Can Stress Have Permanently Made My Tinnitus Worse? Unable to Cope Anymore

[Thomas_83]

Hi,

Here's a bit of background on my situation: My tinnitus started after exposure to loud music in 2021. For the first six months, I was in a terrible place but managed to habituate, and eventually, I stopped noticing it. Since then, I've always protected my hearing.

Recently, I've been under a lot of stress at work, but I'll be starting a less stressful job in January 2025. During the stressful period, I didn't hear my tinnitus at all.

However, about two weeks ago, I started hearing it again and hoped it would go away. Now, after a week, it's gotten worse. My anxiety isn't as intense as it was in 2021, but the tinnitus is horrible. My wife and I went to Spain on Friday to take a break from the stress, hoping it might help, but the tinnitus seems to be worsening each day, and I can't sleep. The only thing that helps is sound masking from the pool.

My ears don't hurt, and I don't think I have hearing loss.

Is what I'm experiencing just a spike, or could the stress have caused a lasting worsening of my tinnitus? My tinnitus is around 13,000 Hz and has never changed in pitch or frequency.

 

[Pinhead]

Did you fly? It could've been the flight, or a change in something external. It could even be an allergy or a change in blood pressure. There are quite a few unknowns.

 

[Thomas_83]

It all started two weeks before the flight. The morning flight made it worse, and by evening, when I tried to sleep, it was noticeably more intense. I should also mention that my mind is so focused on sounds that I hear clicks in my ears every time I swallow or eat.

I'm trying to ignore it and live a normal life, just like I did in the years after the initial onset. But now, my mind is stuck in a low fight-or-flight mode, which keeps me stressed. Today, I'm starting the Back to Silence method to help manage the stress.

My biggest fear now is that previous stress might make my tinnitus worse and prevent it from returning to baseline.

Do you think it's okay to sit by the pool without ear protection since the ambient noise provides good masking?