Tinnitus Spiking Now, Exposed to a Screaming Kid a Week Ago — A Delayed Reaction?

I have had tinnitus for several years, it's been relatively good past year until last week. I teach children with special needs and one of the students was screaming so loud in my ear. High pitch screaming. Straight after the tinnitus spiked and then went down to normal volume a few hours later and was fine for a week but now the tinnitus volume has started up again really loud.

Could the tinnitus volume increase be a delayed reaction from a week ago when the kid was screaming? It's really loud now constantly and I am really struggling to cope. Can't get any peace from this loud noise.

I am not sure if I am making sense here with my question! Struggling to write coherently. I'm just wondering if the increase in my tinnitus is because I was exposed to a screaming kid a week ago? I am not sure if a tinnitus spike can occur in a delayed manner like this.

Any help would be great. Thank you so much.

 

I'm in a similar boat. Your ear/s like mine have suffered a shock of some form and then we've experienced a spike.

What may have happened for you is some other sound that has happened inbetween times has aggravated an already tinnitus condition.

The question is does it recover? I'll leave that for others to answer.

 

From what ai can gather over years of frequenting Tinnitus related boards or hubs, there could be couple of weeks delay between the acoustic trauma and Tinnitus.

It has something to do with excessive glutamate being relased and it can take some time before it kills the hearing cells.
I'm not sure exactly how that works and I appologize for the very unscientific descriprion and wording, but that is my basic understanding of what happens after acoustic trauma.

I'm pretty sure someone else can give you much better and more accurate information on this.

 

You had an acoustic trauma, and a delayed spike of up to about 2 weeks is quite classic.

This can certainly improve, but it will take many months in most cases, and the important thing is to prevent repeated traumas that will impede or worsen the situation. Does the yelling in the ear happen with any degree of frequency? You may need earplugs to continue with this job as hearing loss is not uncommon with various teaching jobs.

https://www.starkey.com/blog/2014/10/research-shows-teachers-at-increased-risk-of-hearing-loss

 

Thank you for all your replies. I really appreciate it.
I will definitely have to prepare myself and not let the screaming near my ear happen again.
Thanks for all the responses.

 

HI @Xenia

It is quite possible the increase in your tinnitus was caused by what you describe. However, this usually happens to people after a long habituation period when the tinnitus was originally caused by a "Noise trauma" to the auditory system as in @Allan1967 case, others on this forum and my own back in 2008. Unless your tinnitus was originally caused by "Noise trauma" I do not think this increase is resulting from the screaming children.

It says on your Avatar: tinnitus caused by teeth grinding but you are not sure? Do you regularly listen to music through headphones or attend places where loud music is played at the moment? Before the 0nset of your tinnitus in 2016, did you regularly do any of the two things that I have mentioned? This will help give me an indication of what has caused your tinnitus to increase. Whether it is "Noise" related or an underlying medical problem within your auditory system. Whichever it is, it's a good idea to be seen at ENT for tests if the spike doesn't reduce to baseline, and then see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist trained in Tinnitus and hyperacusis management and treatment.

Michael

 

@Michael Leigh
Thanks for your message
I am still not sure what caused my tinnitus to begin with,, teeth grinding may have but I am definitely not certain. As for loud music I hardly ever experienced it, I don't listen to music with headphones or attend noisey places etc. I have never been sure what actually caused the original tinnitus.

Straight after having the kid scream in my ear recently I got this sharp pain in left ear and had an increase in tinnitus volume, but then it went back down to base line noise, but on Wednesday this week ( a week after the screaming kid) the tinnitus is so high pitch, its driving me mad. I am really not sure what caused it to happen, I thought possibly the kid screaming but then it was a week later than the actual event so I am not really sure. All a mystery. The volume is not changing at all now, stuck on really high pitch since Wednesday.

Thanks again for your support.

 

HI @Xenia

The spike in your tinnitus does seem noise related. I think it's best to be seen at ENT for tests and then, if necessary referred to Audiology to see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, that specialises in Tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment and management.

I advise not to use headphones even at low volume, as you don't use them this shouldn't be a problem because they can cause more harm than good for people with tinnitus, especially "Noise induced tinnitus". Hopefully when your tinnitus reduces you could try using "noise reducing" earplugs when at work but only temporary. These have built in filters. They reduce external sound by supressing it and won't impair sound quality. They are unlike foam earplugs which block-out external sound which is not recommended. Be careful when using earplugs as they shouldn't be overused as this can lower the loudness threshold of the auditory system, and make your hearing more sensitive. More information is in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it, in the link below.

I advise you to click on the links and read my articles on tinnitus which you might find helpful. Try to avoid quiet rooms during the day and especially at night, by using "sound enrichment". More about this is explained in my link.

I wish you well.
Michael

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

 

@Michael Leigh Thanks for all the information. Much appreciated. I really hope the high pitch drops a bit. Just scary when stuck at this pitch with no changing. In the past with tinnitus I have that it changes volume, but this time completely stuck on highest pitch. Thanks for the website links.

 

@Xenia

I hope the tinnitus calms down for you. Try to have low level music or nature sounds playing in the background during the day. Please don't try and mask or cover up the tinnitus with these sounds. Keep them slightly below the tinnitus. At night, use "Nature sounds" for sound enrichment or a dedicated sound machine. Again, keep the volume slightly below the tinnitus and not mask it.

The links are to articles that I have written on tinnitus which are on this forum on my "started threads".

Take care
Michael

 

If my spike was caused by noise, it came one week after exposure and gradually worsened for a few more weeks.

 

Did it go?

 

@HeavyMantra Sorry to hear that. Did the spike ever go down or still same level ?

 

Nope

It fluctuates wildly though, most days I only hear it if I make an effort to. Has been that way ever since the spike

 

Typical delayed spike. Definitely protect from further noise, and give it some months to improve. Consider trying an omega-3 supplement as well to reduce inflammation.

 

@Digital Doc Thanks for the tips. I hope the spike dies down a bit, its still really high pitch now ever since the kid screamed.

 

Do you hear it all day/night?

 

Trench in as this problem goes on for months. Mine took about 8 months to feel better, and still hearing it, although a lot less, and I will hit a year from this event at the end of this month.

 

let me know if you figure out how to do this, we only have one usual needs child and she still screams directly in my ear all the time.

 

@Allan1967 I hear the noise all day and all night since it spiked last Wednesday has not stopped for a second, I am petrified I am going to have it at this high pitch forever,its unbearable screeching.

 

@linearb I think may have to change jobs to get away from screaming children! This high pitch is shocking since the kid screamed non stop in my ear, Sorry you have it at home too! Not sure the solution !!

 

I have the same, I understand.

 

@Allan1967 So sorry you experiencing the same. What are you doing to manage it ? I have been listening to a tinitus app on my iphone but the minute I am away from it I can hear the noise and then get so anxious.

 

Solution: new job vs hearing protection when around child. Maybe they can put you in a different class. If you continue to have this noise exposure the tinnitus will only worsen.

 

So things got slightly better for a week and then I stupidly went to the movies. I am such an idiot! The movie I saw was not an action movie, not a loud blockbuster at all, but it seems to have lead to another spike. I am soo angry at myself, total stupidity and now I am really paying the price. Screeching noise back. For the future I am wondering is there any particular ear plugs that are best for movies? or perhaps probably best never to go again!!

 

Hard to know the best earplugs for a movie without knowing how loud it was. Safest answer is to stay away from movies for next 6 mos or so. I would then consider retrying with foam earplugs as they are the most protective in general.

 

Did your spike subside from the kid screaming??

 

I'd be skeptical.
In my experience, the search for causality for the ups and downs of tinnitus intensity fluctuations is usually misleading.
Since your original tinnitus was not caused by noise, noise is not a plausible cause of deterioration.

 

I really need some help.

A few years ago a kid that I was teaching screamed really loud in my ear and I got a tinnitus spike from it, the spike did not last too long, I now have had the same thing unfortunately happen again 5 weeks ago, and the spike is still going.

It's unbearable, high pitch shrieking in my left ear. I thought like the previous time it happened that it would die down over time but it's been more than 5 weeks and the screeching is horrible. I am going crazy in the head from it. I keep thinking it will go back to "normal" volume like when it happened last time but it has not.

I am so worried it's going to be stuck at this high pitch noise forever. I'm not coping at all.

Is it likely that if it's been 5 weeks it will stay like this for much longer? Is there any chance it can go down in volume after this amount of time at this same high pitch volume?

Any help would be really appreciated.

 

Hello.

Sorry to hear that. I have only seen one case of a spike that went for a month. A girl claimed to have a spike after smoking weed. She never updated if it went away but spikes are usually not permanent. My spikes for example happen when I bite my mouth for too long and then I have severe short spikes. A few seconds long. I stopped this habit and I didn't get a spike since last week Saturday. I have more triggers.

I guess you just have to wait or visit a doctor. Personally I would press charges against the parents.