Tinnitus from Unnecessary Noise Exposure at Work

Hi all,

New to this forum and new to tinnitus. Sorry for the long post, not least because I feel I’m maybe jumping on here too quickly, given how long many others have been living with their tinnitus, but I guess I’m just seeking reassurance and maybe there is some early days advice that might actually help.

I’m UK based, and my tinnitus has resulted from a “training incident” that took place at my newish work on 13th May. I was being shown a lock up/unlock procedure by a senior member of staff which went thusly...

When demonstrating how to set the intruder alarm in a particular space the manager instructed that we needed to enter the alarm code into the panel and then stand completely still (so as not to trigger any of the room sensors) whilst waiting for the alarm to arm, which she said would take a few seconds. After entering the code, the alarm horn began to sound, and I stood still as per the instructions, not wanting to interfere with the setting process. I was positioned immediately in front of the alarm horn, and the sound was very uncomfortable, but I took the manager at her word that this was a quick and necessary part of setting the alarm (albeit very strange). I didn’t want to even move my hands to cover my ears lest I prevent the alarm setting by activating a sensor. The horn continued to sound and the alarm did not set. I carried on standing there stock still like an idiot feeling a bit panicked but not wanting to mess up the process when being shown it for the first time.

After what I think was about 45 - 60 seconds of the alarm horn sounding the manager ushered us out the area by the panel and shut the door to the space, at which point the arming process completed. She then took me back into the space to show me the process of disarming the alarm once it’s been set, which was a quick and straightforward process.

With hindsight, I now realize that this person was trying to save time (albeit literally seconds) in demonstrating the arm and disarm process, and she thought we could just remain by the panel and carry out both actions in one go without having to walk out the door 1 metre away. However it seems obvious now that the alarm sensors detected we hadn’t moved, which caused the horn to sound continuously and prevented the arming process from completing.

Since the incident I have been left with a high-pitched ringing in my left ear, which is still persisting now. It hasn’t changed in pitch, tone, or volume as far as I can tell. In fact it feels like it’s gotten worse, and my head feels a bit thick, but that may just be because I’m obsessing about it and repeatedly swallowing/yawning to try and make the sound disappear. I’m upset and furious with myself (a fully fledged 40 year old adult) for allowing this to happen to me, and equally furious with the manager.

I have reported it to the head of the organisation and written it up in the official accident book. The organisation has been quick to be supportive and encouraged me to get rest and visit the doctors etc. I have done so, and according to the nurse (no doc appointment available) my ear doesn’t show any visible signs of damage. I also visited an audiologist who says I am not showing any evidence of hearing damage.

Since the incident the organisation has had an engineer in and they say he recorded the db level of the alarm at 98 (I’ve asked for copies of the report). They got him to reduce the level, but they keep saying things like “perfectly within safe levels” and “only exposed for a minute” “up to 15 minutes exposure is acceptable” etc which makes me feel like they’re trying to push the idea that they have no responsibility if my tinnitus carries on. And maybe I just have to accept that they wouldn’t be deemed responsible and I was just an idiot to follow the instructions. But the idea that someone could safely listen to that hideous shrill alarm for up to 15 minutes with no ill effects expected seem ludicrous to me.

Apart from the anxiety that’s it’s never going to stop, it's not really preventing me sleeping. The anxiety means I'm taking longer to drop off, but the sound itself isn't really having much impact as far as I know. Each morning since it happened I wake up and hear it and I feel sick that this might be forever because I foolishly followed stupid directions from someone. And every night I go to sleep praying it will be gone in the morning.

The issue is compounded for me by the fact I’m a singer and musician (music is actually something I make money from), and the idea that I might have permanently compromised my left ear/shouldn’t do music/go to gigs anymore or risk worsening my case sends me into palpitations. As a musician, I know how hearing damage can be an occupational hazard, and how easily it can occur. I’ve always been so careful not to expose myself to unnecessary loud noise.

I just feel a bit sad right now.

 

I'm sorry that happened. I hope things improve for you soon.

 

Thank you @New Guy . I just tracked down your story and had a read. It's frustrating when you feel you been trying to do the right things to keep your ears as safe as possible and something goes awry. I hope your situation improves too!

 

Wow, crazy situation, and terrible to be put into it.

You have noise induced tinnitus from that exposure, and 98 db is quite loud. I would report it to whatever the UK equivalent of OSHA is.

You need to protect from any further noise exposures, including the alarm. Have earplugs with you at all times.

This may take months to heal, or longer. The first few days are the worst, as you have TTTS, giving you the ear fullness.

 

Thanks for the reply @Digital Doc. I have logged an enquiry with the Health and Safety Executive asking if they think the manager acted inappropriately by using a potentially unsuitable (i.e. stupid!!) training method.

I've always been quite sensitive to noise, and very careful to protect my ears, and I'll continue to be so. But, gosh, I AM SO CROSS.

Thanks again.

 

I would not ask if the training was wrong, I would be telling them it was. You got an acoustic trauma event from it, and they need to make sure it does not happen again to you, or others.

 

Point taken @Digital Doc! That's my polite Englishness coming out again, which is part of the reason I'm in this situation. Didn't want to upset someone by not following their directions. What an idiot.

 

This is heartbreaking. Sue them. Get worker's compensation.

 

This needs to go beyond your employer. There is really no amount of safe exposure to 98 db's as your experience is showing us unfortunately.

 

@Digital Doc - the alarm sure SOUNDED insanely loud, but plenty of websites about sound levels do seem to suggest 98 isn't that unreasonable to be exposed to. So I can't help but think that Health and Safety Exec (the official body that I've messaged) will just shrug their shoulders. Part of me also doesn't believe that it was only 98db. It was SO piercing. But perhaps the high pitch makes it seem louder? I'm not making excuses or defending them, but at the same time I'm fully expecting to be told "tough luck, suck it up".

 

@GSC - I am feeling pretty despondent, but I largely think any lawyer / health and safety body is just going to shrug their shoulders and say it was bad luck.

 

Have you heard about hidden hearing loss, and why the test the audiologist gives to test for hearing loss misses so much?

Here's some info about why everyone with noise induced tinnitus has hearing loss:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/posts/430734/

Audiologists have bad reputations on these forums, they do not test for hearing loss beyond 250 Hz -8 kHz and within that range they do not test complex noise perception.

It's literally a stale meme when a new comer says they have noise induced tinnitus and no hearing loss.

 

@JaneTC

Who knows what they will say. The higher pitch does make it seem louder. I would also tell them if you were not able to perform your singing due to the issue.

 

The scientifically inaccurate hearing test will only make your case worse. So much frustration hearing these stories.

 

@Contrast - My test with the audiologist was a couple of minutes inside a booth where i had to click when I could hear certain pitched sounds, even if only very quietly. Is that fairly standard?

 

@Digital Doc - I don't have any gigs until August, but I'll want to start rehearsing in July. Hopefully something will have changed/improved by then. I'll obviously continue to take care (extra care!) of my hearing between now and then.

 

You should start taking magnesium ASAP if you feel you experienced an acoustic trauma.

 

Sorry to hear about your acoustic trauma caused by your manager's training (she definitely seems to have David Brent tendencies). It might be worth taking prednisolone which has been proven to reduce the long term risks of permanent tinnitus and hearing loss. It's prescribed a lot more in other European countries than the UK, but some doctors at least will prescribe it as the recommendations are changing.

Your audiology test seems standard and should be somewhat reassuring. I wouldn't worry too much about the hidden hearing loss mentioned earlier. It's true that this has been associated with tinnitus in some recent research but it's not really measurable in a standard audiology test so not worth worrying about too much.

 

In my own experience of an acoustic trauma from a weed trimmer, it took 6 months to get better. For a while I was quite reactive with every noise exposure sending me into a spike. Thankfully, it seems this is passing, but I also had to step up my HPE game, with earplugs to protect from the vacuum, paper shredder and electric razor. I also now use double protection to mow the lawn, and listen to the TV pretty low volume.

I also take daily omega3 which I think has helped, and green tea which I am not sure if did anything other than avoiding caffeine.

 

10 Days is definitely too short to come to any conclusions. You would think that 60 seconds exposure to 100db levels wouldn't cause long term damage but it can sometimes be the straw that broke the camels back.

I would say if you are still experiencing a fullness in the ear that is a good sign as your ear will still be recovering. If not then who knows...

 

Magnesium and NAC. Anything else?

 

Wow, this seems like a clear cut case of work related injury no different than losing a finger or hand. You should move forward assuming that this is a "permanent injury". I don't know what the occupational laws are in the UK but in the USA you would be a candidate for compensation. The occupational laws in the US differ from state to state. In some states you can "sue" the employer for negligent injury (which it seems yours is), and in some states you cannot sue, but instead the state has a workman's compensation system set up that all employers pay into. It's a rating system that rates your injury and compensates you accordingly. Either way, I would suggest that you seek out your own legal advice from a firm that is experienced in work related injuries. The sooner the better. Don't wait around to see if it gets better. The way you describe it, this was clear case of negligence, that may very well effect your hearing for the rest of your life. We all hope it goes away in the coming weeks/months, but there is a real chance that it may not. Seek legal advice. Again, sorry you are going through this.

 

I take omega3 daily.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4196487/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20534742

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975785/

 

"May be associated with a lower risk of hearing loss"

They are not sure!

 

Sorry this has happened.

The exposure, whether 98db or higher, was enough to harm. I hope the T and assorted complications clear up for you quickly.

 

No they are not, but it is suggested to help. Unfortunately, no drug company is going to spend the serious money for a well done trial, on a generic, OTC supplement, so we may never get an answer. I tried it, and do believe it helped. I am providing the info, and each of us can decide to try it or not. It is not like we have many other great options!

 

Thanks for the background. I've been taking general multivitamins. Gosh, I LOVE a cuppa. Giving up my regular cups of tea would be dreadful. I stopped drinking alcohol months and months ago, and have been feeling so super healthy and positive. This incident has knocked me down quite a bit.

 

I was talking to a friend today who works in TV and broadcasting, and I asked if the space (a small enclosed area with reflective surfaces) could make a difference to the sound level over a minute. He said definitely possible.

The fullness in my ears seems like it might be something called ETD. My ears pop and click a bit, but not if I put my fingers in them, so there's a pressure thing going on. But I don't really know what that might mean.

 

I'm going to book another appointment at the doctors for this week. They said to come back if it hadn't resolved after 2 weeks. So I'll ask what the options are. Thanks for the reassurance!

 

Thanks. I'm finding out what the options are. It certainly seems like they neglected to follow the very simplest of UK health and safety requirements. Namely that training should be provided by someone competent who knows what they are doing (they obviously didn't) and even in cases where risks may be low, the employer is obliged to take all reasonable steps to keep exposure to any risk at a minimum (which they didn't).