Intermittent High-Frequency Tinnitus with Fluctuating Intensity and Sleep Disruption

[fboba]

I've been struggling with non-restorative sleep for nine months. I was getting better, but six weeks ago I developed tinnitus. I wasn't doing anything in particular, just working on my computer when I suddenly noticed a buzzing in my head. When it didn't go away after 30 minutes or so, I started to panic.

The panic phase lasted for three or four weeks. During that time, I read and learned a lot. I think my tinnitus was brought on by stress, but I did see an audiologist who discovered high-frequency hearing loss in one ear.

When it first started, I thought my tinnitus was severe, but after reading here and on Reddit, I'd describe it as high mild to low medium. Some days, I can barely hear it at all, but it always comes back for days at a time, sounding like high-voltage power lines buzzing in my head. My tinnitus frequency seems to be around 13 kHz.

So, my question is: does anyone have something similar? Does the fact that it quiets down sometimes mean it might eventually go away? Or does the fluctuation just make it harder to habituate since it comes and goes?

Not gonna lie, I'm not freaking out anymore, but it still bothers me tremendously. I'm getting better at ignoring it, but it's still very difficult on bad days.

-Rus

 

[Hman]

I'm going through exactly the same thing.

Some days, it feels like a fading radio signal, only noticeable in silence.

But then the buzzing starts, and I get stressed again, which makes it ramp back up.

 

[Scruffiey]

Unfortunately, no one can definitively answer that. Each person's tinnitus is unique, from its cause to its progression. Some people find that it gradually decreases until it disappears, even if it takes years. For others, it fluctuates from day to day or week to week. And for some, it simply stays the same.

You're still very early in the process, and those first few months are the hardest. It will almost certainly get easier, even if it doesn't go away completely (which it might!).

When mine started, it was catastrophic—10/10, rising and falling like a siren all day, with extra screaming tones in the mornings. Those first couple of months were harrowing. But now, four months in, it's usually at a 1, or at worst, a 2.5. It's just a buzzy hiss now. Sure, some mornings it still upsets me, but other times I can just sit with it. Sometimes I don't even notice it at all, and I'm not sure if it's there. I don't expect it to fully disappear on its own, but it has definitely become more manageable with time, and I expect that to continue.

One of the hardest things to hear is, "You'll just have to get used to it." It feels crushing, and your mind will likely reject the idea (and, for some lucky people, it isn't even true because theirs eventually fades). But the brain is an incredible thing. Almost everyone, except for the worst cases, adapts over time. Eventually, you'll pay as much attention to it as you do to the constant presence of your nose on your face—even if that seems impossible right now.

If you can access therapy, it may be a wise investment. It can help you de-stress and address any existing issues, which is especially important in those mentally exhausting first months.

Your current good days will become your future bad days, and you will feel better with time.

 

[Jupiterman]

It's commendable that you recognize this as a mild-to-moderate case.

I'd actually say it's more on the mild side since it's monotonal (a single sound), and the fact that it comes and goes for days at a time firmly places it in that category.

You've had it for less than two months and are already not freaking out. In another two months, you'll be freaking out even less.

I doubt we'll be hearing from you again.

Consider yourself lucky, and protect your ears.