 3 times louder only on my left side and a more tighter than full feeling on the left side. I'm hoping things settle quickly.

My left ear canal never takes the earplugs well. I often have to try 2-3 times to get the placement semi-right. I must have been messed up yesterday and not noticed. I did get my hair cut yesterday too but that hasn't been giving me trouble.

It's been over 18 months and my ears are still sensitive and this is by far the loudest increase I've had yet. I really hope things settle quickly.

 

I hope so too, John.

 

@New Guy

You may need specialist treatment to treat and cure the oversensitivity to sound. This requires the wearing of white noise generators and counselling, with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist trained in Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Michael

 

I woke up today and things are back at their baseline (thank goodness) I do have the warbly noise underneath the t on the left side. I don't know what to say besides this is so weird and makes no sense.

 

This about sums up tinnitus.

Good to hear you are back at baseline.

 

A quick update on where I am after 21 months.

The level of the t isn't getting quieter but wow my ears were so sensitive to sound. As the h continues to fade I'm amazed how messed up my ears were, and probably still are. Noises that bothered me a year ago seem like nothing. Driving my wife's car over 40 mph, traffic noise on my road though still loud at rush hour and large trucks, my diesel pickup truck.

I wear hearing protection when driving my pickup but if I take it off for a moment the truck doesn't sound half as loud. I don't cringe from the noise. I've gotten used to wearing earplugs.

I'm still trying to figure out the warbly noise in only my left ear. It comes after I've listened to the speakers on my computer at what I feel is an acceptable level but is louder than I've been listening to, if I use battery-powered equipment with double hearing protection I'll sometimes get it a while, and if my blood sugar is getting low sometimes I hear it too (I'm diabetic). Once again t makes no sense.

A couple of weeks ago we had snow and I used a gasoline snowblower with double hearing protection at barely over an idle. I measured the noise level and it was in the upper 70's to low 80 db's. On full throttle, the snowblower was easily around 95 decibels. I used it for perhaps 15 minutes and I was nervous about the noise but felt I should give it a try. I suppose it's progress I'll even look at power equipment again.

My ears have been itchy the last few weeks. I don't know if it's winter or my mind focusing on the t but I find myself cleaning my ears too often. I need to let them be.

I should say that I'm getting better at hearing the t and not paying it any attention. For people new to this you can get there but it takes time. A lot of time, a lot of anxiety, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of crying but you can get to a point where you hear it, at a lower level, and don't freak out.

It's still quieter in the morning and early afternoon, I almost find it pleasant and calming some days, but by nighttime, the tone is sharper and usually louder.

I'm not here as much because I don't have anything to add, not because the t has gone away.

I am getting better at dealing with t. I remember how bad things were the first months and feel I owe it to everyone who posted something in this thread or gave me a virtual hug. You are the ones who got me through the worst period of my life. I don't know if I could have made it without you. No one understood what I was going through except for you.

Happy holidays to my friends on TT.

 

A couple days ago I used a chainsaw for a few minutes and then again 5 minutes the following day. I had earplugs and muffs on and kept it brief but the weather was nice, I needed firewood and I missed the saw. I don't know if the t is louder because of that.

I'm not recommending chainsaws to anyone on this forum or saying it was a good idea but I went for it, briefly.

This morning I barely heard/felt the warbly noise in my right ear that I usually only hear in my left. Can't say if there was a correlation or not but I'll acknowledge that.

A couple of hours ago something weird happened. The t on my right side stuttered for a few minutes. It didn't stop but the t stuttered like someone was hitting an on-off button and it wouldn't stay off. I stopped what I was doing and plugged my ears to listen and after 2-3 minutes it was over.

Merry Christmas 2019 everyone!