Would an Increase in Tinnitus Be Obvious?

Thank you so much Dr. Nagler for the help you've given me. I'm hoping I can get your insight on something.

I've had tinnitus for over 15 years from noise exposure (started after a concert in '04). I believe I've experienced habituation at various levels during this time. I've had periods of time where it wasn't a problem and other times where I've struggled (even after 15 years).

About a month ago I was hit with a vertigo episode that was pretty alarming. I ended up in the ER and was given an MRI. Of course I wore foam ear plugs but it was still so loud that I fear my tinnitus has been worsened permanently. Since then I've had some terribly loud days (where I was certain its worse permanently) but also some days where my tinnitus was pretty low (where I felt that I was fine and did not damage my ears worse). On the tough days I wonder if the plugs were enough protection, or if they were not seated in my ears well enough after the MRI operator stuffed the pillows around my head. On the quiet days I reassure myself that all will be ok and to move on and stop sweating it. I did have my hearing checked today (I was due) and have not lost any hearing since my last hearing test in 2018. The same high frequency loss as before, no need for hearing aids.

Dr. Nagler, I'm not sure if you can answer this question or not, but if my hearing was further damaged and my tinnitus was permanently worsened would I have these quiet "good" days? Would it not be more obvious that I've experienced a tinnitus increase? After all these years I feel like I should not be this distressed but this event has really knocked me back. I've been reminding myself that I had good and bad tinnitus days prior to this MRI and I'm stressing myself out needlessly.

Thank you again Dr. Nagler and I wish you a great 2020 sir.

 

Hi @Cubsfan. I love your nick. Went to medical school in Chicago in the early 70s and spent many an afternoon in the bleachers at Wrigley. Yea, a couple of times I even cut a class to go and got the notes from a classmate! After all, we're talking here about the Cubs!!!

So to your question ...

It is highly unlikely that you suffered any auditory damage from the MRI. You were wearing plugs, and the only reason you wonder whether or not they were properly seated in your ears is because you have had some louder than normal tinnitus days. But the loudness of tinnitus does not correlate well at all with the degree of auditory damage. And, besides, your audiogram is unchanged, which means that even if you did lose a few hair cells (which I have already said is unlikely) it wasn't enough to make an appreciable difference in your hearing.

So why are you having some louder than normal tinnitus days? There could be any number of reasons that might or might not be related to the MRI, but the fact you are indeed having a number of "quiet 'good' days" as well tells me that in all probability over time things should settle back down to the way they were before your MRI.

All the best with it. And GO CUBBIES.

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.