I have an iPhone app that said the decibel level was around 65.
I could clearly hear the people across from me at a normal conversation level.
But after I got out of the restaurant I noticed there's a new kinda wavering ringing in my left ear.
I'm very worried this is permanent.
Many people will likely disagree with me here, but instances like the story you posted above are highly indicative of a stress induced spike. You are so concerned about your ears that your anxiety is more than likely causing the spike, and not your surroundings. What you described is simply not loud enough to be considered dangerous, but it is extremely common for people to work themselves up into a state because they believe they have 'damaged' their ears.
Talk to a professional about your concerns and may be look into CBT, it could be of benefit to you. The hair cells in our cochlea die naturally anyway, with or without noise as we age, so in some respects it's inescapable. Loud noise is a real danger and by far the biggest problem and cause of T, especially higher frequencies. However, I stand by the fact that we need not protect our ears round the clock.
I'd like to add that all the stories of spikes after going out truly resonate with me. When I was super anxious about my T, anytime I went out or heard a noise (that I believed was damaging) I'd check my ears. This checking response fuelled the problem in my case, and was the root cause of the spikes.
Many will disagree and tell you to protect at all costs anytime you leave the house, but all I ever see with this approach is misery. Those who you don't see on support forums with T (including those with loud tinnitus) don't take this approach, and it's partly the reason why they adapt so well.
I'll leave it at that as I've probably posted enough now, but I'll add that my only reason for posting nowadays is to try and help others by offering my own experiences. I improved significantly after I accepted it, and my T is no joke. I've got it pretty bad. I've got a loud piercing frequency that cuts through nearly everything, a lower frequency in my left ear and various hissing noises underneath it all. On top of this my brain is often like an electrical storm with strange zapping sounds.
Member
