Tinnitus in One Ear from Earwax Blockage/Max Volume Music from Earbuds

Hello everyone,

I decided to open this account and share my experience with everyone.

I have been suffering from a mild tinnitus since 18/05/2020.

On average, I used to listen music on my earbuds for 1 hour (according to iPhone my average was 84 db for the last 2 months with maximum level of 97 dB). Aside from that, I have a very quiet life. I never experienced tinnitus before but in the last 10 years, I had 2 occasions that my ear was blocked by earwax, most recent one being 4-5 years ago. My doctor cleaned my ears with microsuction once, it was 8 years ago.

So, 1 month ago, while listening to music (max volume, 84 dB average), suddenly my right ear felt blocked and full, accompanied by tinnitus and hyperacusis. My left ear was fine.
I didn't panic, and wait 5-6 hours, no improvement. Then, I thought, it might be from earwax , I prepared a salt water solution and put few drops to my ear. My ear immediately relieved from fullness and hyperacusis. Only, low ringing and morse code type noise remained with really weak hyperacusis. Next day, my doctor confirmed that I have excessive earwax and cleaned both of my ears with microsuction. No improvement. No hearing loss. After 1 week, hyperacusis has completely gone. But, mild ringing and morse code still with me after 1 month. And, now, I feel little hissing noise on my left ear. I was very worried for the last month, so it might be anxiety based. I stop listening music. Taking care myself, doing exercises even more, taking all the necessary supplements.

I can't say my tinnitus is 100% noise induced as I experienced blockage. It might be a shock from pressure. I have also deviation on my nose on the right side. I couldn't find anything similar to my experience so I am curious anyone has similar experience here?

During the day, I hear nothing or sometime morse code type noise on my right ear. At night, when I lay down, noise gets higher almost 10 times.

 

Welcome to the forum. There are causes that can cause morse code or beeping type of ringing. TTTS is one of them. You can search the forum with morse code or beeping tinnitus and should get many prior discussions. Usually at home being quiet, tinnitus can get loud. Blood flow is also something that can cause difference in ringing by changing body position. But if you have time you don't hear T during the day, take that as a positive sign that you may have a milder form of T and hopefully you will get better soon. Take care. God bless.

 

Hi everyone,

I just want to let everybody know that I am completely healed after 2.5 months. I didn't do anything specific. I just stopped using earphones and took 1000 mg vitamin C. I let body recover itself and now I am completely tinnitus free. I hope this post would bring hope everyone suffering from this problem. Take care and try to avoid earphone

 

@HT1

I am pleased that your tinnitus has improved and whilst I am an optimistic and positive thinking person, I want to give you some advice and hope you follow it. Please don't think you are out of the woods and you can go back to using headphones, earphones, headset anytime soon. If you do then you risk the tinnitus returning with a vengeance that you wouldn't believe is possible so be careful. Give yourself at least 3months before using any type of headphones even at low volume but I would prefer you never ever use them again.

Noise induced tinnitus is not something to take lightly and although you have made a good recovery within a very short period of time this is not the norm. Your tinnitus is still there quietly waiting in the background and ready to strike, should you do something like using headphones or listening to loud music.

Take care and I wish you well.

Michael

 

Thank you @Michael Leigh , I completely agree with you. I am not thinking about using earphones at all. After this post, I went to Professor Doctor and he believes I had an Acoustic shock, not noise induced tinnitus. Also, my audiogram was close to perfect(hearing level between -5db to 10db, between frequencies 125hz -8khz). He said sometimes middle ear system, especially muscles gets irritated to protect inner ear. He said if I avoid loud noise and drink lots of water, it will heal. He didn't prescribed me anything or foundMRI necessary. That relaxed me a lot. After a month or so, I can confirm, I have zero tinnitus or no other complaints. I hope my experience is useful to newcomers here.

 

@HT1

I am pleased to hear you are not going to use headphones. I have every confidence that the Professor Doctor that you saw is a good if not an excellent physician. However, that does not make him an expert in tinnitus trust me. To have an in-depth knowledge of tinnitus particularly Noise induced, has very little to do with being medically qualified and mostly to do with having years of experience living with it as I do and many people in this forum. Your Acoustic shock as you have been told was enough to give you tinnitus even though you have said it was mild.

It is a warning and if you are not careful it will return which often happens, to people that make a quick recovery as you have. They are lulled into a false sense of security backed up by doctors that tell them what they want to hear but unfortunately, most doctors know very little about noise induced tinnitus. They are physicians and know about the anatomy of the EAR and treat underlying medical conditions affecting it that can cause tinnitus. This is a different thing from Noise induced tinnitus.

Please be careful and I advise you to click on the links below and read my articles.
I wish you well.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

 

FYI. I don't have noise induced tinnitus... Tinnitus is not only linked to inner ear damage... He said my problem is 100% ear related and 100% curable, that is called Acoustic Shock after all he was right. You don't become a professor just studying the anatomy of ear, he listened to me carefully and led me to right direction. I didn't have to write here my experience. But, I felt the fear because of the darkness in this forum. So, at least one piece of hope from me

 

My apologies. I thought you wanted some advice and since you don't I have removed my posts.

Take care
Michael