Reverby ringing from sounds

I hope this is the correct forum to post this in.

I saw a concert about 6 days ago and the band played at 130 db, and I wasn't wearing hearing protection. I was exposed to that volume for about an hour.

After the show I had multiple frequencies of ringing and swishing noises and basically couldn't really hear anything else.

Today, while I have had much improvement, I still have some ringing that is mostly only noticeable when it's quiet, but it does flare up at times and is absolutely unbearable, and at times there is some pain in my left ear. Plus I'm not hearing things I heard before, and somethings sound very different.

The second symptom I have is what I'm possibly more concerned about.

When ever say a car drives by, or a fan is running, I hear a ringing attached to that sound. It's kind of a reverb ringing. It even happens when I type on my keyboard, walk, pull my keys out of my pocket, etc. Pretty much any / every sound triggers it.

I've seen an Otologist at House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. Pretty much all I was told was it was still early on, I've had much improvement in the time since my exposure. I also had a hearing test done at Kaiser, and the doctor there told me pretty much the same thing. Neither had any information on the reverb ringing I'm hearing, or suggested anything beyond avoid loud noises.

I am hoping for a full recovery, but I'm very concerned about this reverb ringing I hear when ever I hear other sounds. I haven't found any information on this anywhere.

My third symptom is noticeable only when it's really quiet. I have what sounds a like an old fan turning really slow in an old warehouse...kind of a distant mechanical clanky sound. The second and third symptom may be connected?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on things I should be doing to help recover from all the symptoms?

Thank you so much to everyone for any help!

 

I know exactly what you mean with the ringing that accompanies every sound. All I can say is I had it for a while when my T started, then it went away. I still have chronic T but that reverb thing you described is gone.

 

Thank you for your reply Snake! How long did it take for your reverb effect to resolve?

 

You have acoustic trauma. Besides the chance of it going away by itself, the only thing that can help you in the acute stage is a course of steroids. These are effective 24/48 hours after tinnitus onset (if given as IV or orally). After that, the effectiveness is somewhat less. Another alternative is intratympanic injections with steriods. Here the decision to go ahead with it will be done on a "case-by-case" basis.

The symptoms you describe are a symptom of your acoustic trauma. These will probably improve over time. Your tinnitus may or may not. You did the right thing by seeing a doctor early on. I can only recommend putting in an effort during the early stages of tinnitus (= window of opportunity).

Lastly, I recommend using ear protection at all times when outside the house. For a long, long time...

 

Thank you Attheedgeofscience! I have an appointment with another doctor on Monday morning, unfortunately by that time it'll have been 8 days since I was exposed to the 130db sound. I will ask him about the possibility of getting a steroid injection.

Thank you for sharing the info!

 

ATEOS I just wanted to ask a quick question about steroids,after my sound exposure at the start of this year I went to the doctor immediately and several others for that matter.I demanded steroids and I was refused over and over again and I dont know why this was,I even attended a specialist a few days later and was refused again.Do you know why this might be??Is steroids not the typical practice in these matters.I was really upset that these were not prescribed and feel like I missed an opportunity.I did however avoid outdoor noise for nearly a month which I suppose is the right thing to do.Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

Steroids, are most infective against tinnitus when the following three criteria are met:
1) Recent onset (24/48 hours), and
2) Acoustic trauma, and
3) Associated hearing loss

I suppose the reason you were refused steriods is a matter of standards. The institution of medicine is "plagued" by standards. Essentially doctors - as intelligent as they may be - operate by "standards". What that means is that if you have condition "X", then they will prescribe remedy "Y". Every time. Because that is what they have been taught at med school. There is no reflection taking inside the heads of doctors. So in one country the remedy will be "Prednisolone", in another, the remedy will be "HBO", or "Betaserc", or "nothing"...

In Germany they will, if necessary, prescribe Prednisolone. As with any drug, there are side effects - and I wouldn't take Prednisolone - even short term - unless I really had to...

It is also a matter of the patient's situation. What do they do for a living? How severe is the condition? What is their next step? In my case, my next step, is experimental brain surgery. So when I see my doctors next week for a follow-up, they will have no choice but to take some kind of action. No doctor will willingly send their patient to brain surgery. So in an sense, I am putting a gun against their head.

 

Thank you very much for your response ATEOS and now I know why I was refused so many times,I mainly suspect that it was because I had absolutely no associated hearing loss whatsoever according to numerous hearing tests and OAEs that I had done and the fact that it is not standard practice here.I guess there is nothing I can really do now but I hope for the best for you with your brain surgery and that you get the results that you deserve.

 

@earsnothappy, the best thing you can do is to continue to let time pass, listen to your doctors, and not expose your auditory system to loud sound for several weeks.

You don’t need a course of steroids. Steroids are sometimes prescribed for individuals with sudden hearing loss, which you do not have. You are describing noise-induced tinnitus, not sudden hearing loss. If your hearing tests indicated that within three days of attending the concert you had hearing loss of more than 30 dB in three or more contiguous frequencies, your doctors might have advised a different course of treatment.

You also don’t need to wear hearing protection when outside your home – unless you are in a setting where you have to really raise your voice in order for someone standing next to you to hear you. Wearing hearing protection around normal sound is unnecessary and doing so could further complicate things.

The reverb ringing you are experiencing should go away over time. Try to be as patient as you can be and give your auditory system a good chance to reset itself.

@bill 112, the most likely reason your doctors didn’t prescribe steroids for you at the time is because you did not have hearing loss of more than 30 dB in three or more continguous frequencies. Steroids are sometimes prescribed for individuals with sudden hearing loss, which you did not have. To get accurate information on the state of your hearing, your doctors wisely administered an otoacoustic emissions test. It sounds like you received good care, and that you did not miss an opportunity.

here2help

 

Hi,

I have the same symptoms, the result of the sound and the reactive sound that occurs simultaneously I called it distortion, because it makes some sounds to appear distorted...

 

Earsnothappy hows your symptoms now?I got noise trauma 3 weeks ago and have what you have,thanks.