‘Wait and Watch’, My Doctor Said... Haha.

[GingerMic]

Hi,

I've had the ringing now for 6 weeks. It's been a memorable one!

It started with a project at work. It involved working in a basement. It was amazing, there were so many rooms and corridors and I got lost a few times.

We needed to get through a floor, the structural soils guys needed to figure out where the foundations where. My job was to make sure they didn't Discover any archaeology. Or stop them and record it if they did more like!

Anyway, they had to use an electric circular saw. I didn't have ear protection. You can guess what happened. It only lasted 10-15 minutes max and it was cool to watch.

I regret not wearing earplugs, it was my fault for not thinking! I should have just walked outside for that part!

I wear ear defenders now, anytime I am in close proximity to JCBs/diggers/power tools etc. Even if it's at the other end of the field!

Earplugs for normal life loud noise exposure.

Still hopeful it's not permanent. I can sleep well if I have white noise (brown noise is better) on my phone. Apps are amazing!

Could it still go away you reckon?

The cochlear hair cells aren't a fan of growing back I hear... oh dear...

 

[GregCA]

Could it still go away you reckon?

Yup. Good chance it'll go away on its own.

 

[GingerMic]

Just have to 'wait and listen' I guess.

Thanks for replying. Means a lot

 

[winstona]

Many forum members have reported that their tinnitus slowly faded away to a level where they would only notice it when they are in a quiet room. It's still early for you so it can potentially happen. Like mine, although it does not go away completely, it has evolved to a point where I can have a normal life.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Were other men in the basement wearing headphones?
How old are you?
Show your audiogram result?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Could it still go away you reckon?

Yes, but try not to be close to power tools, even if you wear some ear protection (as it can provide a false sense of security).

 

[Bill Bauer]

Regarding your question - if someone's T ends up getting to the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage, would you still consider that to be permanent?

 

[GingerMic]

Out of the 3 other lads, one had ear defenders. And put them on eventually.

I am 29. Haven't had an audio gram but judging by a quick search on google, I,d say it's less than 10db as bird noise drowns the tinnitus out

 

[Contrast]

Based on what people on this forum report, including myself. Tinnitus usually gets much better as in lowering to only being able to hear it in a quiet room setting. But it may never go away entirely. However it still could. But keep in mind if you abuse your hearing again it could also get worse.

 

[Contrast]

Also may I ask, along with tinnitus and obviously some loss of hearing.

Do you experience the following problems?

1: Noises sounding abnormally loud or way too loud
2: Noise induced pain/chronic ear pain or even discomfort from sound
3: Jaw aches, facial numbness, tooth aches post onset of loud noise trauma, or pain that mimics TMJ
4: Sensations of blocked full ears
5: What appears to be twitching and muscle spasms in the middle ear

These are abnormalities that go along with hearing damage that some people experience. I believe they are usually uncommon and may be un/under reported by people who suffer from them.

 

[GingerMic]

I experience the ear fullness.
I am at a wedding at the moment. It is a marque and isn't too loud but when the DJ comes on I will be applying the earplugs.

Unfortunately they are bright yellow and orange but....it's better than listening to a higher pitch sound for the rest of my life!

 

[Bill Bauer]

I am at a wedding at the moment.

Don't be surprised if your T gets worse (possibly permanetly).

 

[Bill Bauer]

It is a marque and isn't too loud but when the DJ comes on I will be applying the earplugs.

Oh go you'll be fine they said. Wear earplugs they said.

So I went to the event with ear plugs. Was there for only a few minutes. Big mistake. Gave me low drone/hum that's worst than the high pitch hiss/eeeee, tea kettle sounds. Never went away. sigh
3 1/2 years ago.

Everyone is different. Every situation is different.
You have to make a decision and live with it.

 

[GingerMic]

Everyone is different. Every situation is different. You have to make a decision and live with it.

Thank you for your advice warning Bill. Thankfully the event is outside and not too loud

 

[JohnFox]

It started with a project at work.

Sorry you got blasted. Just a note here, and I don't know what state you work in, but in the state I worked in they have State workman's compensation for on the job injuries. Hearing loss is just as much an on the job injury as losing a finger or whatever. I strongly advise that you fill out an accident report so it is recorded. In my state, you cannot sue the company you work for for these types of injuries, but you can receive monetary benefits for permanent injuries. We got hearing tested every year at work (do you?), and at the end of our career we got one last test, and if there was shown hearing loss over the years, you were monetarily compensated. If your company does not provide yearly hearing tests, then it is up to you to go to your ENT and let him/her know that you suffered hearing damage and get it all on record. Do this soon.

 

[MattS]

@Contrast:

1. YES!
2. YES!
3. YES!
4. YES!
5. YES!

You said you think these are "uncommon", but "under-reported" symptoms. Was one of these a typo? Cause these seem somewhat contradictory...?

Regardless: anyone else have these symptoms? Do they last? Go away? Mean something?

 

[Contrast]

@Contrast:

1. YES!
2. YES!
3. YES!
4. YES!
5. YES!

You said you think these are "uncommon", but "under-reported" symptoms. Was one of these a typo? Cause these seem somewhat contradictory...?

Regardless: anyone else have these symptoms? Do they last? Go away? Mean something?

I'm trying to figure the same thing out.. I wish we had statistics on how many people with noise induced tinnitus also have these other problems or how well people recover. The more these problems get documented with medical professionals the better information we will have.

Sorry for contradicting myself, I really don't know if they are uncommon or undereported, I just ask people the question a lot and every now and then I find someone dealing with similar problems that I had.

My ear pain and muscle spasms are gone, but I still have tinnitus, facial numbness and ocassional aches from sound and the hearing in my right ear is clearly not as good as sharp as it was pre-trauma.

 

[MattS]

@Contrast

My pain/spasms seem to be subsiding too. I still get some numbness/tingling at times, but not as badly. Interestingly I've experienced this before, in other parts of my body, during other experiences of stress/insult/injury. I believe this is primarily a stress response, manifested physiologically.

The T and H are still there (both vary in intensity, seemingly minute to minute). And I also have significant aural fullness. As several doctors say there is no fluid or swelling, I can only assume that it's muscular.

Those are my theories, anyway.

 

[Contrast]

@Contrast

My pain/spasms seem to be subsiding too. I still get some numbness/tingling at times, but not as badly. Interestingly I've experienced this before, in other parts of my body, during other experiences of stress/insult/injury. I believe this is primarily a stress response, manifested physiologically.

The T and H are still there (both vary in intensity, seemingly minute to minute). And I also have significant aural fullness. As several doctors say there is no fluid or swelling, I can only assume that it's muscular.

Those are my theories, anyway.

Your ear was physically damaged by loud noise and you blame stress?

 

[MattS]

If you're trying to be snarky, and suggest that I'm denying the "true cause" of my tinnitus, you needn't worry. I'm well aware of the physical effects I've caused myself, and have no denial over my circumstances or their cause.

That said, not every symptom needs to have the exact same physiological etiology. Some occur because of the damaged hair cells; some occur because of the secondary inflammation that results; and yes - some likely occurs as a physiological manifestation of stress. Certainly few in this forum would deny the wicked effects that stress can have on their tinnitus.

So yeah, I think that the numbness/tingling that I was experiencing, which was patchy and transient, and experienced in areas within close and distant proximity to my ears, was a secondary physiological stress response. That doesn't minimize it; it simply tries to understand it.

The T and H are obviously due to damages hair cells, and to a permanent (or long-term, at least) shift in the sensitivity of the auditory nerve pathways.

The aural fullness *may* also be a nerve-related sensation, may be the feeling that occurs when the equivalent of scabbing/scar tissue develops within the ear canal; or may be due to muscular spasming in/around the ear canal. My guess is that it's muscular, in which case methods of relieving the spasms - e.g. self-massage - may be effective. If I'm wrong, then massage/release may be less effective.

Does any of that mean that I'm in denial over the noise-induced exposure? Hardly. (But thanks anyway for making sure you drilled that point home for me). Rather, I'm trying to better understand the various symptoms. If I could just ask a doctor, I would. But as many in this forum are aware, doctors have little knowledge of these secondary symptoms (to put it mildly). And so learning your own symptoms, and their individual etiologies, is the only way to get answers to questions like:

* What can I do to improve symptom A?
* Which symptoms are likely permanent, and which are likely to improve?
* If symptom B is receding, is that a good sign? Is it a sign that my T or H may also be resolving?

Personally, I'd like to have answers to these questions. And given how often they're asked on this forum, I anticipate others are looking for answers to these questions too. If that's not you, or if all of these details are too much for you to work through, then by all means stick with the more general "it was noise induced" explanation. Not sure how far that'll get ya though...

Cheers.
Matt

 

[Tara Lyons]

Hi,

I've had the ringing now for 6 weeks. It's been a memorable one!

It started with a project at work. It involved working in a basement. It was amazing, there were so many rooms and corridors and I got lost a few times.

We needed to get through a floor, the structural soils guys needed to figure out where the foundations where. My job was to make sure they didn't Discover any archaeology. Or stop them and record it if they did more like!

Anyway, they had to use an electric circular saw. I didn't have ear protection. You can guess what happened. It only lasted 10-15 minutes max and it was cool to watch.

I regret not wearing earplugs, it was my fault for not thinking! I should have just walked outside for that part!

I wear ear defenders now, anytime I am in close proximity to JCBs/diggers/power tools etc. Even if it's at the other end of the field!

Earplugs for normal life loud noise exposure.

Still hopeful it's not permanent. I can sleep well if I have white noise (brown noise is better) on my phone. Apps are amazing!

Could it still go away you reckon?

The cochlear hair cells aren't a fan of growing back I hear... oh dear...

Did it ever go away?

 

[GingerMic]

The tinnitus has not gone away but my negative reaction to it began to fade between the 8-12 month period.

Your T will either physically go away or Your body will develop coping mechanisms to help fight it.

You will improve.