Tinnitus Without Hearing Loss? Need Help.

Is it possible to get tinnitus from hearing damage without having hearing loss? I recently (nearly 10 weeks) have developed tinnitus, mainly in left ear. In the beginning there would be changing tones in both left and right ears but that seems to have subsided, it's only really a high pitched tone primarily in my left ear.

I developed the tinnitus right before/around the same time as getting a cold & ear infection. However, I've been playing drums for years and used to listen to music too loud, however, have not done so in years as I wanted to prevent getting tinnitus/hearing loss.

Both my doctors were convinced it was from my ear infection as it lasted a few weeks. I got an audiogram done and it showed that I have "perfectly normal" hearing according to the audiologist.

I also developed pulsatile tinnitus briefly for a few weeks but that seems to have subsided.

I was depressed/anxious when I first got the T but the past 3 weeks I cut down on bad food and caffeine (I'm a sucker for cups of tea) and I had been feeling better. However, I began drinking tea again just because I love it so much. The past 2/3 days I've been feeling down over it and I just want some answers. I just want to feel normal again.

 

I understand, two different and possible cause of T :/

But ear infection/cold is a "common" cause of T i think.

But i don't know if ear infection can be the trigger to start Tinnitus in a possibly weakened ear.
You can get T without earing loss : sometimes the damages are on very high frequencies, those who cannot be tested by an audiogram.

But no need to worry! No noticeable hearing loss, it's a good thing!

Is your T loud? Changing?

 

Loud? Well, I can hear it in bed, watching tv, etc. (mainly indoors). I can tune it out when out walking or at work but I'm still finding it quite bothersome. It hasn't changed in a few weeks, it used to change constantly though.

 

You can most certainly have tinnitus without having hearing loss! Hearing loss is just the strongest correlated thing to tinnitus (in most cases).

 

Drums and loud music. That was me in '74. Those were the days. Headphones, monitors, etc...
40 plus years of T, especially my left ear. I didn't think about it at all today, til now. hehe
I consider myself 'sort of' an expert on the subject. If my T flared up after a cold, I would think it would go back down a little soon.
After shattering my ears with drums and loud music, ANY sound or event can trigger some more noise. I smartened up a long time ago and went acoustic.
Theecarwash, if my 'changing frequencies' were subsiding I'd take that as a good sign.

 

How old were you when you got your T? It's not that I think my T flared up because of a cold, because I did not have it before the cold, it happened at the same time, so I'm not sure what caused it for me.

 

Every musician I know has tinnitus. I was about 15 when I noticed ringing in my ears. Starting at 12 years old, I played drums every day with loud headphones.

 

I'm going to ENT. This is the first time i'm seeing anyone but an unhelpful doctor. Good or bad i'm expecting some news. Weather it be hearing loss, no hearing loss (everything seems normal hearing wise) MRI needed, no MRI needed, Fluid, infection, normal, abnormal. I just want someone to have a good look.
Mine is also in one ear. I'll ask tomorrow if it's possible to have t without hearing loss and post the answer on here for you. But i'm expecting the answer to be yes.

 

Hey all: Do remember that most hearing tests only go to about 8000 hz. So you may have very high frequency loss and not know it. That was the case with me. I initially tested normal. But once I started with more sophisticated providers who knew how to deal with tinnitus, and they tested me above 8000 hz, there it was: some hearing loss around 1200 hz. I never notice it, however. I hear about the same as I did before.

But yes, I think you also can have tinnitus without any hearing loss at all.

Your infection very well may have kicked off your T, @theekarwash. Also, you are very new to tinnitus. Hang in there. Things will get better. At this early stage, it also may go away (no guarantees, but a possibility). Protect your ears from extremely loud noises, get plenty of sleep, and try to just go out and do what you love (helps you ignore it).

FYI: Caffeine doesn't necessarily cause spikes in everyone, although it does for many. Experiment with a cup of tea every now and then, if you enjoy it, and see what you can tolerate. I find I can have a generous cup of half caff/half decaf coffee in the morning and be OK ... but no more than that. But I savor that one cup and don't feel deprived.

 

I to went from 4tsps coffee a day ,down to just 1tsp,made no difference at all ,so I'm with you lady Di,even went to de cafe for a while ,again no change.so I know that's not the problem,it's trying to figure out what makes it worse,but I do think weather plays a big part,not mere food stuffs.My hearings not caused any problem since I first got it,after 3 audiology tests,thought over time that may of changed but so far so good,when my ears are full,which is often ,I do get ear infections,think it's the mastoid bone,as that one in my worst tinnitus ear swells up and is really painful,couple days and it goes down,and off I go again .think you need to be careful not to get any water in ears,put plugs in when washing your hair,or if you enjoy swimming.

 

Hey Marlene: I think stress, lack of sleep and a severe sinus infection or cold are among the most universal tinnitus triggers. But for me, like you, the weather is a biggie. I always assumed it was because my tinnitus was caused by barotrauma. I am so affected by weather-related pressure changes that I can tell a thunderstorm is coming before the black clouds appear on the horizon.

 

Thanks, awaiting your reply, good luck by the way!

 

Thanks for your words of advice and comfort, it really helps! I'm really hoping the tinnitus goes, but I haven't read much online about it going away so I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

What caused your T LadyDi?

 

You can have T without hearing loss. My audiogram is normal but only between 0.5 and 8000 hz. I haven't tested the higher frequencies and for now, I won't either.

My T is not caused by acoustic trauma, it's due to ototoxic meds...

 

@theekarwash In 2007-2008 when my T started, it was louder and reacted to sounds. In the process of my habituation, the reactive component went away and the volume decreased. I had taken antidepressant in 2007 and it caused my T. I was 100% habituated for 7 years, went to concerts and clubs with plugs and never masked it!! In May 2014, I took antibiotics for a cloggued ear, it was also ototoxic...the volume increased badly (could be heard over the shower!), it became reactive again and more than before.

2 months after the antibiotics: volume went down, yay! It's not as low as between 2007-2014... the pitch is higher and it is not always easy to mask it. It's still reactive.

I think it will remain louder than between 2007 and 2014. And you know what? it's ok! I'm starting to habituate once again and enjoy life.

It took me 6 months to habituate in 2008. I got pregnant with my 2nd daughter in May 2008 and the fact that I was pregnant and happy about it sped up my habituation, otherwise, it would have been longer... Now, 2 months after relapse, I am already feeling better. I was miserable for 3 weeks and then I got up and said: f*ck T. I want to be happy and live a normal life!!! I still exist despite T!!!

I have a lot of projects going on and I plan on working on them, even if I have T (I'm starting my MBA in September). There is also a tinnitus group in Quebec where I live, I decided to get involved and help fellow sufferers around me...

So anyway, this long post is just to tell you that you can be happy with T even if it's permanent. It sucks, I do agree with you, but even if it's with you forever, it doesn't mean that your life is over.

hugs xx

 

Hi lady Di I'm with you 100/per cent,can't both be wrong,think Karen says about air pressure to.When you get really bad day with the tinnitus ,it stresses me far more.My ears both have been hissing so high all day long ,driven me wacky.Weather here is up and down ,can't make it's mind up, bit of everything.Plus on the news on Saturday,the Channel Islands had an earthquake,not that far away,has that had some bearing on my tinnitus.
What a right carry on all this is .Life's to short for all this hassle we have to put up with.,you take care don't work to hard either. Still got the remote ?

 

Hi, Marlene: Earthquake in Channel Islands?? Scary. I'll have to look for news of that.
And yes, the remote remains mine. In fact, my early bird co-workers have it on that channel when I walk in, which is sweet. I have converted some of them to Tour watchers.

 

Hi, @theekarwash: I got my tinnitus from barotrauma caused by flying with an undetected sinus infection (or, I should say, a sinus infection my ENT told me not to worry about. Tell everyone you know: NEVER fly with a sinus or upper respiratory infection!)

It was an overseas flight, so it was long and at high altitudes. My eustachian tubes malfunctioned and closed up so my ears could not equalize. It was very painful on descent; the closed tubes caused fluid to be trapped in my middle/inner ear, which damaged my ear hair cells. My ears pretty much were ringing when I got off the plane more than a year ago and haven't stopped.

Also remember that even if your tinnitus does not exactly "go away:" you probably will get to a point where it just doesn't bother you any more and you will go for long periods without noticing it, which is about the same as it being "gone." I am so much better today than I was a year ago. And I still am getting better. Sure, tinnitus is annoying, some days more than others. But annoying is all it is to me any more. Your tinnitus just becomes the new "normal."

You strike me as very level-headed, together young person. My money is on you habituating to this condition just fine, if it comes to that.

 

Went to ENT today and didn't even have to ask the question. As soon as I went in to have my hearing test, I was told their will probably be some hearing loss as I have tinnitus.
The results were as follows. Normal hearing in both ears with an extremely small amount of loss in t ear. But that small it barely showed up. In fact he said that the chances are a second test next week would show no loss.
So yes you can have t with no hearing loss.

 

Channel Islands in the English Channel ,French thinks it there's ? WRONG it's British,bit like Argentina and the Falkland Islands.Wrong again.ha ha winds them up. Glad you've got some converts at work ,now get your boss on side ,you've got it made.x

 

What did your ENT think caused your T then?

 

No idea. I'm having an MRI to check for sn nauroma. But he said the chance of finding one is about 1 percent.
So I'll probably never know.
From what I gathe the ears such a complicated instrument, quite often they don't know what's happened.

 

It's not uncommon to have T while no hearing loss. It's only an unproven theory that damaged hair cells would cause T because they cause loss of hearing. There are also people with hearing loss but without T. More and more researcher are abandoning this theory and looking towards the auditory nerve as the culprit. I also don't think that hair cells play that big part in T, if any at all.