Severe Tinnitus, What Now?

[Applejuice]

Hello everyone, I'm Applejuice and I got T around 7 weeks ago and it is quite severe as I hear it during the day and night.

I guess mine is noise based, I already had a very quit T for over 10 years that I could only hear at night.

I went clubbing 2,5 weeks before I got my T. I don't go often anymore since I'm 28 years old. I did listen a lot to music when I was younger but I haven't done that since the genre dried up 5 years ago. Anyways, I stood to close to the boxes at the club (can't remember for hoe long but it was 1 hour tops), my ears hurted but my friends didn't have any problems. I should've moved but I didn't. So I go to bed, wake up the next day but no T at all. So I went on with my life.

I had some spare time so 2,5 weeks later I decided to do a series marathon, on my laptop, with my headphones (no earbuds). I was unnaware at that time so I never thought of getting this.

So after a couple of days I had an earwax blokkage in my left ear and decided to remove it myself. Got my hearing back but still made an appointment with my doctor. So I went on.

Then the next day I woke up with severe T in both ears. It whistles, it rings, it hisses all together. Stupidly enough I read that you had to seek distraction and you needed to mask it so I tried with more noise although I learned after 3 days that it wasn't really helping.

That week I went to the doctor and he saw that my left ear had a whole lot of earwax and my right eardrum was retracted. He told me to wait a bit but the T did not go away. "Must be annoying" was his response, "can't do anything for you". He did test my ears and I don't have any hearing loss. I also don't notice any hearing loss myself but it is harder to hear with severe T.

Now I'm almost 2 months in and I don't know if I'm noticing any changes, maybe the frequence is not as deep as it started but I can't measure it to be sure. I have kept away from loud noises now, even a tv could make my T spike. I already had my initial fear phase but I'm still doubting if this goes over. I made a series of stupid decisions which I regret but can't take back. I wish I would've known.

Despite my text I have to say I'm doing better than it might sound. I picked up everything again and I still enjoy life. But I'm just avoiding loud noises and I watch tv with no sound (because of the spike).

The success story part of the forum is what gives me some hope. But I'm afraid that I wrecked my ears and have to listen to this for the rest of my life.

Do you guys think I have any chance of recovery? I've read that it could take 6-18 months.

 

[vermillion]

Hello @Applejuice,

Nice nickname
I think that through your experience you already have a few answers. Stay away from loud sounds and do not use headphones. Everybody have a chance of recovery, however nobody can predict this for you. Only time. In the meanwhile take good care of your ears.

All the best!

 

[Applejuice]

Thanks @vermillion for the welcome.

I'm doing my best now but I still feel bad about how it all started and my stupid reaction to it by masking it with more sounds.

Is it also normal that I have better and worse days? Today my T is really loud again. Is that normal or does it mean that my ears aren't healing?

 

[Michael Leigh]

HI @Applejuice,

I also like the name. I fully agree with @vermillion Stay away from loud noise and headphones. In fact never use headphones again even at low volume is my advice. Click on the link below and read my two articles: Tinnitus, A Personal View and: Hyperacusis, As I see it. I believe you will find them helpful. Try to read them in full and not skim through them. There is a good chance your tinnitus will improve in time providing you follow the advice Vermillion and myself have given you. It is your choice.
Best of luck
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

[vermillion]

@Applejuice
Tinnitus fluctuations is a common thing especially now that it's fresh. It's hard to figure out it's behavior. One day you can barely hear it and the next day it can scream. Even our veterans here are still dealing with vicious spikes that settle down again. Read the information that @Michael Leigh gave you. Stay away from the horror stories and give your ears a good rest. Try to read also the success stories. It's helpful. I really understand your concern. Have you tracked down things that help you?

 

[Applejuice]

I've read the first post of Micheal and it was helpful. Only that I realized I responded bad to my T in the first few days. I should've already stopped all noise but I didn't.

I notice that I have a bit of mood swings, still better than the first 4 weeks though. I can cope with it during the day but it's intrusive when I'm sitting still or in bed.

What've helped me is yoga and the 4 step breathe technique (breathe in - hold - breathe out - hold) whenever I feel like I'm starting to panic. I stopped doing yoga 2 days ago so I'll start doing yoga again.

Reading success stories also helps. But still I'm wondering, should I already have noticed improvements or does that take way more time?

 

[maltese]

I've read the first post of Micheal and it was helpful. Only that I realized I responded bad to my T in the first few days. I should've already stopped all noise but I didn't.

Hi, don't blame yourself for anything, you're doing very well

I notice that I have a bit of mood swings, still better than the first 4 weeks though. I can cope with it during the day but it's intrusive when I'm sitting still or in bed.

Hold in there, it gets better buddy.

What've helped me is yoga and the 4 step breathe technique (breathe in - hold - breathe out - hold) whenever I feel like I'm starting to panic. I stopped doing yoga 2 days ago so I'll start doing yoga again.

Very, very good, keep doing this stuff. You have the right ideas

Reading success stories also helps. But still I'm wondering, should I already have noticed improvements or does that take way more time?

You're already panicking less, aren't you? That's some improvement.

For any kind of physical improvement, you have to wait longer... Much, much longer. Don't put any time frames on your recovery, everyone is different.


Take care.


EDIT: Are you using some masking sounds at night? Might help you a bit.

 

[Applejuice]

Ok will do! But sometimes I'm blaming myself even though that's already too late and not helping at all.

But luckily I'm already functional so it does not bother me as much as it did during the day and I don't need a masking sound to fall asleep. If I think hard enough then I'll fall asleep myself. Sometimes I can think away the sound at night but the moment I realise that it is gone is also the same moment that it returns.

 

[Applejuice]

Yesterday I was complaining about not having better days but today was actually not that bad. 70% hiss.

Keeping strong!

Bless

 

[Applejuice]

Update:

I went to the ENT today, he told me I probably have (prolonged) noise induced T and I have it because my ears are overall pretty sensitive, so I had bad luck in his opinion. A lot of other people wouldn't have gotten it if they were in my shoes. But he said my prognose is favourable and he said that my T would eventually go to the background, so I asked him specifically if he ment physical progress or psychological progress and he told me both. I have a feeling he only meant the latter but he said that seeing my age (28) it was possible that my ears could improve physically but he can't give me any guarantees. But it was nice to hear that it isn't impossible in the first place, even if it is (prolonged) noice induced. I got the advice to take care of my ears in the meantime like I do now, protect my ears and avoid loud noises.

So after that I went to the audiologist and she measeured my hearing, turns out I can hear up to -25 decibels. I don't know how good it is relatively but she told me it was very good. So luckily that rules out Meniere because I had some dizziness when my T started. She also told me what someone else here described and that is that people with an everchanging T (from hiss, to whistle to ring or all together etc) have a chance of physical recovery even if it is noise induced.

So I felt like posting it here, it pretty much sums up what other people have posted here before. But it is nice to hear confirmation from professionals. The ENT I had was way better than my doctor who didn't even gave me tips, he told me that the ENT couldn't do anything for me and I know he couldn't create a wonder potion, but I'm glad I went either way.

 

[Applejuice]

I have a question, I noticed when I took of my earmuffs that I also hear a very low tone. A constant low hum.

Is this bad news for potential recovery?

And can the pressure of earplugs/muffs cause (this) damage?