Was Almost There and Then the "Spike" Came. :-(

I was doing so well and didn't even hear my T last Friday when it was super windy outside.

Feeling brave, I listed to music on my computer (I have 2 external computer speakers added) which resulted in a terrible spike. -- I'm going on 5 1/2 months and this is the loudest it has been yet!

I've been trying meditation, extra sleep, etc but it is brutal during the day. -- I was hoping that after 3 days it would subside but no luck.

My T is from just one loud concert. -- Can simple computer speakers really cause more damage? -- I just had it a little louder than average but for 3 hours while I was working at my computer.

I'm really good at providing T advice but today I feel very defeated..

 

That is a bummer. Same we me today. T is high. Why?? I don't know.

I keep reading that, also for noise damaged ears, additional damage only occur at the same noise levels/time "healthy" ears get damaged.
This makes sense to me. I would not worry that your computer speakers caused more damage.
But having said this, even small speakers on high levels for extended time, at a close distance from your ears, can technically produce to high a levels.

Soon after my NIHL I was worried all the time that normal sound levels, or slightly higher levels, would cause more damage. This feeling subsided. I still have hyperacusis, but do not believe dropping a spanner on a concrete floor, however loud it sounds with my H, will damage more inside my ear.
I don't know about tinnitus spike. This seems to be varying a lot between different people.

 

Please stay calm, things Will get better!!! The first months are the hardest...
T is so unpredictable...
But my ecperience is that you Will get more habituated after a while and a louder sound Will not make you nervous.

 

This is also what my ENT told me. That damaged ears aren't more sensitive to sounds or anything on a lesser level than healthy. So we should always protect our ears at levels over 85 db, just like someone with healthy ears should do. So don't worry about the spike, it could just be reactive.

 

Hello John,

Most of the time, my Tinnitus spikes after long hours of constant sound (music in my PC, a long drive in my car, a day with my kids screaming).

Time ago I though it was because of my T getting louder with "normal everyday" sounds. But, now, I think that my T gets more intrusive not because it gets louder with everyday sounds, but because of my auditory system gets exhausted.

In the past, this "spike" was around for days. But now, that I understand (my theory) that the problem is not a spike, but my auditory system being exhausted and very sensitive, my Tinnitus seems louder. When I get this exhaustation i get pain, redness and warm ears.

For along time I have been not paying not much attention for this, and this "spikes" are less intrusive.

Hope you get better soon!
Johnny.

Edit: By the Way, it seems you got reactive Tinnitus. I also have it, was one of the major reasons why I was not masking my T, because it was making my T worst. Those reactive spikes could be with me for days. But, since I don't over protect or over pay attention to my T and H, I'm increasing my tolerance for sounds, and my reactive tinnitus is decreasing. I know you feel very bad because this music in your PC for hours making your T worst... It is hard to know, but (call me crazy) I think that you really need this type of sounds. They will hurt in the beggining, but will help in the long run. Remember EVERYDAY normal sounds. We still need to protect for louder sounds.

 

Thanks Reinier. -- I am probably just paranoid.

It would need to be crazy loud to match what caused my T on Sept 15th, 2015 (I will never forget that date!).

Thanks much, John

 

Thanks Steffie. I thought I was just getting over the hurdle and then snap, this spike occurred. -- I'm going to pick myself up, dust off and move on.

 

Thanks Fangen. It was no louder than 85 db. -- I think it was the 3 hours straight that spiked it.

I'm getting more strict with my diet today which seems to help. The treadmill is next..

 

Thanks Johnny! -- I actually listen to the car radio 100% of the time now where I used to only on occasion.

I ate pretty bad and didn't exercise over the weekend which may have contributed to it.

I never thought that I would enjoy a windy day so much as I did last Friday (2 different trampolines blew into our yard!).

Ironically, Friday's wind was my "calm before the storm", but my storm (this spike) will pass thanks to you and the others's input on this forum.. Thanks much!

 

Hey John,

I don't mean to hijack your thread but wanted to ask you about the concert you went to recently.

I got tinnitus after a prodigy concert two months after you. I can hear it all the time and it has definitely faded and doesn't really bother me that much. For some reason I've also now got etd after the concert. Anybody reading this then I definitely recommend the ear popper.

Anyway I said I'd never go to a concert again but ones coming up and I'd like to go. I was just wondering if you used ear protection this time, if so what did you use and did you get any spikes afterwards?

 

I have been to a lot of concerts since t. Once i even lost my ear plug as i was putting it in, luckily nothing changed with t. Having said that, if i has been reading this forum at the time of that concert i think i would have ran out of there as fast as possible!

Anyway, if you go just make sure you wear plugs.

 

I have a pair of ER20s and bought the tickets before they sold out. It's in October so still have time to decide. I always said I'd never go to another but it's somebody that I've always wanted to see live.

Thanks for letting me know you've been to lots with no change, that's encouraging. I was getting pain in the early days. If light traffic passed me by when walking down the street it triggered pain at the back and sides of my head for the first month or so. I was sensitive to everyday sounds. That pain makes me think there's maybe more damage than I realise and don't want to make it worse although the doc said it should be okay as long as I wear plugs.

 

I've had my tinnitus since the end of October and I've had so many good and bad days.. I'm in a spike I think right now. I was doing so good for a few months, even wrote a success story how I felt I had partially habituated . Now this last week the volume and pitch is so loud it makes me want to scream. I am having a very hard time with it.

 

Yes, I used to really worry about the lawnmower, blender, etc. -- I still cover my ears when things get loud and agree that our ears need a break.

I know how I intensified the damaging sound that caused my T and I will never do that again. -- I usually keep earplugs on my and use as needed at movies, concerts, etc.

It still annoys me at times, but I am not as freaked about about it as I was months ago. -- Hang in there and stay busy so you don't think about it as much.

 

I did the same thing Natalie. 2 months into it, I wrote a success story and then it got worse soon thereafter.

I don't even think it got louder. I just noticed it more.

At 5 months, I was optimistic again and then at 8 months depression hit when I realized that I was probably stuck with it. You can probably notice in my past posts how I was lashing out at people who got ride of it after a month and then wrote success stories.

I just try to stay busy, exercise, etc. -- We need to hang in there since it does get better. Unfortunately, it takes at least a year for most to habilitate.

 

That's how I feel. I have periods where I can ignore it or where I don't notice it - if I'm busy or having fun with my family. But, when I'm watching tv, during down "relaxation time" , anytime I am stressed, etc I usually notice it. Like you said, I guess maybe I'm not 100% certain that the volume has actually increased or I've just started paying attention to it again causing a "spike"? I'm not sure.. It does seem louder to me. And the pitch seems higher. I'm feeling very depressed since yesterday about this.. I mean, I'm going on 9 months now with this awful shit and I realize I will probably never hear silence again and that thought has been really upsetting to me.

 

@John Meyers , I feel your pain!
I found no reason for my T to spike it just happens ! Weird
Last week i was thinking about writing a success story now I feel like crap !
Hang in there it's not your fault
Dom

 

Hey everyone..I'm in the same boat..
I've had this for 17 months, and when I look at the BIGGER picture, I'm way better then when it first started, but I definitely get those crazy good and bad days...but I didn't get any good days for about 7-9 months, and now the good days are getting longer..so I'm hoping it continues...I've read that having fluctuations is a good thing!