Hi All,
I'm really struggling with a new case of tinnitus. The tinnitus started after a loud noise exposure during my first visit to an indoor gun range. Unfortunately, near the end of the session, my hearing protection slipped a bit on my right ear, and after two shots from an AK-47, I noticed a ringing. When I removed my hearing protection at the end of the session, I realized my hearing was very muffled in my right ear, and I completely freaked out. Thankfully, my hearing returned to normal after about an hour, but the ringing has persisted.
The next day, I had to fly home, which meant I had to deal with the noise right away. I used earbuds to try to protect my ears as much as possible. When I saw a GP, they said it would likely improve since it was a one-time event. However, it's now been over two weeks, and the ringing is still there. I've been using water sounds to mask it during the day, but it's driving me crazy.
I saw an ENT who did a hearing test (up to 8 kHz), and they found my hearing to be normal. I asked about steroids, but the ENT wasn't keen on prescribing them. When I inquired about the tinnitus, they seemed indifferent, simply crossing their fingers and saying they hoped it would go away.
This experience has been especially hard because I already struggle with anxiety and depression, and I lost my father earlier this year. It hasn't been an easy year, and this has pushed me over the edge. I've had to take time off work, and I just can't seem to focus on anything. It feels like a fuse has blown in my brain. At this point, I think I'll need to get signed off work entirely, as I feel like I'm spiraling down a black hole.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for here exactly... Reading posts on Tinnitus Talk and writing this out seem to be the only things giving me a small sense of control over the situation.
I'm really struggling with a new case of tinnitus. The tinnitus started after a loud noise exposure during my first visit to an indoor gun range. Unfortunately, near the end of the session, my hearing protection slipped a bit on my right ear, and after two shots from an AK-47, I noticed a ringing. When I removed my hearing protection at the end of the session, I realized my hearing was very muffled in my right ear, and I completely freaked out. Thankfully, my hearing returned to normal after about an hour, but the ringing has persisted.
The next day, I had to fly home, which meant I had to deal with the noise right away. I used earbuds to try to protect my ears as much as possible. When I saw a GP, they said it would likely improve since it was a one-time event. However, it's now been over two weeks, and the ringing is still there. I've been using water sounds to mask it during the day, but it's driving me crazy.
I saw an ENT who did a hearing test (up to 8 kHz), and they found my hearing to be normal. I asked about steroids, but the ENT wasn't keen on prescribing them. When I inquired about the tinnitus, they seemed indifferent, simply crossing their fingers and saying they hoped it would go away.
This experience has been especially hard because I already struggle with anxiety and depression, and I lost my father earlier this year. It hasn't been an easy year, and this has pushed me over the edge. I've had to take time off work, and I just can't seem to focus on anything. It feels like a fuse has blown in my brain. At this point, I think I'll need to get signed off work entirely, as I feel like I'm spiraling down a black hole.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for here exactly... Reading posts on Tinnitus Talk and writing this out seem to be the only things giving me a small sense of control over the situation.