Tinnitus for a Week Now, Is It Permanent?

Hey guys so my story is as follows, I went to a club last Tuesday (09/10) and then a concert the day after and stood around 6ft from the speakers (also it wasn't a particularly loud concert) (10/10) after which my ears started ringing a lot. It was very loud and I could hear it over speech, its improved significantly but here I am a week later with it and I'm worried its permanent, especially as I've been accepted to become a pilot in the RAF. Its gotten a lot better and was almost gone a couple of days ago but now its become incredibly high pitched ~16,000hz and nothing drowns it out. Its not overly loud but its unpleasant. I never really expose myself to loud music, I go to the gym and listen to music there but only through over ears and I work once a week in a restaurant with semi loud music. As its getting higher pitched does that mean its getting better?

I'm semi convinced I'm imagining it now because I'm panicking so much about it as I keep plugging my ears to listen for it and reading online, as I say it was pretty much gone a day ago but now its back. Ive bought some magnesium to see if that will help. But I'll be damned if a one off has given me tinnitus forever

Thanks guys and gals

 

Hi @Adamwynn , and welcome.

Unfortunately no one can answer that question for you. Everyone experiences tinnitus differently. You will find that even doctors are at a loss to give guaranteed answers, especially since your tinnitus is so new.

There is some good news that may be applicable to you:

@Bill Bauer wrote the following post discussing studies that show a fairly high recovery rate from tinnitus ( https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/ )

For some information on tinnitus in general, I would highly recommend searching out articles from @Michael Leigh , he has a lot of knowledge about tinnitus and provides excellent advice. I would suggest starting with the following: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

Again, your tinnitus is very new, so don't give up hope.

 

Dear Adam,

With noise induced tinnitus good ENT's advice you to take prednison/ corticosteroid. Do this ASAP!

Ask your ENT of GP for 400 mg prednison/corticosteroid prescription. Take first 3 days 60 mg, and then temper is by 10 mg a day (scheme: 60, 60, 60, 50, 40 50, 30, 20, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 mg, take it in the morming) and a vasoladator pentoxifillin 1200 mg dayly.

When this is not successfull and you have money do also Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. 15 times at 2,5 ATA, 90 minutes a day.

Take vitamins A, C, E + Magnesium.

Do not protect your ears below 75 dB. Your auditory cortex has to be stimulated. Otherwise it wil produce more phantom sounds. At night you can consider sleeping with high pitch sound, you can your e.g. the app Sleep Sounds.

Hope it helps!

Kind regards,

Jan

 

Hi @Adamwynn

I am going to give you some advice and suggest you follow it and hope it helps you. I don't believe you are imagining the tinnitus. It is real and caused by you being exposed to loud sounds. If you listen to music through headphones I advise you to give this a rest for a while and don't even listen at low volume. Please read my articles: Tinnitus A Personal View, and Hyperacusis As I see It, by clicking on the links below.

If you are not careful and continue to subject your ears and auditory system to loud sounds, your tinnitus could become very loud and intrusive, and put your future in the RAF at risk. Sorry to sound so sobering.

I wish you well
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

The fact that it was gone one day is perhaps a good sign. I think the damage builds over time until an event induces the final straw.

 

It's a great sign. I think his tinnitus has a great chance of going away.

 

Is it a good sign when T varies in volume during the day? lets say it is low in one part of the day and it increases later on

Yup..

 

here is a very good post by Bill on recovery stats
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/