Questions About My Recently Acquired Tinnitus

[BillS]

Hello everyone! My name is Bill, I'm seventeen years old, and I have a couple of questions/concerns about tinnitus. On the 6th of September I went to a concert, and I was very excited to be standing right infront of my favorite singer. I was only about 3 metres away from him, and the speakers weren't very far away either. After the two hour long concert, I naturally couldn't hear very well. When I got home I went to bed straight away, and the next morning I heard a high-pitched noise in my right ear, along with the feeling that the ear was blocked by something (I don't know the correct term, but as if you had your hand covering your ear). I got very worried, I talked to my mother and she said "Of course, you were so close to the stage, but it will pass". It's been four days since I first heard the ringing, but the "blocked ear" went away during the first.
I was simply wondering, is there a chance for the ringing to eventually go away? I'm not constantly exposed to such loud noise, which I read often causes tinnitus, and the concert was only two hours long.
Also, is there a higher risk of damage if it is a loud noise, ALONG with it being high-pitched?

Thanks for taking your time reading, and I'm grateful for any answer. Bill.

 

[daedalus]

*sigh*

It MAY pass. You should have run to the ER room. Now, it is too late. Get an appointment with an ENT, he will do routine checks. And NEVER put yourself close to a stage at a loud concert. While you are at it, never go to a loud concert without ear protection. Don't cross highways, don't eat weird stuff lying on the ground, don't put a gun in your mouth, etc...

If it stays, don't freak out. Many of us live correctly with a tinnitus.

 

[BillS]

I know I said I'm grateful for any answer, but I would have understood even without your sarcastic attitude. I'm sad enough as it is mate. Anyway, thanks.

 

[Per]

@BillS,

Hi mate. Most first exposures to loud sound at a young age followed by a mild tinnitus goes away, I guess daedalus was trying to warn you firmly. I remember I went to clubs at your age alot and afterwards I could have a quite faint ringing for some days, it went away, but I didn't go to concerts too many times, it was more clubbing if you know what I mean. I also remember having the exact same mild high pitched noise if I hadn't been sleeping for like 2 days in a row or was very tired. It all went away and I can't really attach the experiences I had back then with what I have now, so many years after. I doubt I have T today cause of what I did 25 years ago cause then it would have come gradually and not suddenly and freaking loud like the chronic thing I have now.

Go and do some hearings tests and check out your ears as far as possible. Stay plugged at gigs and clubs, you may have started a process that can be healed, but then again it could also be the start of something that can make your more fragile to noise exposure from now on. So stay protected! I hope you will get rid of the ringing you have now of course. Fingers crossed. If it doesn't then perhaps you need to wait much longer for it to exit. For what its worth I've heard some tinnitus associations say that 6 months of non stop loud tinnitus is a chronic state, some say even half of that. But no one here can tell you that it will go away BillS. There are no guarantees and that's the creepy part about acoustic trauma. Monitor your condition and stay safe.

 

[BillS]

Thank you for your time. I know you can never actually tell when and if it will go away, but I'm a bit reassured by your reply. It really gave me some hope, and tomorrow I'll start the day by going to my GP to see if he can give me any tips or send my to some specialist. Again, thank you.

 

[daedalus]

Ok, more to the point:

Ear damage is cumulative. So, even if the ringing goes away , You have weaken your ears. So, in case of a loud event, get powerful hearing protection and never go close to the speakers. Don't even think of going to gigs of ear murders like ACDC. An i am serious about going to an ENT. True, most ENTs suck but yours may give you a course of cortizone even if it is a bit late.

And an advice so evident i was nearly going to forget it. Do not "monitor" your tinnitus. Do not try to see if it has gone worse or away. It would make you nervious for nothing. Besides, no doctor can use that kind of information. Stay at calm and do things you enjoy. This way you will not think about the t. Listen to music at LOW volume. Go see people you like. Occupy yourself. My advice sounds corny for sure but it comes from experience.

 

[JTP]

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may help during the first weeks after onset. Ask your GP.

 

[Shuffle]

As others have said, see your GP. Also, if you go to loud events/clubs/gigs please take plugs. Damage is cumulative, as others have said. Mine started off clearing quickly, then took longer, then never did. One last gig pushed me over the edge. I didn't do anything quick enough. You're a good 8 years younger than me, there's a better chance of yours healing than mine. Take the advice here and get some plugs. I recommend these, comfortable and offer good sound.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000UJ8RHE/?tag=tinntalk-21