Is There Ever a Delay for the Onset of Tinnitus After Noise Exposure?

[Plainsman]

I went to an indoor shooting range on Sat, Feb 12. I shot for about an hour and a half, and used over the ear muffs that were fitted correctly (maybe not the best muffs, but fitted). I wrapped up around 6 and had no issues that night. I had no issues on Sunday either, and even read for hours in a quiet room.

The ringing in my right ear started mid morning on Monday, and has been with me now for 9 days. I always thought noise induced tinnitus would show up immediately.

Is there ever a delay in onset like this?

 

[Staceyyy]

I have hearing loss in my left ear and it recently started in my right ear a few days after a noise exposure. I had my hearing in my right ear checked and it's fine.

So I was actually wondering the same thing as you?

 

[Plainsman]

How long have you had it in your right ear? I had my hearing checked yesterday. I'm middle aged, so I didn't have the best hearing safety habits back in the day. My ears both track identical in the audiogram. Perfectly normal range or better, then from 4000-8000 Hz they fall to the border of mild to moderate loss. My first hearing test, so could have been that way for a while though. But this right ear ringing even for such a short time simply has me in knots.

 

[JohnAdams]

I believe the answer is yes. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[GregCA]

The ringing in my right ear started mid morning on Monday, and has been with me now for 9 days. I always thought noise induced tinnitus would show up immediately.

Not always. Delayed onset is common.

 

[spedgas]

I asked an audiologist about this once. I was left with the impression that there can be a short delay. I asked because mine showed up overnight. The only noise exposure I had prior to that was six weeks before. She told me a few days was reasonable, but six weeks was not. I have yet to figure out what caused mine.

 

[Plainsman]

Crushingly dissapointing to hear, but not unexpected. I hope there is some type of adjustment to this, because right now I'm crawling out of my skin.

 

[Striveon]

My tinnitus started 4 days after a noise incident.

 

[GregCA]

Crushingly dissapointing to hear, but not unexpected. I hope there is some type of adjustment to this, because right now I'm crawling out of my skin.

Your acoustic trauma is fairly recent. There is a good chance that it is going to fade slowly.

Have you seen a doc about it? Some of them recommend Prednisone or HBOT. In both cases, I think results are best the earlier you can treat, so it may be worth talking to your doc about it.

 

[Staceyyy]

I am currently on prednisone, hopefully it will help.

 

[Plainsman]

I saw my GP, who just gave me a referral to an ENT. I got in early for a hearing test, but since I had no baseline there is no way to tell if this loss is recent or not. The earliest appt I've been able to get with the ENT is March 29. What is the deal with Prednisone, and what is HBOT?

 

[Plainsman]

I thought if it didn't fade in a few days to a week the convential wisdom was that it wouldn't. Am I wrong on that part?

 

[Eric N]

Yes delayed-onsets are very possible, could be anything from a few hours to a few days a week or even a month I have experienced all of those.

Looks like the brain needs some time to adapt to the new loss. This is by far one of the shittiest symptoms of tinnitus you never know when you're in the clear

 

[Digital Doc]

I thought if it didn't fade in a few days to a week the convential wisdom was that it wouldn't. Am I wrong on that part?

There can definitely be a delay in onset from the noise trauma, to the onset of the T, and it is typically a few days, so you are fitting that classic pattern.

You wore ear muffs, but for shooting, which is quite loud, ideally it should be earplugs underneath the muffs for double protection as this can happen.

The T can fade, but this occurs over weeks to months, and can take a few years in some cases. Be sure to avoid additional noise trauma as it can set things back to square one. This includes headphones, earbuds, loud restaurants, power tools, vacuums, etc.

 

[GregCA]

I saw my GP, who just gave me a referral to an ENT. I got in early for a hearing test, but since I had no baseline there is no way to tell if this loss is recent or not. The earliest appt I've been able to get with the ENT is March 29. What is the deal with Prednisone, and what is HBOT?

Search the forum, or Google, or - my favorite - pubmed. Tons of info available.

 

[GregCA]

I thought if it didn't fade in a few days to a week the convential wisdom was that it wouldn't. Am I wrong on that part?

Yup. It can take days/weeks/months/sometimes years for T to slowly fade. Of course, the longer it takes with no fading, the higher the chance that it won't fade at all, but it's not uncommon to have fading over very long periods of time.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Is there ever a delay in onset like this?

A delay like that is normal.

My acoustic trauma took place on January 22, 2017. My T turned on on February 2...

 

[Bill Bauer]

Am I wrong on that part?

Yes, you are. There is a good chance it will begin fading 3-6 months after the onset. The odds of getting to the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage are good. It can take 9-24 months to get to that stage. Some people even get to hear silence again. If it relentlessly stays at the same volume level and pitch for more than 3-6 months, then it will begin to look like it won't fade.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[Plainsman]

Thanks everybody, glad I found this group. Just over s week ago I couldn't have even told you what tinnitus was. Now just over a week in I'm completely astounded at the impact it's having on me in such a short time - anxiety, fear, flashes of anger and regret for letting it happen, depression. I keep telling myself that it's just a little sound...but it seems to consume my every waking moment right now.

 

[HeavyMantra]

If it was caused by what I think it was, took one week before the T appeared

 

[GregCA]

Thanks everybody, glad I found this group. Just over s week ago I couldn't have even told you what tinnitus was. Now just over a week in I'm completely astounded at the impact it's having on me in such a short time - anxiety, fear, flashes of anger and regret for letting it happen, depression. I keep telling myself that it's just a little sound...but it seems to consume my every waking moment right now.

Yes, it's a very natural reaction.

 

[aimlesshiker]

Hello, reviving this thread as to not start a new one...

I believe I got tinnitus in my right ear from loud noise exposure around Oct. 21st, 2020. 5 weeks later I started noticing an intermittent, high-pitched static/hissing in my left ear. Almost two week after its onset, it seems to be constant. I feel it in the entirety of the upper left quadrant of my skull, whereas the Tibetan-bowl-esque tone in my right is quieter and feels like it's just in my ear. The left sound is also much harder to mask.

I haven't been exposed to any loud sounds since my onset, and I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar or have an idea of why the onset would be so delayed? I wish it was the same tone on each side but the one on the left is so much worse, JUST as I was getting used to the right one...

There was also a day or two when like, once a day I'd experience a weird inner ear pain in the left side while chewing, just very instantaneously. Hasn't happened in a few days...

 

[Ben Winders]

Loud acoustic incident with in ear headphones -> 4 weeks later I wake up with an idling truck in my head that is currently static hissing. We are now 8 months later so it's probably here to stay.

But yes - delayed onset for sure.

 

[aimlesshiker]

Just when you think you've learned everything about tinnitus... this one really snuck up on me. And to think most people don't even know about tinnitus! That was me before October...

Is your hissing hard to mask? Static-y tones seem much more intrusive than actual ringing...

 

[PeteJ]

Most have delayed onset. Myself included.

Did tinnitus researchers ever explain this?