22-Year-Old with Tinnitus

[JohnB]

Well, I've had tinnitus since for about 7-8 years, since I was 15 or so but it gradually got worse, in the last 3 years its worsened to the extent that I can hear it over everything unforuntelty. I went out to clubs, concerts etc without hearing protection while already having moderate tinnitus and now my tinnitus is always very loud. It's scary to think you will never hear silence again but at least I could go get a hearing aid or something, I might go try one out but I've always been reluctant since im so young.

I'm pretty sure I developed it using headphones and going to gigs when I was younger and worsened it by going out and continuing to use headphones. I am very rundown with it. I always suffer from chronic nasal congestion so im hoping if I fix that it might ease off somewhat. Both my ears always feel congested too, might be to do with sinus or its just hearing loss I guess.

I use hearing protection now but if it continues to worsen I don't know how I'll deal with it. I have ny sound oasis full blast at night and can hear my T clearly over it. Bleh. If you have just developed T, don't do what I did.

 

[Hunszi]

Your story is just like mine...got T when I was 17, it was so mild that I didn`t cared so I kept going to parties and concerts. 8 years just passed with parties etc. now I`m doomed...I can hear it all the time. Nobody told me it can be worse.

 

[JohnB]

Its rough for sure Hunszi. I am suffering very much. At least we are not alone. I hope you find peace in your soul. I have been searching for it myself.

 

[Hunszi]

Actually I don`t know if I every find peace again...because I was such a fool. If somebody tell me once, just once that T can get worse, I could be somewhere far from here and from this situation. The mild T was a warning for me just I interpreted that in an "I don`t care" way.

 

[JohnB]

I know the feeling, I am in the same boat as you. Negligence caused me to get severe hearing issues essentially. We do need to try move on somehow, the road is long and it will be hard but its up to us to make it worth it I guess. I'm scared & depressed but I will try not let it beat me, I will try very hard. You should too. <3

 

[Fungus]

One thing is certain....you cannot change the past.
Another is true....you can change the future.

Whatever you did to create or aggravate tinnitus has happened, so, make sure that your ears get adequate noise protection from now on. Many of us did nothing more than catch infections or take prescribed drugs....but, no virtue in saying 'if only'

Even if your tinnitus is really loud, your brain will modify its reaction and you will get your lives back. Being anxious, asking over and over 'why me?' will make it seem worse and make it hard to live with. Try to accept that it is there, that it cannot harm you, and, with appropriate help (maybe anxiolytics, counselling, masking sounds etc.) and you will find that, even if it remains loud, it doesn't worry you and you have your life back.

I was a gibbering wreck for months before I finally 'habituated' after getting help....now there is nothing I don't do (apart from swim...ear tubes), even going to very loud events (plus appropriate ear plugs), cinemas, crowded pubs. etc.

Hang on in there...it WON'T beat you.

Fungus

 

[JohnB]

Glad you're doing better now. It just a horrible thing to get emotionally attached to because there is not really much that can be done.

Sometimes I have very bad moments and in other periods I'm quite fine, in terms of my mood and reaction to tinnitus. I agree with what you're saying. very much so. I think I probably need some professorial help as well, maybe some retraining therapy. I've been managing to put up without for the last years somewhat but recently its got me real down, hence why I ended up here. I'm a musician so I've been putting together my first EP and I find that its my sanctuary of silence. Music can clam the soul when sometimes nothing else can.

Thankyou for your reply, I really appreciate it.

 

[JohnB]

I am in a lot of discomfort tonight. Went to bed at 2am and now tinnitus has woken me up at 6am and I can't sleep. It's really got a lot worse recently, there was an accident in my studio a few weeks back and my speakers played very loud screeching noise and its made my tinnitus even worse and I've noticed im struggling to tell direction of sounds a bit. I know I have hearing loss now as well as moderetely severe tinnitus, got the whole "blocked ears" feeling which I think is just my ears straining a bit to hear sound and getting fatigued.

Quite down tonight/ recently and struggling to focus on finishing UNI, I have a hard time concentrating. I've got an a appointment with GP, going to get referred to specialst hopefully. If hearing aids will help I think it is time for them. Feels how weird how my tinnitus has worsened multiple times now. It's a long road now but I will keep walking it.