Friend's Story: Tinnitus for 12 Years and It Went Overnight 95% Away

[Tanni]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share the story of my best friend Steve.

He has had tinnitus for 12 years, in his left ear. On bad days, he could hear it over the shower, and on an average day he could hear it over traffic and the TV etc. It was very loud, and he had almost no escape from it. He would often mention it to me, and it very much distressed him.

Over six months ago, it hugely decreased in volume by around 95%. He can now only hear it if he blocks his ears in a silent room. He didn't do anything differently; it just improved suddenly overnight.

He still has mild hyperacusis, but describes it as a non-issue now.

I hope this helps give hope to anyone who has had tinnitus for a long time. It's not gone, but has hugely improved.

 

[Michael Leigh]

That is splendid news @Tanni and I wish your friend all the best and hope his tinnitus stays at a low level. Tinnitus is a strange condition because no two people will experience it the same and it can change in severity for a number of reasons. Since Steve has hyperacusis his tinnitus was probably noise induced. Therefore, if he uses headphones, earbuds or headset, please advise him to be careful and not use them at too loud a volume. Better still is not to use them at all even at low volume.

Michael

 

[Tanni]

That is splendid news @Tanni and I wish your friend all the best and hope his tinnitus stays at a low level. Tinnitus is a strange condition because no two people will experience it the same and it can change in severity for a number of reasons. Since Steve has hyperacusis his tinnitus was probably noise induced. Therefore, if he uses headphones, earbuds or headset, please advise him to be careful and not use them at too loud a volume. Better still is not to use them at all even at low volume.

Michael

Thanks Michael. Steve believes that his tinnitus was indeed noise induced from listening to headphones, so has not used headphones/earbuds etc since tinnitus onset.

This is just his personal experience of course

 

[n_li808]

@Tanni Wow! I hope mine just vanishes... while he had it all those years... did he live normally? Was he protecting his ears from noise?

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Tanni Wow! I hope mine just vanishes... while he had it all those years... did he live normally? Was he protecting his ears from noise?

HI @n_li808

A lot of people with noise induced tinnitus improve with time which can take up to 18 months with or without professional treatment. Since your tinnitus was noise induced my advice is not to use any type of headphones, earbuds or headset even at low volumes. Please click on the links below and read my posts that you might find helpful.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

[n_li808]

@Michael Leigh thank you for sharing the post! Just ordered a radio/speaker to play some light music to sleep with. I stopped using headphone and headsets, but what about going out? Do I need earplugs all the time?? My tone changes everytime I leave the house and come back... it's like a spike.

 

[UKBloke]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share the story of my best friend Steve.

He has had tinnitus for 12 years, in his left ear. On bad days, he could hear it over the shower, and on an average day he could hear it over traffic and the TV etc. It was very loud, and he had almost no escape from it. He would often mention it to me, and it very much distressed him.

Over six months ago, it hugely decreased in volume by around 95%. He can now only hear it if he blocks his ears in a silent room. He didn't do anything differently; it just improved suddenly overnight.

He still has mild hyperacusis, but describes it as a non-issue now.

I hope this helps give hope to anyone who has had tinnitus for a long time. It's not gone, but has hugely improved.

Thanks for this. Always nice to read positive stories.

 

[Tanni]

@Tanni Wow! I hope mine just vanishes... while he had it all those years... did he live normally? Was he protecting his ears from noise?

Aside from no longer using earbuds, he carried on completely normally and didn't ever wear earplugs. He isn't the type to go clubbing or to concerts/gigs, but he never wore earplugs in pubs, bars, restaurants nor to the cinema, which he goes to a couple of times a week. Not saying this is the correct thing to do, but it is what he did.

Sorry to see that you have Tinnitus -- you're very early into it, so although I know how difficult it is please try not to worry too much. Fluctuations over the first few months are totally normal, and it's very common for it to disappear completely over time or to decrease in volume and become a non issue. I have my fingers crossed for you .

 

[n_li808]

@Tanni was his tinnitus noise induced?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Aside from no longer using earbuds, he carried on completely normally and didn't ever wear earplugs.

This might explain why it took him 12 years before he could experience what many people take 2-3 years to get to experience.

 

[Tanni]

@Tanni was his tinnitus noise induced?

Yes, he believes so. Excessive/loud earbud use.

 

[Tanni]

This might explain why it took him 12 years before he could experience what many people take 2-3 years to get to experience.

Perhaps, yes. But then again, I always use earplugs and I personally haven't experienced any improvement.

I know we all desperately want to find a pattern, but I think often there just isn't one -- Tinnitus can be completely random, and sometimes people get lucky.

 

[asey20]

Amazing how one can heal even after 12 years of dealing with this. Hopefully he continues to improve. If I could get a 95% reduction though, then tinnitus would be basically gone from my life. It's almost happened a few times, but it likes to keep coming back. However, I guess these are good signs nonetheless.

 

[SadMan]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share the story of my best friend Steve.

He has had tinnitus for 12 years, in his left ear. On bad days, he could hear it over the shower, and on an average day he could hear it over traffic and the TV etc. It was very loud, and he had almost no escape from it. He would often mention it to me, and it very much distressed him.

Over six months ago, it hugely decreased in volume by around 95%. He can now only hear it if he blocks his ears in a silent room. He didn't do anything differently; it just improved suddenly overnight.

He still has mild hyperacusis, but describes it as a non-issue now.

I hope this helps give hope to anyone who has had tinnitus for a long time. It's not gone, but has hugely improved.

Your friend's tinnitus looks like mine. I can also hear it everywhere. 1.5 months has passed. I have sleepless nights.

Please ask your friend if after a few months his severity decreased.

I am 40 years old and I have to work. I can't live with this for 12 years. I'm trying to sleep with sleeping pills.

 

[Tanni]

Your friend's tinnitus looks like mine. I can also hear it everywhere. 1.5 months has passed. I have sleepless nights.

Please ask your friend if after a few months his severity decreased.

I am 40 years old and I have to work. I can't live with this for 12 years. I'm trying to sleep with sleeping pills.

Hi SadMan,

I'm sorry to hear about your Tinnitus onset. I understand how difficult it is to continue working when something like this happens - I had to be signed off for a couple of months at first as I was unable to cope. But in time, work became a really good distraction. Perhaps consider getting signed off yourself if that's possible - Tinnitus can be quite shocking to the system at first, and it's important to take care of yourself.

Tinnitus is often at its most prominent and distressing in the months following onset - and it is common for it to decrease after a few months. Often it will disappear completely, or cease to be a problem. Ears are very, very slow to heal, so please give it plenty of time.

My friend's Tinnitus fluctuated a lot before getting to where it is now, as is quite common. Some months were louder than others.

It may help you to remain on the Success Stories section of the forum for the first few months, before moving over to Support if needed. It's natural to be in a state of panic at onset, and sometimes this can be compounded by reading about severe, chronic cases, when you will not necessarily end up the same.

Protect your ears to give them the best possible chance, and hopefully this will be a temporary problem for you!

 

[Ken219]

Your friend's tinnitus looks like mine. I can also hear it everywhere. 1.5 months has passed. I have sleepless nights.

Please ask your friend if after a few months his severity decreased.

I am 40 years old and I have to work. I can't live with this for 12 years. I'm trying to sleep with sleeping pills.

You sound like me 30 years ago. I was 42. If you want, we may have a conversation how I deal with it.

 

[SadMan]

Protect your ears to give them the best possible chance

I protect my ears very much. I protect my left ear even when watching TV at home. The sound of the television is not too much. Is it okay to use earplugs at home?

I'm sorry to hear about your Tinnitus onset. I understand how difficult it is to continue working when something like this happens - I had to be signed off for a couple of months at first as I was unable to cope. But in time, work became a really good distraction. Perhaps consider getting signed off yourself if that's possible - Tinnitus can be quite shocking to the system at first, and it's important to take care of yourself.

Tinnitus is often at its most prominent and distressing in the months following onset - and it is common for it to decrease after a few months. Often it will disappear completely, or cease to be a problem. Ears are very, very slow to heal, so please give it plenty of time.

My friend's Tinnitus fluctuated a lot before getting to where it is now, as is quite common. Some months were louder than others.

This information is gold for me. God, in this difficult process, your answers made me comfortable. Thank you forever. You showed me a glimmer of hope. I say with all my heart, God bless you from all evil.

 

[Kriszti]

I protect my ears very much. I protect my left ear even when watching TV at home. The sound of the television is not too much. Is it okay to use earplugs at home?

Do you have hyperacusis as well? Do the sound of your TV, family, anything at your home bother your ears making it ache? Or does the volume of your tinnitus increase if exposed to the above mentioned things?

I don't think that it is necessary to protect at your home if you are not exposed to loud sounds. I use ear-pro if I vacuum, dry my hair, feed my dog (she is prone to barking), use loud devices, but other than that, no. I think overprotection is less dangerous than underprotection, but it's not beneficial if you overprotect either.

 

[Tanni]

I protect my ears very much. I protect my left ear even when watching TV at home. The sound of the television is not too much. Is it okay to use earplugs at home?

There are different schools of thought on which sounds require earplug protection, and how much protection is too much. Tinnitus is different for everyone and your sound tolerance is unique to you, so it's pretty much trial and error finding what suits you best and makes you the most comfortable both short and long term.

If the sound of the TV is comfortable for you, then I can't see any reason why you would need to use earplugs at home. It's important not to over-sensitize yourself to sound or to become afraid of everyday, non-harmful sounds, like a TV on normal volume.

Sorry I can't be more help on this - sound protection is very difficult to get right! But in time you will come to know what feels right for your ears and what doesn't.

 

[SadMan]

You sound like me 30 years ago. I was 42. If you want, we may have a conversation how I deal with it.

Yes please. How did you achieve this? For how many months did you have difficulty?

 

[SadMan]

Do you have hyperacusis as well? Do the sound of your TV, family, anything at your home bother your ears making it ache? Or does the volume of your tinnitus increase if exposed to the above mentioned things?

I don't think that it is necessary to protect at your home if you are not exposed to loud sounds. I use ear-pro if I vacuum, dry my hair, feed my dog (she is prone to barking), use loud devices, but other than that, no. I think overprotection is less dangerous than underprotection, but it's not beneficial if you overprotect either.

I think there is. For example, horn sounds annoy me. I want to tell people "speak without shouting". I developed a sensitivity to sound. When I wake up in the morning, when I hear the slightest noise, my left ear rustles.

I'm not sure, but I think I have hyperacusis.

 

[twa]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share the story of my best friend Steve.

He has had tinnitus for 12 years, in his left ear. On bad days, he could hear it over the shower, and on an average day he could hear it over traffic and the TV etc. It was very loud, and he had almost no escape from it. He would often mention it to me, and it very much distressed him.

Over six months ago, it hugely decreased in volume by around 95%. He can now only hear it if he blocks his ears in a silent room. He didn't do anything differently; it just improved suddenly overnight.

He still has mild hyperacusis, but describes it as a non-issue now.

I hope this helps give hope to anyone who has had tinnitus for a long time. It's not gone, but has hugely improved.

That is awesome! I have read many people are extremely stressed when they acquire tinnitus. I wonder if his emotional health or mood had changed at the time?

 

[Tanni]

That is awesome! I have read many people are extremely stressed when they acquire tinnitus. I wonder if his emotional health or mood had changed at the time?

Yes, he was going through a difficult breakup at the time so it is possible that it was stress related. But he also listened to music loudly through earbuds in this period so he believes his Tinnitus is noise induced. Perhaps a combination of both?

Stress does indeed impact Tinnitus, but the link between stress and physical illness is still so poorly understood (esp. so 12 years ago!) that I think it is often overlooked.

It is so difficult to know the exact cause of Tinnitus - I don't even know exactly what caused mine, hence the ??? in my profile .

 

[Sonic17]

I am 40 years old and I have to work. I can't live with this for 12 years. I'm trying to sleep with sleeping pills.

Melatonin helps a lot of people. I rely on lots of outdoor exercise... occasional small dose of Ativan for sleep.

 

[Ben Winders]

In case of lacking research, I reckon we must let common sense prevail.
If the sound (watching tv, ...) does not create pain/discomfort I think it would be not advised (possibly unwise even?) to put earplugs in.

Again - no research to back this up - but common sense could also assume that you will create unnecessary sensitivity to everyday sounds when you overprotect like that.

 

[twa]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share the story of my best friend Steve.

He has had tinnitus for 12 years, in his left ear. On bad days, he could hear it over the shower, and on an average day he could hear it over traffic and the TV etc. It was very loud, and he had almost no escape from it. He would often mention it to me, and it very much distressed him.

Over six months ago, it hugely decreased in volume by around 95%. He can now only hear it if he blocks his ears in a silent room. He didn't do anything differently; it just improved suddenly overnight.

He still has mild hyperacusis, but describes it as a non-issue now.

I hope this helps give hope to anyone who has had tinnitus for a long time. It's not gone, but has hugely improved.

That's an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. I hope your friend continues to recover and heal.

 

[twa]

That is splendid news @Tanni and I wish your friend all the best and hope his tinnitus stays at a low level. Tinnitus is a strange condition because no two people will experience it the same and it can change in severity for a number of reasons. Since Steve has hyperacusis his tinnitus was probably noise induced. Therefore, if he uses headphones, earbuds or headset, please advise him to be careful and not use them at too loud a volume. Better still is not to use them at all even at low volume.

Michael

Is hyperacusis usually noise induced?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Is hyperacusis usually noise induced?

HI @twa

Yes, hyperacusis is usually noise induced. The belief that some people have that it cannot be cured or improved is incorrect. It can improve over time without treatment for some people. However, if this doesn't happen and is left untreated it can become a long term problem causing spikes in tinnitus. Other symptoms are associated with it that I've written about in my posts: Hyperacusis, As I see it & The Complexities of tinnitus and hyperacusis. These posts are on my started threads .

Michael

 

[twa]

HI @twa

Yes, hyperacusis is usually noise induced. The belief that some people have that it cannot be cured or improved is incorrect. It can improve over time without treatment for some people. However, if this doesn't happen and is left untreated it can become a long term problem causing spikes in tinnitus. Other symptoms can result that I have written about in my posts: Hyperacusis, As I see it & The Complexities of tinnitus and hyperacusis. These posts are on my started threads .

Michael

Thanks Michael. I've read a lot about it and the otologist seemed to think mine was noise induced, and also exacerbated by stress. My husband doesn't think that my child screaming into my ear could have caused this, but I know of others who have had this same incident happen.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thanks Michael. I've read a lot about it and the otologist seemed to think mine was noise induced, and also exacerbated by stress. My husband doesn't think that my child screaming into my ear could have caused this, but I know of others who have had this same incident happen.

With respect to your husband twa, he isn't experiencing what you are and often a person knows what has affected their body. Someone telephoned me just last week and fraught with worry, as she's developed tinnitus and hyperacusis. The tinnitus is improving but the hyperacusis causes her immense distress. She is adamant both conditions were brought on after giving birth and looking after her new-born who cries a lot. She doesn't use headphones, earbuds which are typical causes of noise induced tinnitus. She was at home all day looking after her baby in complete silence and when the baby cries the sound was piercing.

I gave some advice and she'll be keeping in touch.

Michael