Tinnitus Absolutely Does Get Better — Most People Just Don't Come Back to Tell About It!

Hi Tom,

Thanks for coming back on here and checking in. Your story and your posts have been a major source of positivity for me since my ear problems started six months ago. I literally have screenshots of some of them on my computer desktop and still read them regularly when I feel hopeless.

I guess my main question to you is how did your hyperacusis improve over that first year that you had it bad? Do you remember how it evolved? Also, did your hyperacusis initially cause you pain, or was it only "loudness" discomfort?

Thanks a lot.

 

When you feel ready to go out and enjoy yourself at places where music is played, then do so @SmallRonnie but there are a few things that I think you should keep in mind. Some people believe once they have habituated to noise-induced tinnitus, the wearing of earplugs, even high-end custom moulded earplugs, will prevent their tinnitus from spiking or getting worse. This is not true. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through the head and transfer to the inner ear by bone conduction and irritate the tinnitus.

Since we are all different, there is no way of knowing to what extent a person with noise-induced tinnitus will be affected. If the tinnitus spikes and one is fortunate, it will return to baseline within a short period of time. The spike is a warning that should be heeded, and not to go to places where overly loud sounds are present. If the spike doesn't reduce, there is a risk of the tinnitus increasing to a new permanent level and it could also change to variable tinnitus. This is usually a more severe form of noise-induced tinnitus that can make habituation very difficult. Please click on the link below and read my post: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

All the best,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

Hi @Tom Cnyc. Nice story. When did you develop tinnitus and how long did it take to make significant recovery?

 

Michael, I wear earplugs when driving or when on a plane and my tinnitus still spikes, and usually comes down afterwards. Without earplugs, it would be much worse. I cannot understand why, as I can barely hear anything when I have earplugs (and often noise-cancelling headphones on top), so there must be some other mechanism at play (vibration, bone conduction, or maybe sound deprivation is a contributor - but then why doesn't it happen in very quiet environments like when sleeping?)

Are you suggesting these spikes are a risk to become permanent? Any other advice or precautions would be appreciated as I do need to travel quite a bit and don't want to make a bad situation with highly variable tinnitus worse.

 

I'm not a doctor, but my hypothesis is that hyperacusis is the tensor tympani muscle stuck in activation mode - essentially trying to guard your hearing. Think of a clenched fist. Doesn't hurt - but if you held it for a month? A year? Even gently touching it would be agony. It's that, but your ear.

This is one way that I subscribe to sound therapy as a possible solution. As you desensitize, your anxieties drop - and your body naturally starts to lower its defense mechanisms that we can't consciously control. I had some serious trigeminal numbness and electric shocks as well that went with this - as I relaxed, it all started to fade.

For me, I think a lot of the improvement started when I reintroduced my guitar into my life and began to feel like myself again. I started with an unplugged electric as it's pretty low in volume. Then moved into an acoustic wearing earplugs. Eventually got to a point I can plug the thing in and play with no earplugs at a reasonable volume.

The improvements are hard to chronicle, but slowly but surely the numbness in my face and the pain / discomfort (I can't decipher how others would describe the difference as this is entirely subjective) waxed and waned. Oddly, when I do get a tinnitus spike now (ear infection, or something like that) I'll get some mild hyperacusis towards the end every time. Oddly it always fades after that.

I think the important thing to note is that it was not linear healing. For a visual, it'd be almost like a Bitcoin value chart - wild swings but if you really zoom out, it's improving over time.

My memory is a bit fuzzy on all the details. Candidly it's a few years ago, my brain has blocked some of the trauma, and I definitely developed a drinking problem for a while there as well to cope. For me, getting hammered made it much easier to tolerate. I don't recommend people take that angle for treatment, of course.

The other thing I did was start going for medical massages. Not like Massage Envy, like from a physical therapist. It was a bit expensive but it helped me fix some postural issues/neck issues that likely were complicating the scenario. Cheaper than a shrink too.

I developed tinnitus May of 2016. Meaningful recovery took 18 months, but I was still suffering at that point. I started to see a little improvement around 14 months in. To get to where I am now took 4-5 years or so.

 

I note that you have had noise-induced tinnitus for 5 years @ploughna. Since I don't have a full history of your tinnitus, my advice is based on my experience with noise-induced tinnitus and people I have corresponded with that have it. If you previously habituated to tinnitus and it has got worse over the years, in most cases (but not all) the reason is further exposure to loud noise or listening to audio through headphones. More about this is explained in my thread: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

I believe you are overusing hearing protection which has resulted in lowering the loudness threshold of your auditory system and making it more sensitive to sound. It can cause the auditory system to react in peculiar ways that you have mentioned. I suspect the underlying cause of your oversensitivity to sound is hyperacusis. This can be treated with self-help or being under the care of an audiologist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management. Please click on the link below and read my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It.

Spikes usually (but not always) affect people that have noise-induced tinnitus. They are an indication that the auditory system is oversensitive and needs to be desensitized, either with self-help or under the care of an audiologist. The treatment can involve counselling and wearing white noise generators. Some people that have recurring spikes, there is a risk of the tinnitus increasing, so please try and get some treatment.

All the best,
Michael

Hyperacusis, As I See It | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

@Tom Cnyc, you wrote this at 7 months in.

"My tinnitus has gotten pretty mild lately. Right now I have a very gentle buzz in my left ear that if I stretch my neck a certain way - it will go away for a minute or two. Some days I have total silence. These days the only time I seem to have full blown tinnitus like my first 4-5 months, is when I've got a bad hangover, so ironically what helped in the beginning is now a trigger."​

 

Thanks for the insight. I do have fairly bad hyperacusis/noxacusis so I will need to be extra careful but hopefully I will improve enough to get back out to even some outdoor music festivals at some point.

 

Thank you for the advice. I have slowly started to go out to some places with earplugs as I have improved. Definitely a slow process. I'm trying to ease into it by going to restaurants, then bars, then maybe a concert if it's all going well.

I have been getting pain in my ear from loud noise for a few years now and it always does improve again. Just need to be extra careful now though. I need to wear earmuffs when driving, so am a long way off going to a concert at the moment.

 

I can't even begin to imagine having quiet or no tinnitus days. It still amazes me how variable this condition is.

Even if you do improve, if your tinnitus was caused by noise, a concert would be too dangerous.

 

Lots of people with noise-induced tinnitus do go to concerts with ear protection and are perfectly fine. It probably depends on the severity of your case.

I can currently manage bars with earplugs just fine. An outdoor concert could be fine if staying away from the speakers. Enclosed areas are usually much more loud than open air.

Not sure if I'll ever be able to go back to Berghain though.

Maybe if I get stem cells or FX-322 I could venture out to louder areas but it would be so awful to recover so much and then go back to square one again.

I'm currently going through my 3rd setback in a year but this one isn't as bad as the other two. Mental resilience is building somewhat, but that doesn't stop the pain.

 

You are right to take things slow. Try working towards using noise reducing earplugs when driving instead of wearing earmuffs; these have in-built filters that will reduce external sound, but won't block most of it out like earmuffs, causing an occlusion effect which is something you don't want when trying to desensitize the auditory system due to oversensitivity to sound. More is explained in my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It, on how to do this.

Michael

 

I don't always wear earmuffs driving but I have a setback right now so that's why I'm doing it. I need to get a mould for the custom earplugs but couldn't get one because my ear canal was so irritated from wearing normal earplugs that the audiologist was too afraid to take the mould in fear of making it worse.

I do have those slim earplugs now, those make it better. I'm not as bad as I was before, although I'm still in massive pain daily in silence.

I at least have a positive mindset now and I think I will recover again. I'm more aware of what I should and shouldn't do.

So I'm also trying to wear earmuffs mostly just because I want my ear canal to heal enough so that I can go get a mould for custom earplugs. I still listen to music daily. I only really get pain from noises that are briefly close to 100 dB or even continuous 80 dB causes me pain after a few minutes. Constant 60 or 70 dB right now is manageable.

 

You make a valid point and so does @tpj. We are all different and therefore it's a matter of what one is able to tolerate regarding exposure to sound.

Marcus, a member of this forum had severe tinnitus with hyperacusis caused by exposure to loud noise. He thought his life was over. His situation completely turned around and now goes to concerts taking the precaution to use hearing protection but knows his limitations. He visits this forum under his real name which has slipped my mind to help people. Please click on the link below.

Michael

From Darkness Into Light | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

Just be careful @SmallRonnie. You said it yourself, it would be so awful to recover and then go back to square one.

 

I believe you would do much better without using custom moulded earplugs, as I think you might tend to overuse them which can easily cause problems by lowering the loudness threshold of your auditory system and making it more sensitive.

I think you are doing just fine as you have a good grasp on the sound levels you are able to tolerate at the moment. Carry on as you are doing, and you will continue to make improvement. If you are not using sound enrichment at night, using a sound machine by your bedside, then I advise that you do.

Michael

 

I want the earplugs only to use in loud bars or possibly for concerts. Normally, I listen to music all day. I do use a sound machine at night to try and mask my tinnitus.

I think I have a different type of hyperacusis than some other people have. My pain threshold has never risen after 4 years. And that's with doing everything normally. It's only gotten worse over time. I have had mild fluctuations this year.

I don't see myself ever recovering 100% without some type of regenerative treatment. But I'm fine with that as long as it doesn't keep getting worse.

 

Yeah, I've had 3 big setbacks now in the past year and each time it's very disheartening. This current one isn't as bad as the others though. I have a boatload of supplements that at least help somewhat. Plus, my mindset is much better.

 

You are doing the right thing by using sound enrichment at night. Tinnitus should not be masked especially at night as it makes habituation more difficult and could make your hyperacusis worse without you realizing it!

Always set sound enrichment below the tinnitus or at a level that it can be ignored. The only time you should be aware of sound enrichment is when you deliberately focus on it. It takes time to adjust to sound enrichment. When done correctly, the benefits can be huge. Listening to music all day is fine but due to your hyperacusis, if not done correctly, can make your symptoms worse. As long as the volume is kept low, this should suffice.

I don't mean to deliberately disagree with you but try not to think this way, as this is negative thinking. Take your time and continue using low-level sound enrichment and find a new hobby or interest. This will help direct your thoughts to more positive things.

Michael

 

I always check out your supplements list. I'm glad they help, even if it's just a little.

 

I've bought even more supplements since then. Some definitely do help with my mood and are just nice for focus. Others are good for sleep. Some are just generally healthy.

The best thing I can do still though is avoid loud noises.

 

My tinnitus is so loud that I can hear it over my sound enrichment device even when I turn it up to max volume so no worries there. I've been using it for almost a year every night now.

Having the right mindset is for sure good and something that has been getting better for me.

 

I also have postural/neck issues that are a factor. Incidentally, I also get days of silence on average every other day. I really think my posture/neck issues manifest while I sleep.

I wanted to ask you if you have been doing other things in addition to physical therapy to address your posture/neck issues, like taking any particular supplements, anti-inflammatory diet, exercises/stretches, certain sleeping positions, or anything else?

Thanks.

 

Sorry to know your tinnitus is so loud. Try not to turn up the sound enrichment in order to compete with the loudness of the tinnitus. It might help talking things over with your GP, ask to be referred to ENT and possibly Audiology, to see whether any treatment is available.

My ENT doctor recommended I take Clonazepam in 2010. She advised that I only take it when the tinnitus was very severe and not to take it too regular. I have found it immensely helpful and haven't had a problem with it in 12 years.

Hope you start to feel better soon,
Michael

 

I have been to an ENT, got an MRI and it was all clear so he sent me to a tinnitus specialist for CBT and that's where that ended. I was maybe going to go to a different ENT but thinking I might be better going to a neurologist or a pain specialist.

I have habituated a good amount to my tinnitus. It doesn't bother me nowhere near as much as it used to even though it's just as loud.

To be honest, I don't really want to rely on benzos. I find it extremely difficult to take them only when needed so am better off avoiding them.

I do have a bunch of mildly relaxing supplements that help though. Coriander is the latest one I got that's very good.

I actually had no pain at all today so far which is bizarre since it was so bad yesterday.

I have a bunch of stimulants that are just as good if not better than antidepressants and they really are helping me keep focused the past while.

 

Yes. SCM muscles being tight is a big issue. This was where I started.

4 Critical Stretches that Cure Your Worst...

Go see a pro though.

I took lots of supplements and used a Red Light Man light. It's like $100 so I figured why not? They say LLLT is bullshit for your inner ear and it's probably true but it does help muscle inflammation so I figured I'd try it.

I'm a skeptic by nature but gotta say my real improvements started when I first got this thing. Hansi Cross threads go into detail.

I have commented on many LLLT threads here.

I'm still not willing to endorse it as the reason though. It feels like woo but I was desperate.

 

Yeah. I had a few periods of silence early on. You also trimmed this post. I was basically advocating getting drunk at the time. Alcohol abuse absolutely quieted my T, and I was abusing alcohol then, and even in that post down playing how much I actually was drinking.

Don't trade one issue for another.

The truth is that sober, at that point I was still sleeping 2 hours a day most nights. I'd get random good stretches of silence and get really optimistic though.

I was not even close to out of the weeds at that point. I always had fluctuation. Large ones. eventuslly it just stayed better.

 

It is good that you have habituated to your tinnitus even though it's loud, well done. Having your own coping methods to deal with it when it becomes more severe is also good. I briefly perused your post history and noted that the onset of your pain hyperacusis started before the tinnitus and could have been caused by headphones. One of the best ways to treat it is by wearing white noise generators which you are probably aware of and something I advise you to consider.

I appreciate that you have an acute oversensitivity to sound but I believe that if you were under the care of an audiologist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management, you would improve. Since you have habituated to the tinnitus, it's mostly the hyperacusis that would need to be treated. Counselling with the audiologist and wearing white noise generators would hopefully help to desensitize your auditory system. This treatment will take time, so you will need take things very slow but I'm confident you would see positive results.

Michael

 

Interesting about the LLLT. Which model did you use? I'll try anything at this point.

 

Hey thanks for the reply @Tom Cnyc, I'll watch the video and look at your LLLT posts. I recall now seeing your posts from before. I've been overlooking LLLT as an option because I don't think it supplied to me, but your mentioning muscle inflammation has piqued my interest. With one of my ears, I get this squirmy muscle tightness feeling spontaneously in my ear. Feels like a muscle spasm, I think it occurs when I'm subconsciously clenching my jaw muscles.