Noise Induced Tinnitus Gone After 1 Month — Almost Ruined My Life

Hey made my account tonight but was lurking from October 1st when I first acquired tinnitus. I have a huge story of how it happened but it’s similar to many other noise induced stories so I’ll save you the reading.

In short, the first and second week of October were absolutely scary, anxiety induced, and depressive states that I’ve never experienced. Plus the fact that I couldn’t sleep the pain away because falling asleep took over an hour after closing my eyes + waking up every 30 minutes to an hour and feeling dead inside in the morning.

When I was with my girlfriend and nighttime came, all I could think about was how I ruined such a great life and relationship over something dumb like going to a loud club. I sobbed while she slept like an angel within 5 minutes. When I was awake, I felt like I had to pretend to be happy with her because I was so depressed.

In summary: With each week of October, it became lower and lower, switched ears, until it just stopped. Didn’t take any medications or do anything special.

Takeaways:

• I still went to the movies (Zombieland3), which obviously was really loud. No tinnitus spike occurred.
• Went Go Kart Racing, that was pretty loud. Fireworks were going on nearby.
  
• Still used headphones to listen to music and watch whatever.
• Never went to an ENT.

Tinnitus really is scary, I can easily survive without concerts or clubs in my life ever again. This post is to serve as some encouragement to anyone new who recently got tinnitus and is freaking out. There is a chance for it to stop.

 

Wow man. Congrats. You are so lucky. Protect your ears! Mine started almost 8 months ago and hasn’t stopped.

Question, was yours somatic at all meaning could you increase the sound by moving your neck all the way left or right or opening your jaw wide?

I don’t believe mine was noise induced. Just started one day.

 

Yeah it’s all luck honestly. People should relax if they just got it. Harder than it sounds as I couldn’t but that’s why this section exists, to help promote that. It helped me out.

As for your question: Nope, it was just simply brutal ringing in both ears. If I laid my head down on the pillow, I would hear it even more and also from the opposite ear. It was just a constant noise. I still don’t know why this disease or whatever even has to exist, just thinking about it is pretty depressing for me honestly.

I dislike how people can acquire it without it being noise reduced, it’s like you didn’t even put your ears and risk but still this jerk of a thing can just come either way and randomly at that.

Stay strong!

 

I am very pleased for you and hope your tinnitus recovery continues. If I may I would like to give you some advice. I don't mean to burst your bubble but please do not get complacent and think all is now well, and you can sail off into the sunset with the belief the tinnitus has gone and never to return, to the dark and quite frightening days and nights that you recently experienced. This may well be the case but the stark reality is often a little more sinister, once a person realises what is going on beneath the surface. This is how noise induced tinnitus can behave and dupe a person into believing they are fully recovered. Sorry to sound so sobering but what you have experienced, in my opinion based on experience with "noise induced" tinnitus is a warning.

Be happy go out and enjoy yourself but at the same time be cautious and especially prudent around loud sounds. Use noise reducing earplugs when appropriate. My advice is not to use headphones even at low volume. By adhering to some simple dos and don'ts, I think the future will be bright for you. Carry on and give your auditory system plenty of time to fully recover. Some people make the mistake and return to using headphones subjecting themselves to loud sounds with the belief they have the all clear. All of a sudden the tinnitus returns with a vengeance and ferocity they wouldn't believe was possible. I hope this doesn't happen to you.

You can of course ignore my advice.
I wish you well.

Michael

 

Glad you've recovered quickly but as Michael says, take it as a warning.

Many people have had temporary hearing loss or tinnitus that takes a few weeks to recover instead of the usual few hours, then they think they are back to where they were before.

Your hearing system is probably not back to where it was at all.

Next time it happens it could be permanent. This is my story and that of many others on this forum. Find what earplugs work best for you and use them. Just a single further noise exposure could be all it takes, or maybe in a year's time, or 2 or 5. It could happen when you least expect it. I used to go to heavy metal concerts regularly, but the one that broke the camel's back involved folk music, where I left my earplugs out as I didn't think it could be that loud. How wrong I was. iI hate the realisation that I mightnever be able to go to another concert again.

I do hope you continue to enjoy life and succeed in looking after yourself, and thanks for sharing your story as it may give hope to other new sufferers here.

 

@DidIWin -- I'm really happy to hear how things have improved for you--for now. It seems to me your current improvement is a notable exception; most people who've been in a similar situation are not nearly so fortunate. From everything I've read, your ears will almost assuredly be vulnerable to further acoustic traumas for the rest of your life. And the damage from those traumas are usually cumulative, and don't even have to be extra loud.

I have to say, I cringed when I saw what you're still exposing your ears to. To be honest, my first thought was, "This guy's playing with fire". I would encourage you to seriously consider what @Michael Leigh and others are trying to convey to you. You really are fortunate to be where you are considering what you've been through. Others have been in your position, didn't fully realize how vulnerable their ears would be going forward, and ended up paying dearly for their lack of understanding about their situation.

Wishing you all the best!

 

Thank you guys. I will be more aware of my sounds from here on out. Michael gave sound advice as well. It’s true that I don’t want to return to the state I was previously at so I will browse the forum for recommendations on some quality earbuds and protect my ears from now.

 

I made this thread last thread on October 2019:

I basically described how tinnitus was gone. It apparently isn’t but it’s just very silent in comparison to what it was initially.

I’m in a new home and I’m sitting in a silent area. If I were to rate the sound of tinnitus right now, I would say 2/10. I’m someone who hates the silent so I still like to have background noise. I was doing that even before tinnitus.

Through the last year, I still continued to go to movies, listen to headphones, and in ear earphones such as AirPods.

I also bought a home theatre speaker system with 6 speakers and a subwoofer. I listen to pretty loud music and movies even at home for the past year.

I am someone who did not want to let tinnitus stop my enjoyment of life. I decided that these things are important for me to continue getting by and I have no regrets. I’m grateful my tinnitus did not get any worst but has only improved even through everything people say not to do.

For Newcomers:
You have a choice to make, either take the risk like I did and have everything be okay OR play it safe and possibly still have everything still get worst with each month. It’s a risky game to play and just know what the consequences may be if you aren’t as fortunate.

Tinnitus is a scary thing especially when you just get it. In fact, for anyone who doesn’t have tinnitus right now; protect your ears.

Side Note:
The only actual thing making my life much worst right now is eye floaters. If only that could go away! Geez.

 

It seems you have adjusted pretty well, and the decision to move to a quieter place seems sensible. I did the same, relocated, and never regretted it.

 

Sorry to hear. I am realising that so many stories of tinnitus going away, the poster comes back and says it actually hasn't. I was getting some hope from these "success stories" before that realisation.

 

Well, I would personally still consider his/her story a "success"