Non-Stop Tinnitus for 3 Days — It Started After I Took Out My Earphones After Listening to Music

Hi everyone,

I’m new to all of this but I am freaking out. I’ve always been quite wary of my hearing as I spent a lot of my teenage years blasting music in my ears, attending gigs, and going clubbing.

The other night, I took my earphones out after listening to music, and my ears were ringing unbearably. Normally, this ringing would subside after a few hours or the next morning. However, it hasn’t stopped.

I have a very faint, very very high pitched (almost like a white noise sound) I’m both of my ears that is constant. I can only really hear it when I concentrate on it, in quiet rooms, or at night. However, I suffer with severe health anxiety so I can’t seem to take my mind off it.

It’s now been 3 days since the ringing started, and I’m really starting to worry that this is for life. I can’t function or concentrate, and I’m always focusing on it 24 hours a day.

I went to the doctors and they looked down my ears and found no infection or build up of wax, so I’m worried it is noise-induced hearing loss.

I’ve also had a feeling of fullness and slight aching in my ears too, which hasn’t helped.

I would appreciate any reassuring words or help right now, I haven’t stopped crying - I feel like I can never be normal again.

Many thanks in advance

 

Hi,

From what you've described, this may be a noise trauma (consecutive to headphone use). The ringing, ear fullness and pain mean your ears have been hurt.

First you need to see a doctor who will prescribe steroids FAST, you might have a chance to mitigate the damages even after 3 days.
Then, for now, you absolutely want to avoid any kind of loud noise for a few months, including the use of earphones (even at low volume). Give plenty of rest to your ears, they take forever to heal.

You're very early in this, focusing on the new "intruder" is a normal reaction, but, with time there's no reason that "things" would not fade or even disappear with time (could take some months though).
Try to not focus on the ringing (easy to say, I know), and use some masking noise at night if needed (noise machine or an app on your phone).

Keep updating

 

Take what you said in these two sentences and consider it to be both a warning and a blessing. Definitely keep away from using earbuds or headphones for a very long time, maybe indefinitely. Give your ears many months to rest from further loud noise exposure and I think you'll be fine.

You have an extremely mild case of tinnitus and you're only three days in, so there's a chance it could go away entirely. There's no reason to doubt that yours will get better as long as you don't expose yourself to more damage. Most of us here would gladly trade your level of tinnitus for ours in a second. You don't want to get to the point where nothing masks it and you can hear it all day, and the best thing you can do is toss your earbuds away.

 

Since you can only hear it in very quiet environments and you need to focus on it to hear it consider this a learning experience. Most people on here can not escape their tinnitus and hear it 24/7 in everyday settings, not just quiet rooms. I say this not to scare you, but to warn you what can come if you don't actively protect your hearing when you need to.

Make sure to protect your hearing when going to loud events with ear plugs and avoid playing loud music. Don't obsess over protecting your hearing because it can cause you to develop hyperacusis. Just be smart and protect your ears if an environment becomes too loud.

Use white noise machines when going to sleep if it keeps you awake.

 

Shouldn't be giving medical advise regarding medication on here, leave that to the professionals. Prednisone is a VERY serious drug and should only be taken in specific situations. Abusing prednisone, like some due on here, whenever they have a slight spike or noise exposure can lead to other serious problems.

Furthermore, IIRC prednisone needs to be administered within the first 72 hours of a noise event to be effective. I may be wrong about this, but I think she is outside of the effective zone.

 

Hi

I’m sorry to hear that you are struggling.

Your new to this and it sounds like it is a mild case of tinnitus ( it could even go down and completely go away ) as you can only hear it in quite rooms so that’s a positive sign. I would try and avoid silence and silent rooms at this early stage when your anxiety is at its highest. Keep the tv, radio or something on at a low level in the background. Keep yourself busy as you can during the day to take your mind off it. At night time when about to go sleep I would suggest downloading an app that plays white noise ( I use resound relief app ) or you can find a video on YouTube. Or you can have a fan on if that helps.

it’s important to keep living your life as normally as possible ( I know it’s not easy in the early stages ) keep doing things that you enjoy. If anxiety gets high then do relaxation techniques or meditation. You Can find lots of videos on YouTube that helps.

You will be fine it will just take time but you will be ok. Keep positive. Also make sure you protect yours ears best as you can in the future. Invest in a pair of good earplugs.

all the best

Junaid.

 

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for your supportive and informing words - I really appreciate it in my time of panic.

One more thing, my ears actually hurt, they feel ‘full’ and ache slightly, like there’s a lot of pressure in them. Is this a sign of tinitus? My doctor told it isn’t, and that’s why I’ve been told to ‘wait it out’ to go away - I really hope so.

In the meantime I shall try to ignore it, keep away from loud places and steer away from earphones for the foreseeable or indefinite future.

Thanks all!

 

@Junaid_t has yours gotten any better over the months?

 

Hi. It sounds like noise trauma. First, try to stay calm, it WILL get better, one way or another. It sounds like your noise is very minor also which is good and means chances are high that it will fade away. I know how scary it is tho...

My advice:
-go see an ENT doctor. They probably won’t be much help, but can rule some things out and get you a prednisone prescription if needed.

-Take a Magnesium supplement for a few days. Sometimes this can help ears recover from noise induced damage. Melatonin also can help quiet it down, especially before bed.

-might try and get on some prednisone as well for a few days to see if it will calm down.

-stay away from loud noises to let you ears recover/heal. (Get some foam earplugs to wear if you will be around anything loud)

-Cut out caffeine, alcohol, and other inflammatory foods for a bit.

-Exercise and eat healthy foods.

-download a white noise app that has crickets/cicadas. This will mask the T and help you sleep until you get better.

-I also found peppermint essential oils helpful and calming.


PS - the pressure and fullness can be a sign of the noise damage/injury. This should go away soon.

 

@tbuzz89 it has got better thank you for asking.

I was going through a very difficult period with my T these past few months. I just had to get my sleep back and lower my anxiety. Once I managed to do that the T started to bother me less.

I’m in a good place right now and just hope it stays that way. I’m going to try to be as sensible as I can in terms of protecting my self from loud noises etc and not getting stressed out in future.

How are you doing?

@bethadtr yes I think you should wait it out a bit and see how the pain feels after a week or so. Hopefully that should settle down. Ears take a long time to heal so try not to panic. Just rest them.

 

@Junaid_t glad to hear you’re getting better.

Four months in now and while I have some silent moments and sometimes quiet days, still mostly screams over everything. Hoping it’ll eventually fade as I’ve been careful to protect my ears.

 

If it's something you can only hear in a quiet area, and you have to focus on it to hear it, try to keep some noise going. Before my tinnitus got extremely loud, when it was only audible in silence, I would have a fan on at night as I went to sleep and that used to mask the high pitched whining noise really well. Try to have a television on with the sound up when you're at home, turn on ceiling fans if you got them, or go outside and maybe take a walk or jog if its really getting to you (exercise outside can have the benefit of drowning out the noise and allows you to get out pent up stress by being physically active).

And if the emotional toll starts getting to be more than you can handle, see a psychiatrist. They can help with problems sleeping, managing your emotions, and offering useful and professional advice. Even if you are deadset again mental health meds, psychiatrists can help with other forms of therapy.

Not to diminish your suffering, but like others have stated, many would love to have tinnitus at the levels you have it. From your description it sounds very similar to mine before it got really bad. For almost as far back as I can remember I've had tinnitus, but I thought it was normal for a long time and thought nothing of it. But when it got loud, it started driving me crazy. Ultimately, it isn't just the noise that's the problem. It's the psychological suffering that comes with it. I was also at a point where I cried almost every day, and eventually I started having suicidal thoughts. I felt completely hopeless. But I eventually found a combination of things that helped and still helps me cope and even enjoy life again.

Just quit exposing yourself to loud noises, follow your doctors' advice and treatments, and keep some noise going around you (not loud noise, just some type of ambient background noise to drown it out). Believe it or not, some people even reach a point where their tinnitus clears up. Based on what you said, it seems entirely possible your ears can heal over time. So keep positive as much as you can, stay active if possible, and do whatever you can not to focus on it. I know it sucks really bad. But the vast majority of people with tinnitus find ways to overcome it. Stay strong, because you can overcome this.

 

Hi again everyone,

Last night my ringing wasn’t as noticeable and I thought it was a sign of it going.

However, I woke this morning to tension in my head and a higher pitched sound that feels like it’s in my head, rather than my ears.

On the plus side, the aching of my ears has stopped - but the ringing is now VERY high pitched and distracting. It’s been 4 days now.

My doctors just keep telling me it’ll be okay and see how it goes, but surely if it was nothing it would’ve gone by now? Can you get tinnitus for a week, a few weeks? A month? I just can’t deal with the idea that this could be for life.

Any reassurance or own experiences would be appreciated, my doctors are being hopeless right now.

Many thanks

 

Tinnitus may come and go at the beginning... It spikes, subsides... stop using headphones and being around loud noise and rest your ears.

 

HI @bethadtr

Please follow the advice that Juan has given you because noise induced tinnitus is not something to take lightly. Your symptoms will improve with time but if you use headphones even at low volume, then you risk the tinnitus becoming a lot worse and your oversensitivity to sound which is hyperacusis. You should avoid listening to loud music. Please click on the links below and take your time and read my articles. Try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings especially at night by using low level sound enrichment. More about this is explained in the links.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-negative-counselling.26669/

 

Hi @bethadtr

I’m sorry about your T. I know it can be very scary and especially bothersome at the beginning.

follow the advice of those who have posted and rest your ears as much as possible.

stressing out can also actually make the T louder, so try and relax. You WILL be okay. I promise.

Also: you are only 4 days in, so your T is still considered acute, and many people have had their T go away after a period of weeks. Or it gets so quiet you can’t even hear it unless you try.

don’t get too caught up in all the horror stories on here. Some people do have it pretty bad, but that doesn’t mean you will.

 

Hi again everyone,

Thank you for your words.

I am now on day 5 of my T and unfortunately it has worsened - this may be my own fault as I’ve had panic attack constantly and keep listening out for it. I can now hear it over most things and it is constant, I’m in tears.

I have a ENT refferal today, not sure if they ca do anything. I’m just so worried now as the situation seems to be worsening rather than improving. Feeling hopeless.

I keep reading stories about suicide and not being able to cope, I’m only 20 and I’ve jus graduated, this was supposed to be the best time of my life. (Sounds dramatic) but I’m really worried this is it for me now. ;(

Kind Regards to all.

 

Please read through these success stories:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/forums/success-stories.47/

Please believe me it will get sooo much better for you.

I remember have brief suicidal thoughts as well, but am so glad I didn’t act on them. Life gets better - you can and will recover and lead a normal life with plenty of happy times. This sucks, but it’s not the end.

I hope the ENT is helpful. Keep us updated

 

i'm 14 rn so i've been to concerts n stuff n wear headphones (even now oops) so i can relate but anyways
a) u should go to the ENT n get an audiologist test done so they can evaluate ur hearing n determine if there's any hearing loss
as soon as u do that, since u haven't had it for a long time, there's a chance it could go away... the good thing is that ur aware of noise-induced hearing loss now.
b) tinnitus is common, up to 30-40 million americans have it (idk if u live in the usa but for reference there's ab 328.2 million ppl in the usa). this fact comforted me that i wasn't alone with my struggles.
if u take preventative measures now then u can prevent further hearing loss n prevent it from worsening (it could even go away as i alr mentioned so stay positive!). my tinnitus was also very dynamic, meaning that it like changed a lot in the beginning, but became more stable in a sense as time went on. be prepared for anything really in the beginning. the struggle always gets easier as time goes on tho, always remember that. u will eventually get used to it. in fact, during my first few weeks i was the EXACT same way u r rn. my health anxiety even carried over to my eyes n stuff lmao. yet 1.5 months later, i was habituated to my tinnitus, meaning that most of the time i didn't notice it, and the times that i did, i was j like alr cool i have tinnitus idgaf i'm alr used to it. my other post has a lot more advice than this but anyways i just wanted to say i had the exact same thing as u (feeling of fullness, aching, tinnitus, health anxiety, scared i wouldn't be able to live like this, no infections, i had a normal hearing when i last checked which was like two days after i got tinnitus). i also noticed my tinnitus after taking out my headphones but i realized i had it before but anyways point being i was dealing with basically the same exact thing... so i think i can rly relate to what ur going thru so if u ever need advice or anything i gotchu... but fr laughter is the best medicine (i like watching the sidemen bc im still like 14 so)

 

Consider nicotinamide riboside.

 

Hi everyone - thanks again for all the supportive and kind words.


I have just come back from my ENT appointment, due to Covid the machinery was limited. However, they examined my ears and confirmed that it is noise induced tinnitus. However, there is no damage to the outer ear or eardrum, so that’s good I guess. My local hearing shop also informed me to take an online hearing exam (obviously not 100% professional) but that came back fine, good hearing I was informed.

He basically said because it’s only been 5 days, he doesn’t want to refer me to further treatment or examination just yet - as 80% of the time, it will subside on it’s own. He reassured me that if it continues for another month or gets worse, to consult and audiologist. But until then, I should simply just wait and keep busy.

I’m trying to stay positive and occupied as I have a lot going on in my life right now, and I don’t want tinnitus to ruin that. In the meantime I’m going to take Magneuism tablets and b-12 as I heard that can help ear trauma.

I’m just praying it’s acute and will hopefully go. He said avoid silence, but don’t use earphones. Guess I just gotta wait it out!

 

I guess I’m going to start using this as a little diary update to track my progress, to share my experiences and ask for other opinions.

Last night, I could barely hear my tinnitus, and I only had a fan on in my room as I slept, surely that is a positive sign?

Also, I’ve noticed now my tinnitus is not in my ears at all, it’s in my head. Literally just my head rings, is that anything to be concerned about, or is that common / normal?

I’ve found that I can sit in a quiet room and still hear it ever so slightly, but not let it bother me - it sounds kinda normal.

 

Hi all,

I just wondered if anyone has any recommendations that has helped them or someone they know to reduce tinnitus.

I take most vitamins daily already, but have now introduced B-12 and Magnesium into the mix as i read they can help.

I've also saw Zinc, Turmeric, and so forth?

Also those 'white noise' and 'tinnitus relief' meditating type things on YouTube, are they good for it?

Any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks to all!

 

HI @bethadtr

I understand how you feel for I and many people in this forum know how noise induced tinnitus affects our mental and emotional wellbeing especially in the early stages which you are in. Please do not get tempted to try any treatments for now or buy any so called tinnitus cures. The only thing I would recommend, is talking to your doctor if you are feeling overly stressed, as some light sedation can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

All you need for now is use low level sound enrichment especially at night talk to your doctor as I've mentioned. Please be very careful of using white noise to try and relieve your tinnitus or any other sound source. You must not mask the tinnitus or attempt to cover it up so that it can't be heard. Doing this will usually make the tinnitus seem louder once the sound is stopped and you risk making the tinnitus worse by masking it. If you use white noise or any other sound source such as nature sounds, set the volume slightly lower than the tinnitus.

Please read my post New to tinnitus what to do? This is all you need for now.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

Michael

 

Hi @bethadtr

The only thing I would suggest other than what you are doing is to eat super clean. Lots of fruits and veggies and anti-inflammatory foods. No dairy, sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. Basically, cut out all the good stuff for a few weeks and see if it helps.

(magnesium and Vitamin B12 are good)

 

Well thats the tricky thing about sound induced tinnitus- Yes, it can last a day, a week, a month, a year, or even years. Its hard to tell how long it'll last. But its entirely possible that your case of tinnitus is temporary. Just avoid those loud noises and headphones/earbuds.

Also if you smoke or vape, you might want to consider quitting. Nicotine, being a stimulate and a drug that constricts the blood vessels, doesn't help tinnitus at all.

 

White noise helps for the most part, but I stopped using my machine as for some reason later on I had a strange feeling about it. It annoyed my tinnitus, not sure if it made it temporarily worse, but some people report it helps them while others prefer silence. My belief is that it helps at first, but later on you prefer silence or other more natural noises like the A/C running. I would have the white noise machine a fair distance away from me and not too high of a volume.

NAC was my vitamin/supplement of choice, a lot of people recommend that alongside Magnesium and the major B vitamins (B-12, B-9, B-6, B-3, etc. there's a multi-vitamin that has all the B ones).

I tried many things, I'd stay away from psychiatric drugs unless you absolutely have to. And then I'd start with Benzos rather than SSRIs as Zoloft in my case worsened my tinnitus.

Wear earplugs when you go somewhere loud. It's not just concerts or clubs, but stadium and sports events can get really loud. Try to distract yourself often. It's a struggle, but while we're young, we have a better chance in our 20s of dealing with this later on than people who are already retired. Maybe a cure will be out in the next decade or two, or at least something that will help lower the tinnitus volume.

I also got hearing aids even though my hearing loss isn't that great, maybe it helps like 2% but it is what it is. Approaching 600 days here (563).

 

Sounds we are close in symptoms, though not causes. I've also got moments of desperation, where I'm so angry that something so invasive can happen so quickly.

Question for the people posting about earphones: what's the problem with earphones, if they are played at a low-level sound? How could that make it worse, if the dB level isn't even close to causing damage?

Asking because I have been trying to go on as normal, and have used my headphones (sparingly). Obviously worried now I've made it worse, though nothing feels worse.

 

Most doctors can't explain tinnitus, that's why their reply is all will be ok.
If you can ignore the ringing by finding quiet projects that will take your mind off the noise that is very helpful. You're just new and this is causing that problem we all had listening for the ringing. Avoid it. Most medication doesn't work, and more than not makes tinnitus worse. Be careful to people saying go for medication it can turn against you.

 

I think it'll get better with time. I'm 21 and did something much stupider (shot a pistol with no hearing protection) about 1 1/2 months ago and lost hearing and developed hyperacusis/tinnitus in my right ear. My tinnitus has gotten better with time although it is still present and gets worse with noises. Being so young, and with a single exposure like this, I believe it will get better. Sometimes these sorts of things take months to resolve, or get to a point where you can habituate to it. Either way I'm sure it will improve at least somewhat. I took what happened to me as a learning experience to always be careful around loud sounds, and take care of your senses. Only time will tell, and patience is key in these situations even though things really suck right now (I'm with you on that one). One thing that has been seemingly helping me is magnesium. I'm also taking curcumin and NAC and stuff like that but I'd definitely talk to a health care professional before taking supplements. It could be worth a try though. Either way, I wish you the best in this, and I hope things get better.