Persistent Tinnitus After Sudden Brief Unilateral Tapering Tinnitus Episode (Preceded by Car Crash)

Hello!

My tinnitus started in the afternoon after a sudden brief unilateral tapering tinnitus episode, which was preceded by a car crash 17 days earlier, on September 13th, 2022. I have been lurking these forums ever since.

The crash happened so quick I cannot recall if I hit my head, but I don't recall doing so. I remember having a sore neck two days before the onset of the tinnitus. As much as a I attribute the crash as the cause, I know I would hear a very faint and barely noticeable ring when I was in a completely silent room but it would never bother me. I know I was very stressed after the crash leading up to the onset looking for a car and dealing with insurance. I suppose the airbag going off could have induced noise trauma along with whiplash from the crash. The tinnitus itself is somatic; like many others, I can make the volume scream if I press on my jaw and tilt my neck so perhaps I have some TMJ going on but I am unsure if this is the cause. Before this I was also an avid gamer, loved going to bars with my friends and listening to music through my headphones but those days seem long gone since tinnitus. I have been to an ENT and an audiologist, and my hearing is perfect based off of their tests.

Another strange symptom is about two weeks ago I started having noticeable eye floaters along with what seems to be other visual snow symptoms, but I feel like I have always had very mild symptoms of that.

Despite all this, it is nice to see there is an active community who really supports one another, and I hope to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience and is getting better.

 

Perhaps you should see a neurologist if you have eye floaters?

It looks like you already had a low level of tinnitus which has worsened as a result of the car crash. I can imagine the sound of the crash was very loud - and I understand that the blow from an airbag is significant.

You are doing right by giving up on earbuds or headphones. If you want music - listen through speakers at home and keep the level lowish. Stay away from bars if possible.

Avoid at all costs significant noise now that you are in this situation. Many on here had manageable tinnitus that became unmanageable due to noise exposure.

Hopefully some other more knowledgeable members will reply to your thread with good advice.

 

I am sorry to hear about your car crash @Jordan F and the subsequent tinnitus that emerged. I suspect hitting your head and deployment of the airbag aggravated tinnitus that was already present, albeit at a low level.

Listening to audio at too high a volume through headphones is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. It includes earbuds, AirPods, headsets, noise cancelling and bone conduction headphones. Since you were an avid gamer, probably used headphones a lot, and frequently went to bars which are often noisy environments, all of these things can cause a person to develop tinnitus, which you became aware of when in quiet surroundings.

If you don't want your tinnitus to get worse, my advice is to stop listening to audio through any type of headphones even at low volume. Whether you choose to follow my advice is up to you but be under no illusion about what I am saying. You have noise-induced tinnitus. While it's probably low and manageable at the moment, this can change fast. Please click on the links below and read my posts. And type headphones in the search box at the top of this page and read the posts.

Go to my started threads and read: Will My Tinnitus Get Worse? The Habituation Process, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, As I See It. Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset.

Try to stop pressing on your jaw or deliberately tilting your neck to manipulate the tinnitus, because you could make it permanently worse. There are sensory nerves in the neck that enter into the auditory system and brain. Nerves also encircle the jaw joint (temoporomandibular joint) and enter the ear. Some people can develop tinnitus (TMJ) due to a problem with the jaw joint and might have to wear a mouth guard at night to prevent grinding of the teeth.

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/