Struggling with Tinnitus at 16 After Earphone Use

[Ilikethebeatles]

I love music with all my soul. I simply do not think I could live without it. I used headphones from 2021 to 2025. At first I only used headphones, but lately I used cheap wired earphones. That was the biggest mistake of my life.

The night before the tinnitus started, I listened to some jazz with those earphones for a few minutes. I took the earphones out and fell asleep, and in the middle of the night I woke up hearing an annoying noise in my left ear. The first thing I did was ask an AI about it and it replied that it might pass, and nothing more.

The next morning I went to school and everything seemed normal. But when I got back home I kept hearing the sound when it was quiet or when I focused on it too much. My mom always warned me not to use earphones so much. I never paid attention to her until now, until the moment when she also felt bad and sad for not having taken those earphones away from me and prevented this from happening.

It has been one week and three days since it started and I have felt very down since that day. I am 16 years old and I spend my time sad and depressed, without wanting to eat or do anything. I cannot sleep properly anymore and I wake up earlier than I used to. This year I have my graduation and a party in December. I also have to buy my dress in a very loud place. How on earth am I going to do that?

I feel so bad for even thinking about hurting myself. Leaving my mother, my brother and my father is something so horrible. I do not think I can bear all this pain that I caused myself.

 

[Sonia554]

I know this is an extremely difficult experience and everything you are feeling is perfectly normal and justified. Please know that many people experience sound induced tinnitus and go on to full recoveries. You will see people who say it is likely permanent, but do not believe them. The number of people who end up with permanent, intrusive tinnitus is very small and those cases are over represented on boards like this.

People much older than you may apply their experiences to you and say you will be the same. Chances are you will make a complete recovery, or it will become so faint that you will not notice it. Give it time. Rest your ears, prioritize sleep, take it easy, and eat well. Stay away from headphones and keep TV and radio volumes low. Avoid parties and loud gatherings. You should be fine shopping and running errands. I would not recommend earplugs for every situation, although some people use them. Wearing earplugs can amplify your tinnitus for a while and make you more anxious and sensitive.

It is hard to say how long it will last. Some people recover in days, some in weeks, and some take longer. You are young, so your chances of a fast recovery are higher. When my sound induced tinnitus started it was ten out of ten loud in both ears. Now my right ear is nearly silent and my left ear is much quieter. I expect to make a full recovery eventually. Most people do improve significantly or recover fully. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Avoid reading horror stories. Stick to recovery stories and people who are positive about the potential for recovery. Do not let anyone scare you. I can share some recovery stories with you if you would like.

And please, please do not ask AI for anything except recovery stories. AI can scare the life out of you because much of the data it gives is flawed and it does not reflect your individual circumstances.

 

[Ilikethebeatles]

I know this is an extremely difficult experience and everything you are feeling is perfectly normal and justified. Please know that many people experience sound induced tinnitus and go on to full recoveries. You will see people who say it is likely permanent, but do not believe them. The number of people who end up with permanent, intrusive tinnitus is very small and those cases are over represented on boards like this.

People much older than you may apply their experiences to you and say you will be the same. Chances are you will make a complete recovery, or it will become so faint that you will not notice it. Give it time. Rest your ears, prioritize sleep, take it easy, and eat well. Stay away from headphones and keep TV and radio volumes low. Avoid parties and loud gatherings. You should be fine shopping and running errands. I would not recommend earplugs for every situation, although some people use them. Wearing earplugs can amplify your tinnitus for a while and make you more anxious and sensitive.

It is hard to say how long it will last. Some people recover in days, some in weeks, and some take longer. You are young, so your chances of a fast recovery are higher. When my sound induced tinnitus started it was ten out of ten loud in both ears. Now my right ear is nearly silent and my left ear is much quieter. I expect to make a full recovery eventually. Most people do improve significantly or recover fully. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Avoid reading horror stories. Stick to recovery stories and people who are positive about the potential for recovery. Do not let anyone scare you. I can share some recovery stories with you if you would like.

And please, please do not ask AI for anything except recovery stories. AI can scare the life out of you because much of the data it gives is flawed and it does not reflect your individual circumstances.

Thanks a lot, Sonia. You really gave me hope!

Just two days ago, I went to the ENT. He washed my ears (I had a lot of earwax), and both the audiometry and tympanometry tests came out very well. I have no hearing loss, but I still have tinnitus.

I'm not that sad anymore, but I'm still a bit worried because in the following days at school, I had two events with loud music, people screaming, and so on. I feel my tinnitus hasn't really changed in any way, although I think it may have decreased in the left ear where I had the wax.

My tinnitus sounds like the static from an old TV, in both ears. In the left ear, there's also another sound overlapping it, like a kettle heating— not the high-pitched "piiiiii" sound, but something more metallic. None of the sounds are so loud that I can hear them over people talking or the TV, but I know they're there, and that bothers me quite a bit.

Let's hope this doesn't affect my recovery. Oh, and I'd love to read some of the recovery stories. Greetings and love. C:

 

[MindOverMatter]

Thanks a lot, Sonia. You really gave me hope!

Just two days ago, I went to the ENT. He washed my ears (I had a lot of earwax), and both the audiometry and tympanometry tests came out very well. I have no hearing loss, but I still have tinnitus.

I'm not that sad anymore, but I'm still a bit worried because in the following days at school, I had two events with loud music, people screaming, and so on. I feel my tinnitus hasn't really changed in any way, although I think it may have decreased in the left ear where I had the wax.

My tinnitus sounds like the static from an old TV, in both ears. In the left ear, there's also another sound overlapping it, like a kettle heating— not the high-pitched "piiiiii" sound, but something more metallic. None of the sounds are so loud that I can hear them over people talking or the TV, but I know they're there, and that bothers me quite a bit.

Let's hope this doesn't affect my recovery. Oh, and I'd love to read some of the recovery stories. Greetings and love. C:

You will get better, have faith in that. But it is also important to take this as a sign that you have sound-induced tinnitus.

Getting tinnitus at such a young age, and knowing that you have been listening to a lot of music—probably loud at times—through earphones, is a warning. The chances of you getting much better for now are high. The younger you are, the better the chances, I'd say. But that does not mean you should continue listening to music through headphones, at least not for long periods of time. You should also be careful at loud events and wear ear protection when you go to concerts or similar activities in the future.

Sound-induced tinnitus is often the result of cumulative exposure over time.

We also have to acknowledge that hearing tests do not give the full picture, as there are frequencies the tests do not detect.

Take good care of your auditory system and you will be fine.

Good luck!

 

[billie48]

Thanks a lot, Sonia. You really gave me hope!

Just two days ago, I went to the ENT. He washed my ears (I had a lot of earwax), and both the audiometry and tympanometry tests came out very well. I have no hearing loss, but I still have tinnitus.

I'm not that sad anymore, but I'm still a bit worried because in the following days at school, I had two events with loud music, people screaming, and so on. I feel my tinnitus hasn't really changed in any way, although I think it may have decreased in the left ear where I had the wax.

My tinnitus sounds like the static from an old TV, in both ears. In the left ear, there's also another sound overlapping it, like a kettle heating— not the high-pitched "piiiiii" sound, but something more metallic. None of the sounds are so loud that I can hear them over people talking or the TV, but I know they're there, and that bothers me quite a bit.

Let's hope this doesn't affect my recovery. Oh, and I'd love to read some of the recovery stories. Greetings and love. C:

Welcome to the forum. Don't despair or let yourself become too depressed. Things will improve. Either the intensity of your ringing will subside, or your brain will slowly adapt to it. This will happen gradually but surely.

Your tinnitus is still very new, and you are young. Recovery to a normal life is highly possible. Try to live as normally as you can. Focus on things that interest you—perhaps start a new hobby. Your brain will begin to find other things engaging and will slowly stop focusing on the ringing. Over time, your brain will no longer treat the sound as a threat, and it may slowly fade from your awareness.

I suffered nightmares, sleepless nights, relentless anxiety, and panic attacks at first. I also had severe hyperacusis along with ultra-high-pitched tinnitus. I had to use medication and masking, day and night, just to get through each day. So I truly understand your suffering.

I never thought I would recover from that, but never say never. Today I live a normal and enjoyable life, traveling often, fishing, gardening, and dancing. I even wrote my success story, "From Darkness to Light…" where I shared some helpful strategies. You can read it and see if they help you. Also, read other success stories to give yourself hope.

Take good care, and may God bless your recovery.

From Darkness to Light, How I Recovered from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

I am one of those who strongly believe that being positive will help us habituate to tinnitus faster. A few years back I was in total darkness of immense sufferings from severe tinnitus & hyperacusis. I have ultra high pitch and loud tinnitus (T) which was soon followed by piercingly hurtful...

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