Saying Hello 7 Months After Tinnitus Onset — Noise Exposure/ETD

I have been browsing Tinnitus Talk since the first ring 7 months ago, and figured it was about time I made an account and said hi!

I'm 24, and the ringing started last August. It was pretty minor until December when I went to an NFL game and forgot my earplugs (yikes!). I then listened to AirPods for most of the 9 hour car ride home, which definitely didn't help. The ringing is in my right ear 90% of the time, and then when it gets bored it goes on a road trip to the left side for 10 minutes or so before going back home.

Since then, it has gotten progressively worse with little to no noise exposure that could trigger it. I stopped using AirPods, and transitioned to using over-ear headphones with no noise-cancelling at a maximum of 50% volume for when I wanted to listen to music. I wore headphones for no more than an hour at a time, once a day so my ears could breathe. I use a Sound Oasis sound machine when I sleep to help mask the sound, but it is becoming less effective as the tinnitus worsens.

This past week it became noticeably louder. Each time it spikes and doesn't return to baseline I have to habituate. It is a really tiring process. At first I remind myself I have habituated after an increase in sound before, I can do it again. Then comes the tired/suicidal ideation/"I wanna give up" phase (I am currently here). After that comes longer spells of not actively thinking about it, and after that I consider myself to be habituated. The volume is now a tad below regular conversation, and it is becoming more disruptive - the short, 10 second spikes I get through the day are at least 80 dB. I lose trains of thought to the sound, and I have to exhaust myself both mentally and physically each day so I can sleep. I called the Neurotologist's office this week and they sent a referral to a TRT clinic so hopefully that will help.

I'm not even a year in, and it has gone from a minor nuisance to a real problem. The hidden hearing loss I have makes socializing difficult, but spending too much time on my own is a recipe for disaster. I don't know what else I can do to help myself through this. As my condition worsens I engage with music/guitar playing less and less (my favourite hobby), and I find it harder to control my mood. I have been going to therapy for the past month, some progress has been made, but it is definitely a challenge. I don't want to give up, I want to enjoy my life and not let this be the boss of me.

I don't know if this is an intro post or a call for help, but I appreciate you if you read until the end, and hello haha.

 

Really sorry to hear about your increases. You mentioned hidden hearing loss. Have you had a hearing test or more than one since this started?

 

I have had 2 hearing tests. One at the ENT, and another when I saw a neurotologist. The neurotologist also ran a high frequency hearing test where I have -35 dB loss at 16 kHz and above. After describing how when I listen to music now it sounds like everything is panned towards my left ear, and mentioning my inability to hear people with background noise, he said I have hidden hearing loss.

The TRT clinic called me back today and I made an appointment for next month. I haven't done too much research into TRT/neuromodulation, but hopefully it can provide some relief.

 

Cheers. Sounds awfully similar to my case, I'm older than you by a rough decade with significant loss at 12 kHz and above. I can still understand people with background noise but not as easily as earlier in life.

Please post updates about your experience with the TRT process, I am about to embark as well. It does sound like you'd benefit from hearing aids, or at least worth giving a shot.

 

How are you now?