E-Cigs and Hearing Loss

[RaZaH]

According to his doctor the root of the cause is from the ingredient found in most e-cigs called propylene glycol. This chemical is known to be toxic to the cochlea or auditory nerve in your ear. Depending on how much exposure this chemical is in contact with your ear, it could cause harmful and irreversible damage to it. Research on e-cig overall health effects and safety are still undetermined as they are still relatively new to the market but it seems that they do have some harmful effects to ones health.

http://www.thissongslaps.com/2015/07/knife-partys-rob-swire-temporarily-loses-hearing-left-ear/

 

[SteveSkis92]

I am unfortunately a victim of this.....I have spent months trying to convince myself otherwise, but I am slowly accepting that my T is permanent. I stupidly vaped for almost an entire year, eventually using a $300 vape that put out ridiculous amounts of vapor. I was convinced that even if vaping was causing my T, it would go away when I quit.....not the case.

Did it improve? Yes. Did it go away? No. Is it extremely distressing right now? YES. I have no idea how I will ever habituate to something like this. I am supposed to move to a new city in two weeks and I haven't even started packing because of my stress/anxiety/depression about all of this. I'm 21 years old and I destroyed my hearing trying to quit smoking.....awesome.

 

[Flyka70]

Hi folks.... Same thing with me.
I was sub ohm vaping for only 3 weeks mainly 80/20 VG mix True dairy custard if you must know lol
Anyway found this forum today and analysed my frequency to 14000hz.
Luckily I'm sleeping OK and it's not really affecting my work.
Hope I can find some information on here

 

[josesativa]

Hello troops,been vaping for 2 years now and towards the tail end of last year 2015,noticed that i had suddenly developed tinnitus in my headI'm using a 65/pg/35 vg ratio of e liquid.Ive read about pg being ototoxic and what damage it can dodoes anybody else relate to what I'm going through?feel fkn devastated cause I've been off the cigs

 

[Ian81]

Man this really bums me out. I had a nasty ear infection a month ago that perforated my ear drum. All while chucking clouds out of a kanger sub tank mini. Usually splash labs pezz'n or any other thick fruity juice...

While laying in bed obsessing over the ringing, I was reading a list of ototoxic chemicals and when I seen PG my heart sank.

My ENT has said the ear drum healed but the ringing persists.. I'm so pissed off right now, my hopes of it ever going away have disappeared.

I haven't told my ENT anything about vaping as I didn't think it was relevant until I found this new information and new horror stories.

I have an MRI on the 20th.. Wondering if I should even bother with it at this point.

Hope you all are ok.
Ian

 

[SteveSkis92]

Man this really bums me out. I had a nasty ear infection a month ago that perforated my ear drum. All while chucking clouds out of a kanger sub tank mini. Usually splash labs pezz'n or any other thick fruity juice...

While laying in bed obsessing over the ringing, I was reading a list of ototoxic chemicals and when I seen PG my heart sank.

My ENT has said the ear drum healed but the ringing persists.. I'm so pissed off right now, my hopes of it ever going away have disappeared.

I haven't told my ENT anything about vaping as I didn't think it was relevant until I found this new information and new horror stories.

I have an MRI on the 20th.. Wondering if I should even bother with it at this point.

Hope you all are ok.
Ian

Sorry to hear man.....Still dealing with tinnitus and Hyperacusis from vaping to this day. Feel free to message me if you'd like man....I know how much this condition sucks, and I understand how incredibly frustrating it is to get it from vaping of all things....Stay strong buddy. You're not alone.

-Steve

 

[SteveSkis92]

@Flyka70 @josesativa Feel free to message me about any of this. My tinnitus was also caused by vaping and I've been dealing with it for over a year now. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think there may be some value to comparing notes/things that work or don't for our unique tinnitus. @Ian81 feel free to join in as well. If our tinnitus/hearing issues are similar we may be able to at least work out something that helps us deal with this condition. While there is a TON of great info on this site, I've found my T to be very.....unique for lack of a better term.

Just an idea. Hang in there guys.
-Steve

 

[Ian81]

Sorry to hear man.....Still dealing with tinnitus and Hyperacusis from vaping to this day. Feel free to message me if you'd like man....I know how much this condition sucks, and I understand how incredibly frustrating it is to get it from vaping of all things....Stay strong buddy. You're not alone.

-Steve

Hey thanks a lot bud, I know the more you talk about it the more you hear it, etc... do you happen to know what tone yours is? I believe mine is about 14khz because a few seconds of that tone gives me a few seconds of relief. I put the vape down 2 days ago as soon as I found PG on that damn list, hoping for just a mild change in the tone even - throw me a bone! How long has she been singing her song? Feel free to message me too, the more support the merrier!

edit: Sometimes one can be so selfish, I didn't realize you were a poster above. How did the move go? Glad to see you got over the anxiety and what not - you posted almost a year ago, how long did you go without vaping before you decided it wasn't going down?

Keep strong bud
Ian

 

[SteveSkis92]

Hey thanks a lot bud, I know the more you talk about it the more you hear it, etc... do you happen to know what tone yours is? I believe mine is about 14khz because a few seconds of that tone gives me a few seconds of relief. I put the vape down 2 days ago as soon as I found PG on that damn list, hoping for just a mild change in the tone even - throw me a bone! How long has she been singing her song? Feel free to message me too, the more support the merrier!

edit: Sometimes one can be so selfish, I didn't realize you were a poster above. How did the move go? Glad to see you got over the anxiety and what not - you posted almost a year ago, how long did you go without vaping before you decided it wasn't going down?

Keep strong bud
Ian

Hey Ian, NO worries whatsoever about not noticing my post above. It was over a year ago and please trust me when I say that I TOTALLY understand any kind of anxiety or stress you're currently dealing with as a result of this tinnitus. I am SO sorry you're dealing with this horrid affliction from such a stupid cause, but please know you're not alone.

I'll keep this convo here just so that others dealing with E-Cig related hearing loss can see it, but I do have some good news for you. I am not sure of just how loud your T is, but my T SIGNIFICANTLY dropped in volume after 7-10 days of not vaping. I think that piling that crap in there was only causing horrid effects. If you are still on the fence, I would strongly reccomend quitting vaping for good. I understand it's a habit, and it's better than cigs, but it IS worsening the problem right now. I have not touched a vape since Jan of 2015. Even the sight of vape shops makes my stomach turn.

That being said, while Id stay the hell away from vaped, I have had zero problem with foods, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, etc (at least in terms of worsening my T.) I wouldn't reccomend going back to analog cigs, but to avoid worsening your condition, stay far away from vapes. Even the "VG Heavy" blends are often laced with PG. (Most flavors are mixed with PG, so even if you get Max VG juice, chances are the flavor is made with PG) I understand what a bitch nicotine can be to kick, but trust me when I say Tinnitus is a bigger bitch.....much bigger.

How loud is your T? Do you have Hyperacusis (an oversensitivity to everyday noise) or ear pain?

As I said before Ian, I'm SO sorry you're hear with us dealing with this affliction. It sucks, bottom line....but time has helped me tremendously. I still have bad days, and my ears/nose/sinuses seem to be MUCH more susceptible to allergies now, but life has continued. I don't go to loud concerts or bars anymore, but I've filled that space in my life with much more productive activities (drawing, running, and family to be precise) and life has in many ways improved greatly, even with tinnitus! I am not at all minimizing your struggle, trust me when I say I wish I had never even heard of this condition, but I do want you to know that life WILL continue if you let it! Time is going to be your best friend here though....time definitely helps.

Please don't hesitate to ask me any question or anything bud. I'm only 22 so I'm not at all a science whiz or anything, but I've gained a decent amount of knowledge on this site, and I've lived the "tinnitus from vaping" life for a little while now.....just let me know how I can help make your life easier at this difficult time!

Hope you're having the best night you can bud. I have a cold beer in hand and a warm dog on my lap....tinnitus sucks but life is still good. Stay strong!

-Steve

 

[SteveSkis92]

@Ian81 To answer your question, I've never quite pinpointed my T frequency. If I had to guess, I'd put it right around 12-14khz. Over the first couple of weeks it dropped in volume quite a bit (once I quit vaping) but it's still there. The only thing that is absolutely certain to increase my T is stress and anxiety (kind of sucks that I was already an anxious person....FML haha) but I've found ways to manage it. Given time, you'll find ways to manage your T too!

-Steve

 

[Ian81]

Hey Ian, NO worries whatsoever about not noticing my post above. It was over a year ago and please trust me when I say that I TOTALLY understand any kind of anxiety or stress you're currently dealing with as a result of this tinnitus. I am SO sorry you're dealing with this horrid affliction from such a stupid cause, but please know you're not alone.

I'll keep this convo here just so that others dealing with E-Cig related hearing loss can see it, but I do have some good news for you. I am not sure of just how loud your T is, but my T SIGNIFICANTLY dropped in volume after 7-10 days of not vaping. I think that piling that crap in there was only causing horrid effects. If you are still on the fence, I would strongly reccomend quitting vaping for good. I understand it's a habit, and it's better than cigs, but it IS worsening the problem right now. I have not touched a vape since Jan of 2015. Even the sight of vape shops makes my stomach turn.

That being said, while Id stay the hell away from vaped, I have had zero problem with foods, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, etc (at least in terms of worsening my T.) I wouldn't reccomend going back to analog cigs, but to avoid worsening your condition, stay far away from vapes. Even the "VG Heavy" blends are often laced with PG. (Most flavors are mixed with PG, so even if you get Max VG juice, chances are the flavor is made with PG) I understand what a bitch nicotine can be to kick, but trust me when I say Tinnitus is a bigger bitch.....much bigger.

How loud is your T? Do you have Hyperacusis (an oversensitivity to everyday noise) or ear pain?

As I said before Ian, I'm SO sorry you're hear with us dealing with this affliction. It sucks, bottom line....but time has helped me tremendously. I still have bad days, and my ears/nose/sinuses seem to be MUCH more susceptible to allergies now, but life has continued. I don't go to loud concerts or bars anymore, but I've filled that space in my life with much more productive activities (drawing, running, and family to be precise) and life has in many ways improved greatly, even with tinnitus! I am not at all minimizing your struggle, trust me when I say I wish I had never even heard of this condition, but I do want you to know that life WILL continue if you let it! Time is going to be your best friend here though....time definitely helps.

Please don't hesitate to ask me any question or anything bud. I'm only 22 so I'm not at all a science whiz or anything, but I've gained a decent amount of knowledge on this site, and I've lived the "tinnitus from vaping" life for a little while now.....just let me know how I can help make your life easier at this difficult time!

Hope you're having the best night you can bud. I have a cold beer in hand and a warm dog on my lap....tinnitus sucks but life is still good. Stay strong!

-Steve

I am so glad to hear yours went down significantly - sure hope I have the same reaction, but I am still doubtful since I had an actual perforated ear drum while vaping and not just 'a ringing that came out of nowhere'.

Granted this MAY not even be the cause, but it sure as hell is if you ask me - like I said, seems pointless to even have my MRI on the 20th coming up, but may as well go through with it - I have an appointment after that with my ENT I will definitely mention the vape issue.

I haven't vaped in 3 days now since I found PG on the list. I don't really notice the T while I'm hitting some trails on my mountain bike or when I am very occupied (hands on stuff) - hardly hear it at work because I wear a headset in my good ear and I am constantly talking and hearing a voice in my ear.

Other then that, It's always present - it ranges from annoying to FOR FUCKS SAKE. Sometimes I can plug both my ears, and then keep my good ear plugged and that will provide a few moments of tear bringing silence.

As far as the hyperacusis goes, I think that may be what I hear. When any noise is present the whistle seems to be there, but not so much in dead silence. However it seems I've always had a dull ringing (in extreme silence) all my life, I never really knew it wasn't normal, I just kind of thought it was air molecules hitting your ear drum or something. When it is really silent, that 'dull ring' that I've always known as silence can drown out the high pitched whistle, or, a cicada more I guess.. dog whistle, etc - whatever it is - so thankfully sleep isn't an issue for me.

I will admit sometimes I notice myself not noticing it, but all that does is make you notice it.. such a vicious cruel cycle lol.

Just got out of work so my mind is still in go mode - forgive the rough format and babbling

 

[SteveSkis92]

I am so glad to hear yours went down significantly - sure hope I have the same reaction, but I am still doubtful since I had an actual perforated ear drum while vaping and not just 'a ringing that came out of nowhere'.

Granted this MAY not even be the cause, but it sure as hell is if you ask me - like I said, seems pointless to even have my MRI on the 20th coming up, but may as well go through with it - I have an appointment after that with my ENT I will definitely mention the vape issue.

I haven't vaped in 3 days now since I found PG on the list. I don't really notice the T while I'm hitting some trails on my mountain bike or when I am very occupied (hands on stuff) - hardly hear it at work because I wear a headset in my good ear and I am constantly talking and hearing a voice in my ear.

Other then that, It's always present - it ranges from annoying to FOR FUCKS SAKE. Sometimes I can plug both my ears, and then keep my good ear plugged and that will provide a few moments of tear bringing silence.

As far as the hyperacusis goes, I think that may be what I hear. When any noise is present the whistle seems to be there, but not so much in dead silence. However it seems I've always had a dull ringing (in extreme silence) all my life, I never really knew it wasn't normal, I just kind of thought it was air molecules hitting your ear drum or something. When it is really silent, that 'dull ring' that I've always known as silence can drown out the high pitched whistle, or, a cicada more I guess.. dog whistle, etc - whatever it is - so thankfully sleep isn't an issue for me.

I will admit sometimes I notice myself not noticing it, but all that does is make you notice it.. such a vicious cruel cycle lol.

Just got out of work so my mind is still in go mode - forgive the rough format and babbling

Hey Ian, so sorry for the delay getting back to you, been a very busy couple of weeks on my end scrambling to find a new place, get a job, and get ready for my first semester at an actual university in the fall.

What are you getting an MRI on? Your brain? Or maybe jaw? I got an MRI of my jaw a few months after my T got very problematic, but it came up 'negative' for TMJD (which is known to cause/aggravate tinnitus.) That being said however, while an MRI can show any malformation of the bone, it won't show any hidden inflammation. So while my MRI didn't show TMJD, I was experiencing ALL the symptoms. Clenched jaw, facial pain, ear pain, jaw pain, tooth pain, you name it. Honestly, I totally agree with you. At this point you should keep the MRI, if nothing else to try and rule some causes out.

How long had you been vaping when you got T? Do you only hear it in one ear? See I can distinctly remember hearing my T for the very first time on like the first or second night I vaped. At that point I was still listening to loud music daily though (never on headphones though) so I accredited my T to that. It was also extremely mild, so much so that I could only hear it at night when meditating. That lasted for about two months until it got a little louder, then a little louder, etc. The straw that really broke the camels back was when I bought a sub-Om vape and started chucking out stupid big clouds or whatever. T just kept getting louder, ears started being sensitive to noise, and I still couldn't put two and two together.....It wasn't an overnight thing as I've found it is for many people vaping. For me it just gradually built and built and built. Thank God it went down in volume from the beginning, could have been really bad.

Definitely mention the vaping thing to your doc. For what it's worth, I'm unsure of how a perforated eardrum would have exposed you to any more PG than you had already been exposed to via the vape. (Unless you were vaping in your ears ha) In addition to that, if I can find it I'll post a link to a Reddit post I was reading discussing vaping and Tinnitus. One Redditor posted an in depth explaination as to why vapor should theoretically never have access to the inner ear because even when we take a big vape hit, that inhalation force actually CLOSES our Eustachian tubes, sealing off the ear. It was actually a very interesting read and I found it within the last two months. I'll try and hunt it down.

For the time being though definitely hang in there bud! Glad to hear sleep hasn't been an issue, the anxiety of onset made sleep an absolute nightmare for me the first couple of months. I really feel like if I had handled my onset better, I may have been able to shake the T. Lots of healthy foods, lots of water, exercise, and a healthy antioxidant/vitamin combo would do nothing but good in my opinion, but definitely consult with your doctor first.

As I said before bud, sorry for the delay getting back to you. Hope things have improved since your last message! Cheers!

-Steve

 

[jacob21]

Hi Steve
I read your post - thanks to share your experience. I ll quit evap right away after 2 years of e-vap

Do you have some hearing loss in high frequency ?

 

[d3m1tha]

Guys i started vaping about 5 weeks a go, first i heard this loud ring in my ears 6 days ago while vaping. sometimes this happens to me when i drink beer so i didnt think about it that much. Now after reading this im afraid, i will go crazy if this didn't stop :S you guys think i may have a permanent damage to my ears from vaping? Please help me . I stopped vaping today after reading this :s

 

[Jake007]

I've been vaping for years, always bought the best cloud producing tank and mod. I will vape no more and just smoke less cigarettes after reading this.

 

[Ecip]

This is all just so silly to me. (was going to use the word "stupid" but didnt want to offend anyone).
The fact that its now 2017 and people are still smoking is just ridiculous.

 

[dgray]

I've been vaping for years, always bought the best cloud producing tank and mod. I will vape no more and just smoke less cigarettes after reading this.

What is it in the Vaper that causes the tinnitus?

 

[Mark Crawford]

People with T from vaping; how long have you been vaping?

 

[Ersatz]

I had T before I start vaping. I have been vaping for 6-7 months and I haven't seen any increase that I would contribute to vaping. I tend to use Max VG juice and normally use drippers and RDTAs.

 

[ScottMcColley]

I have had tinnitus for a very long time and have recently (6 weeks) switched to vaping. I have not noticed any difference in the noise, but have noticed pain in my upper neck leading to my ears. Not sure if that is related, just thought I would share...

 

[Onsdag]

I have had tinnitus for a very long time and have recently (6 weeks) switched to vaping. I have not noticed any difference in the noise, but have noticed pain in my upper neck leading to my ears. Not sure if that is related, just thought I would share...

Why would vaping cause the pain in your upper neck?

 

[ScottMcColley]

Why would vaping cause the pain in your upper neck?

Good question. I have no idea, but the pain does seem to be directed towards my ears and might be relevant to others that notice issues with their ears...

 

[ofaisalo]

some people trying to link the vape to whatever they have and convince themselves that vaping is the reason
---
yes I am not a doctor or a researcher but I checked most of the studies and nothing has to do with ur ear
---
those studies the reason behind it just to let you quit vaping for whatever reason they have
I believe that vaping will not affect ur ear in anyway but still I am not saying you should vape or something
yes it's still new to the market but for me as long as the e liquids are approved by FDA
I think it will be safe to use

 

[Zwraven]

I don't believe this to be true but even if it is and you want to keep vaping switch to 100% "Unflavored" VG. Problem solved.

Btw 5 years of vapor, no permanent increase but I did switch to VG after the first 2 years because I found PG did spike my tinnitus some. To each their own, but this is a safe way to vape if you wanna get rid of PG. Way better than going back to cigarettes and you won't notice no flavor cause VG is slightly sweet.

 

[DaveyGravey123]

Hey everyone.

Just stumbled upon this page googling something along the lines of "e cigarettes and ear infections". I've had ear infections for a long time in my right ear and since I started vaping a year or so ago, I've been hoping it was just a coincidence that they'd increased in frequency.

Well, fast forward to my discovery today of what seems like pretty solid evidence connecting the "clogged ear" experience with the ototoxicity of propylene glycol used in "e-juice" and now I feel like an idiot. In my pesky right ear, I've started experiencing a bit of tinnitus coupled with a drastic decrease in my hearing and that "clogged feeling", not to mention draining everyday. I'm pretty bummed and pissed off at myself to say the least - especially because I'm a musician and my ears should be first priority - but I'm hopeful about recovering some of my hearing now that I'm quitting the Vaping, as I've seen on here that some of you have experienced improvements as a result of quitting as well and I'm relieved to have some clarity on why my ear's been going haywire on me. I've got an appointment with an ENT on Tuesday so hopefully they can take a closer look and determine what kind of damage I've done to my inner-speaker system and what, if anything, I can do to help speed up whatever recovery I can expect.

I've never participated in any sort of blog before, but because this is such a specific cause for a specific experience, I figured it couldn't hurt to reach out for a little bit of support/shared reality and contribute to the conversation.

Thanks for listening. Hoping you all can find as much ease as possible in dealing with your tinnitus.

with gratitude,
-Dave

 

[Turner]

You have got to be kidding me. Since my onset of T a couple months a go I have quit caffeine, alcohol mostly, silence, playing bass and now this?

 

[Anthonyr]

Interesting. I used to be a hardcore E-cig smoker when I got my tinnitus. I also prefered PG over VG. Makes you think... Would the damage it causes be shown on a MRI?

 

[1MW]

I had smoked e cigs many years and I can confirm they cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
I have stopped ecigs.
But I have found that PG is in mouthwash like listerine.
Is listerine PG dangerous for hearing?
Can PG pass blood brain barrier?