Folks With Tinnitus for Over Ten Years

[Grace]

I've had it for 14 years, I'm 31 now. It's always been a high-pitched hiss loud enough to hear everywhere if I listen for it. It took me about a year I think to habituate. After that it didn't really bother me ever. I've played in my band for ten years, touring, going to cinemas and clubs, listening to music. I think I've had a pretty good sense about when to use earplugs though, and I always have them with me. It never got worse for me and I only had smaller spikes that went away after a night's sleep. I define my spikes as when the sound changes. My baseline can go up and down in volume too, but I know that this is a matter of perception and not actual volume. Sometimes, when drunk for ex, the hiss can get ridiculously loud and I always marvel at how I just don't care emotionally about it. It's quite amazing how your brain can adapt and accept things. I always hated reading online about people telling me that habituation works when I first got T. But believe me, it does work, better than you can even imagen. It's like magic.

This changed about 3 months ago though after an accident with my stereo suddenly blasting on full volume. This spike is still going on and I'm a bit worried it won't go away. It's been changing and seemingly getting a bit better though, so hopefully it'll subside totally. It's sounds like one of my old spikes, which is a bit comforting. If my brain could heal it so many times before, hopefully it can this time as well.

But to answer your question; it's different for everyone ofc, but I had it loud enough to always hear it, and I'd say it affected my quality of life by about 5% (before this spike). In short, not a big deal!

I loved your post! Just love hearing bout people that have lived with T so long and have still lived great without it effecting them too much! Is your T all noise induced?

 

[Philip83]

I loved your post! Just love hearing bout people that have lived with T so long and have still lived great without it effecting them too much! Is your T all noise induced?

Yep, without a doubt. Drove a very loud moped for a couple of weeks when I was 17, and one day when I stepped off it, it was there, and stayed. I do hate myself sometimes for being so stupid, but then I think "Hey, I was 17, i WAS stupid, everyone is at that age".

My spikes (before this one going on) have never really been noise induced though, not in any manner that I can recall at least. They've come seemingly randomly, although sometimes I've been able to link them to weather changes or bad sinus-colds. However, I've had a bad habit of playing music a little bit too loud when in the car and when listening through my headphones which, according to the last doctor I did a hearing test at, has taken it's toll on my hearing a bit. This is nothing that I'm suffering from on a day to day basis though, and it hasn't affected the volume of my tinnitus as far as I can tell. My hearing dip is at 2Khz and 8Khz, but my tinnitus is nowhere near those frequencies, but rather at 13Khz+.

 

[carol kane]

There probably is a reason though. I just havent figured it out yet. But I got tons of theories. The top theory is that I got H just because I've been living a normal and happy life with T. Now I have to pay for it. 100% habituation can be dangerous that way.

lapidus, this has always been my thoughts about total habituation ... because one can't hear their tinnitus life just seems normal again, and so ear protection isn't as important any more because in ones mind they no longer have a problem! understandable... that is a mistake, once your ears are broken they remain broken for the rest of ones life, whether it is bothersome or not. I will always use ear plugs for the rest of my life regardless of Habituation which hasn't happened for me yet, my husband get's annoyed with me and say's you don't need your plugs in it's not that loud, but if i feel the bar~ restaurant is getting louder then in go the plugs and to hell with what he thinks he's not suffering i am!!! so i agree with you, habituation does not mean CURED and sensible precautions must be taken at all times, i'm sorry that you've got H as i myself do have some H, dishes and cutlery clashing, babies high pitched squealing, cars screeching round corners all set my ears on edge i can't bear it ... i hope your H improves for you, best wishes Carol.

 

[lapidus]

lapidus, this has always been my thoughts about total habituation ... because one can't hear their tinnitus life just seems normal again, and so ear protection isn't as important any more because in ones mind they no longer have a problem! understandable... that is a mistake, once your ears are broken they remain broken for the rest of ones life, whether it is bothersome or not. I will always use ear plugs for the rest of my life regardless of Habituation which hasn't happened for me yet, my husband get's annoyed with me and say's you don't need your plugs in it's not that loud, but if i feel the bar~ restaurant is getting louder then in go the plugs and to hell with what he thinks he's not suffering i am!!! so i agree with you, habituation does not mean CURED and sensible precautions must be taken at all times, i'm sorry that you've got H as i myself do have some H, dishes and cutlery clashing, babies high pitched squealing, cars screeching round corners all set my ears on edge i can't bear it ... i hope your H improves for you, best wishes Carol.

Thanks Carol. You don't think that the little H you got can be caused by your overprotection then? And please don't take my earlier post about habituation being dangerous too seriously. It wasnt my intention to scare anyone. I mean, I got T at such a young age so that's why I've been so habituated (and in hindsight rather reckless for someone with T). But I didnt know what hyperacusis was before I started to develop it. If I known about H maybe I wouldve been more protective. It's not like there's som publec service announcements about H, or T either for that matter. But then again, I have no idea if sound even has anything to do with my H as it just came on, with no aucostic trauma triggering it.

 

[carol kane]

Thanks Carol. You don't think that the little H you got can be caused by your overprotection then? And please don't take my earlier post about habituation being dangerous too seriously. It wasnt my intention to scare anyone. I mean, I got T at such a young age so that's why I've been so habituated (and in hindsight rather reckless for someone with T). But I didnt know what hyperacusis was before I started to develop it. If I known about H maybe I wouldve been more protective. It's not like there's som publec service announcements about H, or T either for that matter. But then again, I have no idea if sound even has anything to do with my H as it just came on, with no aucostic trauma triggering it.

Hi, i don't think i gave myself H due to over protecting, H came with T for me, and i do agree with you i think i plug too much, but i'm so, so, so, so scared to just let my ears hear loud voices shouting and laughing it makes me want to just run home lock the door and throw away the key, if i don't plug and it got worse i'd never forgive myself!!! what a bloody stupid affliction this whole thing is, it controls my whole life i'm so sick of it ... sorry about the rant.

 

[lapidus]

Hi, i don't think i gave myself H due to over protecting, H came with T for me, and i do agree with you i think i plug too much, but i'm so, so, so, so scared to just let my ears hear loud voices shouting and laughing it makes me want to just run home lock the door and throw away the key, if i don't plug and it got worse i'd never forgive myself!!! what a bloody stupid affliction this whole thing is, it controls my whole life i'm so sick of it ... sorry about the rant.

You got your H when you got your T, and i assume it was noise induced? Well the good news is that from my understanding after reading on this site and others, the people who get H togheter with their T often get rid of their H, even if it takes time (1-2 years even). Mine didnt came on like that. I just noticed that certain sounds were uncomfortable in my right ear one day in november, and from there it just escalated and moved to the left ear as well. But I have been having small bursts of tensor tympani syndrome sporadically in my right ear since a couple years back without ever knowing what it was, and it didnt bother me so i didnt look it up either.

 

[carol kane]

You got your H when you got your T, and i assume it was noise induced? Well the good news is that from my understanding after reading on this site and others, the people who get H togheter with their T often get rid of their H, even if it takes time (1-2 years even). Mine didnt came on like that. I just noticed that certain sounds were uncomfortable in my right ear one day in november, and from there it just escalated and moved to the left ear as well. But I have been having small bursts of tensor tympani syndrome sporadically in my right ear since a couple years back without ever knowing what it was, and it didnt bother me so i didnt look it up either.

Thanks lapidus, you've made me happier after reading that about H, i would love it to go away then i would just have to deal with the T, 8 months is such a short time to expect any kind of healing i suppose? i hope yours gets better soon, it's not much fun is it ... you seem ok with it, in control and getting on with life.

 

[ruben ruiz]

My t has gotten worse and even the h the killer has gotten also worse. I cant mask it its to loud. I feel a closeness to all of you here. Im going on six years. Keep writing letter to the white house. Tell them how selfish they are with the malady and the pharmaceutical companies. Tell them that many of us are dying and suffering. Tell them that all there is are the awful benzos. There not making us better there killing over time. There selfish plutocrats that are not taking care of their American brothers. What are they up to now. There trying to criminalize medical marijuana. Meantime a bill was just written 70,000.000 was appropriated to explore the medicinal traits of THC. Like I said there selfish fascists. They will sell thc and cbds to the Pharmaceuticals you watch thats what they do.
They call themselves christians, what an awful joke. Just keep writing them put up a mirror up to their faces. Bless you all and I hope relief or a cure is soon created.

 

[Robert44]

My dad has had it for over 50 years. My brother over 30 years, Never know either one of them had it till I got it. I'm guessing mine is worse than theirs. I'm doing pretty good. As I've read here many times I do live in fear of it or some other problem with my ears getting worse. I have experienced loud fleeting T and that really scares me.

 

[MichaelM]

i am 40 years of age soon.... my first memories of tinnitus are from early 90´s. Shotgun range without a hearing protection. One time only and it did it for me: T so loud for a couple of days i didnt hear anything else with my right ear. I panicked but that T disappear after a few days.

Lots of rock concerts and gigs during those times and I got T for good. That T was mild, audible only when in a quiet environment. Gotta say i habituated to that quite easily within a few years. I have lived with tinnitus for over 20 years. first time i visited a doctor because of tinnitus was in 2001. but what could they do: absolutely nothing.

never really cared about tinnitus too much after that initial phase until the

Second Phase hit me couple of years ago and almost, just almost, killed me 2 years ago when Meniere´s Disease started happening and tinnitus went trough the roof and got so loud it is ridiculous. I mean in a sense "dont you guys hear all this what i am hearing" .... it´s hard to believe how loud it is now. that 90´s tinnitus wasnt even a T compared with this T 2.0.

After diagnosed with Meniere´s i have lived almost every day "ear first" ( i start my day noticing my ear/T/H/ear pain/ear pressure and hearing loss in my Meniere´s ear... and finish the day with the same). But... here i am with crazy T, H, ears going click pop, snap, crackle, hiss, pulsatile woosh woosh etc 24/7 every single second of the day.
i can mask this with an old lawn mover engine running....
long story short: dont give up. there is life going on no matter what your ears are doing. this is the new normal.