Fleeting Tinnitus → Chronic Tinnitus?

[Lynn24]

Hi there,

I experienced noise trauma from a very loud graduation ceremony. Unfortunately, I forgot my earplugs, which I am usually diligent about wearing to movies, concerts, etc. As a result, I experienced muffled hearing for the next 24 hours, which was very scary. My ears felt full, and speech was harder to hear. Surprisingly, there was no ringing. This discomfort disappeared the next day.

I managed to book an appointment with an audiologist three weeks later. She said the test showed no hearing loss, and my ears looked fine. She mentioned that the damage I experienced might affect me as I age but assured me there was nothing to worry about.

It's been a month since the loud exposure, and I have been experiencing frequent fleeting tinnitus. I usually don't get worried because I have experienced this before, but not on a daily basis. It's never long (2-4 seconds), and there is no full sensation. It does not favor one ear over the other.

I am starting to feel very worried all over again. Strangely, my ears feel much better than before, but I am panicking that maybe my ears have stopped healing. I am feeling very paranoid and OCD about this. Please help or offer any insight you may have. Thank you very much.

 

[cullenbohannon]

Hi there,

I'm really sorry to hear about what you're going through. Noise trauma can be incredibly distressing, especially when you're usually so diligent about protecting your ears.

In my experience, I sometimes get fleeting tinnitus up to ten times a day, lasting 30 seconds or more. I've also dealt with ear fullness and muffled hearing from not using ear protection enough. I don't know for sure, but I believe this is hyperacusis-related. When this happens, I leave my earplugs in for up to a week. These episodes have happened many times, but my tinnitus almost always goes back to baseline, and the fullness dissipates. These experiences still cause me anxiety, but they always pass.

It's great that your audiologist found no hearing loss and said your ears look fine. This shows your ears are resilient and healing. That's a positive thing to focus on. Fleeting tinnitus, while unsettling, doesn't mean permanent damage. I hope this provides some measure of comfort.

 

[Lynn24]

Thank you for the reply. After my appointment, I resumed piano practice only to find that the fleeting tinnitus had started. Recently, I decided to take another silence break and found that my fleeting tinnitus practically disappeared overnight. Unfortunately, I think you are right about hyperacusis. It is not extremely painful, but I hear a ring in my left ear when I play certain notes on the piano. I hope more rest and wearing more ear protection will help in the long run.

This is discouraging, especially since my ears feel much better than a month ago. I can feel the progress, but obviously, my ears are not done healing (it has been a full month). Do you have any advice since you suffer from this chronically?

 

[cullenbohannon]

Thank you for the reply. After my appointment, I resumed piano practice only to find that the fleeting tinnitus had started. Recently, I decided to take another silence break and found that my fleeting tinnitus practically disappeared overnight. Unfortunately, I think you are right about hyperacusis. It is not extremely painful, but I hear a ring in my left ear when I play certain notes on the piano. I hope more rest and wearing more ear protection will help in the long run.

This is discouraging, especially since my ears feel much better than a month ago. I can feel the progress, but obviously, my ears are not done healing (it has been a full month). Do you have any advice since you suffer from this chronically?

The only advice I can give is to continue protecting your ears and allow them time to heal. Be patient with yourself, as the recovery process can be unpredictable. Once you start feeling a bit better, you might consider introducing some white noise to help you get used to sounds again. I do this when I experience episodes of fleeting tinnitus and hyperacusis, but everyone is different, so it's important to listen to your body.

Since you play the piano, it seems you can tolerate some noise, but try not to overdo it until you've had more time to recover. For me, fleeting tinnitus increases when I'm stressed, in loud environments (which I sometimes expose myself to more than I should), or when my neck and jaw muscles are overworked. If fleeting tinnitus is causing you distress, try to avoid these triggers.

Even after ten years, I still experience fleeting tinnitus, sometimes more frequently and sometimes less. It can still cause anxiety, especially during intense episodes. However, I remind myself that I've gone through this many times and have always been okay afterward. It's a process, and you don't want to start a feedback loop between these experiences and anxiety. To the extent possible, disrupt any such loops. The goal is to teach your nervous system not to perceive these episodes as threats.

You mentioned hearing a tone over the piano notes. While I don't know exactly what that is, in my case, every sound in my left ear is distorted, and the ringing gets louder, mimicking the sounds I hear. I don't expect mine to improve because I took risks with my tinnitus, which had long-term consequences. However, since you usually protect your ears diligently, try not to stress about it. Give yourself time to heal and disrupt any anxiety feedback loops that may develop, especially since you mentioned having experience with OCD.

I wish I could offer more practical or straightforward advice, but you're still at the beginning of a journey that you will get through. I hope this provides some measure of comfort.

 

[sspencermo]

Hi there,

I also play the piano, and after I suddenly developed tinnitus, I became much more careful about sound levels. I was surprised to find that even relatively quiet playing on my piano was around 80-85 decibels. You might want to try using musician's earplugs for a while or limit the time you play. It's a bummer, I know, but it's probably good to let your ears heal a bit more.