Tinnitus for 4 Years from Loud Noise — Now I Rarely Notice It and It Doesn't Bother Me

Wanted to share my story to whom are struggling. Four years ago, I was exposed to a loud noise which started an anxious period with tinnitus symptoms worsening over following weeks. Constant ringing in left ear, and hyperacusia. It really got so bad I couldn't sleep more than 1-2 hours a night, and I truly was spiralling down. Most of that was due to desperation and anxiety, which is easy to see in retrospect. But when you are in that situation, where you think the life as you knew it is gone, it is hard to keep your calm. Now, after four years, I rarely notice the tinnitus any longer. It still comes and goes, but doesn't really bother me.

Try to hang in there, my fellow sufferers. Brain is a weird organ, and from what I learned stressing over the symptoms only makes them harder. Easier said than done, I know.

 

Congrats! Has it reduced or have you habituated?

 

You mean do I still hear it if I listen to it? Yes, I do hear it if I try to. I try to avoid listening to it, cause I am afraid it gains volume if I pay attention to it. I do believe that my tinnitus was more that my brain kind of tuned into it, since I was paying too much attention to it. Although I was diagnosed as a slight (1odb) hearing loss in right ear (due to gun shot) and 8000hz.

 

Thanks for this post. It gives me hope.

 

Thanks so much for this! I'm at around 18 months and I have had days where it's almost like it's not there. And it's been pretty bad at times (can hear it over the car engine on the freeway with music playing, on bad days). Like you I think I tune into it and that makes it loud. If I'm fully immersed in something else then it becomes much less intrusive, to the point where it's totally inconsequential.

Unfortunately the situation is still very inconsistent for me at this stage, and on some days it's still quite crap, but I think the frequency of good days is steadily increasing. I'm hopeful that the more I focus away from it the more it will continue to retreat into the background. Sending love and hope to everyone on here. It really does get better!

OP, I'd be interested to know how many years it was before you noticed it didn't bother you any more?

 

Do you get quality sleep now? Are you on any type of drugs to assist you with sleep, well-being, blood pressure etc?

 

Good to hear that it is gradually going to the right direction for you. I am afraid I can't give a definite answer to your question, when it noticed it didn't bother me any more. I suppose after 6months I had learned to live with it, and started to fall asleep without listening to any white noise, rain drops etc. (By the way, MyNoise iPhone app is awesome, combined with AcousticSheep headphones). After 1-2 years it really struck me that it is not any longer worsening the quality of my life that much.

 

Hi. Yes, my sleep quality is almost as good as before the onset. In the beginning I was taking sleep medicine, and also melatonin later on. But not any longer.

 

Did you experience pain with hyperacusis it things just sounded louder?

 

Hey. No, I didn't experience any pain at all. Just hypersensitivity to certain noises/notes, such as plates clashing together etc.

 

You have tinnitus from a 10 decibel hearing loss? What were you shooting, a starter pistol? That seems minimal and hopefully you can recover some of your hearing so the noise fades. I had a similar situation but from a faulty ear defender. Never again will I touch a gun. This noise has ruined my life.

 

Sorry to hear that you are still suffering, after one year from the onset. Was it the gunshot that triggered it? My gunshot wasn't the trigger, as that happened in the 90's already (shooting blanks with an assault riffle in military, without ear protector, twice). Was diagnosed with minor hearing loss back then, and it is still there. Didn't suffer from tinnitus until 4 years from now. The onset then was actually due to a bicycle tyre "exploding" in a closed space that amplified the noise right to my left ear. Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous. Hearing was attenuated for a couple days, and turned into tinnitus after that.

 

It has not 'ruined' your life. It has changed the trajectory of your life. From 30 years of life altering tinnitus I can say it is hell. But there are good times. After a spike it takes me 12-18 months to habituate. I try not let the anxiety get to me. You appear to have hopefully a supportive family. I am 72 and I managed to complete a career, see my children grow up and have a family of their own which means I am a grandfather. It was hard in the beginning but after several years I found my tinnitus would spike and eventually stabilize. It has been 30 years non-stop. I pray for better treatments or a cure.

G-d bless and hang in. Praying for better days. Ken

 

Yeah man, definitely the gunshots caused something to be fucked. Never had any issues previously. My ears had rang very mildly after a loud mushroom head concert and one other time from a rob zombie show ten years later. I went to bed hammered drunk both times and woke up with no ringing. I have always been very careful with using hearing protection with firearms.
I sadly didnt serve in the military and honestly rarely shoot guns. The ringing is annoying but the roaring is maddening. The low frequencies are causing the worst of the tinnitus.

I just turned 34 and have been unemployed since the fourth of July. I gave up a very high paying job due to the unrelenting noise. I finally figured out how to sleep some nights but the pressure in the ear and extreme pain makes me suicidal all the time. I've gotten so many different views from doctors about this condition. They tell me they have never heard of low frequency hearing loss from gunfire besides things like howitzer cannons and grenades. The most frustrating part is my audiogram showed slight to mild loss three weeks after the gunfire. It then went 30 days later to moderately severe loss in all low and mid frequency and mild in high. Profound @ any frequency over 9k. 30 days prior I could hear up to 15k in my both ears no problem.

 

Thanks Ken. I'm trying. The worst part is the low pitched roar. What is most frustrating is it was gone for an entire week and my hearing was semi normal. Then huge drop and back to severe loss again.

 

I feel your pain. Not being able to sleep is hell. I went to sleeping meds briefly myself. It is the first and foremost thing in wellbeing, and if that is not right then everything goes down the drain. You mentioned Meniere's in your profile. I am no expert, but seems many of your symptoms are mentioned to be related to that (pressure, roaring, hearing loss that comes and goes). Did you get a diagnosis through MRI?

 

The diagnosis was based on an abnormal ECoG test along with the other symptoms. They say I have cochlear Meniere's or cochlear hydrops being I have no vestibular problems. My balance is typically fine and I've never had a vertigo attack in a year. However the other symptoms are constant and severe. The pressure and pain is intense but the tinnitus is what makes me insane. I truly can't stand it. I have high pitched ringing and low pitched roaring that is all over the place in pitch and volume.

I have no idea how they expect me to live like this. I would take deafness in the right ear if they could guarantee it would stop the tinnitus.

 

Seems quite clear that you in fact then have some fluid building up. Have you received any treatment for that? Any talks about installing a shunt there, for example? This is mentioned in https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menieres-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374916

 

The only treatment I have been offered are Dexamethasone injections into the middle ear and Diamox or Maxide. I have also severely restricted my salt and sugar intake. I don't drink alcohol, smoke, or use any drugs. I asked about a shunt surgery but most doctors have told me I could go fully deaf doing this and feel it won't help. They said this only helps vertigo but I don't know. I've been seeing a neurotologist from the Michigan Ear Institute but his methods are not helping. Today I have had pain so intense it had me on my knees several times.

 

A lot of respect for your perseverance. That's my goal as well. Hopefully a cure will come and make our lives better. I hope you'll find this cure in your lifetime.

 

If they guarantee to stop tinnitus, I am ready to be deaf in both ears.

 

How did you end up with it?

 

Dude, it's been 65 days since my acoustic trauma. My tinnitus increased in the first month because I wasn't protecting my ears. Then I started protecting. I had fluctuations. I think some of the hair cells in my left ear are broken. Because it vibrates and responds to sounds.

I quit my job. I can't work with tinnitus sound. I don't know what to do if this sound doesn't fade. I have a changeable ringing, so it will take me a long time to habituate.

Has your tinnitus decreased? How were your first 6 months?

 

Bad. Four mental hospitals, one suicide attempt. Had the noise stop twice. Additional traumas directly afterwards. First one was when custodian slammed a large steel gate about six feet from my head. Stopped again three months later. Was using new SleepPhones my wife bought me and 2nd night i put them on and turned the volume all the way down on my phone and muted the sound program. When they paired they went to max volume and unpaused. Blasted me for 4 or 5 seconds when I tried to get them off. Two weeks later my infant daughter passed away.

This year has been a complete piece of shit. Just got word today one of my good buddies from high school died yesterday.

You are very new into it. You could very well get better. What caused the trauma?

 

I am very sorry for the events that happened to you.

The loud sound coming from the earpiece caused tinnitus and hyperacusis.

 

I would think you will improve with time. Mine stopped for the first time at six months. Just make sure to wear ear protection if you are going somewhere loud. Like others have said though, don't use a high NRR earplugs. Get something with a low value so you don't make your hyperacusis worse. I don't have hyperacusis thankfully. I did for the first few months and it's not pleasant. Best wishes to you and message anytime.

 

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your daughter. You have had a devastating year. I have prayed for you from time to time. I'm so sorry for what you are going through.

twa

 

Thanks. I hope someday I will at least be able to function again. I can barely get out of bed, the noise is so bad most days. I just want this shit gone so I can go back to my career and family. This life truly sucks.

 

I am sure you will see the day when it gets better. Human brain is a an adaptive organ and you are still young. Give it some time. I hope you have a plan for what to do if you start to feel suicidal again? Emergency procedure how to get help, you need to have that. And remember to stick to that, no matter how bad it feels at the time.

 

I feel suicidal every day. But I've realized that I'm too big of a bitch to follow through with it. I saw some attempted suicides that were botched and that turned me off to it. Having a possibility that it won't work makes me not want to do it. If I can get the noise to go down so I can function I'll be fine. I'd take high pitched tinnitus anyday over this roaring.