Good News (Tinnitus Improved) — Bad News (Now Having a Setback) — Would Love Advice!

Hi all,

1) The good news: I suffered an acoustic trauma in Oct. 2017, was very careful during the first year, saw gradual improvement, and by early this past summer (2019) was really doing great: many moments of no tinnitus at all, listening to music again at significant volume in car. I felt like I was almost back to normal.

2) The bad news: Since returning from a summer trip, I've had a major setback, and I don't quite understand it. There was no event at all as loud as the acoustic trauma. I never use headphones, and never will. All I can trace it to is perhaps the cumulative effect of a series of smaller things over the course of a couple of weeks: 1) I had been doing so well that one day I tried using a hair dryer. This caused some ear fullness, but no lingering effects. 2) We went to an event in town (not in itself at all loud) and the folks behind us kept cheering loudly. It didn't hurt my ears at the time, though I did try to tell them to cut it out just in case. 3) Then, a week later, we listened to some music at home maybe a bit louder than usual, but again not super loud like the old days.

Anyway, I find myself back to being REALLY sensitive! The things that have always been hardest for me are recorded sounds from TV, music, etc. So right now, just a TV show at *really* low volume on my computer really bothers my ears! (I've been watching a little with earplugs, which seems much better, if a bit crazy!) BUT as long as I don't expose myself to any bothersome sounds (I work at home and most of the day am in relative quiet), I have NO T AT ALL except in the evening/night and upon first waking. I sleep, as I have since this occurred, with a sound machine. (And just to be clear, I don't wear earplugs when I do go out.)

It just doesn't make sense to me that, having recovered SO much, that these minor things could have caused such a major setback. So I am back to what I feel is my usual dilemma of: Am I overprotecting myself? Or do I really need to avoid all TV/music for several months again, which is what I did after the first trauma?

The reason I sometimes think I overprotect: When we spend a week or so in a big city, or go out to a restaurant or party, I always do much better. I find that kind of ambient noise, however loud, like a massage for my ears. But when I have tried using pink/white noise at home while awake, because it is recorded, it does not help and can seem to make things worse. The sound machine I use at night is just a fan. I use it because I can wake a lot at night and don't want my tinnitus to make it hard to fall back to sleep.

Any thoughts, anyone?

 

How did you first get tinnitus?
Was there anything you did to help improve your tinnitus?
So it took you around 3 years for it to improve?

I hope your tinnitus improves once again, it most likely will since you weren't exposed to harmful sounds

 

but perhaps...

and

...had a cumulative effect on your hearing: damage doesn't have to happen in one shot.

It's speculation of course.

 

I agree. I don't want to spell a grudge on anyone. It looks, like her ears were damaged and Tinnitus appeared, then they seemingly healed and Tinnitus disappeared, but some time later, the ears became noticeably damaged again, because of time and cumulative events, not because one single acoustic shock event. I would just care for my ears but not be too obsessed about them, because that will bring anxiety. Maybe try to take some anti-oxidants supplements, or something, to increase blood flow in your ears.

(Sorry if I sound big-headed) We could say that your Tinnitus is still new and fresh, so the neuro-plasticity should be very high and 'inflammation' should be very low in your instance, and surely you can gain silence back again, in one way or another.