Protecting? Overprotecting? Not Protecting?

Next time, try a lower the volume. You want find the maximum volume that does not cause any consequences for you. Also, don't expect any results overnight. It will take several weeks/months before you see any results.

When you are around glass plates, you are exposing yourself to a risk of being around a noise that can be Devastatingly loud. A plate falling 10 cm onto another plate (30 cm away from my bad ear) may have switched T on in my formerly good ear. This happened in November. I still have T in both ears.

 

Not too sure about the time frame you gave me. I hope I can see some results sooner than that.

Not here to argue anyway. I'm genuinely happy for you that you're seeing a good progress with your own tinnitus.

 

Yea I hear you, but I’d have said the same thing back then as well. To make matters worse I’m a musician meaning it cut right into my passion and livelihood. No longer could I transcribe music and hear all the details. Instead, I had to transcribe through the noise in my head making it difficult to hear what was being played most of the time.

People often assume that my T must be mild, which to be honest, is kind of infuriating. I spent half my life with mild T and it’s kind of insulting to be told ‘you must have a mild case then’, basically because I now carry on with my life. Let me just lay some facts down here: our lives will never be the same again let’s be clear on this. I can no longer just go to a bar, or arrange to go out with friends without pre-planning ear defence or avoiding a situation if it’s goimg to be too loud. I’ve had to turn down gigs to see my favourite bands because I know the venues will be pushing my comfort zone. I no longer play in my band and have had to turn down many great opportunities. Remember that music is my life so this is monumental stuff for me. I’m aware that I’ll always have a loud cocophany of noise screaming in my brain and ears. It’s there non-stop, is very intrusive and can be heard over nearly everything. Traffic noise for example doesn’t mask it, and neither will a noisy bar.

When it first ramped up to this new level my world fell apart. Everything I live for is to do with my ears. I’m also a perfectionist which is a trait that doesn’t help at all with stuff like this. I was suicidal and desperate for relief, but nothing would touch it. I’d put a film on yet whilst I’m trying to hear them speak there’s all this noise in the way coming from my head and ears. My thoughts were totally catastrophic; I mean I figured I can’t even watch a movie to distract myself because all I’m doing is listening to my tinnitus. This went on for a very long time until I realised that if I didn’t kill myself then this was now my life. At some point the penny dropped and I figured I had to accept it because nothing else could be done. In my mind it was like if I don’t accept this then the only other solution is something I don’t want to think about.

So, I decided to do something radical. Reboot my life and start over. I stopped coming here altogether (no reading or posting) and this also included looking into tinnitus research. I tried to eat healthier, I started exercising again, and I put my mind into other things. Anything that deeply captivated my imagination and made me think a lot. The idea being that a lot of cognitive processing is a good distraction method. Very slowly, I started to regain control. My mood began to lift to a depressed state, and then into what I’d call just ok. I can’t remember how long it was, but at some stage I remember there was a point when I realised I hadn’t thought of tinnitus. I was amazed. I forgot I was supposed to be bothered about it all the time. This was like a tipping point that started a slow chain reaction into regaining some normal thought patterns again, and not just tinnitus this and tinnitus that 24/7. This has continued and the gaps between being depressed and anxious about it have slowly widened, but there have been many relapses along the way. It wasn’t a continual improvement. More like 5 steps forward, 4 steps backwards.

Anyway, it took a while but I slowly started to realise I could still do stuff and that my life WASN’T over. Just altered. I’m nearly as happy now as I was before. The only thing that still bothers me is not being able to play live in a band. I think my past problems helped me with T, because if you’ve read this forum you might know I had a problem with my chest which effected me just as badly as T did. I had a failed surgery which left me lying in a hospital bed when I was 19 hoping that I wouldn’t wake up the next day. It was a truly horrible time in my life, but I believe it set the pathway that showed me how to cope with incredibly stressful situations. Anything is possible in this life and our power to overcome is incredible if we tap into it. We should never underestimate the power of the human spirit.

 

@Ed209 Wow. Just wow. First off, my hat goes off to you for not giving up and getting your life back. That takes A LOT of courage.

I have to admit tho, this was pretty diffucult to read too. As if I could almost feel your pain. Being a musician and now having to deal with this ordeal. I am so sorry.

My world too fell apart when I first got it and realised there's not much one can do about it. Especially after talking to my local ENT who wasn't helpful at all and instead of putting me on a steroid treatment right away (cause I did see him within 3 days after onset) he just told me the usual 'gotta learn to live with it'.

I got my T in November and it was brutal. I ended up in a mental house as a result of that (suicidal tendencies). I could hear it over just about anything. Then later on in January something changed and I swear I was getting better, as a matter of fact the first half an hour - to an hour, after I've woken up I could hear silence again before my T kicked in later on but at a lower intensity.

I became a tad more optimistic when I found this forum and read Bill Bauer's original '70% recover thread', then talking to Greg Sacramento, and especially JJflyman as he was being the most positive person on here and has got that lovely thread with cases of people who got to hear silence again. Himself included.

Probably the most frustrating thing is that all the psychiatric docs were saying, that I'll get better, then I saw other ENT's who said my T might fade away in time by some 30 - 40%. On the first page of this site's panic guide it says "Although it might not seem like it, there is a high likelihood that your experience of tinnitus will improve.", followed by "...you can beat this and go back to living a normal life." and last but not least "We’ve been running a forum for years, do you know how long people stick around for? On average up to 3 months."

Then, I cannot really tell what caused it. It became much worse, like I was starting from the get go. I'm thinking it could have been because of reading too many horror stories and then throw in my anxiety into the mix. From all that advice about protectig our ears (because they are not the same anymore and much more vulnerable now), 80 dB(A) causing spike threshold type of things, and hearing about permanent spikes all the time, became at some point overprotecting and isolating myself. Now I have hyperacusis.

So to sum it all up, I'm 5 months in, got this bad hyperacusis and my ears have been very loud for the past 2 weeks, where at times I feel it's my head that's actually making the noise. It can also be due to tapering off from all the antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs. There's just too many variables to take into consideration.

I did exactly what I was told on this forum to promote my healing as much as possible... perhaps I should have been listening more to my doctors and stay clear of the internet and not reading specialized literature about t. Who knows.

Now reading your story I feel like there is just no hope to hear silence again let alone leading a normal life (attending bars, seeing friends, socializing, graduating, having a family..). It's just my own feeling that I have right now.

There is just one thing I'd like to point out.

No one can predict the future. I oppose your motion on the grounds that there are a lot of clinical trials going on right now (some of them very promising) with regards to tinnitus research and ear/brain regenerative medicine. With the earbud generation more and more people are getting tinnitus these days (a flood of ear problems). In my country tinnitus is officially recognized as a 'civilization disease'. Busy lifestyles, stress you name it and it is quite possible that within a few years we will get a new drug/or device (Susan Shore) that will provide us with additional relieve until the ultimate cure is found. Hope and positive thinking for better tomrrows is all we got.

Thank you for sharing your story with me.

 

It makes sense for the cause of your problems to either be all of the noises you ended up being exposed to (the noise of a car crash is supposed to be very loud) OR the drugs above. The fact that you had attempted to create an environment that gave your ears the best chance of healing is unlikely to have caused a spike. I would suspect That only if there were no obvious suspects like the ones we have in your case.

The people on whose experiences that advice had been based had not been taking those drugs and did not have that many unlucky noisy events happening to them.

 

Jiri, there is always hope. You hear of cases that resolve after 10 or even 20 years. I think the most important point is to not make that your strategy. It can resolve at any time for anyone, but I think it’s better not to wait around. The quicker you resume normality the better in my opinion. I still go to bars, restaurants, cinema, local bands, parties etc. I’m very content and feel absolutely nothing like I did 3 years ago. Time makes a huge difference and 5 months is a drop in the ocean. Don’t rush yourself to feel better it’s a catch 22 situation. Try doing what I did. Take up some deeply interesting hobbies and change things up a bit. Do some regular cardio exercise and make sure your sleep hygiene is good. Let the pieces fall into place naturally. This way, if a cure does eventually come it will be an added bonus rather than the be all end all.

 

Do you know those people I was having in mind? Do you know their medical history?

For your information these type of drugs are very common in treating patients with T, especially in the initial stages. I was reassured by the psychiatric doctors (who indicate these drugs frequently and know them) that these drugs are neither ototoxic nor have been known to have as a side effect tinnitus. My GP told me the same thing. At multiple pharmacies (the real experts when it comes to drugs) they, again told me to stay calm that there are no known (even rare) cases for these types of drugs to cause tinnitus. That being said, no one can 100% guarantee anything when it comes to medication. We're all individuals and especially withdrawing (even slowly) from any type of a drug can have side effects - usually temporary + any type of a drug can potentially cause tinnitus as a side effect. Even though it might not be directly listed in the ototoxic drug brochure. I just did everything in my power to make sure I wasn't being given something that could worsen my condition.

Again, how do you know with certainty? As a matter of fact I was discussing car crashes here with people who were involved in car accidents and were not having any ear protection on. Firecrackers are not the cause of my T spikes - I rulled them out. Ambulance ride - COULD BE, that's just my own opinion. Users here again don't think this could have caused me worsening of my T neither do think the same thing two ENT's. Acoustic reflex test - the last one I had (85 dbA) potentially gave me the new sound in my bad ear. Again, just my own opinion. All in all I am a very anxious person who is currently tapering off from my medication and has developed hyperacusis on top of things. Anything is possible.

Anything else supportive you might like to add on this friendly supportive tinnitus forum?

 

This was indeed very helpful and encouraging to read. Thank you for that. I'll try doing what you did then.

Just not too sure about:

Too scared right now but I wish so hard I could resume to do all of that asap 100%. I believe many people here do.

Also, I don't want this thread to make all about myself. I was just interested in different strategies when it comes to protecting, overprotecting (+ getting rid of H consequently) and even exposing yourself fully to the daily sounds.

Cheers,

J.

 

You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. It takes baby steps to begin with to see any progress. If I go somewhere loud I use my strongest filters, I stay away from speakers and I take breaks. I haven’t had any problems. I won’t go anywhere anymore that’s ridiculously loud.

Don’t become obsessed with trying to get rid of the noise because in my opinion it does the exact opposite. It makes you think about it all the time and keeps you reacting negatively to it. You’ll be surprised what we can adapt to and be totally happy.

Just remember, 3 years ago I was absolutely rock bottom. There was no lower rung than what I was on, but now, I’m happy. I’ve got a daughter and everything’s on the up. A total turnaround.

 

Well, as long as you see that progress.

Obsession depicts precisely how I feel about T. It has greatly limited the quality of life and turned it upside down.

 

Yes precisely. We become absorbed by it and end up in a Tinnitus bubble. It’s tough going and extremely difficult to overcome, but not impossible. Changing our thought processes from catastrophic to rational takes time. One thing I will say is that the first step must come from you. No one here can make that happen and if you don’t believe it’s possible then it never will be.

Confide in friends and family in the real world. We need emotional support to get through difficult times.

 

Sorry I missed this post, but I think you should listen to the professionals. At the end of the day this is a forum full of sufferers so the advice is always going to be biased; including my own.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to prioritise this forum over real world diagnostics and opinions. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great place and resource but it shouldn’t be replacing a professional assessment.

 

This all makes sense. Well, at first I joined this forum to meet some more experienced users, I read that Bill's thread -> and got some hope back for one day may be recovery, but foremost I felt like I needed some guidence.

I am trying to make that step you speak of but at this point I realise it would all be so much easier if I hadn't known about: 'spikes', then 'permanenet spikes', what hyperacusis is, then TTTS and ADS, TMJs and ETDs, pinched nerves etc. Then it was 80 dB(A) threshold so you can imagine that now even a spoon clanking in a ceramic bowl scares me much. Ignorance is bliss. I shouldn't have jumped right on the net and google all the doom and gloom about t.

True. I got my grandmother 85 yrs (M.D.) & auntie who seem to understand. Then 2 good friends whose ears are fine but thanks to us discussing tinnitus became afraid of it a lot too. The rest of my fam.... well, let's just say they put it on the same level as a twisted ankle.

That is, if you're lucky enough to find professionals who actually know something about tinnitus and are willing to care about you. In my experience some ENTs don't admit they know little about the condition and especially what to do in the accute stage. Hence you get to hear the common 'learn to live with it, nothing we can do about it. Bye & next patient'. They rely too much on their 40 years of experience rather than educating themselves further and staying up to date.

So at the end of the day, this forum is a place where people share a common enemy and might have some helpful tricks on how to deal with certain situations or making

If nothing else, it's the support to get through the hard times and research news.

I understand there are some 50 millions of Americans suffering from tinnituts and about 10% of the world population got it. At least so I've heard. This is the biggest internet forum on the topic yet there are only some 27.000 people registered here? Well, it make sense it's overrepresented with people who are hurting (me included) and that a lot of advice shared on here is wrong and biased. The only other option though is to leave......

 

I wish i never got on this forum, it made me a mess.

 

The doom and gloom stuff does get depressing and tends to breed an atmosphere of phonophobia. You need to turn your ship around and learn to take control again.

Don’t get too down on yourself though. It’s one of the toughest mental challenges you will go through. It takes time.

 

I thought you were talking about my advice. I gave this advice after considering my own case and what I know about T of several other people I had exchanged messages with here. So to answer your question - yes, I know those people and their medical history, and I am one of the people.

I know that Proscar/finasteride/propecia - the drug that prevents hair loss is said to not be ototoxic, but one person had reported getting T as a result of discontinuing taking that drug very suddenly. So you are right, one needs to be extra careful when taking any drugs...

So am I.

 

Ok, this was a misunderstanding then. I thought you were talking about my combo of drugs since I showed them to u.

We need to clarify one thing. By ototoxicity we understand a direct damage to the tiny hairs inside cochlea caused by medication. ENTs in general know which drugs are ototoxic. However, some drugs can initiate the onset of tinnitus without having the label as being "ototoxic" and this is outside of the knowledge of ENTs. Doctors who prescribe such medication ought to know this and I strongly believe that an experienced pharmacist should too, since they have the power to change the prescription of the drug and offer a better alternative. Plus they have an access to drug databases

I know

 

Back to the topic of protecting vs overprotecting.
Has anyone tried the noise cancelling earmuffs?
I got a pair of Walkers Razors and i have the volume button turned up to certain level...but should a sudden loud noise occur, it will block it out automatically.
This way I dont feel like Im over-protecting but now theres a built in peotection, that cuts out everything that could hurt me.
Sounds like a pretty middle ground solution to me.
Anyone doing the same?

 

True.

I haven't got any experience with noise cancelling headphones - only Peltor Bull's Eye 1 (-27 NRR) + I like their low profile and Peltor X4A (-33 SNR). It is however getting warmer and warmer and I don't like the looks I'm getting from other people whilst wearing those. I decided to get a pair of earplugs instead (high-fidelity & more discreet)

3M™ E-A-R™ Clear Plug Earplugs 20 is my choice No.1.

• Designed to be worn discreetly, these earplugs are ideal for people for whom image is key
• Class of protection: 83 dB(A) - 93dB(A)

The 3M™ E-A-R™ ClearE-A-R™ 20 Earplug has been developed with a 20dB reduction in noise to offer optimum attenuation in medium risk areas without adversely affecting communiction with your colleagues or customers. The high precision filter controls the flow of sound to maintain a connection with the outside world. The 3M™ ClearE-A-R™ 20 Earplug is transparent and has a shorter stem for workers who want their hearing protection to be almost invisible, ideal for the entertainment industries.

The other choise would be either some of the etymotic or eargasm earplugs. I believe this kind of class protection should also help with hyperacusis since 3M states that: "Many noise exposures only require about 10 dB of noise reduction for adequate protection from noise damage."

 

That is the style of ear protection special forces operators use. They cut sounds off at 82-83db or lower if you want, right? I had considered getting some but they look rather milspec.
People might think you’re on a covert op

 

@Ed209 - I am so grateful to you for writing up such a full history, and for not avoiding the worst of it.
I am so delighted that you managed to reclaim your life.
You say “It’s there non stop, it’s very intrusive, and can be heard over nearly everything,”
- and yet, you have managed to emerge with a very productive life.
You say “at some point the penny dropped, and I had to accept it...”
“Music is my life....so this is monumental stuff for me...”

These statements are crucial for me to hear
- they so closely reflect my own experience.
In a nutshell:
* 25 year Tinnitus at low level,
* 4 year Tinnitus at full on,
* a life of music, now in jeopardy,
* “T” loud and constant,
* a realisation than acceptance and accommodation are the only way forward..etc....

The real value of such an example is that “if this guy can do it, then just maybe I can do it...”

I have no religious conviction Ed,
but I want to say “God Bless You.”

 

Thanks Jazzer, I’ve definitely been through some stuff. Depression is like one of my friends and anxiety is his best mate. I got to know them a long time ago.

I take inspiration from people who come through incredible hardship, shake hands with despair and move forwards.

I always link this video because I think it’s an incredible insight into the power of the human spirit:

We're The Superhumans | Rio Paralympics...

 

@Ed209 - just shed a tear....but thanks xx

 

Anyone else who would like to share their point of view on protection vs overprotection or is it just better to let go of earmuffs and earplugs altogether and expose yourself to daily sounds again like so many ENTs advice?

All opinions are most welcome.

 

@Jiri I am in many ways in the same boat as you.

I have protected and overprotected my ears and now panic over most noises. I have been hypervigilant and obsessed with noises.

It has gotten to the point where certain sounds hurt me now - crisp packets being opened, for example. My life has been led by not wanting to make the noise worse, to the point I avoid a lot of things and request my wife keeps certain noises down.

I went to see an ENT who recently stated that I should get a lower strength earplug, which I have got and begin to wear these around the house (I still wear muffs at home and sometimes plugs - in some ways I feel addicted to the silence/noise of the T, as odd as that sounds).

Anyhow, all this vigilance and I still got hit by a big exposure yesterday that has me spiking and wondering whether my effort was pointless and wasted time and energy.

I am going to try with the lower strength plugs to bring some balance and normality back to my life. I want to get to the space that @Ed209 is with his tinnitus and be at peace and moving forward, despite the noise.

 

@Elfin I see you have suffered from tinnitus since 2004. Damn, that's a long time and from your message it feels that you still haven't come to terms with it (habituated).

We're definitely in the same boat then. Like I mentioned before a spoon clanking in a ceramic bowl, someone closing door abrubtly or even flipping a lightswitch near me and I'm on red alert (read scared of possible consequences). I too wear earmuffs at home - some would say it's a bit of an overkill and they could well be right.

In my understanding, people who have noise-induced tinnitus develop hyperacusis in fear of making their condition worse. Especially after finding out about 'permanent spikes' or gaining new tones this was true for me.

The ENTs I have seen told me to get rid of my earmuffs and earplugs, and expose myself to the normal daily sounds again (if T is just a brain thing it'd make sense). The last one said it's a placebo effect. To them anything below 120 dB can't hurt you. The other one told me that sometimes for the acoustic reflex test they even go as high as 105 dB.

I guess that's the hyperacusis effect + your anxiety causing your t acting up now. Also, your brain has proly adjusted to the new sound levels due to avoiding all kinds of noises and overprotecting for extended periods of time. My phone slipped on floor tiles in the bathroom today - most people would be concerned about the phone, all I'm thinking is if it was above 80 dB. I think we both might need some sort of therapy (youtube).

 

You had tinnitus (very mild) for 25 years?

 

You dont need to worry about a phone falling. That will not hurt you.

 

What if it was Nokia 3310 breaking the tiles?

 

You are ok my friend.