Noise-Induced Tinnitus — Positive Success Stories

I hope your Christmas was a peaceful one, John. Happy New Year to you! ❤️

 

Thanks Emmalee. It was a good Christmas. I hope you enjoyed yours as well.

 

I had a nice Christmas, John. Thank-you.

 

2 Years

I can't believe it's been two years. I can feel my anxiety ramp up just thinking about my first months on this forum. That was a hard time.

The t is still very much there and pretty much where it was when it started. I'd like to think it is slowly getting quieter but it depends on the time of day. In the morning it's softer and by evening it's a harsher noise. I still have crickets underneath the eee at times.

I still have fleeting t several times a week if not more, I don't pay that much attention to it.

The most amazing change in the last 6 months or so is the h(yperacusis) has gone way down. It may be gone but my hearing has been messed up so long I can't remember what normal hearing sounds like. Noises that would have brought me to my knees a year ago don't bother me, as much, anymore. I can walk in my yard and traffic noise doesn't bother me unless it's a car with a hole in the exhaust, motorcycles cause me concern but not panic, I plug my ears while they pass if I'm away from the road. I try not to be next to the road when motorcycles go by.

There are noises that still bother me, they bothered me before t as well. Anything with a speaker that's too loud bothers me, be that my wife's iPhone speaker phone, the kids watching tv, the beeper at the supermarket. I don't linger when I hear these noises, I move away quickly and return with ear muffs on or plugs in and I still don't linger. Yes, I ask the kids to lower the volume of the tv and the cashier to lower the beeper.

I can drive my diesel truck with no hearing protection for under 10 minutes with no problems. I don't drive longer than that with no hearing protection. I can drive my wife's Honda CRV with no hearing protection at highway speeds, I couldn't imaging doing that a year ago.

I used a chainsaw this winter with double hearing protection, only about half a tank of gas at a time, and all is ok. I have to remind myself to be careful with power equipment to not overdo it, that's what got me into this mess in the first place. No matter the tool I use double hearing protection and keep use of the tool the minimum amount possible, even if I want to do more. My days of pushing through and getting it done with power equipment are done. I've purchased a battery chainsaw that's around 89 decibels on a low power mode, I like that one a lot. The same saw has a high power mode is about 98 decibels and it's a high pitch squeal that drives me nuts. I don't use it on that setting.

High pitches are not comfortable to listen to. I don't know why but they are and I suspect they always will be. I'm pretty sure high pitched noises and iPhones bothered me before t as well but now I take it a little more seriously.

The noise when swallowing and/or squeaky ears is gone. If I swallow now I still hear a noise but it's not squeaky noise, I think it's the normal noise. I think that was gone by about 6-8 months.

A few things I wanted to mention, beyond the symptoms.

I've found myself singing happy songs and planning for my future on and off the last few months. I don't have that cloud over my head all the time. I'm sure the cloud has slowly been fading, some days better than others, but it has been fading.

I look back at the last couple of years and wonder why I made such a big deal out of t. Was all that depression and sadness necessary? It wasn't necessary but I had no idea most of those symptoms would go away. I thought I was forever going to be stuck in a world with hyperacusis and squeaky ears when I swallow. I visited two ENT's who said, "Deal with it." I had a one-year checkup with one of the ENT's and I canceled it. I didn't see the point. They couldn't tell me anything when I went to them with screaming t, besides I have a 40 db dip at 4000 khz, what could they bring to light now? I don't recommend not visiting an ENT, I visited ENT's three times in my first 6 months with t.

When it's late at night and the house is quiet and I'm alone the t is loud. It's at those moments I realize how little the level of the t has improved. However, I can handle the noise for a few minutes. My mind has gotten to a point where hearing the t is like hearing the fish tank filter, traffic noise, the wind blowing. It can get to that point for you too.

If I sit in a quiet room and listen to the t and focus on it and wonder why I ruined my life it does get louder and I can spiral downward. I do my best to not be in quiet rooms and not let my mind get in that downward spiral. I'm still learning. I want to reassure anyone new to t that you can get through it, you will get through it, but it's going to take time. Give it time.

When I go to bed at night I have a sound oasis machine next to me. I used to play rain when I slept but now I play the ocean. I feel that's an improvement because the ocean is not as steady of a sound. Occasionally I'm so tired I can fall asleep with no noise because I forget to turn the sound machine on but if I wake in the middle of the night I turn it on so I don't start focusing on the t.

When I got t I was trying to be more active and lose weight. I guess it's good I was that way when I got t because my diet, exercise and weight went to hell after t. I have yet to get back on the be healthy wagon. I gained 20 to 25 lbs and lost a lot of muscle the last couple years. I have good days and bad days but I still haven't found the drive to stick with a healthy regimen. I suspect there's something else holding me back.

I don't really know what the future holds. Less noise, but still some noise, for sure. If I use power equipment at work I'll double up hearing protection and use the quietest method possible, even if it takes longer. I now have to consider the noise level of a piece of equipment as well as productivity.

I don't bring my earmuffs with me everywhere anymore. If I do bring them I usually leave them in the truck. I keep earplugs in my shirt pocket but a fire alarm or long horn blast could get me. If either of them happened I would plug my ears and move away immediately. I think my ears are strong enough to be ok if I plug and move away, but if I'm caught in a crowd that wouldn't work.

There's a new Tom Hanks movie coming out called "Greyhound" over the summer. I'd like to see it but know it's not a good idea to go to a movie theater. My ears have been so good I have considered going to a movie and wearing earplugs and possibly muffs. It's going to take some restraint to not do that.

 

I've debated sharing this video with my friends here at Tinnitus Talk. You lifted me up at the lowest point of my life and I don't know if I would have made it without you. Two years ago I came here and I needed someone to listen, I needed to hear someone say it's going to be ok.

That's me, and I start talking about my bout with tinnitus at 5:42.

Members of Tinnitus talk I owe you so much and I'll never be able to repay the debt. The best I can do is thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If I can ask a favor please don't comment on the video on YouTube, you're welcome to say whatever you like in this thread.

STATE OF THE CTSCAPER APRIL 2020

 

Quick update. The t is still very much there. Same pattern, softer in mornings and usually harsher or more solid in the late afternoon.

Today I mowed my lawn for the second time since two years ago when this mess started. The first time I mowed my lawn was a week ago. I wore plugs and X5A earmuffs.

My ears are slowly becoming less sensitive to noise, or as I've referred to it as hardening off, as time goes by. I used to get a warbly noise when exposed to loud noise, and I still do sometimes, but so far no warbling after using the mower for perhaps an hour and a half.

I'm still being VERY careful about exposing myself to new noises. I listen to my body and if my body says the noise is too loud or too high pitch I stop being around it. It's that simple. The funny part is in three to six months the same noise may be just fine.

I want to stress that I'm double protecting for all noise over about 75 decibels. My ears don't want to be around that volume. Perhaps I'll be tolerant of louder noises someday but I'm not risking it.

I want to let all people new to this that it can get better but it takes a really long time. Even though the ringing is still there it doesn't bother me. It's just there. No, I don't like it but I can deal with it. I can hear through it. I can find deep thought with it. I don't get emotional when I hear it.

Again, I want to encourage anyone new to t and reeling from the effects that it's going to get better but you have to give it time. A ton of time. You also have to be patient.

Hang in there.

 

Things have been going ok with the t. It's been becoming less and less of a factor, though it is definitely there. It doesn't bother me.

I've been using a lawnmower a few times a week for under an hour at a time with plugs and muffs with no issues and even used a backpack blower, with plugs and muffs, for about half an hour a few times. I'm not trying to push the limits. One tank of gas and I'm done no matter how much I do.

I can drive my diesel pickup for about 20 minutes with no earplugs and no issues. I can't open the windows too much, wind noise is LOUD.

Tonight at dinner a fork was dropped and it landed the perfect way on a plate. The clank was loud and high pitched and I jumped when it happened. I've always thought someday something may happen, life is so random, and there's nothing we can do about it. Tonight randomness hit.

The fork was about 24-36 inches from my right ear and I can't decide if my right ear is louder tonight. I think it is and hopefully only for tonight or a few days. I wonder if hyperacusis is going to sneak back into that ear as well.

I don't want to say I'm worried, more concerned. I thought I was out of the mess but we'll see what happens. Hopefully, I'm focusing on the t more than usual and it's not a big deal.

Hope everyone is doing well and making progress, no matter how small progress is progress.

 

I just listened to your story about how you got tinnitus even using hearing protection around power tools. I got my tinnitus from one beginner woodshop class (nasty pneumatic staple gun without hearing protection) because ear safety was not mentioned in the class. Processing what happened and how much that changed my life is overwhelming sometimes. Hearing your story got to me and I just wanted to say hello and that I understand how hard it is.

 

@Angela Riffe

Wow Angela, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I don't understand how there aren't more warnings about noise levels of power tools. I am doing better and I hope you are too. I'll see if I can find your story on the site.

 

I'm happy to report that the dropping fork was, luckily, all nerves without a change in the level of the t. It was probably louder that night but when I woke the next morning I went on with life like nothing happened and didn't think about it.

I admit I don't pay attention to the level of the t very often though it can still be harsher or softer at times. If it ever gets loud enough where I'm forced to pay attention that would be scary so let's hope that never happens.

I'll keep protecting and never assume my ears can handle loud noise and NEVER use earphones.

 

Quick update if anyone from the Class of 2018 visits. The t is still very much there but as stated the h has gone away, possibly completely by now. I can hear the high pitched eee over an air conditioner but have gotten to the point where I don't notice it. If I put my earplugs in, or earmuffs on, it's very much there though I can listen to it and not freak out. Sometimes I feel like it's developing into one tone as opposed to sounding like someone is hitting every key on an electronic keyboard but who knows.

I had a bit of a scare about a month ago. One night I noticed the t was louder. It was louder in one ear than the other when I had my head on a pillow and the loud ear was the one off the pillow. I woke up the next day and the t was still louder than usual.

Luckily, it got quieter in two days.

The afternoon of the day it got louder I was throwing baseball and softball-sized stones into a wheelbarrow and they were making a high pitched noise when the stones clanked. I did this for about three wheelbarrows of stones. I considered wearing earplugs but it was the end of the day, it was hot and I was tired and I figured why not go for it.

The lesson is to be careful with new noises. I constantly remind myself to protect when I hear new, and loud, noises. I've gotten in the habit of plugging my ears when I hear a loud motorcycle go by, ambulances, and fire trucks. If there are a lot of any of the above I get inside, or away from the noise, quickly.

Another lesson is not to expose ourselves to new noises for a long duration. Had I been working with stones for hours, or days, I'm sure the increase in t would have lasted much longer.

Also, you have to be careful because an increase from noise can take several hours to develop. If you think, "No problem" and continue to expose yourself to loud noise it can catch up to you that evening as it did to me.

Anyone new to t it's going to improve for you. Hang in there and be patient, you're going to make it.

 

@New Guy
Always check your thread when I sign in! Thanks, as always for the updates!

Mystery Reader

 

Quick update, a bit of a scare today.

I was in a quiet room and I heard that 'warbly' noise in my left ear again. It caused me concern because I don't remember doing anything loud the last day without ear protection. I haven't heard the warbly noise for months, if not over a year.

As I stood trying to figure out what I did I remembered using my cell phone about 10 minutes before. I had it on speakerphone but the place I called had exceptionally loud service. I held my finger over the speaker to lower the sound a bit. I was on the phone for 5-6 minutes.

I've gotten the warbly noise from my phone before, in the beginning, and thought I was past that phase. I'm not and doubt I will ever be.

Luckily once I left the quiet room I didn't focus on the warbly noise and I'm pretty sure it was gone within an hour.

This confirms to me how important it is to protect our ears, especially when t is new. I need to practice lowering the volume on my phone while on a call.

 

Hello, John. I am wondering how you are doing. I hope you and your lovely family are well.

 

Hello all! I haven't posted an update in a while.

The tinnitus is still here with me and I don't see it going away. The good news is like everyone said I have become accustomed to the noise. I sleep with the AC in the window over the summer or a sound machine with a stream running in the winter. If I'm in a quiet room I can hear the tinnitus easily. If the room is too quiet I can start getting anxious about it so I do my best not to focus on it and not be in a room that is too quiet.

A few times I have gone to bed without the sound machine on and thought I won't bother turning it on but I eventually get up and turn it on so I don't focus on the noise.

As far as running equipment goes I can use equipment with earplugs and earmuffs on for different amounts of time. However, I would never consider using power equipment all day non-stop. After about an hour I consider taking a break for a while even with earplugs and earmuffs.

I have purchased a battery-powered weed wacker and a couple of battery-powered chainsaws that are SIGNIFICANTLY quieter than gas. For what it's worth, they are also lighter and much easier to use than gas. I purchased Husqvarna professional equipment which has a low-energy mode that makes the battery last longer and it runs a lot quieter.

Last week I used a Milwaukee M12 impact driver with ear muffs to secure 4 screws and I noticed the tinnitus was a little louder later that day. It made me nervous because I only used earmuffs, not earplugs and earmuffs, and because the screws I used were too long but I didn't go back and get shorter ones. It was probably about 2 minutes of really loud banging and luckily everything went back to the way it was.

I have been to 2-3 movies in the last year. I wear regular earplugs in the theater and if it gets too noisy I simply leave the movie. I refuse to have my tinnitus ramp up because I wanted to tough it out or fit in. If it's too loud I take action rather than think I can 'tough it out'. It took a week for tinnitus to start after the initial loud episode. I don't want to risk it.

I spoke to a man who said he has tinnitus and it wasn't that bad until one day he fired a rifle with no hearing protection, just one shot, to see how loud the rifle was. He said his t has been louder ever since. Protect your ears everyone.

Just wanted to check in and say that overall the tinnitus has been a non-issue though perhaps I have gotten used to it and while I have made changes in the way I live I'm comfortable with those changes.

To the folks here that recently got tinnitus, please be patient and give it time to get better or for your body to get used to it. It's not the end of the world but it's going to take some time to get used to it. As my thread pointed out, I was a wreck when I first got tinnitus but now life goes on. Your life will go on as well.

 

I'm back!

I wish I were coming back to tell everybody how great things are going, and for the most part, they are. I have tinnitus, and it is part of life. I avoid loud noises and fireworks. If I'm going to be around loud noises, I wear earplugs and/or earmuffs, and if the noise bothers me or concerns me, I don't stay around. I would rather be safe and miss an event than cause the tinnitus to get louder.

I have gotten to the point where I don't really think about it. I keep earplugs on me at all times and remove myself from noisy situations or wear earplugs. Period.

I'm a little confused today.

Last night, the tinnitus in my left ear was louder. It was a cricket sound, I assume the crickets chirp at the same rate my heart beats. I did my best not to think about it and hoped it would go away soon.

When I woke in the morning, the louder tinnitus was still there, only in my left ear. I did my best not to panic and told myself with time, it would work itself out.

I noticed the full feeling in my left ear only, like when this whole mess started, and as far as I can tell, my left ear is either clogged or not hearing as well. If I rub my fingers together outside my left ear, they are noticeably quieter. I did find some wax in the ear, but nothing over the top.

Over the last week or two, I did have a couple of moments where I noticed sensitivity to noise. I remember thinking, "Wow! For someone with tinnitus, you sure have good hearing." I have to wonder if that is hypersensitivity from too much noise.

When I first got tinnitus, it took about a week to start making noise. During that first week, my ears were hypersensitive to noise. I feel like my left ear is back there again.

A week ago, I used a chainsaw with earplugs and earmuffs for about 5 minutes at a time. I did forget to wear the earmuffs one time, but I had the earplugs in. I also used a battery-powered leaf blower with only earplugs for about 15 minutes.

I find earplugs significantly better than earmuffs if you install them right. Unfortunately, it probably took me about a year to figure out how to install the earplugs right. I can't imagine the noise levels being that over the top a week ago.

As I write this, 24 hours later, my left ear still feels full, though right now the tinnitus seems a little quieter. The crickets have quieted down and are underneath the high-pitched ringing or static. I have an air conditioner and aerator for a fish tank running in the room.

I took an Actifed in case perhaps I have an ear infection or clogged ear. Perhaps less noise is getting into my ear causing the tinnitus to sound louder on the left side. My left ear feels clogged like when you travel on an airplane or drive down a mountain.

I have had episodes of perhaps a half hour to an hour where the tinnitus will get louder. One time I woke up in the middle of the night, and it was really loud, but when I woke up the next day it was back to being quiet. I'm hoping this is just a bump in the road for whatever reason and I'll wake up and the tinnitus will be back to what it was.

I'm trying to remain calm and not get anxious. I learned the hard way that anxiety doesn't help anything.

We'll see what happens.

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

Hi @New Guy. Your story & video was one of first ones I encountered when I found Tinnitus Talk this January. My noise trauma's circumstances were similar to yours.

Well, you don't really avoid loud noises. How much it pains me (I am a DIY mechanic & "builder") to think and say it... I have a huge collection of power tools. I don't think I will ever be using them again, regardless of the level of protection. But my case is pretty bad.

It looks like you did not have much loudness nor pain hyperacusis?

 

When I first got tinnitus, I avoided loud noises for sure. I hired someone to mow my lawn and didn't go near power equipment either.

It was a very dark time of my life, and I hope you are holding onto hope that things will improve even if they don't go away. I thought my life was over, but now tinnitus has become a part of my life.

I avoid using power equipment for more than 45 minutes to an hour. If I do use power equipment, I use both earplugs and earmuffs.

I can hear the tinnitus over the air conditioner, though when I visit Tinnitus Talk, I tend to focus on the tinnitus more. I never had pain with the hyperacusis, but my hearing was VERY sensitive for at least 2-3 months. My ears also had a full feeling for a month or two. I tried to keep up with progress reports in this thread if you are looking for a timeline. I almost don't want to go back because it was such a hard time.

It seems tinnitus affects everyone differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all course of action for it.

I know when everyone comes here, myself included, we are really anxious about what is going on and what we can do to stop the noise, hyperacusis, full ears. Those are the symptoms I had.

Please be patient and give it time. Hopefully things will start to get better for you, and if not, your body will start to get used to the background noise. I know that is not what you want to hear right now, and I completely understand.

I don't think the tinnitus I have is much quieter than it was when I got it, but what has changed is my mind has gotten used to it being there. I have also learned to always have background noise, just below the level of the tinnitus, so I can still hear the tinnitus but not focus on it.

Please hang in there and be patient. The people on Tinnitus Talk were instrumental in giving me someone to share my experiences with and search for answers.

 

I enjoyed reading your story.

I've had probably chronic tinnitus now for 8 weeks. I also have noise-induced hearing loss.

Some days it seems barely noticeable but gets always worse when going to sleep, which amps it up. It is mostly in my left ear and just very very mild in my right.

Being outside or with friends doing something, I find I do not notice it, but when in silence, it's there 95% of the time. There have been a few days where for 4-8 hours it seems to have been gone. And days where the volume is certainly decreased. They feel a bit like a teaser as it always comes back during sleep. I think those were the hardest days for me, thinking it is finally gone and then back in the morning to the same level. At this point some days are better than others.

I also found my ENT a little unhelpful. Just said 99% of tinnitus cases will get softer over time. And like yourself, I have a 40 dB dip at 4 kHz but only in left ear.

I'm from Australia.

I've far from habituated to it but I think I am slowly starting to accept it and get back to my normal day to day life. For the first 2 weeks I tried ignoring it but since took 5 weeks off and am now just returning to work and normal daily life.

 

Anytime I see that 99% figure, I can be pretty certain someone is just making it up. As can be seen reading the history of posts on Tinnitus Talk, many cases of tinnitus get worse and can lead to hyperacusis or noxacusis as well. I can certainly say that my tinnitus is much worse than 20 years ago, plus it's more variable now, and now have hyperacusis and TTTS in recent months. Also, low-frequency tinnitus started a few years back, which hasn't improved but varies in intensity.

 

How can you be pretty certain it's false? There are 8 billion people on earth, of those 1 in 7 people have tinnitus. If all of those people got worse, then Tinnitus Talk would be inundated and you would hear about tinnitus everywhere in the real world. Once again, this is your experience, not everyone's who has or will get tinnitus.

 

I'm pretty certain 99% was made up. I didn't say "all those people got worse." Not sure how you came up with that. I said that the "99%" sounds like someone made it up. I don't believe 99% people's tinnitus is fading over time after it's already been established for weeks as was the case above. I would need to see a study to show evidence of that. It is not just about me or other people on Tinnitus Talk reporting worsening tinnitus along with other conditions coming on like hyperacusis.

It would be great if it improved and some are fortunate, but 99%? I don't think so.