Confusing Increase in Volume

[MarkS]

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure if i'm making a post the right way like this but here we go.
For the last almost 4 months my Tinnitus has been increasing in volume for atleast 3 times as loud as it used to be.

I've had T for a few years now in my right ear after a loud music accident (i know, stupid me) and at some point kind of got used to it because it was mostly something i could mask during the day, not as much during the night but i guess that's just kind of the way that it is.

About 6 months ago my T went away completely and for 2 months my life was back on track, however obviously i took way better care of my ears at that point.
Then one day i woke up and it was back, but it was ok because i got used to it before and figured something must have triggered it again but i was sure i could deal with it again.

However since that day, every single day my T has been increasing in volume to the point that i now hear it in every situation, masking is not an option anymore, and if i enter a silent/quiet room, the T will rush in so loud that i flinch and feel sick.

For whatever magical reason i have now also acquired a faint high pitched sound in my left ear which can't be from loud sounds as i've avoided those like the plague and take ear plugs with me just in case if the situation requires is.

I had impacted wisdom teeth and and had them removed on my right side and assumed that could be a cause, my dentist urged me telling me it could bring issues down the road. Concidering it's only increased more rapidly, i can assume this was not the cause.

So hear i am, trying to see if anyone could have some imput as to why my T seems to be increasing on a daily basis in a rapid pace. Why i have 10 times as many spiked as i used to have, and to find a cause to prevent it from increasing in volume like rocket.

Sorry for the wall of text and / or if i made this post in the wrong area or anything in general.
Also sorry if some things are unclear, i'm Dutch and this louder T is making it hard to think.

 

[Sebastians]

Could be a couple of things that trigerred it. Certain meds, headphones, smoking/drugs, misaligned jaw .. Did you have general anaesthetic for the wisdom tooth removal? Sorry this is happening to you..

How did your initial T go away? You just woke up one day with no sound?

 

[MarkS]

@Sebastians I'm not sure how to directly respond to a post hoping this works.

Thank you for replying. I use no meds but a low dose temazepam sometimes to help me sleep. I do use headphones but only when needed for say skype calls on a low volume. I smoke about a pack a week, so not much and this hasn't ever affected my T even if i stopped for a few weeks/months, and no drugs. I've smoked weed a few times in my life but i can count that on 2 hands.

I had local anaesthetic, i think 2 or 3 injections/syringes for my wisdom teeth removal, i was worried since the bottom right one was impacted and he actually strugged to pull it out, janking on it and jerking it.
But my dentist has never said anything about my jaw so i'll make sure to get that checked, more so since the area where my teeth were have been aching a bit, so has my jaw on that side.

And yes, my T at that time essentially just went away after a few busy days and me not being bothered by it during the day due to it's average volume back then. Woke up, it was gone. Until it came back worse ofcourse.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I do use headphones but

Hi @MarkS If there is no underlying medical problem causing the increase in tinnitus, the usual cause is exposure to loud noise or using headphones even at low volume. You might find my tinnitus post helpful. Please click on the link below.
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668

 

[MarkS]

@Michael Leigh I gave it a read and will make sure to keep some of my habits in check, like the headphones. And see if i can figure it out. Just a general FYI to state my desperation, between when i made the post and now my T has for whatever reason increased in volume again and i wasn't near any noise nor headphones.

 

[Michael Leigh]

And see if i can figure it out. Just a general FYI to state my desperation, between when i made the post and now my T has for whatever reason increased in volume again and i wasn't near any noise nor headphones.

@MarkS Have you considered that you might be hypersensitive to near field computer use as I am? It could be a factor. As I said: something usually causes tinnitus to get worse if there is no underlying medical problem. Hyperacusis for instance?
Michael

 

[MarkS]

@Michael Leigh That could be, concidering i spend most hours awake next to my PC. The fan noise can get a bit piercing.
I've also got Hyperacusis, but minor, but i'm not sure/well informed enough to know if H can increase the passive loudness of T. Say in very quiet situations. Correct me if i'm wrong by the way.

 

[Michael Leigh]

That could be, concidering i spend most hours awake next to my PC. The fan noise can get a bit piercing.
I've also got Hyperacusis, but minor, but i'm not sure/well informed enough to know if H can increase the passive loudness of T. Say in very quiet situations. Correct me if i'm wrong by the way.

@MarkS I certainly do not think it is good for anyone with tinnitus to spend too long at the computer. As you know I have to have my PC tower in another room and use a wireless keyboard, mouse and external monitor; using a PC or laptop in the conventional way will increase my tinnitus ten-fold.

Hyperacusis (sensitivity to certain sounds) could be a factor and will make tinnitus spike. I recently wrote a long post about it and you'll find the link below which you might like to read. I personally feel it's headphone use that has caused the increase in your tinnitus but I could be wrong. My advice, is not to use them. If you use a mobile phone, try to use the external speaker during a conversation. It's not a good idea to hold that phone close to the ears.

If you aren't using sound enrichment at night using a sound machine, then I advise that you do. Sleeping in a quiet room not good in my opinion. If you can get a referral to ENT so tests can be carried out that would be good; and possibly a referral to an Hearing Therapist for treatment.
All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/