Spontaneous Onset of New Tinnitus Sound (Think: Laptop Fan)

Hi, new here. I've had constant tinnitus for around 18 months which I have mostly habituated to which started alongside visual snow symptoms.

However, in the last hour I have noticed a new loud sound in my right ear which kind of sounds like a laptop fan.

There was nothing I did. No exposure to loud sounds which may have triggered this.

Because this is my first 'spike' I am wondering if anyone with experience could let me know if this is temporary or if it is something I'm going to have to get used to?

This sound is a lot louder than my usual sound which I only really heard in silence.

Thanks.

 

Since the onset of my tinnitus I've actually experienced this lots of times. Good news for me (knock on wood) was that it always disappeared. I think the main reason that I could hear new sounds etc was anxiety and stress.

Don't freak out or assume the worst. It can go away and I'm pretty sure it's just a temporary thing.

 

Thanks for your response. You say spikes like mine have happened to you? How long do these spikes normally last in your case?

 

Some lasted for 3-5 days, some lasted for 2-3 weeks. I don't think a spike has ever lasted for more than 3 weeks.

 

I've had sounds come and go frequently living with this nightmare.

The common theme is there's sounds that stick and sounds that come and go.

It sounds like you discovered the latter. Give it a couple weeks (yes, weeks), it will likely disappear (mine comes in 2 week cycles).

Yes, it is terrifying. Yes, it can go away. Yes, it can come back again. Yes, it can yet again go away.

Masking also helps desensitize your auditory nerves (low volume) and gives you a mental break.

Source: this has happened to me on the regular.

For a good sleep, Ginkgo biloba and Ashwagandha extract (I sometimes use SSRIs to get to sleep so perhaps it's that), they help "change" or reduce the sounds for me so far.

Oddly, benzo drugs is a sure fire way for me to reduce the volume in exchange for new sounds and tones later (bad trade).

 

Thanks for your responses. Let's hope this is a temporary spike then.