Tinnitus from a Slap on April 7th, 2019

Hello everyone I'm really struggling here and thinking about going on Antidepressants. History... I was slapped by accident on April 7th, 2019. Now I have mild hearing loss and roaring tinnitus with a high pitch constant tone.

Has anyone on this forum had their auditory nerve calm or ear system calm down after a period of time? If yes how long did it take??? PLEASE HELP ME...

I know I'm only three months in but I'm scared that this is permanent and this is what I have to live with for the rest of my life.

Please if anyone else has had a similar scenario and can post what happened to them?

Scott

 

Did they give you any steroids?

Tinnitus can take a while to settle... Has it got any better during that time? Tinnitus can go away, lots of stories of it fading. If not, habituation comes along for the majority of people.

 

Hi Scott,

Have you seen an ENT yet? I think that would be a good place to start. As for it lasting, tinnitus seems like a lottery. Some people get better, some don't. It's really hard to say who will and who won't, but it is possible.

Even if it doesn't go away on it's own, there are treatments on the horizon. You should check out the treatments thread, possibly the first real treatment ever is rolling out now. It's Neuromod Lenire. Even so, it's not the only treatment on the way.

 

I've seen three different ENTs they said all I can do is wait....

 

Hi Scott, I feel your pain, I got slapped as well. Nearly three years later still no better, in fact worse after a dental clean using ultrasonic cleaner made it worse.

I am going back to the ENT next week as I have mild hypercausis, somatic tinnitus, pulsating tinnitus, all over tinnitus, you name it. I am even starting to get slightly dizzy now. He suggested I may require round window surgery when I first saw him when this happened. I may have to look at this option now. I hope yours does not get as bad as mine.

Just be aware of your environment and stay away from noisy venues or treatments, give your ears time to hopefully heal. Slap to the ear, especially if it seals it, are life changing events for some people.

 

Welcome to the forum Scott. Slapping on the ears can be like exposing to loud noise (acoustic trauma) and barotrauma (rapid pressure changes to the ears). It may take some time to heal. Members here often recommend taking prednisone immediately but you are a few months in this so it is uncertain if this will help. Generally the ears may take 6 months or more to be more stable. In the meantime, you can do your best to remain positive that it will settle down. By being more calm and positive, your nerves will stay away from the fight or flight mode (limbic nervous system) which tend to cause you to zoom in on the ringing non-stop and therefore amplify its ringing, at least perceptually. Try to focus on living normally and perhaps take some calming natural alternatives to help your nerves. Dont try to project a catastrophic future based on the current thinking and suffering. It can only cause stress and anxiety which are bad for T. I made the mistake and suffered mightily. But today I live a normal and happy life. I am not alone because in the success stories you read many people getting better over time. So focus on those stories and that will help you calm down quite a bit. Take care. God bless.

 

Have you experienced Any fading or change of the frequency of the tone, compared to how it was two months ago?

 

Some of the tips on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822
will likely be useful to you.

By the way, since your acoustic trauma, have you been exposed to mild noises (like a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, or lawn mower)?

 

Loud sounds don't bother me at all. Bars, restaurants, music etc. Except if I ride my motorcycle for over an hour it intensifies my tinnitus for about 20 minutes. Loud exhaust pipe.

 

This makes me think your tinnitus is physical trauma related.

 

Yes I was accidentally slapped in the ear. Why can you relate?

 

I got my tinnitus from an acoustic trauma and eventually gotten it worse by cleaning ear wax with water so how I got mine is a little different than yours. It is now One year and nine months and the volume is a lot lower than when I first got it. I also get days where I don't notice it as much as others. I would like to one day habituate to this condition but it hasn't happen yet but I think in time it will...

 

I have been taking this blood pressure medicine for the last 2.5 months. I'm sure this didn't help me. My doctor knew I had tinnitus from the slap on April 7th too.

WTF... Check out the link below. Lots of people have it from HCTZ:

http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/can-hydrochlorothiazide-hctz-cause-tinnitus/

 

@scotty03874 Hello and welcome to the forum. It is unfortunate the way you got your tinnitus. The best thing you can do now is try to relax and do not panic. Anxiety can make it 10x worst. (From someone that's been dealing with this for 7.5 years) Also, please know that what works for some, may not work for you and some medications may or may not make your tinnitus worst. It is all a trial and error with this condition. You just have to make a decision of what particular form of treatment or medication you want to try and hope for the best. It is just how it works in this tinnitus world.

For example, I can take ibuprofen with no problems.... other people take it and their tinnitus get louder. I cannot take melatonin because it gives me terrible nightmares and other people are perfectly fine with it. So with that said I hope you find useful information here but please do not get scared or discouraged by the many different things/experiences you will read here. I tried to avoid taking anti anxiety pills for 7 years because of the fear I got after reading so many negative reviews. Then at the beginning of the year, I just made a decision to try them and it has been a good decision so far. I have calm down and feel like myself again. (the tinnitus is still there but I can handle it better and live again.)

I hope yours settles down.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Wishing you quiet days.

Once...

 

Hello and thank you for your reply. I have a high pitch solid tone sound. It's been pretty consistent for the last three months. Someday's it's better than others. I've seen three ENTs, they all "hope" since it's due to a trauma incident that it will settle down in time (6 - 12 months). So I prey everyday I'll slowly get there!

 

@scotty03874 Bummer. Really, all you can do at this point is wait, keep praying and do not, I repeat DO NOT expose your ears to loud sounds/noises. Avoid them like a plague.... seriously. Stay away from movie theaters, bars, loud restaurants, parties, etc., you get it... Let your ears rest. I guess it is time for quiet hobbies...

Are you still working??? Does certain noises bother your ears??
Are you sleeping?

Once...

PS: I didn't see a notification that you had send me a message. You have to type @ followed by my screen name (leave no spaces) and I will get a notification next time you do.

 

No, loud sounds don't really bother me at all. Yes I'm self employed and work from my house.

 

Really depends. Did you feel pain when slapped? Did the noise feel loud? For me both was yes and it was permanent

 

I heard a very loud ring and the next day when I burped it hurt. This pain went away very quickly. There is no more pain.

What were you diagnosed with? My eardrum is fine the doctors all say (4 of them). They think it's nerve damage, middle or inner ear.

 

Hi. I was wondering... you mentioned a blood patch before. So the other doctors didn't agree or the doctor that suggested it also changed his mind?

 

They said it wouldn't hurt. It's worth a shot.