Tinnitus + Temporary Blocked Feeling Getting Worse and Worse While Taking Precautions

Hello all,

I've had tinnitus for ~8 months now and so far it has only gotten worse. I've been taking a lot of precautions, I wear ear protection at work, in noisy rooms, at the streets (the high-pitched noise of car brakes hurt my ears), in public transport, and I have worn double protection (35 dB) at a concert and I took frequent breaks.

It is, ironically, the latter that barely had a direct and noticeable effect on my tinnitus. No louder pitch right after it, and such. For a change, I actually felt great the first weeks after the concert and I genuinely didn't care about my tinnitus.

However, sometimes we just can't avoid people causing loud noises... gradually, it has been getting worse, already since November last year; from a high-pitched noise to now lower ringing as well, louder high-pitched noise and a temporary blocked feeling in one ear from time to time.

Currently, my exams are over, I feel like I have little stress and I'm feeling rather good. You'd say tinnitus would improve, but I there is absolutely no improvement at all! The ringing is loud when I wake up, loud when I put in my ear protection and loud when I go to sleep. Even if I try to not give a damn about it at all, it won't work. The blocked feeling I just talked about also occurs when I suddenly hear something rather loud (but not dangerous to a person with normal ears), such as someone suddenly talking close to me or someone dropping something when I do not wear hearing protection. My sibling just dropped her phone and now my right ear has been blocked for over an hour.

It is also that literally no one around me cares. When this happens (the blocked feeling, or higher pitch), they'll say "well it's your fault that you care, you're stressed" even though they are the ones that made the loud noise that set it off. I've reminded them time and again that they should be at least a bit cautious around my ears and not clap next to my ears, kiss my on the ear, drop pans and plates, but they really don't care even though this can permanently ruin my hearing. "As long as it isn't me, I don't give a damn", basically.

It really ruins my moods and I really can't deal with people making it worse. I'm also just 17 so I really don't know how to deal with this for at least 50 years more, I keep fantasizing about just strangling myself or something like that.

I feel really desperate and I really don't know where to start with trying to improve my tinnitus... I don't even know what this blocked feeling is, maybe anyone knows?

 

Yea, I'm not sure what causes the "blocked, full, plugged feeling" but it is very common. I have it too, although that part has improved quite a bit since it started 4 months ago. You are very young, and I'm so sorry that you are afflicted with this at such an early age. I suspect we will be seeing some advances in treatment pretty soon. Hand in there and browse some of the more positive threads in here to be encouraged.

 

Does the blocked feeling make your hearing weird?