When Is Tinnitus Considered Permanent?

No I just go out and talk to people outside of the internet.
My professors, my ENT's, my friends, family, neighbours, random people in school?
Every doctor, specialist ENT or otherwise will tell you the same thing.
Looking on the internet franticly for symptoms or cures or even positive feedback is a really really bad move.
Sure you have success stories, sure you some people actually find help in it by finding symptoms bad doctors don't but any Good doctor will find what's wrong, tell you what to do and that's it.
Out of the millions and millions of people who have Tinnitus this forum has how much members? 1000 2000 3000 I'm positive it's not past 5000.
People who lose theirs or get over it don't want to go around Tinnitus forums, they just got rid of the damn thing why would they want to go around posting on it.
Example: Srdjan a member on this forum, had noise induced Tinnitus for 7 months, do you see him posting here now?
No he's moved on he doesn't care about Tinnitus any more.
I was such an idiot to look for people who lost Tinnitus on the web because that's what gave me the idea that Tinnitus never goes, that's what made me have cold sweat and a pumping heart 24/7 that's what made me stress develop sounds sensitivity.
If I had just asked around in real life, I'd actually meet people who have had theirs go away, I would avoid getting stressed and scared and suicidal, just like my friends I wouldn't care as much about it and I would probably not be scared out of my mind contemplating suicide.
I would be playing games and I probably wouldn't have developed sound sensitivity because the Tinnitus appeared a couple of hours later, the Hyperacusis however appeared after 3-4 days of extreme stress and anxiety due to me just like everyone else franticly searching on the web for people who have had their Tinnitus go away and not finding any.

 

Nice.

 

At the initial onset of tinnitus, the question of whether or not it will resolve on its own, is probably more related to etiology than chronicity (because there is none; acute stage still). At eg. 6 or 12 months post onset, chronicity becomes the dominant factor in predicting the (final) outcome; by the very fact that tinnitus has been present for "x"-number of months means that it is less likely to go away due to the simple explanation that "it's still there". For sure, it can still disappear, but I don't believe there are many examples to pick from.

Examples of etiologies:

1. Tinnitus due to acoustic trauma after 2h concert. As the temporary threshold shift begins to recover following the concert, so does the muffled hearing and fullness in the ears; quite often, the tinnitus will disappear too (but this should be treated as a "warning sign" for any future concerts).
2. Tinnitus due to presbycusis (ski-slope HL); I believe the prognosis is quite poor.
3. Tinnitus due to long term NIHL (notch/cookie bite HL); I believe the prognosis is quite poor.
4. Tinnitus due to infection/head trauma/sudden-HL; prognosis uncertain.

I don't believe that tinnitus can ever become permanent. The fact that it does go away - in rare cases - is enough to disprove the theory that tinnitus becomes chronic after eg. 12 months. For me, the critical moment is neither at the 3, 6, or 12 month mark. Instead, I see the critical point occuring at the 48-hours mark (post onset). Any episode of tinnitus lasting longer than 48 hours is - in my opinion - a cause for concern (for no other reason than the fact that it might not go away). The 48-hour mark also defines the so-called window of opportunity - where a course of steriods may influence the outcome. Past 48 hours, the person enters "freefall-mode" or "wait-and-see-territory".

 

Not the ones I saw.

Then we just need to find "the good doctors", I guess...

And that proves what exactly. That tinnitus goes away...?

 

1.) and 2.) I'm sorry for that.
and 3.) No it proves that the internet is a stupid place for statistics on Tinnitus, no one who is habituated or has had his Tinnitus go away is going to go around announcing it on every forum and talking to every doctor.

 

While it's mostly true there's a lot of factors.
I personally believe my Tinnitus and Hyperacusis would have gone away by now if I didn't completely lose my shit the very first day.
Anyway, you seem like you know your stuff, but even though I'm in the free fall mode-by the way love the way you put it, I'm generally confident that mine will go, just feels like it.
I don't think mine is from the gig it's more from that one really high pitched scream that hurt my ears don't know whether that's good or bad but I don't care.

 

I like your attitude as of late Ilija, keep it up and I'm glad you are getting better.

 

A few points on this:

1. I know that t has completely gone away for some, after years. 3 cases I know of had t somehow related to Candida. Went on the Candida diet, and their t resolved - each having it for about 20-25 years. This alone to my mind means that t does not have to be permanent.
2. It is true that t is such a brain issue. The mere definition of habituation for example is the brain blocking out t. Therefore going back to forums once resolution or very good habituation has taken place is rare.
3. Having said that, there should be a few more people to post their one time success story of resolution. Weird that there are almost none.
4. Not sure where this one year time frame for chronicity or t being coded in the brain comes from. There are no imaging studies or statistics to prove this marker. 3 months is the marker that ENTs give as most likely resolution. One of the reasons I see to this, is that we don't hang around ENT offices long enough for them to know. Their unnecessary "learn to live with it" and "there is nothing that can be done" remarks cut our visits short.
5. For many many t sufferers on line, I have noticed a natural fade in volume perception that happens, especially in the 1-2 year period, but also beyond. This is not just habituation but a fade.

 

I heard if it's not gone in 2 and a half years, it's probably permanent. I read online a short time ago that some guy had it approximately for 2 years and 3 months, and seeing your Tinnitus isn't too loud there's hope
Take magnesium tablets once a day to help its healing process

 

This is actually my point. I agree that most people will go their merry way and not look back. But there should be at least SOME people that would report what must be an ecstatic recovery. I remember counting off the weeks from my onset, promising that if my tinnitus went away I would extensively document my experience for others. I am sure there must be other people that have felt the same way. The internet isn't that young.

I am not trying to be a killjoy at all, I understand the value of positive thinking. I value the truth more though, and if there are all these people that are completely cured, where are they? If they don't exist, I think it should be freely admitted as an important fact about tinnitus.

 

There are stories here and there on the internet of people who's tinnitus left, but I do agree that they are far and few in between. And I definitely agree that if mine were to ever go, the first place I'd post is here.

 

I think there may also be the factor that if it goes away, there is the fear that it will come back. So maybe more hesitation to post. But I get what you are saying.

 

I agree with @Ilija

I got tinnitus from an acoustic trauma last year in a night-club.It was a moment where I was stressed out and anxious about many things in my life and I had been like this for quite a while. When the tinnitus appeared just the next morning of that night I went completly mad. I rushed on the internet, saw all those depressing testimonies of people scared out like I was. Even on the tinnitus association website they where saying it takes only one acoustic trauma, just one time of very loud music to have it for life. I remember seeing those letters and freaking out completly. I cried like crazy with people around me wondering what was going on.

This, looking up on the internet and also the fact that I was in another country ( i was in the US for a wedding) made me feel like it was the end of my life. I went to see two doctors that did not even point out the fact that I must have had an acoustic trauma... I don't know how it's possible btw that so many doctors are still so poorly informed about these injuries... I finally went to the hospital and they finally seemed to have an idea of what it was but didn't give me any medications. I wanted corticoides very badly because I read on every forums that it was the thing to take or else it will stay permanently.

The thing that I understand now is that all this freaking out, not being given what I was sure will cure me etc certainly made it worse. My boyfriend always tells me that I was the worst person for having this happen to her. Of course he knows me very well, I' m very anxious about ilnesses, weird symptoms and this is the worst thing I've experienced in my life so far. There are lots of people not going on forums because they will not experience it as me or us. They will not be scared, they will not focus on it or make it a priority in their life. When I got this, my cousin told me he also had an acoustic trauma and it resolved in 8 days. But for me it didn't. I think one of the reason might be that he didn't care about it when it was there, never went on the internet until it disappeared.

I'm not saying it's good or bad to go on forums, I still think that I could't have reacted another way because I'm an anxious person. But I do beleive that a lot of people that are not on these forums or that get better after being on it don't really bother to come and talk about something that is not a problem for them and something that remind them bad memories. And usually it starts to get better when you have moved on and you forget about everything. I had a very bothersome symptom with my legs 5 yrs ago, I used to go everyday on forums to figure out what it was for about 6 months and be very obsessed about it. And It turned out that I moved on with my life and it disappeared completly and I can't even say when or how.

And there is some success stories I've seen one the other time of a tinnitus disappearing after 7 months post trauma. And my ENT told me one the other time. It's just that we tend to focus on the worst scenarios...

 

Yup pretty much, I was contemplating suicide day 2, probably not the best thing.

 

Ok I'm going to stop spamming when mine goes as it might be annoying for people.
But if it does go (I know it will lol I did it anyway ) I will actually wait, for like a month after a month when I'm sure it ain't comin' back I would still hesitate a bit because I'd be scared of jinxing it xD

 

You need to accept that tinnitus after loud noise exposure is permanent after 72hours. Thats because the hearing cells did not recover and are permanent dead.
Wear proper ear protection while engaged in social activities or while using power tools to avoid further damage.
Do not attend a concert or club because the decibel levels are ridiculous loud. Especially indoor!

 

Well shit you better tell that to the thousands of people who have recovered from it after a few months then.
No Tinnitus isn't permanent after 3 days.
Tinnitus is considered chronic only after 6-12 months.

 

I understand the question but what it the point....you either have it or you do not.
If somebody says it's not permanent within 10 years or 10 hours you keep having hope...but would you give up hope after 10 years or 10 hours.....because after that timeframe it is so called permanent.
I have it 1.5 years now...still hoping

 

I don't think there is a time frame for when tinnitus becomes permanent. I think it is more that it is either permanent or it isn't to start with. What it comes down to really is when we finally accept to ourselves that it isn't going away.

 

You need hope to cope.... so perhaps that is why we want to hang a timeframe on it....but you either have it or you do not. How can they say it is permanent or not, if nobody knows how to treat it yet. It screaming in de wind and the ones who hear you might believe you and pass it on. But you cannot hang a timeframe on it.....just my opinion

 

Hi, y'all. Loooong time no jump in (though I do lurk from time to time). I'm on my second round of T, the first one occurred almost a dozen years ago and disappeared in about 8 or 9 months... this second burst has lasted going on a few years now. Did the whole doctor thing. Even got an MRI (thanks to migraines). At the very LEAST I now have photographic proof that I DO have a brain (grin) but nothing else showed up that could be connected to T.

It HAS improved some... I have good days, REALLY GOOD DAYS, and totally lousy days. Oddly, my worst days are Mondays through Wednesdays - the first days I'm back at work. It starts to simmer down towards the weekend, and **usually** my weekends are fairly quiet - once in a while it goes crazy on the weekends for no real discernible reason, just 'cause it wants to. This is down from when it first started where EVERY DAY was miserable. Once in a blue moon I get a day where it's gone for several hours. Why? Who knows? I'll take it.

I can identify with all of those who are still in panic mode. I felt like suicide when mine started up again too. On the days when mine is flaring up I still get a bit edgy and irritable, and I take melatonin tablets to help me sleep (or the occasional Elavil since I get migraines now and again too - Elavil knocks me OUT for the night). The better sleep I get, on average the better day I'll have noise-wise the next morning. Mostly.

Do I still hope it'll go away completely? I'd be lying if I said anything other than "damn straight". But I'm coping much, much better than I did. Overall, things are doing well; maybe because I do get intermittent relief, it's easier to tolerate the nasty days. I dunno. But as to the original post - sometimes it DOES go away, even after months and years. Sometimes it doesn't. The goal is to get used to life either way, I guess.

 

I took the same anti biotic, went to a gig and got tinnitis. Not sure if was the gig or the medication!

 

I'm in my 16th month of moderate to severe tinnitus--it cycles from very loud to low--and habituating. Like most of us, I wondered when it would be considered "chronic" and despaired as 6 months, then a year passed. Funny thing happened though, I learned to live with it--it took some work but it did happen. I still hear my tinnitus most of the time but more and more I forget about it. When I do hear it, I don't care. Most days, I don't even bother with masking anymore unless it's at its worst. It just takes time--and time takes time. If you don't find yourself getting less stressed about T over some time, then look into CBT or TRT. Read some of my old posts or any member here when they started and it's all the same--onset is horrific--then we get help and support, and then learn how to manage T. No, my life is not perfect--I have tinnitus but I am once again living my life and not worrying if my tinnitus will be upset by what I do. Tinnitus is, as @Dr. Nagler says, very unpredictable. You never know how it will be the next day. The thing we need to learn is to not to fear the next day, not to fear your tinnitus, not to let it dictate your life. I am a construction project administrator. I drive a diesel truck and I ride a motorcycle. I have my life back... but I had to stop trying to find the cause or cure or worrying about if it was 'chronic'. I had to accept that I have tinnitus. It's hard-- no one says it's not--but it is doable.

 

Just wondering, any suggestions

 

Hi Alex, hard to say, there still so much researchers don't know about T. There is no known cure, also a lot of differing views on what even causes it. However, with some people it just goes away.

 

@gary mine started when I was sick. I been thinking is it cause my tubes in my ears are blocked because every time I swallow my ears make a popping noise and I searched that up and it said was a symptom of blocked tubes that cause tinnitus also. I don't know what you think? Thanks sir

 

I say 3 weeks. Highest chances before, and a reasonable chance within one year, and almost 0 after 1 year.

 

Hi Alex, First thing I would do is see an ENT and explain everything to him and you're recent sickness. I may be something simple he can help you with...

 

After how long is T considered permanent?

 

I don't think pemenet would be a way to describe it chronic more so and I think I read somewhere after 6 months or so..I'm not sure I could be mistaken.