Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

[Sonia554]

I've had sound-induced tinnitus for seven months now and have only been on these boards for a short time, but what I mostly see is a lot of suffering. Is anyone here actually getting better as time goes on and feeling like their tinnitus is moving toward resolving? Especially those who have had it for more than six months. Is anyone noticing improvements? Does anyone still have hope?

 

[MindOverMatter]

I've had sound-induced tinnitus for seven months now and have only been on these boards for a short time, but what I mostly see is a lot of suffering. Is anyone here actually getting better as time goes on and feeling like their tinnitus is moving toward resolving? Especially those who have had it for more than six months. Is anyone noticing improvements? Does anyone still have hope?

My best advice to you, if you want to focus only on the "getting better part," is to stay clear of the stories you seem to come across most often. The more you read the "worst off" stories, the more you will suffer, in my opinion.

You can ask any counselor or therapist who works with this, and they will tell you the same.

And yes, there is plenty of hope and many people do get better. Habituation is real for most people.

Seven months is a short span of time, even though it may feel like a lifetime to you. Keep your chin up and know there will be better days ahead.

 

[Nes]

I got tinnitus about 1.5 years ago, and I started seeing the first signs of improvement after beginning Clonazepam, following 10 months of pure hell with loud tinnitus. Now, at 1.5 years, I still have it, but I have a lot of hope for the future, and it doesn't bother me nearly as much anymore. I don't believe it will ever go away, and I think accepting that fact was a big part of getting better.

There are plenty of success stories here, and even more outside this website. Many people who get better don't stick around. If you read the posts here, you'll notice it's often the same people who post regularly, and unfortunately, they tend to be the most severe cases.

One of the main key points in almost all success stories is that tinnitus and habituation both take a lot of time to improve—often months or even years. So, seven months is really nothing in the bigger picture.

 

[Tryn2BHopeful]

It can, and it does, get better. However, it can also get worse if you're not careful to protect your ears in loud environments.

 

[Sonia554]

My best advice to you, if you want to focus only on the "getting better part," is to stay clear of the stories you seem to come across most often. The more you read the "worst off" stories, the more you will suffer, in my opinion.

You can ask any counselor or therapist who works with this, and they will tell you the same.

And yes, there is plenty of hope and many people do get better. Habituation is real for most people.

Seven months is a short span of time, even though it may feel like a lifetime to you. Keep your chin up and know there will be better days ahead.

Thanks for the reply, @MindOverMatter. I've definitely discovered that reading the worst stories can trigger a panic attack when I otherwise would have been fine. I've been relying on ChatGPT to curate recovery stories for me so I can avoid reading the worst-case scenarios. The only thing is, I don't know if the stories ChatGPT gives me are real or made up. Some of them I've been able to find here or on Reddit, so I'm taking it on faith they aren't fake, and that healing from tinnitus between months 8 and 12 is actually more common than the forums or doctors let on.

I do realize that the very worst stories don't have much in common with my situation. I think tinnitus from a one-time, short-term noise exposure with no complicating factors, like mine, is probably one of the more likely cases to resolve fully or nearly fully. I just have straight tinnitus and some on-and-off soreness—no distortion, no hyperacusis, and no pre-existing conditions.

I've noticed significant, steady improvement over the last two months, months 6 and 7, and I hope it keeps going toward full or near-full resolution in the next month or two. It was like a switch flipped. It was awful, awful, and then one day, out of nowhere, I suddenly felt good enough to turn the sound support off and never really went back. Now I'm sleeping through the night, and I can sit in a quiet room with just the refrigerator hum—something I absolutely could not do two months ago. I'm not taking any drugs.

All the signs are positive, but I'm still sick and tired of it. The guilt and regret of knowing I caused this myself, when I should have known better and had every chance to avoid it, is probably worse than the tinnitus itself in many ways. I'm furious with myself for being so careless, and I have no idea what the long-term consequences will be, where I'll finally land in the healing process, or when. It's not like a broken bone where you have a standard timeline and recovery is practically guaranteed. It's unreal that 15 minutes in a furnace room seven months ago turned my whole life upside down.

It really is a lonely condition, and I was hoping to connect with people who are in a similar situation—one-time exposure and tinnitus lasting more than six months. I know a lot of people leave when they start getting better, so we don't hear about their recovery, and the forums make it seem like no one improves. I wish more people would come back and report when things get better so we could see that it does happen. That 3 to 6-month timeframe everyone talks about is outdated. Many people continue to get better well after that.

 

[MindOverMatter]

It really is a lonely condition, and I was hoping to connect with people who are in a similar situation—one-time exposure and tinnitus lasting more than six months. I know a lot of people leave when they start getting better, so we don't hear about their recovery, and the forums make it seem like no one improves. I wish more people would come back and report when things get better so we could see that it does happen. That 3 to 6-month timeframe everyone talks about is outdated. Many people continue to get better well after that.

The thing is, it does feel lonely at times, but if you start opening up to people about it, you'll discover how common it really is—especially after the kind of situation you mentioned.

I think it's important to understand that it's usually not just one single thing that caused it. What you experienced was likely the final trigger, but more often it's an accumulation over time that leads up to that event.

It usually also means that even though you do get better—as most people do habituate to some extent—your auditory system is still somewhat compromised. That's why you need to be careful, especially when attending loud events.

There are no guarantees in life. I had stable tinnitus, after habituating the first time, for 15 years before a major worsening. Now I've had it for more than 20 years in total. It's not a walk in the park, but it's not the end of the world either. Life is still good.

 

[Sonia554]

I got tinnitus about 1.5 years ago, and I started seeing the first signs of improvement after beginning Clonazepam, following 10 months of pure hell with loud tinnitus. Now, at 1.5 years, I still have it, but I have a lot of hope for the future, and it doesn't bother me nearly as much anymore. I don't believe it will ever go away, and I think accepting that fact was a big part of getting better.

There are plenty of success stories here, and even more outside this website. Many people who get better don't stick around. If you read the posts here, you'll notice it's often the same people who post regularly, and unfortunately, they tend to be the most severe cases.

One of the main key points in almost all success stories is that tinnitus and habituation both take a lot of time to improve—often months or even years. So, seven months is really nothing in the bigger picture.

I'm trying so hard to be patient, and I'm sure my feelings are shared by many on these boards. I keep remembering the "before" times when tinnitus wasn't a concern and dreaming of the day it either goes away or becomes so negligible that it's unnoticeable. I'm hoping my recent improvements are positive signs and not just temporary.

The uncertainty is what makes it so difficult. I could live with it for another couple of months if I knew it was going to disappear. The not knowing is the hardest part.

How would you rate your tinnitus these days in terms of tone and volume?

 

[Sonia554]

The thing is, it does feel lonely at times, but if you start opening up to people about it, you'll discover how common it really is—especially after the kind of situation you mentioned.

I think it's important to understand that it's usually not just one single thing that caused it. What you experienced was likely the final trigger, but more often it's an accumulation over time that leads up to that event.

It usually also means that even though you do get better—as most people do habituate to some extent—your auditory system is still somewhat compromised. That's why you need to be careful, especially when attending loud events.

There are no guarantees in life. I had stable tinnitus, after habituating the first time, for 15 years before a major worsening. Now I've had it for more than 20 years in total. It's not a walk in the park, but it's not the end of the world either. Life is still good.

What caused your tinnitus the first time, and what led to the worsening?

I had very mild, low tinnitus before this that I rarely noticed, and even when I did, it never bothered me. It was always, "Oh, there's my tinnitus," and as soon as I started doing something else, I'd forget all about it. But this now is just killing me.

It is getting a little easier, but I've lost weight, I have trouble focusing at work, and I feel tense all the time. I worry that I've permanently compromised my ears and that one wrong move will lead to lasting worsening. My hearing test came back normal, though, so I hope I've only irritated my auditory system and not actually damaged it.

I've heard that tinnitus after noise exposure is not progressive and won't get worse from normal daily sounds unless there's another major noise incident. I don't care for bars or concerts, but I do love cities, and I worry about the impact of trains and buses. I've been told that as long as I rest and take care of my ears during recovery, they won't be permanently more fragile than before.

 

[Nes]

The uncertainty is what makes it so difficult. I could live with it for another couple of months if I knew it was going to disappear. The not knowing is the hardest part.

Yeah, I get it. I had that a lot too. Now I've accepted that it's not going away, so I might as well live my life again.

How would you rate your tinnitus these days in terms of tone and volume?

It's hard to say because my tinnitus is not constant. I have five or six different tones, and they all come and go. The volume also changes, sometimes it's very loud, and other times it's not.

I would rather describe it in terms of how much it bothers me. Today I'm at a 6 out of 10 because I woke up with a rare and annoying tone I sometimes get. Yesterday I was at a 4. The day before that I was at a 1 out of 10. Tomorrow I might be at a 1 or a 7, there's no way to tell. Maybe this afternoon it won't bother me anymore either.

 

[MindOverMatter]

What caused your tinnitus the first time, and what led to the worsening?

I had very mild, low tinnitus before this that I rarely noticed, and even when I did, it never bothered me. It was always, "Oh, there's my tinnitus," and as soon as I started doing something else, I'd forget all about it. But this now is just killing me.

It is getting a little easier, but I've lost weight, I have trouble focusing at work, and I feel tense all the time. I worry that I've permanently compromised my ears and that one wrong move will lead to lasting worsening. My hearing test came back normal, though, so I hope I've only irritated my auditory system and not actually damaged it.

I've heard that tinnitus after noise exposure is not progressive and won't get worse from normal daily sounds unless there's another major noise incident. I don't care for bars or concerts, but I do love cities, and I worry about the impact of trains and buses. I've been told that as long as I rest and take care of my ears during recovery, they won't be permanently more fragile than before.

I don't know what the initial cause was back in 2004, but most likely it was an accumulation over time that was finally triggered by stress or something else happening during that period. There was no particular incident.

The worsening in late 2019 was due to high sound exposure.

It has taken me a lot of time and effort to get to where I am today, which is a much better place most days. But as I always say, setbacks and spikes are unavoidable in modern everyday life when you live with chronic tinnitus.

Normal daily sounds are definitely not something you should protect against. They are a great opportunity for you to habituate over time. Whether that takes six months, twelve months, or more, only time will tell.

 

[Strife_84]

It took me about 4 years to feel "normal" again, and 6 years until I didn't even think about it anymore.

Then I messed up once by going into a club with earplugs, and I was almost back at the beginning.

Just give it time. You'll take steps forward and backward, but always remember the good days.

It's possible to live a better life afterwards than before.

 

[Sydnears]

It took me about 4 years to feel "normal" again, and 6 years until I didn't even think about it anymore.

Then I messed up once by going into a club with earplugs, and I was almost back at the beginning.

Just give it time. You'll take steps forward and backward, but always remember the good days.

It's possible to live a better life afterwards than before.

Four years? To habituate, or did your tinnitus resolve?

 

[Sonia554]

It took me about 4 years to feel "normal" again, and 6 years until I didn't even think about it anymore.

Then I messed up once by going into a club with earplugs, and I was almost back at the beginning.

Just give it time. You'll take steps forward and backward, but always remember the good days.

It's possible to live a better life afterwards than before.

6 years is not very encouraging. That's a very long time.

 

[Strife_84]

Four years? To habituate, or did your tinnitus resolve?

Well, it reached a point where I barely heard my tinnitus anymore, and my hyperacusis disappeared as well. But now my tinnitus has gotten worse again, because I went to a club with earplugs about four months ago.

I was feeling so good that I thought I could handle it. I was wrong. Never again.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Well, it reached a point where I barely heard my tinnitus anymore, and my hyperacusis disappeared as well. But now my tinnitus has gotten worse again, because I went to a club with earplugs about four months ago.

I was feeling so good that I thought I could handle it. I was wrong. Never again.

Sorry to hear about this. I know the place. It's not easy to get back, but it is doable.

Another good example is @Sonia554, related to what I mentioned before. Even though your hearing test is coming back fine, the auditory system is compromised in one way or another. So even if you improve a lot and habituate—which is quite likely—there are still no guarantees about what the future holds for your ears. Better safe than sorry. Living within normal limits doesn't mean you should stop living.

By the way, most hearing tests don't cover all the frequencies, so you may still have a hidden hearing loss that won't show up in the results. Just for your information.

 

[Sonia554]

Sorry to hear about this. I know the place. It's not easy to get back, but it is doable.

Another good example is @Sonia554, related to what I mentioned before. Even though your hearing test is coming back fine, the auditory system is compromised in one way or another. So even if you improve a lot and habituate—which is quite likely—there are still no guarantees about what the future holds for your ears. Better safe than sorry. Living within normal limits doesn't mean you should stop living.

By the way, most hearing tests don't cover all the frequencies, so you may still have a hidden hearing loss that won't show up in the results. Just for your information.

Improve a lot, as in the volume going down? I feel like I lost my entire life the moment I walked into that furnace room. There's a clear before and after now, and I'll be living with this sound for the rest of my life. I still can't wrap my head around it.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Let me rephrase that a bit. Improvement by habituation is the most likely outcome, meaning your tinnitus will become pretty much non-bothersome again. That may very well happen down the road.

The perceived volume can be turned down by your brain as it processes it.

All the "whys and what ifs" are common territory for most people who are bothered by it, but the sooner you can let go of those thoughts, the sooner you will reach a state where you can process it in a healthier way.