DJ at Young Age, and Now Got Tinnitus from Loud Music at a Party

[Thomas_83]

Hello, and apologies for any language errors—I'll try my best to correct myself.

I'm now two months into my experience with tinnitus, which started two days after a party where I was DJing for fun for about an hour.

I'm 42 years old now. About 15 years ago, I was a professional DJ and played alongside several big names in the EDM industry, though I haven't performed since then.

During my DJ career in my twenties, I didn't use any ear protection. Five years in, on a fellow DJ's recommendation, I invested in molded earplugs with 15 dB filters. These helped tremendously, and I wore them at every concert or loud party. I also use Peltor/3M protectors for work and DIY projects.

Then, 15 years later, I attended a party without my earplugs. After a little alcohol and an hour of DJing, I ended up with tinnitus.

I woke up two days later hearing a faint fan-like sound in my left ear. As the days passed, I began experiencing panic attacks and felt as though my ears were turning inside out. I could even hear buzzing from any electrical component in the house. It became so intense that I temporarily lost my perception of sound, and the fan noise escalated to a high-pitched "iiiiii" sound.

Whenever I drive through a tunnel, the air pressure makes my ears hurt and triggers tinnitus spikes.

I should mention that I'm bipolar, which doesn't help with managing anxiety. At one point, I even considered ending my life because of this, but my love for my kids ruled that out as an option.

I saw two different doctors, and neither found any hearing loss. In fact, my hearing has improved by about 5% since my last test two years ago.

I don't have hyperacusis, and the tinnitus actually subsides for about an hour each day. However, it still presents as a high-pitched "iiiiii," which I'd rate as about 4/10 in intensity.

I've now been on sick leave for two months.

So that's where I'm at. My anxiety is fading, and I'm hopeful this is mainly stress-related and might go away with time. I believe my strong reaction has made it worse, as I keep focusing on the sound in my head.

P.S.

I'd like to use earplugs at work because I fear unexpected loud sounds in my environment. I found some that cut off at 90 dB, which seems suitable for me. Do you think this is a good idea? I have no hyperacusis.

 

[Thomas_83]

Why is the tinnitus getting worse if I try to live a normal life with normal sound level around me?

While if I spent a whole day in my home theater watching movies at a very low level, I could hardly hear my tinnitus?

The room is also very muffled.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Why is the tinnitus getting worse if I try to live a normal life with normal sound level around me?
While if I spent a whole day in my home theater watching movies at a very low level, I could hardly hear my tinnitus?
The room is also very muffled.

Hi @Thomas_83.

You have noise induced tinnitus which is one of the most common causes of the condition. Some of the things you have said, leads me to believe if you act now and follow my advice, there is a good chance your tinnitus will not increase. In time it is likely to reduce to a low level and possibly go away completely. I don't mean it will be cured, rather it could reduce to such a low level you are unlikely to hear it unless in a quiet room. To achieve this will largely depend on you and whether you are prepared to adhere, to some of the things I'm going to mention.

You have said the tinnitus goes away for about 1 hour and when watching movies you could hardly hear it. These are good signs especially in the early stages of tinnitus. Please don't use any type of headphones even at low volume. This includes earbuds, headsets, AirPods, noise cancelling headphones and bone conduction headphones. If you use any of these devices even at low volume, you risk making your tinnitus worse.

Wearing hearing protection is good but they are not a guarantee that you are fully protected from loud noise. If external sound is loud enough it will pass through your head and transfer to your inner ear by bone conduction. This could spike the tinnitus or increase it to a new permanent level, so you need to be careful.

Stress can make tinnitus worse especially in the early stages. I suggest that you start using sound enrichment during the day and especially at night, by placing a sound machine by your bedside. It should be set to play at low level throughout the night until morning. More information about sound enrichment is mentioned in my posts. Please go to my started threads and read the posts mentioned below. Take your time and read them without skimming. If you are able to print them I suggest you do and refer to them often.

New to Tinnitus What to Do?, Tinnitus, A Personal View, Hyperacusis, As I See It, The Habituation Process, Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, Will My Tinnitus Get Worse?, How to Habituate to Variable Tinnitus, What Causes a Tinnitus Spike and Can It Be Cured?

All the best,
Michael

 

[Thomas_83]

Thank you Michael for the tips and for calming me down a bit.

Today my doctor gave me the Sound Oasis S680-2 and pillow speakers.

Hope this helps at night.

Today I just had low tinnitus, but when my kids got home I could feel I was getting stressed and yes, it got louder and higher frequency.

So stress is a big no for me.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thank you Michael for the tips and for calming me down a bit.

Today my doctor gave me the Sound Oasis S680-2 and pillow speakers.

Hope this helps at night.

Today I just had low tinnitus, but when my kids got home I could feel I was getting stressed and yes, it got louder and higher frequency.

So stress is a big no for me.

Hi @Thomas_83.

You are welcome.

Stress can affect tinnitus a lot in the early stages but this will improve with time. In the posts that I have suggested you read, mentions how stress can be reduced and if necessary talk to your doctor who may help with medication. Please do not dismiss taking medication because it can help a lot and doesn't have to be taken long term.

Sound Oasis make good sound machines. Give yourself at least 6 to 8 weeks to get used to using it at night. Keep the volume slightly below the tinnitus. The idea is to provide sound enrichment throughout the night to your brain and auditory system while you sleep, but it must not mask the tinnitus. More about this is explained in the posts. Things will improve with time.

One of the most important things is not to use any type of headphones even at low volume and keep away from overly loud sounds. Please don't be tempted to overuse the wearing of earplugs as this can cause problems. More is explained in my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It.

Take care,
Michael

 

[Thomas_83]

I just read about Escitalopram and the effects on tinnitus.

I have been taking 20 mg Escitalopram daily for about 6 years. Could this be a reason that I got my tinnitus?

I was also given Remeron and Lamictal some years ago, but I did not like the effect and the person I became on those pills.

Yes, the tinnitus was noise induced, but the noise was not as loud as a concert.

 

[Ehren M]

Why is the tinnitus getting worse if I try to live a normal life with normal sound level around me?

While if I spent a whole day in my home theater watching movies at a very low level, I could hardly hear my tinnitus?

The room is also very muffled.

If you are still experiencing muffling, as you noted yesterday, I wonder if taking prednisone would be beneficial for you. Prednisone can have a protective effect on the ears after damage. I think it acts by reducing oxidative stress in the ear, which is one cause of damage to the auditory hair cells related to excessive sound exposure.

I encourage you to talk with your doctor about it.

Some people have negative reactions to prednisone, but I recently took it for a sudden drop in volume I experienced, which went away. Prednisone didn't have any negative effect on me.

I wish you the best!

 

[Michael Leigh]

I just read about Escitalopram and the effects on tinnitus.

I have been taking 20 mg Escitalopram daily for about 6 years. Could this be a reason that I got my tinnitus?

I was also given Remeron and Lamictal some years ago, but I did not like the effect and the person I became on those pills.

Yes, the tinnitus was noise induced, but the noise was not as loud as a concert.

Try not to read up information about medication and tinnitus because this often causes more harm than good. Two of my blood pressure medicines are listed as being able to cause ringing in the ears. My tinnitus hasn't been affected. I would rather take the medicine than risk having a: stroke, heart attack, kidney damage and other problems associated with high blood pressure that is not kept under control, including one's early demise.

You are just 2 months in with tinnitus and I understand your disquiet. This is the reason I advised you to read and print the posts mentioned above. They will help to reduce stress by giving you more understanding of what noise induced tinnitus is, and how it can affect a person's mental and emotional wellbeing. It is important that you learn and absorb this information. In time you will feel a lot better and the tinnitus will reduce providing you follow my advice. That is not to use any type of headphones and keep away from overly loud sounds.

The muffled hearing you are experiencing could be associated with noise trauma, as I had this too but it eventually went away. It might be a good idea to see an ENT doctor for tests on your auditory system.

Take care,
Michael

 

[Thomas_83]

A little update.

Two days without tinnitus. Ok, if I spend 1 hour in a quiet room like my studio, I could hear it, but it did not affect me.

Now after a weekend with kids, a little stress and it's back.

Wow, this is weird.

So I need lie down in quite room all day with a little background noise to stop the high pitch tinnitus.

 

[kingsfan]

I don't like that those earplugs you posted above only kick in at 90 dBa. I'd feel more comfortable somewhere around 70-80 dBa. Other than that they seem nice.

 

[Thomas_83]

I can't buy them because they can't get the CE certification on it in my country.

But I still have the moulded earplugs with filter that cuts 15 ydb that helps in restaurants and shopping centers. But it raises my tinnitus a bit.

 

[Thomas_83]

Today I can't hear my tinnitus. Even with earplugs. It's been hard calming my self down, but training and a good diet seems to help.

BUT, this morning I got a high spike like the audiogram sound around 8000 Hz for 8 seconds in the left ear. Then 8 hours later the same in the right ear. Is this normal? I talked to my wife and she has the same thing once a month or so.

 

[kingsfan]

BUT, this morning I got a high spike like the audiogram sound around 8000 Hz for 8 seconds in the left ear. Then 8 hours later the same in the right ear. Is this normal? I talked to my wife and she has the same thing once a month or so.

Yea it's called fleeting tinnitus and it is common and no indication of anything going wrong.

 

[jjflyman]

Today I can't hear my tinnitus. Even with earplugs. It's been hard calming my self down, but training and a good diet seems to help.

BUT, this morning I got a high spike like the audiogram sound around 8000 Hz for 8 seconds in the left ear. Then 8 hours later the same in the right ear. Is this normal? I talked to my wife and she has the same thing once a month or so.

You are getting very good advice from the members here.

I will add my opinion:

Your ears need TIME to heal from a trauma. 2 months is not nearly long enough, it might take 6-18 months for your tinnitus to fade.

This is from my experience of 2 times noise traumas that caused my tinnitus. The first one was 18 years ago and my tinnitus was screaming loud, but faded away 100% in about 2 years. My second time was 5 years ago and faded 95% in 2-3 years.

Give it time and protect them from noise from now on.

 

[Thomas_83]

I would like to write a little update today, since it helps me to write on this great forum.

Last week was a rollercoaster for my tinnitus. I woke up one day with complete silence. Plugged my ears with fingers, and yes, complete silence a whole day! That was so emotional that I cried.

The following days were not so good. I suffer from some insomnia and only got 2 hours sleep the night after, so the tinnitus was back again. Got some sleep by taking sleeping pills for two nights and then my tinnitus faded away.

I'm finally back at work. My focus on getting the job done made the tinnitus less audible, but after I left the office it got so loud I needed to try to mask it. I could still hear it.

I have to mention that my anxiety is all gone, but some days I'm still depressive and thinking about suicide.

A month ago life was hard, and tinnitus was horrible.

Now, maybe I can start my life again, just live a little slower then I was used to.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Now, maybe I can start my life again, just live a little slower then I was used to.

Give it time @Thomas_83 because you are still in very early stages of tinnitus and it will fluctuate a lot. Above all do not use any type of headphones even at low volume. Keep away from loud sounds.

 

[Thomas_83]

I'm not using AirPods, headphones etc anymore. Never.

It's very hard to balance my life with my job, two busy kids, a house and the tinnitus. All of them are great, even my boss is amazing. But I am so so tired. Maybe I expect too much of myself.

But I imagine this will get better in one year or so.

 

[Thomas_83]

I'm about to give up.

Been at work for two weeks and cannot do my job properly.

The tinnitus gets extremely loud and the stress makes me annoyed and the tinnitus raises more.

When I get home, the tinnitus goes down, but I'm so exhausted I'm just going to bed in the dark.

I'm now on Zopiclone for sleep and Oxazepam at daytime to function daily.

Seem like it's my work that makes me stressed, and raises my tinnitus. In the weekend it turns down to an ok level and I'm not bothered at all.

Well, 3 months after onset now, and not getting better. I will check in again at the end of next month.

 

[Freerunner]

Hi man,

It seems like the stress is the main factor in your case. You are doing the correct steps to calm down a bit. Just keep on going and things should work.

Tinnitus is a bitch and a hard condition to live with. But believe me - if you experience low volume or silence at times - that is a good sign. Some people do not have moments like that at all and would do everything to be in your shoes.

I am just 2.5 months in so I am no expert but I can tell you that if you use hearing protection and protect from loud noises and calm yourself down - your chances for improvement are high. Tinnitus might drop to such a tolerable level that you will not notice it. I wish you luck and fast recovery! No one deserves to suffer!

Just listen to your body - if you feel your ears have had enough - give them a rest.

 

[Thomas_83]

Beginning to believe that I'm healing with only a slight hissing sound in my left ear.

Sometimes there is a high frequency sound that lasts for 1 second, but it does not affect me.

So after 3 months with very bad tinnitus, this is a good sign. The anxiety is gone, while the thoughts of tinnitus are still there. I'm more tired than usual and it's no wonder what I've been through.

Looking forward to 3 more months with improvement.

 

[Thomas_83]

Today is the 4th day with no tinnitus.

Hope it lasts.

I still have some stress in my body, and a panic attack once each day. But nothing compared to the stress levels 3 months ago.

Let's see what the next weeks brings.

 

[GCS]

Enjoy the silence, you are unbelievably lucky that it went away. I'm 23 with 8 month long tinnitus and it's not improving at all.

 

[Matchbox]

Today is the 4th day with no tinnitus.

I'd literally debate some serious ethical things to get this.

 

[Thomas_83]

I'd literally debate some serious ethical things to get this.

I can tell you it came back at a 3/10 on the 6th day.

Not with full effect as I rate it, so the eeeee is gone, but the hiss is still there. Almost like I now can choose to hear it. Weird this human brain.

 

[Matchbox]

I can tell you it came back at a 3/10 on the 6th day.

Not with full effect as I rate it, so the eeeee is gone, but the hiss is still there. Almost like I now can choose to hear it. Weird this human brain.

You are a lucky mofo. Srsly.

 

[Thomas_83]

I had a long treatment at the chiropractor yesterday.

We went through my muscles along the neck and jaw, they were quite tight, and I mentioned I had weak tinnitus.

The therapist used acupuncture around the neck and jaw. Poke in several muscles so I could feel it moving in muscles in the face and all the way out in the arm.

Totally worn out in the muscles afterwards, but now I have a loud sound of 8/10 in both ears.

Is it normal to get louder sound after muscle training or acupuncture?

Hope it fades.

 

[MindOverMatter]

@Thomas_83, tinnitus can spike a lot after that kind of treatment and acupuncture as it increases blood flow. Speaking from experience.

Usually it is what it is - a spike - and will calm down to baseline again.

 

[Thomas_83]

Should I avoid getting this treatment? Maybe it can damage some nerves? I don't know.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Maybe you could do some more soft tissue treatment instead? And get some exercises for neck and posture etc.

There will always be some sort of risk connected with chiro and the likes, but only in rare cases. So I don't think you should worry too much.

 

[Thomas_83]

Need some help here. The anxiety level is at its peak and nothing helps me. Have been to a psychologist today, worked out, showered in cold water, and taken my vitamins. F this is hard. I do not have very high level of tinnitus, but electrical noise in my head bothers me a lot now. It switches on my fight or flight mode. Everything stresses me out and I can not think anymore. Have thoughts of suicide every hour.
In my fourth month with this, and it is very up and down.

To those of you who say that they are in their second or third period of tinnitus, did your tinnitus disappear completely or did it just become less noticeable?