Eight Years of Tinnitus and Every Year It Starts All Over

[Leo1994]

Hi!
I am 19 years old and i have had tinnitus since i was 11. I got it due a firework. Annyway, every year i always accidently got expoused to loud noise, and every year my tinnitus became worse. I always becamde very depressed but i managed to rehabilitate with my new tinnitus.
This summer i was expoused to loud noise and this time my tinnitus level increased alot (permantly). My tinnits is so freaking loud, i mean, i belive my tinnitus is somehwere betwen 50-60 dB. I hear it all the time and NO sound can mask my tinnitus. I even considered suicide for a while, but hey, after i realized that commiting suicide will only tranfer the pain to the ones i love, i decided to overcome my tinnitus. And now, 2 month later, iv accepted my tinitus and I have moved on. It does disturb me 24/7 but I know crying over it wont make it better. So, if annyone out there belives their tinnitus isnt manageable, belive me, it is, as long as stay motivated.

The only thing that makes me sad at the moment is that i am missing alot in life...im in the university and all my class mates goes to events and parties and there is always loud music there. I bought custom made ear plugs but my tinitus have got worse even when im using them. Even earplugs cant protect my ears, the music is so loud thesedays...

 

[Leah]

Wow, I can learn a few things from you Leo1994. Beginning with coping. Anyone else with an opinion about earplugs o headphones making T worse?

 

[Leo1994]

Wow, I can learn a few things from you Leo1994. Beginning with coping. Anyone else with an opinion about earplugs o headphones making T worse?

Hey, im glad my experience contributed you in some extend!
About these earplugs. I have not yet found anny earplugs protecting my ears at full extend. Somehow the loudness at evenst even overcome the protection of the earplugs. Maby I just have extremly sensitive ears? The thing is i have no hearing loss, I do a test ever year. Yet my tinnitus get worse every year. From a scale 1-10 i would rate my tinnitus as 2 when I first got it, now it is a hard 9. But hey, im staying positive!
With best regards
A teenage boy from sweden!

 

[erik]

@Leo1994 : is it possible you also suffer from Hyperacusis or even Misophonia? If so, there might be something you can do which can help you out. It may not make the tinnitus any less loud but it will improve your perception of sounds so in the end you will be better.

 

[Per]

Good to see you chose to hang around Leo1944. Yes, T can be a life changer as you all too well know. To get T at such an early age makes you grow up fast I guess. All kudos to you! Can I ask you what medical people have discussed with you in regards to your condition, cause you have no hearing loss and that puzzles alot of ENT's and audiologists. They can't seem to grasp what no hearing loss + T is about cause they mostly tend to think that everything related to the T is about hearing loss. Also, have you had high frequency tests? All the way up to the 22.000khz range? The fireworks seemed to have caused a shock to your brain, thus creating T. If no hearing loss has been detected than have you investigated the other causes? Any mental training (tried TRT?) or similar?

When it comes to noise protection, what about those robust construction work headsets? But should you be protecting at all times? Perhaps you have some hyperacusis going on at the same time and that shouldn't always be met by plugs.

 

[Fish]

My best thoughts are with you Leo. I am 24 and I had this thing for a bit over a year now. I know it's nowhere close to what you are going through. I am now virtually tinnitus-free except for really quiet situations and those really loud ones, when I go in a state of high alert and immediately look for earplugs

If it's any consolation, there is a lot of research going on. I am pretty sure we will see a working treatment in our lifetime, call me optimistic but I say 5 years.

 

[LadyDi]

Hey Leo, Erik makes a good point: Check out if you have hyperacusis or misophonia, which do respond to some treatments.
Fish also makes a good point: I am 58, so I always feel for those of you who got tinnitus when you were so young. But on the other hand, I am very confident there will be a cure or at least very effective treatments soon, so you will spend most of your lives getting some relief or T-free.

And consider earplugs with filters. They let some sound in. Sometimes, plugs or muffs that block out all outside sound make the tinnitus sound muffled in your head. But you probably should avoid super noisy clubs and situations (I know, its a noisy world, isn't it?) See if you can get your friends to meet you at places where the music isn't so loud, or a club that has a room off the main performance area where you can hang out.

 

[frohike]

The only thing that makes me sad at the moment is that i am missing alot in life...im in the university and all my class mates goes to events and parties and there is always loud music there.

I don't know how it is where you live, but in most places there is a parallel world of people that chooses sport and an active lifestyle instead drinking in the pub. It's also a good way to meet people. Don't stay idle at home. Make an effort to try sports and improve your life.

 

[siroconoto]

I don't know how it is where you live, but in most places there is a parallel world of people that chooses sport and an active lifestyle instead drinking in the pub. It's also a good way to meet people. Don't stay idle at home. Make an effort to try sports and improve your life.

I completely agrre with frohike: I suffer T from 15 months, acostic trauma by too loud music exposure. I´m in the rock/metal music scene in my town; most of my mates and friends spend their leusire time in pubs or playing videogames. I prefer spending my free time cycling and rowing. I have T, yes, but I´m stronger and healthier, hahahaha... and my T matters less everyday. Try to carry an active lifestyle and don´t let you influence by silly styles and fashions!

 

[dan]

Hi Leo, can I ask you 2 questions:
What does your tinnitus sound like and what was the last noise exposure that caused increase (and what kinds of noises increased your tinnitus previously for example)

 

[Leo1994]

@Leo1994 : is it possible you also suffer from Hyperacusis or even Misophonia? If so, there might be something you can do which can help you out. It may not make the tinnitus any less loud but it will improve your perception of sounds so in the end you will be better.

Hey!
Every year i make a hearing test and every year my therapy call me to see if they can help. The only thing they have said to me is that i have sentisive ears and i should be carefull. I will call my therapist and ask her about Hyperacusis/Misophonia. When I have a answer i will write again

 

[Leo1994]

Good to see you chose to hang around Leo1944. Yes, T can be a life changer as you all too well know. To get T at such an early age makes you grow up fast I guess. All kudos to you! Can I ask you what medical people have discussed with you in regards to your condition, cause you have no hearing loss and that puzzles alot of ENT's and audiologists. They can't seem to grasp what no hearing loss + T is about cause they mostly tend to think that everything related to the T is about hearing loss. Also, have you had high frequency tests? All the way up to the 22.000khz range? The fireworks seemed to have caused a shock to your brain, thus creating T. If no hearing loss has been detected than have you investigated the other causes? Any mental training (tried TRT?) or similar?

When it comes to noise protection, what about those robust construction work headsets? But should you be protecting at all times? Perhaps you have some hyperacusis going on at the same time and that shouldn't always be met by plugs.

Hi!
As I said i got tinnitus when i was very young, 11 years old. It was devasating, i could not sleep, i could not concentrare. I remeber so many night being awake all night. I was a mess. My mother slept by my side for a year untill i finaly managed to fall asleep on my own. Annyway, to answer you question, I have seen many doctors, and many of them have been ear-specialist. All my ear-specialist have said the same thing (even when i was 11 years old), you got tinnitus, there is nothing we can do, learn to live with it. They all think it is remarkable that i have no hearing loss.
I have done about 10 hearings test since i got tinnitus. They always said to me i have normal hearing . I do not think anny of them have been a high frequency tests. I will call my audiologists and ask them for a high frequency tests!
I have not tried TRT, but I went on therapy for many years (with limited success). They tooled me stuff I ardy knew, like if u dont think about it, u will not hear it as a much. Easier said than done....comn i was 11. My theory is i got a hearing loss at the high frequency. I will call my audiologists and see what they say

 

[Leo1994]

I don't know how it is where you live, but in most places there is a parallel world of people that chooses sport and an active lifestyle instead drinking in the pub. It's also a good way to meet people. Don't stay idle at home. Make an effort to try sports and improve your life.

Hi!
Just have to say i am very sporty. I have trained karate for 10 years and football for 11 . Hanging out with friend wasent a problem untill i turned 18. Now everyone is going to club ever friday and saturday. I have went to clubs with earplugs, and always came home with higher tinnitus. Now i never go to clubs, ore bars, the world is soooo loud.

 

[Leo1994]

Hi Leo, can I ask you 2 questions:
What does your tinnitus sound like and what was the last noise exposure that caused increase (and what kinds of noises increased your tinnitus previously for example)

My tinnitus is a constant high pitched sound. It is constant and never goes up ore down in loudness. (Somtimes i get spikes).
My tinnitus have always been increased because of new noise exposure. From the age 11-15 my tinnitus was constant, I had many ups and downs, but it was constant. But when i became 16 i went to my first party, they music was so loud and my tinnitus got increased (No one, not even the doc, had explained to me that the tinnitus can get louder). From that day i started to be more caution, but being caution aint enought in the loud sweden enviorment. Random noise exposure after noise exposure have increased my tinnitus several times.
This summer my tinnitus got increased because of noise exposure, again. It was my cousins wedding, the music was so loud. I had ear plugs 24/7 and i went outside and took a break every 30 mins. Yet, when i came home, i noticed how my tinnitus was so much louder. Now im so afraid to go on events where the music is loud, ear plugs (bought special made for 300 euro) does not even protect me :/ And this is the last time i go on a wedding....

 

[Fangen]

Leo, I saw your post today.
How are you doing? Just wanted a quick update.

Hugs from a fellow Swede <3

/ F.