7 weeks in..

[Tiffany Billinghurst.]

Hi there guys,

I'm a 19 year old female new to tinnitus.

So, It all began when I went to a club for a hens night about 7 weeks ago. I don't recall standing extremely close to the speakers, but I'm assuming I was standing close enough for the speakers to damage my ears. I didn't notice it until the next night, which I find quite odd, and when I did I was in panic! It was louder than me TV. I couldn't sleep properly, as I'm sure all of you experianced! it stayed loud for a few days, then by the start of the next week it was completely gone. I was extatic. But, then a few days later I had a few wines and I woke up during the night with ringing in my ears. I instantly started to cry, my boyfriend new to put calming music on to mask the noise.

Now, it's been 7 weeks and about 3 weeks ago it started fluctuating. I'd have high days, and low days. Lately it's been more lower days. But I went to a pub 4 nights ago and the music was quite low, the talking was probably louder than the music and that was outside. But I didn't struggle to hear the people I was talking too. I was worried that might have damaged my ears, but a part of me is saying that it probably wouldn't have. The noise was low for the next day, until I had a shower (Hot showers spike my T) I had a really long hot steaming shower and since then my T has been higher! I'm forever looking for answers and researching so many facts about tinnitus! Does anyone else have fluctuations, advice about the pub trip and if it damaged my ears?

I keep telling myself to hang in there, and with the amazing support from my boyfriend it really helps! my father wants me to go to an ENT specialist but I don't really think they will do much.

Anyway! that's me. Replies would be quite lovely!

Hang in there guys.

 

[Lord of the Ring]

Well, an ENT will at the very least test your hearing to see if there is any loss, so I would kinda do that.
Strange that hot steaming showers make your tinnitus spike, I have the reverse.
The bottomline actually is: 10 people have 11 different types of tinnitus.
Is the tinnitus worse in the morning?

 

[Tiffany Billinghurst.]

No, sometimes I wake up and it's very low. But since it's been high, I wake up with it bad.
What are your thoughts about spending time at the pub and ear damage?

 

[Markku]

But I didn't struggle to hear the people I was talking too. I was worried that might have damaged my ears, but a part of me is saying that it probably wouldn't have.

Likely the pub didn't cause any damage. It's a good indicator of acceptable loudness when you can still converse without raising your voice very much.

Interesting the connection with the hot shower though. Hot showers do cause the dilation of the blood vessels, so maybe that's somehow causing a temporary spike.

And seeing an ENT wouldn't hurt. Indeed, have your hearing at least checked out (frequencies higher than 8kHz too if your ringing is above 8kHz).

Welcome to the forums, Tiffany!

 

[mick]

I think it is worthwhile seeing an ENT even though more than likely all he will do is look in your ears, ask you a few questions about what happened, and schedule a hearing test. For the hearing test, like Markku suggested, I would ask for one that goes up to 15 kHz. He may or may not be able to provide that, and if insurance or social medicine is picking up the bill, it may not be covered. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask. If you don't get a high freq test, then more than likely the test will come back saying your hearing is normal. The most likely scenario though is that you've had a hearing loss in the upper frequencies which frankly you would probably not even notice if it were not for the tinnitus. But finding out the cause of your T and being assured that there is nothing more serious going on is usually somewhat of a stress reliever. Those are the benefits of seeing an ENT.

You seem to coping okay and that is a good thing. I suggest getting yourself a set of musician's ear plugs and use them if your concerned that spending time in the pub is damaging your hearing. Use the plugs anytime you're in high noise environment, but don't over do it. Like Markku indicated, if you don't have to strain to carry on a conversation, then the environment is probably not loud enough to cause any hearing damage. Save wearing the plugs for those times when the volume is considerably louder than normal conversation. Wearing them when you really don't need them can actually aggravate T and contribute to hypercusis.

I beleive there are quite a few people on this forum for whom their T volume flucuates, so I would say flucuating intensity is not at all unusual. The flucuations will probably diminish over time.

Here's hoping you continue to cope well, and the T volume diminishes.

 

[Job]

My T fluctuates. For example, when I'm in my car, the T in my left ear will sound off every now and then for less than a second. It's almost as if I'm drowning out the T with the car sounds, but the T keeps popping its head up, refusing to drown. Then I turn on the music (at as low a volume as possible) and ignore it. Same thing with an air conditioner. So, what I do at home: play white noise and crickets at the same time. So far this works on klonopin ... we'll see how well it works when I get off it.

I am optimistic that my T will settle to some level to make habituation easier, but we'll see. Right now I still have some ear pain, and I'm guessing that's part of the reason why the T is fluctuating; I think my ear overall is just fatigued from the acoustic injury. In either case, I'm optimistic it will be a non-issue a year from now. However, even being optimistic, I still get down sometimes. The trick is to keep getting back up! I'll be eating these words once I start trying to wean myself off klonopin.

With regard to a hearing test, I cannot hear any tone above 14 kHz; if I can, I would imagine the volume has to be turned wayyyyyy up, and I'm not too eager to find out if I can hear above 14kHz and then risk doing even more damage to my sensitive ears. Personally I would think a test up to 12 kHz would be enough; if your tinnitus is above 13 kHz, and you can't even hear above 13 kHz ....

BUT, because you're only 19, you might be able to hear beyond 15 kHz. If you have some high quality headphones (I would imagine some Sony Studio Monitors would do the trick ... very cheap for professional headphones), you might do your own test using a sound generator that you can download from the internet and then figure out your upper limit, and use that to inform what kind of hearing test you should go for. If you do decide to go this route, remember to keep the volume low and do it in a quiet room. Is this a good idea, guys?