Member@ChrisRA I did a massive review of the available literature and looked on many forums, and talked to multiple healthcare professionals to try to determine how frequently tinnitus went away after onset. There is no clear consensus on what proportion of cases fade away! Personally, I think it's fair to say it happens much more often than people are given the impression of by doctors. Generally people are told this is for life. It is for some, but there is at least some chance it will either go away or fade significantly.
Roughly speaking, it would seem that a certain proportion have it fade away to nothing after a few months, and a further proportion fade away to nothing or a negligible level by roughly the two year mark. I have even read of some cases going away after that, but it seems to be much less common after two years
A tinnitus forum like this is inevitably mostly populated by the people for whom it didn't fade away or who didn't habituate. But I seem to remember it says somewhere on the introductory notes for this forum that most users disappear after about three months? Entirely anecdotally, it seems often this thing does seem to get quieter after about three months even if it doesn't go away. Again, not for everyone, but many people on here who are new seem to report that
If you are already at a stage where you can only really hear it in a quiet atmosphere, that seems like a good sign
Something that a number of the scientific papers say is that the amount of attention a person pays to the sound may help to determine how loud it is and whether it fades in the long term. It is something to do with the link with the limbic system. Of course there are other factors that determine its intractability like hearing loss. But on forums people sometimes say "the more you fear it, the more you hear it". Some people say this is not true for them, but personally I do find this to be true. Often on a day when I have lots of things to do the sound is actually quieter, and I'm sure mine began to fade a bit at the three month mark as soon as I stopped thinking about it as much
Nobody should give you the impression that this is definitely going to fade or it's very likely to fade, because nobody knows that, the data isn't there. But if yours is so quiet already you must have a fair shot. Even if it doesn't go away altogether and only gets quieter still, very quiet tinnitus is so much easier to deal with. And if yours doesn't go away and doesn't fade from where it is now, it is even more likely you will find that your brain gets used to it and it doesn't bother you
Mine isn't so loud as it was at onset, but it is still there at coming up for two years. In my own case I have a strong feeling this is to do with many other stresses I have in my life relating to other health issues. I see a very strong link with stress in my case, but this is not true for everybody, some people see no link. The other advice healthcare professionals often give is to reduce stress in your life as much as possible.
Roughly speaking, it would seem that a certain proportion have it fade away to nothing after a few months, and a further proportion fade away to nothing or a negligible level by roughly the two year mark. I have even read of some cases going away after that, but it seems to be much less common after two years
A tinnitus forum like this is inevitably mostly populated by the people for whom it didn't fade away or who didn't habituate. But I seem to remember it says somewhere on the introductory notes for this forum that most users disappear after about three months? Entirely anecdotally, it seems often this thing does seem to get quieter after about three months even if it doesn't go away. Again, not for everyone, but many people on here who are new seem to report that
If you are already at a stage where you can only really hear it in a quiet atmosphere, that seems like a good sign
Something that a number of the scientific papers say is that the amount of attention a person pays to the sound may help to determine how loud it is and whether it fades in the long term. It is something to do with the link with the limbic system. Of course there are other factors that determine its intractability like hearing loss. But on forums people sometimes say "the more you fear it, the more you hear it". Some people say this is not true for them, but personally I do find this to be true. Often on a day when I have lots of things to do the sound is actually quieter, and I'm sure mine began to fade a bit at the three month mark as soon as I stopped thinking about it as much
Nobody should give you the impression that this is definitely going to fade or it's very likely to fade, because nobody knows that, the data isn't there. But if yours is so quiet already you must have a fair shot. Even if it doesn't go away altogether and only gets quieter still, very quiet tinnitus is so much easier to deal with. And if yours doesn't go away and doesn't fade from where it is now, it is even more likely you will find that your brain gets used to it and it doesn't bother you
Mine isn't so loud as it was at onset, but it is still there at coming up for two years. In my own case I have a strong feeling this is to do with many other stresses I have in my life relating to other health issues. I see a very strong link with stress in my case, but this is not true for everybody, some people see no link. The other advice healthcare professionals often give is to reduce stress in your life as much as possible.
