Loud Tone for a Few Seconds — Fleeting / Transient Spontaneous Tinnitus

[TuneOut]

I think its fleeting tinnitus, not sudden hearing loss, doesnt make sense. Its possible that u hear less due to the loud T that covers other sounds.

I don't know. It feels like one of my ears suddenly "goes out." Not sure quite how to describe it.

 

[james00]

I had a similar experience recently. Ear sort of switched off for a second, the louder ring for a few seconds (fleeting T) then back to normal.

 

[TuneOut]

This happens to me often. Sometimes I get the opposite where my tinnitus spikes very loud then suddenly stops for five seconds. The sudden quiet always startles me and momentarily makes me think I've gone completely deaf in my right ear.

@Tinker Bell

Hi. So you do get an actual feeling of sudden deafness/muffling with increased tinnitus? How long do these last?

 

[Tinker Bell]

@Tinker Bell

Hi. So you do get an actual feeling of sudden deafness/muffling with increased tinnitus? How long do these last?

I do, but it only lasts a few seconds. It's very quick. If I wasn't paying attention, I likely wouldn't even notice.

It happened more in the beginning, not long after I finished up the intratympanic injections.

 

[Bobbie7]

Fleeting tinnitus.

I experience this quite often, the frequency of it happening varies, but probably 3-10 times a month.

A very, very loud high-pitched ringing for about 10-20 seconds and then it disappears as quickly as it came.

If you google fleeting tinnitus, you'll see it's not uncommon at all.

The suddenness, randomness and loudness of it was first very scary. But now, after experiencing it hundreds of times in the past 3+ years, I no longer think much about it

For many years prior to my getting tinnitus I have been and still occasionally experience hearing this loud, shrill, piercing sound in one ear which lasts only seconds. I often wondered if something somewhere was occurring which only I could hear as I questioned my husband at the time and he never heard it (he now also has tinnitus). At first when I began to experience these bursts of sound I became alarmed but no longer do. I wonder if they were a prelude to my developing tinnitus. My son told me he experiences this from time and time and thankfully he does not have tinnitus and, hopefully, never will.

 

[TuneOut]

I had a similar experience recently. Ear sort of switched off for a second, the louder ring for a few seconds (fleeting T) then back to normal.

Now this seems to be two different phenomena: one, fleeting tinnitus and two, sudden fleeting deafness. Can someone please clarify??

 

[Philososound541]

It was 5:30 am approx. I was scared. Before this I was dreaming of hanging out with my friends at Starbucks, and then all of a sudden I hear eeeeeeeeee super high pitched ringing as if someone had instantly blazed the volume in my dream. It woke me up, and then it was gone!

It must have been at least 5 sec of intense fleeting tinnitus. This is the first time this ever happened to me, and hopefully the last. Maybe it was just a dream, idk.

Anyways I hope you all are doing well managing this tinnitus journey

 

[Raphael7713]

So ever since I got tinnitus back in January one thing I've noticed is that I get these normal tinnitus sounds which lasts for some seconds, more often? So I have my tinnitus, on top of that I get new tinnitus sounds that last for some seconds more often? Anyone might know a reason behind this?

Today I woke up, I was lying on bed..got tinnitus on left ear...went away after 10 secs. And this has so far happened 3 times only today. Anyone with any good guesses?

 

[Susan98]

Hey everyone,

I often hear beside my tinnitus another very short ringing. After hearing that I notice often I hear everything a bit softer and it does not change. It is the 2 seconds tinnitus I'm talking about.

I sometimes hear it after I have had a busy day. Further I've been stressing a lot about it. Do the frequent short ringing means that something like a hair cell is damaged? Can it also regenerate after it took place.

 

[sven1987]

Recently I have been experiencing fleeting tinnitus quite often. Sometimes several times a day. It fluctuates between ears. What is the cause of fleeting T? Is it my Eustachian Tube? When I swallow I hear popping and something else which is very weird to me is also happening. Whenever I eat or chew on something, a clear fluid comes out of my ears, especially when eating breakfast. Could these things be related, like fluid in my ears causing the fleeting T?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Recently I have been experiencing fleeting tinnitus quite often. Sometimes several times a day. It fluctuates between ears. What is the cause of fleeting T? Is it my Eustachian Tube? When I swallow I hear popping and something else which is very weird to me is also happening. Whenever I eat or chew on something, a clear fluid comes out of my ears, especially when eating breakfast. Could these things be related, like fluid in my ears causing the fleeting T?

The fleeting tinnitus that you are experiencing is typical with "noise trauma" to the auditory system. In time this should calm down so try to be patient. I advise you not to use headphones even at low volume. It would be a good idea to keep away from other loud sounds, particularly clubs and concerts. If you must go then use noise reducing earplugs but I don't recommend you go to these venues for a while. Please click on the links below and read my articles on tinnitus that might find helpful. Try to read them in full and not skim through them.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

 

[sven1987]

Thank you Michael. I no longer use headphones and don't go to loud places such as clubs anymore. At work I sometimes get exposed to loud sounds, but it never exceeds 85db. I use earplugs in those cases though.

 

[GamingT]

I have been having short spikes of less than 2 minutes ever since got T 5 months ago and was wondering if anyone else gets them? Cannot figure out reason why; seem random. Sitting at beach then all of a sudden slight increase for 1 minute, meeting at work, sitting at desk at work, watching tv, etc. Seems to happen at least 1 a week. They are very scary. I asked my ENT and she said it most likely due to muscle spasms.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have been having short spikes of less than 2 minutes ever since got T 5 months ago and was wondering if anyone else gets them? Cannot figure out reason why; seem random. Sitting at beach then all of a sudden slight increase for 1 minute, meeting at work, sitting at desk at work, watching tv, etc. Seems to happen at least 1 a week. They are very scary. I asked my ENT and she said it most likely due to muscle spasms.

HI @GamingT

Your ENT doctor will know about the anatomy of the ear and will be able to treat it medically or surgically. When it comes to tinnitus she won't know much about it the same as many other ENT doctors, because the majority of them have never experienced it. Hearing Therapists and Audiologists that work with tinnitus patients are the people that know about the condition. The reason being, many were either born with tinnitus or acquired it at sometime in their life.

If you are still using headphones for Gaming or listening to music even at low volume, this is the likely reason for "spikes". If you are using headphones then I advise you to stop but it's your choice. Using headphones can make tinnitus worse even at low volume. However, it is true some people with tinnitus are not affected by headphone use but I believe it's still risky.

Michael

 

[pytajnick]

Hello there.

I am 7 months into tinnitus (gradually evolving to reactive one) and about 3-4 months into hyperacusis.

Just three weeks ago I started to experience frequent episodes (3-4 times a day) of fleeting tinnitus. I wasn't worried at first because I was aware that this phenomenon is quite common even among "normals", but the fact that it happens that often seems a bit alarming.

What's more distressing - from time to time this fleeting is very unusual: I experience sudden deafness/muffled sound lasting second or two then fleeting tinnitus appears and slowly dissipates after some time (30 sec to minute or two).

The best way to describe it is to compare it to the effect of granade thrown into a room (but without an initial blow and with muffled sound lasting only one second).

Does it sound familiar to anyone in here?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Dmitriy]

Sometimes, in an instant, my right ear get muted like someone put heavy cloth over it, and starts ringing. Usually, passes within 1-2 minutes, but still pretty spooky. Is that the fleeting T or something else?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Sounds like fleeting T.

 

[Taylorslay]

Out of nowhere my tinnitus sometimes just gets loud (even when it's quiet) and then dies down after a few minutes to a few hours.

Sometimes it gets so loud I can't hear for a few seconds.

Sometimes it just gets a little louder and a little higher in pitch and dies down.

Is this a sign my normal tinnitus is getting worse?

 

[hans799]

Does anyone else get a much quieter, but still audible "residue" of the fleeting tinnitus sound for a few minutes/hours after the main blast has faded away?

 

[blacklabel]

Hello!

I find on days that I'm not tuned into my tinnitus, I get fleeting tinnitus more frequently. Days I'm focused on my tinnitus, I rarely get fleeting tinnitus.

Anyone else experience this phenomenon?

I laugh because I feel it's the tinnitus way of pulling me back in, because well, what else do you do

 

[Karam]

I'm panicking right now, I was just listening to music through my speakers (low volume) then all of a sudden my ear rings for 30 seconds, 40 seconds later tinnitus in my right ear becomes louder with a feeling of numbness and full ear then it's rings louder than usual and it is still like this now.

I have never had this sort of spike before it is also reacting with other sounds ((((((( I'm 16 btw.

What is happening? I have gone months through this horror and I got through it a year later I don't want to go through it again!!

 

[Karam]

It's going down.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Likely it was fleeting tinnitus if it's already going down. Fleeting T is not uncommon, even for those without tinnitus.

 

[Karam]

Likely it was fleeting tinnitus if it's already going down. Fleeting T is not uncommon, even for those without tinnitus.

I don't know, it probably is fleeting but it's still louder then usual so it is a spike but the reactivity is going down (thank god) it stayed like this for a full 10-15 minutes I honestly thought it was permanent, one of the scariest experiences of my life (trying not to jinx it). I've been through alot of shit already man, thankfully things are getting better...

 

[Matt9]

Hi guys!

Last days I noticed my ears became even more muffled and I also experienced fleeting tinnitus like 6-7 times a day.

I'm kinda worried this could mean a worsening in my tinnitus is right behind the corner.

What do you think?

 

[Artur]

Have you been exposing yourself to loud sounds or using headphones? @Michael Leigh advises not to use headphones at all and I agree that It might cause further damage. On a personal note, I've had fleeting tinnitus which was getting worse everyday 2 months ago and then it started to get better and now I haven't had one of those fleeting episodes in almost a month, this might happen to you too.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Ear fullness might be a sign of something bad being around the corner. I wouldn't worry about fleeting tinnitus. I like to think of it as my brain trying to recalibrate itself, to get rid of tinnitus...

 

[Matt9]

Ear fullness might be a sign of something bad being around the corner. I wouldn't worry about fleeting tinnitus. I like to think of it as my brain trying to recalibrate itself, to get rid of tinnitus...

What do you mean by something bad?

 

[Bill Bauer]

What do you mean by something bad?

Ear fullness might be a sign that your middle or inner ear got injured. After my first acoustic trauma, initially my only symptom was ear fullness. Tinnitus began 10 days later. Having said this, I never heard of someone suffering from T get a second acoustic trauma, experience ear fullness for several days and THEN get a spike in T.

 

[Jon Moore]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has experienced the variant of fleeting tinnitus I have. About 6 months ago I had a bad fever (flu? not really sure). About a week following the fever I experienced multiple bouts of fleeting T, which at worst would happen multiple times an hour. The worst fleeting T events left my ears with a feeling of fullness, and left them ringing for months. For me, a few particularly bad fleeting T events caused ear fullness for a week or two and gave me tinnitus that gradually diminished over about 4 to 6 months. As of now i'm lucky, and my T is only perceptible in a silent room.

However this past weekend I again had a fever, and I am noticing that the frequency of fleeting T events has significantly increased. None of them have been the big damaging events like last time, but for me there seems to be some link between this fever/unknown sickness and fleeting T. I've come to fear these fleeting T events because I've found out that there's a chance they won't be fleeting at all.

I'm wondering if anyone has seen this sort of pattern before, where a flu or sickness caused fleeting or permanent T. I was prescribed Methylprednisolone 4mg as a last ditch effort to stop the fleeting t events 6 months ago, but I was too late making the connections and did not start taking it until the most damaging events happened. It felt like the drugs helped, but it was hard to tell. One of my theories is that whatever infection I had made its way up into my inner ears over the week between the fever and the fleeting t events, potentially causing inflammation that triggered the fleeting and not-so-fleeting T.

I feel like my case is very strange, as their must be a link between the flu/fever/disease I had and the fleeting/not-so-fleeting T. If anyone has heard of something similar I'd really appreciate any info you might be able to share.