- Oct 7, 2019
- 4
- Tinnitus Since
- 07/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Hello everyone,
I had completely forgotten I was a member of this forum. I saw it in my password manager, and it took me back to when I was really struggling and coming here to read nearly every day. It feels like a long time ago now.
I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis in mid-2019 from a gunshot. The first year was awful. I was wearing earplugs while driving and doing daily tasks. Even simple things like taking plates out of the dishwasher were difficult because of the clattering. I was constantly researching whether I would recover and how long it might take.
Then COVID hit. Some days were better than others, but I started to notice some improvement around that time, in late 2020. Whenever I got sick, things would get worse, but on some days, I didn't even think about it. I believe the reduction in daily stress helped, especially since I was working from home.
By late 2021, I would consider myself recovered. I no longer thought about it every day, and it stopped affecting my life in a significant way.
Now, in 2025, I still have the occasional day when it's worse than usual, usually when I'm sick. But I had some level of tinnitus even before 2019. The worst part was the hyperacusis, which started to fade about a year in. That has completely gone, and it was absolute hell while I had it.
Anyway, I just thought I'd post in case anyone is in the same position and looking for some hope, like I was. I know these kinds of stories really gave me hope.
Cheers!
I had completely forgotten I was a member of this forum. I saw it in my password manager, and it took me back to when I was really struggling and coming here to read nearly every day. It feels like a long time ago now.
I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis in mid-2019 from a gunshot. The first year was awful. I was wearing earplugs while driving and doing daily tasks. Even simple things like taking plates out of the dishwasher were difficult because of the clattering. I was constantly researching whether I would recover and how long it might take.
Then COVID hit. Some days were better than others, but I started to notice some improvement around that time, in late 2020. Whenever I got sick, things would get worse, but on some days, I didn't even think about it. I believe the reduction in daily stress helped, especially since I was working from home.
By late 2021, I would consider myself recovered. I no longer thought about it every day, and it stopped affecting my life in a significant way.
Now, in 2025, I still have the occasional day when it's worse than usual, usually when I'm sick. But I had some level of tinnitus even before 2019. The worst part was the hyperacusis, which started to fade about a year in. That has completely gone, and it was absolute hell while I had it.
Anyway, I just thought I'd post in case anyone is in the same position and looking for some hope, like I was. I know these kinds of stories really gave me hope.
Cheers!
