Behavior change of tinnitus post flight

[Lisa88]

Hi Dr. Nagler,
3 weeks ago, I took my first flight (10 hours) since onset of t, now 7 months ago. No real incidence on flight as used noise cancelling headphones, plus earplanes earplugs on descent.
Pre flight, I often used to wake up to pockets of silence before t set in for the day.
Now, every morning since the flight, I wake up to loud t, which may then fluctuate during the day.
Do you think the flight could have caused this extreme change of behavior?
I wonder if it is a temporary or permanent change?
Have you heard similar stories?
Thanks, Dr. Nagler.
Lisa

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Have you heard similar stories?

Hi @Lisa88 -

There are almost as many stories as there are people. Or at least at times it seems that way.

Regarding the change in your tinnitus, I tend to favor temporary rather than permanent. But either way, the flight is not the kind of thing you can "undo," right? I do not mean to make light of your situation, but that is the reality.

Here's another reality: The only predictable thing about tinnitus is its unpredictability. Folks spend an incredible amount of time trying to "figure out" their tinnitus. To what end? Frustration more often than not.

Dr. Stephen Nagler
[typing this response from the airport as I'm about to board a four-plus hour flight without noise-cancelling headphones or plugs]