Tinnitus Much Worse After Checking Tinnitus Frequency with Pure Tone Generator

Two months ago I used a pure tone generator to check my tinnitus frequency at 1khz.

I set it at a very low volume and listened to it for less than a second but my tinnitus at the frequency spiked immediately afterwards and has been very bad ever since, the worst ever.

Any ideas? I really don't see how this could cause damage. I had used a frequency generator before but never had this issue, actually most of the time it causes residual inhibition.

 

Well I got tinnitus from testing my ears with pure tones myself, so always be careful with that even on low volumes. Tinnitus can be reactive to some high pitch sounds.

 

Hi Eric, how are you doing? Did your spike settle? I dont know what you think about it but the MRI exposure is a life changer. It is tinnitus worse enemy. My tinnitus follows the same pattern as yours. After MRI 1 year ago I lost count how many spikes I have had from noise that is not loud at all. Nothing make sense anymore. 2 weeks ago my tinnitus inrease permanently from a afternoon nap. Go and figure. Your spike may have nothing to do with what you were doing. It may be just this shitty condition running its course.

 

One second at a low volume didn't cause damage, but our tinnitus is at a stage that it's highly reactive to certain noises, that may cause spikes, new sounds, or increases... my advice is do not test your tinnitus, what's the point to know your exact tinnitus frequency(s)? Is this some kind of hobby checking one's tinnitus frequency?

 

When I first got tinnitus it was so mild, that I can only hear it when I think of it in a very silent room, I became obsessed with listening to high frequency pure tones, I would play tones everyday in the hope that I would hear them one day (I didn't accept the fact that I lost hearing). Now my tinnitus is screaming so bad that I can hear it in every place.

 

Hi Eric, did the tone generator spike die down?? (the one before the caulking incident)

 

I'm surprised it's possible to get a spike just from listening to pure tones at low volume.

 

There are many types of tinnitus, it all depends on the kind you got, but I agree it is the more highly aggressive types of tinnitus that react to things like that, including mine.

As an example, when somebody says oh I go out to movies with tinnitus with no earplugs and nothing happens - and that is quite possible for some folks, that certainly does not mean that's true for the next person with tinnitus.