Tinnitus for Almost 3 Years Due to a Loud Electronic Music Concert and Ingesting a Lot of Caffeine

Hello everyone,

My name is Kaleb, I'm 21 years old, and I've been suffering from tinnitus since 2016. Before an electronic music concert (my first one for instance) I accidentally ingested a lot of caffeine (work out caffeine from my friend that I thought it was some kind of bubble gum) and because of the high volume exposure and maybe the caffeine, the noise never went away.

I already searched for medical advise in Brazil (where I am from) and here in France where I am living for studying purposes and the answer is always the same:
"You will have to deal with it, sometimes it goes away, sometimes it doesn't, there is still no cure for that"

I suffer of a high frequency stable ringing and maybe some other frequencies appears arbitrarily but they always disappear after minutes (except for the high frequency one, that it's there for 2 years and a half now).

I have the impression that my life in university is becoming impossible to deal with, it's becoming difficult to focus for studying and it's a real crap to stay in silent ambiences, I'm having some sleeping problems too, etc.

After 3 months of the exposure, I passed through a hearing test and no hearing loss was find in both ears.

I would like to ask you for some advises, some guidance and even some relief solutions.

 

HI @KalebRoncatti

Your tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise at the "concert". Although caffeine can make tinnitus worse for some people, perhaps a very small quantity. I have no doubt it's the concert that done the harm. If you were a frequent user of headphones, which I suspect is probably the case, the tinnitus was probably there for quite some time but at level that your brain could comfortably ignore it.

Three years on you're still plagued with tinnitus. By this I mean you haven't habituated and it's still problematic otherwise you wouldn't be visiting here. Therefore, and I'm speaking off the cuff, I suspect that you are probably still using headphones which is not a good idea, as they can often make tinnitus worse even at low volume for someone with "noise induced" tinnitus. As I have said I'm speaking off the cuff so, in order to help you I would like some more background information. Have you had any treatment for the tinnitus?

Usually (but not always) when someone has "noise induced" tinnitus it will improve with time and a person will habituate within 6 to 18 months sometimes a little longer. Sometimes specialist treatment is required by being referred to a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist that practices Tinnitus and hyperacusis management.

Please click on the links below and read my posts in their entirety and try not to skim through the information. If you are using headphones, earbuds or wearing a headset then I advise you to stop using them immediately.

Many people with "noise induced" tinnitus, do not have hearing loss so your case is not unusual.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

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

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

 

The caffeine could possibly be the reason, but the loud concerts and loud exposure could be MORE of a reason for the ringing in the ears. Let me tell you this, you are BLESSED that your hearing is good. Don't take that for granted, tinnitus is horrible, but imagine having poor hearing as well. It makes it twice as difficult.

We can possibly habituate to a mild-intrusive tinnitus/ringing but when your hearing is poor and damaged, then that makes it a new ball game.

My advice to you is this, protect your ears. Avoid loud spots, if you are near them do use ear-plugs(don't over do it). Get some therapy and talk it out with someone that you trust and care for. It's all about support and mental conditioning with tinnitus. It can take time, but I value support and positivity over anything else...or else i'd not be here supporting people and helping out.

You have to create a plan and a strategy for your life with tinnitus. It takes planning and adaptation and we need to journal what works for us and what does not. It can be a long journey but planning can make it better.

Sleeping problems can possibly happen because our mind/heads are fixated with the noise. I had poor sleeping habits for a LONG time. Once I De-cluttered my head and gave no attention to the tinnitus it got better. There are many ways to do this, each of us is unique and we have to figure out what works for us.

I have been trying, testing and adjusting for over 31 years, it was not an overnight thing. I wish the best for you!!!