Car Accident, Tinnitus and Post-Concussion Syndrome

[Deamon22]

Hello everyone, I have a question and need your opinion please=).

Until now I was mostly convinced that my tinnitus was caused by a cold last year. But I also had a car accident roughly a month prior (no airbags and no blow to the head or ear). Three days after the accident I developed whiplash symptoms and went to the ER. Around a week later I noticed some slight hyperacusis. No pain but a few thing sounded louder than normal and created discomfort. Since I did not know what it was I thought it was just anxiety or some form of whiplash. But then two weeks later my tinnitus started together with a cold.

Since then I always get a huge spike when I have a cold. Now, I was thinking, maybe I already had some very mild tinnitus and my cold made it just spike? Since I already had hyperacusis before the cold.

Also I remembered that eight years ago I already had a head trauma when I landed with my snowboard on the back of my head where I got a mild concussion and tinnitus for maybe one night.

Since then I had all the normal examinations and some physiotherapy. Is there anything I am missing or something I could do? I learned that post-concussion syndrome could take a long time to subside. What is your opinion on this?

 

[Deamon22]

Anyone?

 

[kmohoruk]

Hmmmit sounds like there could be an issue maybe with your neck and shoulder area from the whiplash? Do you find that when your shoulders are tight your T is more louder? If so, then maybe try doing some proactive neck and shoulder stretches .

I think I've seen people on here who have mentioned that a bad cold can make their T worse - so that's a pretty good reasoning in my books.

Regarding the concussion, that's a bit hard to say. Concussions are very case specific. Some people have one and have a lot of symptoms, while other people have one and are fine in a week. It sounds like like you maybe were in the second group if your T was only for a night.

 

[Drone Draper]

Definitely sounds like the car accident played a bigger role than you thought. Is your T low pitched?

 

[Deamon22]

Hmmmit sounds like there could be an issue maybe with your neck and shoulder area from the whiplash? Do you find that when your shoulders are tight your T is more louder? If so, then maybe try doing some proactive neck and shoulder stretches .

I think I've seen people on here who have mentioned that a bad cold can make their T worse - so that's a pretty good reasoning in my books.

Regarding the concussion, that's a bit hard to say. Concussions are very case specific. Some people have one and have a lot of symptoms, while other people have one and are fine in a week. It sounds like like you maybe were in the second group if your T was only for a night.

Thank you for your response. Could be that my shoulders are always a bit tight, I will definitely work on that. I do not think that my tinnitus is louder when I don't stretch enough, normally I get just spikes when I have a cold.

Yes the concussion from eight years ago basically resolved in a few days. This time after the whiplash from the accident it took a while longer. I would say a month until all the major symptoms went away. Unfortunately thats when the tinnitus started.

Definitely sounds like the car accident played a bigger role than you thought. Is your T low pitched?

Probably, but I somehow was always mor fixated on the cold because that night I heard my tinnitus the first time. But maybe that was just because it spiked. No, mine fluctuates from tea kettle to electrical hiss or white noise. But always high pitched.

 

[MikeS]

Hello everyone, I have a question and need your opinion please=).

Until now I was mostly convinced that my tinnitus was caused by a cold last year. But I also had a car accident roughly a month prior (no airbags and no blow to the head or ear). Three days after the accident I developed whiplash symptoms and went to the ER. Around a week later I noticed some slight hyperacusis. No pain but a few thing sounded louder than normal and created discomfort. Since I did not know what it was I thought it was just anxiety or some form of whiplash. But then two weeks later my tinnitus started together with a cold.

Since then I always get a huge spike when I have a cold. Now, I was thinking, maybe I already had some very mild tinnitus and my cold made it just spike? Since I already had hyperacusis before the cold.

Also I remembered that eight years ago I already had a head trauma when I landed with my snowboard on the back of my head where I got a mild concussion and tinnitus for maybe one night.

Since then I had all the normal examinations and some physiotherapy. Is there anything I am missing or something I could do? I learned that post-concussion syndrome could take a long time to subside. What is your opinion on this?

My T is from concussion & whiplash. Started at scene of car accident. I believe T is largely due to the brain, so I would bet on the concussion. Though, when I'm tired or sick, my T is always worse.