Tinnitus Spike from Attending a Wedding?

Hi, I'm Simon,

I have had tinnitus since 06/2018 due to an acoustic trauma. It gradually got worse due to earplug problems. The latest problem was in March 2019, my tinnitus had increased but I had gotten used to it.

Two weeks ago, I went to a wedding, although stressed, I still went there, and wore earplugs. I was very careful and I took off my earplugs only when I was outside in a quiet place. I had a few drinks and I know that alcohol exacerbates my tinnitus.

I woke up the next day, my tinnitus had increased quite dramatically. Not really understanding why, knowing that I protected myself most of the wedding, I still took cortisone for 2/3 days to see if the spike could go down. It didn't go down. So I went to see my ENT the next day to see if there was an acoustic trauma, but the results showed that I had not lost any hearing, and that my hearing was normal.

I am still looking for the cause of this tinnitus increase, but I don't understand, I was well protected during the whole wedding.

Do you think it's a spike? Or that it may be due to my pre-wedding stress?

Thank you for your answers

(Sorry for my English which can be approximate, I am French )

 

Sounds like a T spike. The earplugs may not have been fully effective, as there are lots of variables such as the type of earplug, the depth of insertion, and how loud and for how long the noise exposure was. Protect from further damage, and give this some time. Stress can certainly aggravate the situation.

 

Earplugs often provide a false sense of security.

Also, check out the advice in

The idea is to wear earplugs when you can't avoid being around noise. If you can, staying away from the noise is the safest choice.

There is still a good chance that this is a temporary spike (they can last over three months, but should begin fading after about a month).

 

Thank you for your answer!
I had several pairs of earplugs that I changed according to the sound level!

I have another question, when our tinnitus spikes, we have to act as if it was an acoustic trauma, and wear earplugs even on the street, or we have to keep not wearing them, just in loud places ?

 

You will want to protect your ears from all of the noises that feel too loud or that give you ear fullness or louder T.

 

Did your spike subside?