Tinnitus Spike After Dog Barking

Hello,
I had a very mild and tolerable tinnitus, until two days ago when my German Sheperd decided to make a single but very loud high pitched bark / yelp at ~1 meter distance from me when I was playing with him. I was very close, just in front of my dog and leaning towards him.

Since then, my T spiked up to an uncomfortable level that I've never experienced (I can hear it above ambient sounds), and has not subsided yet.

I am wondering:

- Can a very loud high pitched bark / yelp from a German Sheperd cause permanent damage to the ear?
- Can I hope for a reduction of my tinnitus spike after this accident? If so, how long can it take for a noise-induced spike to go back to baseline level?

I was so happy these days and never focusing on my mild T, and now this happens.
I am stressing and going crazy, thank you in advance for your support,
Patrick

 

Hey Patrick,

From my experience with tinnitus my first year (especially the first 3 months when it was constant, probably 4-5/10 in terms of volume), I noticed if I exposed myself to loud music, my dogs barking or any other high pitched sound (such as fireworks during July 4), my T would increase or spike temporarily. Each individual reacts differently. Honestly, regarding your first question, I think for people who have noise induced T, our bodies go through an "x' amount of time where our ears are prone to further injury/damage since there has been trauma to the cochlear (part of the inner ear). However, at the same time, I think based on a multitude of factors both physiological and psychological, our ears do heal over time, yet since they are in the recovery period, any sound/noise that we could normally tolerate would potentially worsen or delay the healing process. Since your T prior to this is mild and tolerable, I'm no physician, but coming from my experience with T since 2008 (which has essentially healed), I do wholeheartedly believe your T will return to baseline and/or you will habituate as time goes by. I suggest in the meantime you give your ears as much rest as possible by be mindful of places where you could be exposed to loud sounds. Regards

 

Hi Patrick,
A loud dog bark can cause a spike but it should settle down over a day or so.
Try not to worry as stress will make it worse.
Try keep sound on around you if it helps and try get out in the fresh air as will help take your mind off it....lots of love glynis

 

Hi Patrick,
My T was amped up because of dog barking today also. I played hide and seek with my grandchildren this morning. My dog always stands near my hiding place and barks his head off.....cheater! I just plug my ear and wait to be found.
After this loud and busy weekend of babysitting, I will turn down all sound on Monday to bring the spike down.

 

Thank you for all your reassuring answers.
As a newbie, I have another question:

Can tinnitus be spiked by my feelings towards the sound accident rather than by the accident itself?
Meaning, I'm wondering if what caused my spike (which is real and still present) is my anxiety toward the supposed ear damage caused by my dog rather than the actual damage (if any) caused by the barking itself?

The barking could have certainly caused tension in my Tensor Tympani, resulting in a spike of tinnitus, but my anxiety towards the event (which I'm afraid to say is still present) could have exacerbated it. My current levels of stress may be an indicator of why, after three days, the Tensor Tympani still hasn't had a chance to relax.

Just searching for answers from more experienced folks. If it's really so, many people with Hyperacusis and Tinnitus may benefit from a more relaxed approach to loud accidents, their anxiety and stress towards those everyday (sadly) events could be what exacerbates and sometimes even causes their condition.

This excerpt in particular had me wondering, interesting read:

In people with Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome, there is a link between their emotional states and their resulting middle ear muscle contractions. Thus, if you form a negative emotional attachment to your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis, you may develop one or more TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you don’t let your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis become a problem to you (remain emotionally neutral towards them), you are unlikely to develop TTTS. In this sense, Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome is a psychosomatic condition.

If you believe that certain loud (to you) sounds have damaged your ears (when they haven’t), you are setting yourself up for developing various TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you treat such incidents as no big deal (no emotional involvement), you are unlikely to develop TTTS and will much more readily habituate to your tinnitus and hyperacusis if any develops.

This is borne out by the conclusions of researchers who concluded that “74.0% of hyperacusis patients with the symptom of dull ache in the ear and 66.7% of hyperacusis patients with the symptom of sharp pain in the ear reported these symptoms developed or were exacerbated by loud/intolerable sound exposure. These patients readily believe that their ears are no longer able to physically tolerate these sounds, or that these sounds are causing damage to their ears or hearing, and should be avoided. This unpleasant consequence of exposure to sounds perceived as intolerable and the threat of further exposure is likely to play a significant role in tinnitus escalation and the development, persistence and escalation of hyperacusis.”

 

Because of my hyperacusis my ears alway react to dog barks at a particular level...,but whilst it makes my tinnitus worse for days etc it cannot damage the ears

 

Our collie's bark will touch off a temporary spike for me, also. Thankfully he's a quiet dog for the most part and doesn't bark much. It must be the level of the sound because when we had our greyhound his bark never did that to me. His bark was softer and had a higher pitch to it.