Tinnitus Spike from a Palm Slamming a Table

Visited family on Saturday (COVID-19-safe, they all already had it) and we played a card game where if you drew a certain card you had to slap the table. Started out nice and quiet, but my father decided to be super-duper extra funny and slammed the table with his palm full force. It of course caused a loud impulse noise.

I didn't get an immediate spike but my tinnitus seems to be louder since then (it's Tuesday so the 3rd full day).

Do you think a noise like this could cause permanent damage?

Also, don't you hate when friends and family are inconsiderate jerks like this?! They're very well aware of my issues with tinnitus. My father is a diabetic and we all go out of our way to accommodate his dietary restrictions. Why can't he NOT be a total effing jackass and be just a tiny bit mindful of the struggles of others?! Jesus.

 

People forget to be mindful when they are in an emotional situation like a fun game. I deliberately don't get into such situations where many people are having fun together. If it's just with one other person, I can control the flow, but not with multiple people.

So in general it is me who chooses the settings for meeting friends (hiking or video games usually).

I think I actually played the same game on New Year's Eve a year ago. I stopped because the slapping was slightly triggering my hyperacusis.

 

If anybody finds this later: the spike seems to have gone back to baseline by the end of the 3rd day following exposure. Thank God.

 

Well, I celebrated too early, the spike is back (today is Day 5 following exposure). I hope that getting some fading is a sign that this isn't gonna be permanent.

 

This reminds me of two things.

First of all, my own father is obnoxiously loud when we play board games. So I really feel you there.

Secondly, I think it was in 2019 that I joined a group of independent board gamers at the local university. I quickly realized this was not really fit for someone with tinnitus. I've never been with so many loud people at once before. Think there was between 20-30 people there. Every - single - one of them was screaming off the top of their lungs, like they all had guns at their heads or something. I stopped going there after a little while, it was just too much.

 

Okay I've done an objective comparison (I use my fridge's motor hum for this purpose) and it seems my tinnitus volume is unchanged. Its characteristics (pitch etc) are also unchanged, I know these very well. It still seems a hell of a lot louder.

I think what happened is that when my father slammed the table it didn't cause any physical damage to my ears but it did send me into a horrible fight or flight mode, I'm hyperfocused on the noise, and that's what makes it seem louder. Do you think this is possible?

 

I can't speak for everyone in here but I don't buy the "increased awareness of the noise due to fight or flight mode". For a week now my tinnitus has spiked, for unknown reason.

Of course I take note of its presence more often than usual, of course I'm in fight or flight mode but, of course, my tinnitus is actually trying to get me back at square 1.

Hope yours, and mine, and everyone's go back to baseline; some kind of "un-spike".

 

I agree that the “fight or flight” thing is nonsense.

If it’s really fight or flight, how come other things like “being startled by something unexpected” don’t spike your tinnitus for a week? If only loud noises do this, it’s much more likely to be your ears than your brain chemistry.