Spike from Stress — Will My Tinnitus Return Back to Baseline After Stress Is Alleviated?

Greetings. I have had tinnitus for about 30 years resulting from shooting firearms, motorcycles when younger and not wearing ear protection. It is constant but manageable.

In the past 12 months I have had 3 major life situations in which my stress level are extremely high. Almost constant stress. Last Thursday I had another very high stress event (been a hard year).

When I woke up on Friday (July 6, 2018) my tinnitus was very loud and I was experiencing all kinds of symptoms which later I believe to be acute stress reaction. On Sunday (July 8, 2018) the appeared the tinnitus started lessening but still higher than normal.

However, yesterday (July 10, 2018) it got back louder again. I am still experiencing some of the stress symptoms (tightness in chest, heat flashes, disorientation and other symptoms).

I was going to go to an eye, ear & throat doctor but I went a long time ago and also after much research found there is not much I could do about the original tinnitus.

My question is since my original tinnitus is a result of loud noises and this increase is a result of high stress do you feel it will go back down at least to the original level once the stress has been alleviated?

Thank you very much!

 

More than likely it will. Our stories are very similar. It was several very stressful situations occurring within a short time of each other in 2014 that made my tinnitus increase in severity. In more than 30 years of living with this affliction, I had never experienced anything like it before. I also developed severe hyperacusis for the first time.

The fear that my tinnitus and hyperacusis would remain at those levels for the rest of my life greatly exacerbated the situation. It got to a point that I needed an AD in order to be able to eat and sleep for more than two hours at a time.

It took about four months for my tinnitus to return to its previous base and my hyperacusis to completely subside.

Spikes can occasionally last for weeks and even months for some people. I'm hoping that my post will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels to some degree.

 

Thank you very much! That was my REAL question. Like others I have been reading on the forum the actual tinnitus is giving them anxiety. I believe the anxiety I am feeling now is the thoughts (Is it going to stay at this level for the rest of my life?)

It has spiked before over the years but never really lasted much and I never really understood why but this time is different.

Thank you again for responding. I have been reading all on the web about recovery time for acute stress and it was saying about a month so you saying it took about 4 months helps me a lot in thinking "Well, it's been 2 weeks and nothing better" and then I may go in to panic mode

 

I am in the same position @bolive and your post @jimH gives me hope as well.

Tinnitus is so loud that is feels as though my head is going to cave in at times

 

Thank you for responding. I spoke with an audiologist on Monday and she echoed Jim. She said in her experience and the studies show that once the stress is alleviated the tinnitus should return back to previous levels.

She did note that acute stress hits the nervous system very hard and the nervous system is slower to heal than let's say a cut on your arm.

 

@bolive Yes this is the hardest part in the first months of tinnitus. My experience is a big yes. So work on the stress issues. Life will always through us these curve balls but taking that fear of the noise never going back down can be changed. It kinda sucks but just know and work on the stress/fear.

Happens to me also especially right now. But I know after all this time it is gonna be okay with a little time.

 

@bolive,
Your tinnitus from the noise trauma will be your base sound.
Tinnitus can change sound and add sounds and change strength for a reason and for no reason and have it in one or both ears or head.
Stress and anxiety feed tinnitus and tinnitus feeds stress so it is important to learn to relax and not let your emotions react to Tinnitus and off load stress and getting enough sleep.
Love glynis

 

I've had tinnitus for years and until November 27, 2017 it wasn't bothersome at all. I have discovered that stress seems to cause the volume to spike as do some foods. However, my once a week yoga class seems to quiet it down at least for a little while. I have tried a couple of suggested solutions, Lipo Flavonoid tablets and essential oils. The LipoFlavonoids seem to have worked but only while taking them. I stopped because of the expense. But I will probalby go back to them. The essential oils I am in week five and haven't noticed any change. The ACV suggestion I don't think is for me.

 

Is yours primarily located in your head or in your ears?

 

This may sound silly but how do you know if tinnitus is in your head or your ears?

 

It has to do with where you perceive the "location" of the sound to be coming from, such as whether it is aligned more closely with one ear or you feel it within your skull.

 

How is it now?