Question to Those with Noise-Induced Tinnitus Who Got Re-Exposed to Loud Noise

[shasta0863]

I've had tinnitus (so slight barely noticeable from 13-18, at 19 I really got it hard from a exposure to loud noise at a festival...to point where I had a temporary threshold shift, everything muffled for awhile.

Since then, 26 now, I've habituated and barely noticed it until sleeping (which I could fall asleep with out really any masking!). That was, until June 4th 2015 when that night i noticed my T was loud that night which I assume was from 6 days prior waking up to a loud table saw outside my room (windows wide open) which no doubt damaged my ears, or ruined any half-surviving hair cells/nerve pathways that were already on their last legs and finally got damaged.

So, it's been a month and almost 2 weeks since the T increase (and fluctuation of intensity and pitch, which I've never had before plus more reactive to sounds) of and while I may feel ever so slightly better, I'm curious on peoples experience here how long after the "event" can you still see improvement? I can find nothing online for "ear recovery times" in terms of damage from noise to hair cells or neural pathways. Can your ears recover 2 months down the road, 3 months? I guess I'm looking for first hand experiences with those who already had T but got exposed again to see if they noticed after "x" amount of time, it wen't back to baseline. I can't help but feel a month and almost 2 weeks has been a long time for ear recovery, and if it hasn't gone back to baseline yet I'm probably stuck where I am. Am I giving up too soon or have many of you noticed an improvement or back to baseline after 2 to 3 months?

 

[linearb]

The general timeframe given is usually six months, but, no one really understands how any of this works.

 

[shasta0863]

Thanks for the reply. So I'm low with in that time frame if that is true, which I hope it is.

I feel as if, going out and about and being around noise is now causing my T to raise, fluctuate in tone ect.. for days afterwards. Things that shouldn't cause damage. I can't help but wonder if this is because the damage is that bad to my ears, or perhaps I'm still recovering and noises are just exacerbating the T while I'm healing.

I'm mainly concerned on if it's going to get much worse if I'm out and about even around 70-80db noises. I don't know if I should recluse and help it repair or still try to function outside and hope every day noises aren't furthering any damage that might be recoverable if I was otherwise in a generally 40-60db house.

 

[linearb]

I'm mainly concerned on if it's going to get much worse if I'm out and about even around 70-80db noises. I don't know if I should recluse and help it repair or still try to function outside and hope every day noises aren't furthering any damage that might be recoverable if I was otherwise in a generally 40-60db house.

I can only speak for myself, but I've noticed that "quiet" 40db urban houses, don't make me feel nearly as relaxed and unstressed as truly "natural" 15-20db soundscapes. But, that's hard to do in a city.

 

[shasta0863]

Yeah, I suppose its very subjective and how reactive you are.

For years I was fine, but now since this increase from I assume the wood saw exposure, which still boggles my mind that with in less than 10 seconds it could do this, my T seems to get higher from being out. In car traveling, around 75-80db areas. For short periods of time and I come home and hear it louder, which never used to happen to me.

I'm stuck because I don't know if my ears are just THAT damaged now they can't handle things anymore or am I just recovering and my ears are in a volatile state from what ever occurred. I'm more concerned about it getting even WORSE than where I am now. You hear people and ENT's say you're fine, you're not more susceptible to damage at noises around 85db. Well 8h for a healthy ear is different from where we're at you would think. Hair cell damage, nerve damage, who knows how damaged we are and our threshold on damage is now. I don't know what to do, and scared overly resting and staying home could make my H worse and my tolerance worse.

Really sucks.

 

[Florida John]

Yeah, I suppose its very subjective and how reactive you are.

For years I was fine, but now since this increase from I assume the wood saw exposure, which still boggles my mind that with in less than 10 seconds it could do this, my T seems to get higher from being out. In car traveling, around 75-80db areas. For short periods of time and I come home and hear it louder, which never used to happen to me.

I'm stuck because I don't know if my ears are just THAT damaged now they can't handle things anymore or am I just recovering and my ears are in a volatile state from what ever occurred. I'm more concerned about it getting even WORSE than where I am now. You hear people and ENT's say you're fine, you're not more susceptible to damage at noises around 85db. Well 8h for a healthy ear is different from where we're at you would think. Hair cell damage, nerve damage, who knows how damaged we are and our threshold on damage is now. I don't know what to do, and scared overly resting and staying home could make my H worse and my tolerance worse.

Really sucks.

How did things work out? Did your Tinnitus come down any with time?