Noise-Induced Tinnitus Recovery After 2 Years (Not Habituation)

@jjflyman
Hey JJ, I'm guessing you're now in your mid 50's. You also mentioned after 7 months your T has attenuated approximately 70% which is excellent news! I'm currently 50 so that helps me feel good that even after 50, healing can happen.

 

May I ask you to please describe your T during those 18 months? Was the sound's pitch and volume level changing all of the time, or did they seem constant? Were good days followed by bad days that were then followed by good days (lots of volatility), or did it just very gradually become better (with not a lot of volatility)? Thank you!

 

You should write a success story @jjflyman, since it seems a lot of people have questions for you

 

Rick
Yes, I'm 57, so I expect it will be a little slower to fade, but It's making good progress. After my first T (very loud Lawn tractor for an hour), I was very careful around loud noise, but an outdoor church concert must have been just too much. My wife had zero T after the concert, so I don't think it was so loud to cause me anything permanent.(there where a lot of people a lot closer to the stage than me) Maybe once you've had T, it's easier to get again???
Anyway, I now carry ear plugs with me everywhere I go just in case!
I think you will be fine, but it will be slow.

 

Yes, I plan to write a long success story after I totally recover from my 2nd bout with T. I'm going to wait because there will be some people who will try to tell me that I won't recover from this, so I am going to wait until there can be no negative feedback.
Remember, most people with noise caused Tinnitus may post here when they first get it, but when they get better they simply move on with their lives, so we usually only hear the bad. I hope to post my story soon, and try to be helpful to other Tinnitus sufferers that it is something that usually resolves itself (unless there is a medical problem or head injury) if it was a short term noise induced.

 

@jjflyman
I'm curious if genetics plays a role in acquiring T? I really haven't researched this. My father told me he had it for 6 to 7 years when he was younger - but only after I told him that I had it. I wonder if my grandfather had it?? Anyway, at 7 months in, are you experiencing the high-frequency hissing alternating with a low volume tone (or semi-quiet) days? Does your T still amp up around louder background sounds like the shower, lawnmower, etc. ? I had some dialogue with heartohelp. He mentioned he didn't have any completely silent days until after about a year (after which the hissing continued to fade). It's hard to believe a church concert brought this unwanted guest back to you. Going back to church has been on my list but I'm still not brave enough. The worship music is really loud (even with ear plugs). Lastly (and respectfully), I don't think you should wait to post your current successes. There are far too many people, 100's of people, who read our posts for encouragement but never register on the site. In fact, you're (1) of the few people in their 40's and now 50's on this site that's healed from T. Most of the newcomers are younger. Your story is one that I can better relate to because of your age and you're noise-induced. So... Tell your story JJ . Who cares what a few people may think or write.

 

How loud is your T @Rick Brewer?

 

@Flamingo
It was louder in the beginning but has lessened in volume up to now. It's at a point now where it really doesn't bother me too much. The high frequency hissing seems to be becoming more high frequency. I'll have days with average volume hissing - maybe a 3 or 4, then other days when it's a 1 or 2 like today. On no hissing days, I'll have a very faint high frequency tone in my head with what sounds like an intermittent mosquito around my left ear. Sometimes the head tone morphs into what feels like an "aura" in my right ear - very hard to describe. My T also reacts to certain sounds like the air conditioner, shower, etc... But the volume it amps up to is proportionate with whatever day I'm having whether it's a higher, medium, or low day.

 

Just to clear it up, the church "concert" was an actual outdoor concert with a local band and you could buy "Tickets" good for food and drink, with proceeds going to the church.It was loud, but it wasn't THAT loud if you know what I mean. My T is pretty quiet in the AM now, and only noticeable in quiet areas. It does get a little louder in the evening, probably from all the stimulation from the day. I would say it is mostly hissing now, and the occasional low tone like when you put your head down and the blood rushes to your head. When I first got it it had lots of noises, including a piercing "ring" and high pitched crickets, That has all faded it just a hiss, high hiss. But it is slowly fading

 

Ok good to hear. I have a hard whistle atm when waking up but I haven't slept well. Normally my T is also better when waking up and its harsher in the evening.

Overall I did lose some sounds. Especially an irritating ring that went from left to right randomly but really fast.

 

If I may ask, that low tone, when did you gain it? My T has changed a bit lately. I lost some sounds (a ring that went from left to right and a loud car hissing for example) but I gained a low tone. It's not there the entire day but it comes and goes during the day and it cycles between a vibrating sound, a humming sound like I put my head down like you describe to an allout low buzz. My T overall is louder at night and my spike has switched from the screaming in my left ear to the low tone bass buzzing.

Overall I don't know what happened. And I'm curious if this is normal in case of hopefully a full recovery.

 

I would say that the fact you are losing the "higher" pitched rings/hiss is a very good sign. Your T is fading. My lower tone also comes and goes, sometimes totally unnoticeable, and sometimes very noticeable. My lower tone has improved in the last week, I have a theory as to why.
My ears have been feeling "full" and had some pressure,and crackling when I swallow. (I'm sure the acoustic trauma cause some inner ear swelling) and I think it's because my Eustachian tubes were/are partially plugged, and my inner ears were not able to equalize pressure. I bought a Eustachi tube exerciser and that has seemed to help equalize the pressure, and has helped with the low tone Tinnitus. Looks like you are making good progress in just a few months. Hang in there, it sounds like you are making a nice recovery. I'm 8 months in and feel like I'm about 75% better.

 

Thanks for your post. High pitched sounds are still there. But the highest 2 that blasted through my ears are gone and I have 2 left which are still high though but sometimes fade a bit (and then return ofc). When did you get the low tones because I couldn't figure it out in your posts. Was it immediately or later on like I have?

My low pitched one is also the same. Sometimes not noticable and sometimes it is way too loud.

Edit: I also have some full feelings sometimes in my ears. Not all the time though.

 

I also had multiple hight tones, and they faded one by one, I still have a little high tone but it is getting quieter. I'm not sure when I started noticing the low tone, it might have been there all along, but the high pitch was masking it. The fact that is comes and goes, and is getting better, (as is yours) makes me very hopeful it will eventually fade away. I think your making great progress in a short time,it will just take a while to resolve itself. I wouldn't worry too much about your ears feeling full once in a while, if it's not a constant feeling I don't think you need to do anything except wait it out.

 

Hey JJ, good to see you've upgraded your healing from 70 to 75%.

 

I did a little testing yesterday in a quiet room and my low tone comes and goes during the day. And if it is gone than I can't find it at all. Eventually it comes back like an annoying mosquito in my right ear and it can build itself up to both ears.

I do however sometimes experience a short stabbing pain in my right ear during the day. Can I wait that out or what can I do? I did have my plugs in today so it might be irritaded?

 

@jjflyman mine sounds like a refrigerator running sorta like a hissing .. I'm barely going on my 2 month mark. I did the whole TM injection of dexamethasone. I had mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss in 3khz-4khz my left ear. But I could hear everything I heard on my good ear. Since the onset. Now the only thing is some sounds notes make my ear sorta vibrate the sound. Don't know how to explain it. I try to take supplements (like 2 pills every other day)which have B12 and a lot of other vitamins. When you first had your first bout with T. How did you notice improvements?

 

It is my understanding that the improvement is so gradual that you can only notice it if you compare your T now to your T a month or more ago. If you compare it to your T yesterday or a week or a fortnight ago, you will most likely not notice any change. I think a hiss is a big improvement over a high pitch tone. The fact that yours is changing seems like a good sign.

 

Yea I think so too. I just don't remember how high pitched it was in the beginning.
At times it's hissing/humming sound then at times it'll be a low ring.. and lately idk y but I get these small headaches .. but I think it has something to do with my neck maybe I'm just thinking too much into it

 

It looks like yours is not piercing. Even a hiss can be piercing...

 

Well no I don't think so . Just bothers me that i don't know if it will subside completely. By piercing what do you mean?

 

If you ever hear a piercing sound (I hope you won't!), you will know. Piercing sounds are harder to ignore, and easier to notice. The higher the pitch, the more piercing, but like I said, other sounds can be piercing too...

 

My improvements came very slow, measurable in months. First bout (12 years ago) took over 18 months before it gone. This bout has been 8 months and is about 75% gone. If I understand your post, your high frequency T has faded, and you only have a lower hum/hiss. If that's the case thats fantastic amount of recovery in a short time. I think you'll be fine, it will just take time to resolve itself. If you don't mind, what type of gun, and how many shots where you exposed to?

 

It was a .40 cal S&W I personally shot total of 30-40 shots. Period of an hour or so. But the last 6 o 7 shots were the culprit of my T because I shot those sitting down and there was small wood walls in each lane so I'm guessing the blast wave bounced off the wall and hit my ear. Even with ear protectors(foam plugs) because I had went out before I shot those sitting down and everything was still perfectly normal. But right after those sitting shots we left and that's when I knew something wasn't right

 

When you say gone.. u actually mean that u regain absolute silence back?

 

I think the foam plugs keep the dangerous db's out. I really think your going to be fine. And yes after 18 months (it started out really bad, screeching loud Tinnitus) I had my complete silence back. Tinnitus was totally GONE

 

Your story really gives hope.. if I'm as lucky I will still be around to share my story to help people like all the people here have helped me . Stay blessed bro and he sure to keep us up to date .

 

His story does give hope. I have a feeling that my higher pitched sounds are going away or I'm habutuating. But that low hum is unbearable I hope it goes away. My high tones barely spike anymore only the low tone comes, goes or gets compressed and spikes. It's not an oscilating tone but it does have slight movement where it has a wobble.

If I may ask, how low are your low tones? Mine sounds like you touch the cable of a bass/subwoofer. It is around 50khz.

 

My low's are more like the hum of a transformer, or like the sound when the blood rushed thru your ears.
I think only 2 or 3 months in is not enough time for your T to fade/heal. Give it time and I'm sure you will fully recover. I know how hard it is to be patient, (believe me!) but in time you will have your silence back, and you can post your success story to give others hope too. Looks like your'e already improving.

 

Thanks, but unlike many others I did not have a single noise trauma but probably prolongued. Headphones or something, even though it wasn't even loud. I hope that I have a chance aswell.