Fell Asleep with Powerbeats 3 — Woke Up with Tinnitus

[BillyK]

Hello all!

So last week, I fell asleep while watching some stand-up comedy on Netflix. Unfortunately, I had my Powerbeats 3 headphones on.

When I woke up my ears were ringing like mad. Kind of a continuous low-volume crickety sound, which really freaked me out. My research brought me to this forum.

The ringing has continued the whole week. I cannot tell whether it is reducing or not. I do forget about it when I am in the office and around people. But boy, it is hard to ignore when I am about to sleep. It also increases for a second when I clench my teeth.

Context: I have been on a military base with a lot of loud noises the last three months - helicopters landing and taking off every day hour. Big machines droning all day etc.. And I did realize the other week that my iPhone volume was getting higher and higher when I am in the gym. I leave the base in a week's time.

Anyway, any pointers to help me navigate this will help. Thanks!

 

[JohnAdams]

Hello all!

So last week, I fell asleep while watching some stand-up comedy on Netflix. Unfortunately, I had my Powerbeats 3 headphones on.

When I woke up my ears were ringing like mad. Kind of a continuous low-volume crickety sound, which really freaked me out. My research brought me to this forum.

The ringing has continued the whole week. I cannot tell whether it is reducing or not. I do forget about it when I am in the office and around people. But boy, it is hard to ignore when I am about to sleep. It also increases for a second when I clench my teeth.

Context: I have been on a military base with a lot of loud noises the last three months - helicopters landing and taking off every day hour. Big machines droning all day etc.. And I did realize the other week that my iPhone volume was getting higher and higher when I am in the gym. I leave the base in a week's time.

Anyway, any pointers to help me navigate this will help. Thanks!

You may have hearling loss and tinnitus. If so, dont freak out. Your life will go on. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. No more loud headphones. Watch out what you eat. Dont eat crappy foods loaded with MSG. Dont stress out about it it will make it worse.

There are dozens of over the counter pills that claim to silence it, they are all lies. Ear nose and throat doctors cant help you except for hearing aids which mask the noise only. There are many videos on youtube claiming you can listen to some sounds or thump your head and it will cure it. Those are all lies too. Then there is something called habituating which essentially means get over it, which is like telling a paralyzed person that the only treatment is to get over it, which is partially true.

There are some things people claim helps them. Like apple cider vinegar which is disgusting and didnt help me. Other things like ginko biloba, which I do take and I feel helps a little. There's CBD oil which I also take and it helps, but I think the benefit comes from stress reducing effects which then ties in with tinnitus. Dont smoke cigarettes, smoking weed can spike your tinnitus and give you anxiety. They say coffee is bad but I drink it and it doesnt seem to affect it.

You'll have to experiment. Ive been to a consultation with a stem cell clinic in Texas that claimed they could harvest my stem cells and reinject me with them and cure me, for $7500, and Im doubtful that can work. The best hope we have is emerging technology that is currently in FDA clinical trials that will likely repair the damage to the inner ear cochlear hair cells. If you dont know your ear anatomy, go look it up. The technology is being developed by a company called Frequency Therapeutics. So in the meantime, good look. Sleep with a fan on too.

 

[Bobby B]

I still would get a course of steroids just in case and ASAP ! they do work - we have solid but old studies, this is not new stuff..

its really the only proven drug for early acute hearing trauma but only if started fast enough. And get some peltor ear muffs in hand for noise protection going forward

 

[BillyK]

Thanks! At least I am not as anxious as I was last week. I am even surprised, I am not trying to drown it out with music or anything even though the ringing rages on.

I did have late nights because of watching the Soccer World Cup at odd hours the last month. Not sure that contributed.

I tried to clean out my ears today - after a long time, and they are as clean as a whistle.

I am not overweight nor do I drink much but I was also diagnosed with high liver enzymes + high cholesterol three months ago. Not sure those are contributing factors?

On a psychological level it does feel like a sound that has always been there and, somehow, I tuned to it and now cannot just 'forget' about it.

 

[JohnAdams]

Thanks! At least I am not as anxious as I was last week. I am even surprised, I am not trying to drown it out with music or anything even though the ringing rages on.

I did have late nights because of watching the Soccer World Cup at odd hours the last month. Not sure that contributed.

I tried to clean out my ears today - after a long time, and they are as clean as a whistle.

I am not overweight nor do I drink much but I was also diagnosed with high liver enzymes + high cholesterol three months ago. Not sure those are contributing factors?

On a psychological level it does feel like a sound that has always been there and, somehow, I tuned to it and now cannot just 'forget' about it.

yeah, go get the steroids now. As in right now.

 

[Angus William]

Oh yeah, headphones. Same here. I also was around a lot of loud noise with saws and wood cutters. No problem. Damned headphones took me down. Welcome to the horror house.