25-Year Tinnitus Anniversary and I'm Spiking Again After Attending a Concert

Last month, it was 25 years ago since my tinnitus started for real (not counting the very mild version three years before that). That also means it's been part of me for almost half my life. (I'm 51 in August).

The first months 25 years ago (after the first week of ignorance) were hell, but then I could live with this. Life came back and didn't change very much at all. I often went to nightclubs during the first five years, always using my custom-made molded earplugs, and I was fine. My tinnitus never worsened despite the probable very high music volume.

Since then, I've had a few episodes when I've believed that it's gotten worse, and maybe during all this time, it has gotten slightly worse, but even though some of those "spikes" have knocked me to the ground, so to speak, I've always managed to make it through and the spike eventually fading away.

I have an old thread here that I go to look at when this happens, and I always come to the same conclusion. My spikes are always the same. Most likely, it is triggered by what tinnitus feeds on most: worry and being thought of.

I'm spiking as we speak since I decided to break my own vow for the second time in almost 20 years and go to a concert two weeks ago today. I used earplugs and measured the sound (with my phone, which was not 100% reliable) to around 90 dB. That ought to mean my ears were exposed to around 65-70 dB, which shouldn't be a problem, and afterward, my ears felt fine but tired from the earplugs, which they always do when I've used them longer than a few minutes.

Now, however, it's behaving like all other spikes. And even though I do worry, I'm not breaking (yet), but it is very annoying. The sound doesn't seem to have increased much, if at all (when I isolate it), but still, I'm aware of it much more, and it feels as if it's louder when I'm not isolating it. Subconsciously, I must be wondering if it was stupid of me to go, and so on, because besides that, I can't really see a reason for this. I know that it's almost only thinking of it that triggers it.

I don't know why I started writing this, but I just wanted to vent. Also, it felt a little stupid writing in the other six-year-old thread, so I write here to remind myself in the future that this spike will fade eventually like all my future ones (I hope).

Take care of everyone with tinnitus, especially those who just got it. Even though it can feel like the end of the world, you will most likely habituate and get used to it so that it hardly bothers you.

 

Hi Sven.

The same thing happened to me. 21 years ago, I had my first sudden hearing loss with permanent hearing damage, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. It took an eternity before I could live somewhat normally and carefree again.

In the last five years, I have dared to attend a few concerts again, using maximum noise-canceling hearing protection. Initially, I had no problems, but twice, it was a nightmare afterward.

Once, something changed in my left middle ear, and it felt like water was in my ear canal. Another time, my hearing felt extremely stressed with loud tinnitus and seemingly muffled hearing. I had no explanation, as I had protected myself well. Eventually, it got better again.

Now, last week, I went to a concert for a relatively short time and was well-protected again. I got a strange hearing sensation afterward, very high tinnitus, and an odd hearing impression. I also felt pressure on the left side again and felt the Eustachian tube was blocked.

I went to the ear doctor, who could only detect a slight irritation of the mucous membranes, but I think the ear was somehow overwhelmed. It annoys me endlessly, and I will probably never go to a concert again, no more experimenting. I had already told myself that before. How stupid of me.

I hope for a miracle again and wish you a speedy recovery.

 

Hi @tomytl, I hope you recover once more and that you stay away from concerts in the future. Like I said, I'd promised myself that but have broken it twice. Now, it won't happen again because the risk and the anxiety aren't worth it.

I also feel a sensation in my left ear (as I have every time before this time) as if something needs to be removed with a pincer, but I have no problem hearing. I feel a slight increase in my sensitivity towards certain types of sounds (glass sounds, for example, high treble), but that is something I recognize from previous spikes and from when my tinnitus was new.

I'm still battling this spike, and it goes mostly well. I have good hope it's not permanent, but the smallest thought of it being permanent triggers something. :/

 

Hi Sven,

Exactly. Just the thought that it might stay this way or how unnecessarily this all came about makes you feel even worse and more panicked. I had a hearing test just last year, and compared to the hearing loss 20 years ago, everything was more or less the same. (Of course, not everything is measured.) My only consolation now is that the other spikes I had to endure back then didn't significantly further damage the inner ear.

I think the pressure in my ear comes from the tensor tympani, which goes into a state of high panic at a concert. Unless the inner ear can also create such a feeling, therefore, I now want to accept that concert visits are really no longer worth it and that I will give them up from now on, as they're too uncertain and troublesome, and most of the stuff today is playback anyway.

So we can only hope that the situation will normalize soon.

 

The problem we all face with hearing issues, hyperacusis, and tinnitus is that it's nearly impossible to go through life without experiencing spikes. Sooner or later, a bus brakes suddenly, someone throws metal into a dumpster nearby, some idiot sets off a firecracker for no reason, or we misjudge a situation. Eventually, dumb things happen again.

I had a long period of peace, but then there were times when it happened more frequently. The whole process felt like starting from scratch each time, and I never knew what to expect. I should be doing a lot of creative work right now, but unfortunately, the tinnitus spike and the unpleasant hearing impression overwhelm everything. I'm entirely disillusioned again, especially since there's been no progress in treatment. There's been some advancement in research, but it's still far away or unavailable.

So, time is once again a crucial factor... I still remember the visions from the pharmaceutical side in 2005, when they said we'd have solutions in 10 years. Well, hope dies last, and I hope that someday I'll get something injected that will reduce the suffering a bit...

Today, the pressure is less, but the louder the tinnitus, the greater the frustration...

 

I'm sorry for you, and I hope you feel better soon.

I've completely given up on there ever being a cure in my lifetime. I just hope that everyone suffering finds a way to cope and habituate to the sound.

 

It's still noisier in my left ear, but I only react negatively to it at night when trying to (go back to) sleep. I can't say whether this is mental or an actual increase.

 

Why? Do you disagree with Auricle's two clinical trials? Do you think the middle-ear implants will fail? Do you think the brain implants will fail?

 

I must confess that I've not followed the research very much over the last five or so years, so I can't comment on the specific research projects. However, developing cures is a very slow process, and there's been no sign of any significant progress in the last 25 years since my tinnitus started for real.

I'd be happy if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, they still can't say for sure what causes tinnitus.

 

Research in hearing and the inner ear, including auditory processing, has made significant strides. Several projects are currently in clinical trials, with more set to begin soon. However, no effective and causal treatment is available on the market for tinnitus, hyperacusis, or inner ear damage.

If one were still 25, there might be hope of eventually living a relatively symptom-free life thanks to medical treatments. But as you mentioned, it doesn't look promising in the near future. An already existing product would have to help off-label to avoid the long wait for a new treatment to be approved.

Perhaps miraculous AI or some other wonder will come to our aid; otherwise, all we have left is time and adaptation.

 

Can I ask a question? How do we remain optimistic about these middle-ear implants and Auricle (I have never heard about brain implants) when things like Lenire & OTO-313 were hyped up and both were failures? The only thing about the middle-ear implants I am going by is that this has been taken from the science of cochlear Implants, which have already been known to suppress tinnitus.

 

It's illogical to think that past failures are a sign of future failures.

 

Yes, failure is inevitable along the way and a part of serious research. That, however, doesn't change my belief that a cure won't be available in my lifetime.

 

We will get a good idea once the results of Phase 1 of Matthew Carlson and Hamid Djalilian's clinical trials are in. The preclinical data looked good just using electric probes. Auricle was effective for about 50% of participants in two human clinical trials.

I'm not sure where you get your beliefs from. Past failures? I understand the notion.

 

Experience.

A good start would be to be certain what causes tinnitus. Is it the brain or the ears?

Devices to help cope aren't a cure.

 

Can I ask if you have read the studies? The research showed hyperactivity in the fusiform cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus. A long-time member here, @linearb, was actually in the first clinical trial, way back. He reported a definite positive effect.

I can't really understand where you are coming from.

 

ME implants and Auricle are not intended to be coping mechanisms. Very few conditions have cures, but effective treatments can either reduce or eliminate symptoms. My dry eye is not curable but I have virtually zero symptoms due to wearing scleral lenses for a couple years (still wear them for vision). I went from debilitating eye pain and burning to nothing with an effective treatment. In regards to your brain or ear question , in my opinion it’s both. I find it very intriguing how cochlear implant patients can have reduced tinnitus and their brains were never zapped, but their ears are being electronically stimulated. If my tinnitus went down in intensity and volume to the point where it was barely noticeable, then I would consider myself cured.

 

Like I said before, I haven't read about tinnitus research in the last few years. After 25 years with almost no progress and still not knowing the exact cause of tinnitus, I have no hope of a cure. If you feel different, good for you, but I've been around this shit for so long that I've given up. I will, however, try reading a bit about the studies you mentioned tomorrow. Maybe that changes my mind a bit.

Even if there is progress, it's always a long way from clinical trials to a working product. Also, we all have different causes, so I'm guessing the cures also will be different.

Low expectations are better than high ones, anyway. Of course, I'd gladly be wrong.

@MiaVIL, I agree. If something could make me somewhat experience silence again, cured or not, I'd be happy. However, I don't consider it good enough if I have to wear something or use a device every day. Then again, I'm sure many people have worse tinnitus or more difficulties coping than I have, and they may see it differently.

EDIT: I now read some things about Auricle (I realized I had read about it before), and even if it does say that people have experienced improvements, it's not directed at people with tinnitus caused by loud sounds. @linearb (?) doesn't answer the question about what caused his/her tinnitus, but I'm guessing that wasn't from loud sounds either.

It would be interesting to see a similar clinical trial aimed at people with my kind of tinnitus. I wonder why they didn't do one of those, too.

 

Wrong.

Read the Q&A. It works for noise-induced tinnitus as well.

 

OK, thanks. That's not what the article I found and read said, but it's good.

 

A brief update:

The feeling in my hearing, including the dynamics, seems to be gradually stabilizing. The tinnitus is less noticeable as a tension and more like a high-pitched ringing, which now sounds more like a hissing noise. The pressure and constant tension have largely subsided, but there's still intermittent pressure on the left side (which feels more like a middle ear issue).

 

You're moving in the right direction, and I recognize parts of what you describe. I hope you're rid of the spike within a few weeks.

 

Thank you, Sven. I hope yours will go away, too. It's a mystery how it clears up every time. (It's the same mystery how it comes.) It's hard to describe.

Now, I have to clear up the situation with the pressure, which feels more like a middle ear issue and was there before the concert. I had a CT for that last week, and I am waiting for the results.

 

A brief update:

During the day, the hearing dynamic was much better, as described above.

Now, after watching a TV series, both ears feel more pressure, are less dynamic, and more sensitive to treble sounds.

I guess hyperacusis is causing this weird sensation. Let's see what tomorrow morning brings.

 

An update:

Unfortunately, my tinnitus has worsened, and now I'm experiencing some sensitivity to sounds as well. For instance, I find my own voice rather unpleasant. Sometimes, I even flinch when there's a sudden click in a quiet room; it creates a "click-woooh" sound, like a deep wave, which startles me. It feels like my hearing has become overly sensitive.

Has anyone else experienced this? How long did it take for your tinnitus to become less intense and the pressure to ease up?

Thanks.

 

I'm sad to hear that. It's nothing I've ever had.

I think you should ask that question in a thread of its own. I think the chances are higher to get a good reply there.

I hope it recedes soon!

 

I haven't posted on Tinnitus Talk in a long time, but I found it curious that your experiences are similar to mine. I recently made the unfortunate decision to attend a one-day music event, and despite all the self-care and precautions I took, I noticed changes in my left ear. Interestingly, these symptoms didn't appear immediately but a few days later, including pressure, intense tinnitus, and occasional dizziness.

It's been 20 days since the event, and only in the last 2 or 3 days have I started feeling like I'm returning to what could be considered "normal." I believe it's due to internal inflammation in the inner ear, which seems to take a considerable amount of time to heal.

Here's how I've been managing these symptoms:

• I try to sleep as much as possible in a quiet environment.
• I avoid confusion, noise, and stress at work, and I isolate myself at home as much as possible.
• I eat as healthily as possible in small portions, particularly avoiding alcohol and sugary foods/desserts.
• I drink plenty of water with natural lemon drops and ginger slices (natural antioxidants) between meals.

I hope everything settles down soon for all of us!

Cheers!

 

Thanks, Ricardo, for sharing your update.

It's good to hear that you're on the road to recovery. Keep up the progress, but be careful.

What you're experiencing is indeed very unusual. I believe that even with strong noise-canceling ear protection, the occlusion effect might overstress the inner ear with low frequencies. However, I’m not sure what exactly happens—whether it's inflammation, swelling, or something else in the inner ear.

I've been through a similar situation 3-4 times over the last 20 years. The most recent instance was at a DJ event. Afterward, I removed the ear protection, and for about two weeks, I experienced a strange sensation—more like pressure disturbances, similar to Eustachian tube dysfunction. About 10 days later, I noticed a spike in tinnitus. It wasn't a defined tone but rather a very high-frequency noise, almost like tension over the eardrum. Since yesterday, there's been an occasional tonal tinnitus sound, as if the ear is trying to retune itself.

I can also imagine that the muscles or nerves in the ear are still tense and on high alert.

Another possibility is that something has been damaged again, but honestly, I don't even want to think about that.

The inner ear is so delicate that I now strongly recommend avoiding concerts or festivals, even with professional ear protection—it's just not worth the potential aftermath and the torment that follows.

I've always been advised to live normally (with protection, of course), but it's clearly not that simple.

Thanks for your answer. How are you doing?

 

I had a crazy spike after COVID-19 a couple of years ago. This was after 20 years of being habituated to tinnitus, with a few less severe, temporary spikes.

It cleared up and went back to baseline after 9 or 10 months. Currently recovering from a second COVID-19 infection, I have a slight spike, probably mainly due to my sinus's being blocked. If it is a longer spike, I'm confident it'll go away again. I'm just ignoring it.

I'm a musician who uses earplugs at anything louder than around 65 dB ish. I'm mainly an at-home studio player nowadays, but should I be exposed to drummers, I use earplugs. I have never had any issues.

Maybe experiment with earplugs that block more sound next time? There are a few fancy, expensive ones around, but I've used Moldex SparkPlugs successfully.

 

Here's a quick update:

Yesterday, for the first time, I noticed a distinct crackling sound in my eardrum when I moved my jaw up and down. It sounded as though something was bubbling beneath the eardrum. In response, I did a saline nasal rinse, used a few sprays of decongestant nasal spray, and applied ointment to both nostrils. After that, I inhaled some essential oils and took half a benzodiazepine to help me sleep.

This morning, the pressure and additional hearing loss were gone, and I can no longer provoke the crackling sound. The tinnitus is still loud, but I'm hopeful it will decrease now that the ventilation seems to be improving.

This has been such a persistent issue—I really hope this progress continues.

Interestingly, two ENT specialists didn't find anything concerning and were skeptical about the pressure problem. Nothing showed up on the CT scan either.

I suspect that using completely sealed silicone earplugs may have disturbed the pressure balance, possibly causing some mucus to shift around in the Eustachian tubes. This, combined with the irritation from hyperacusis, likely made it difficult to handle the bass and the occlusion effect.