Low Tinnitus at 15

[Jason Davids]

Hi everyone its my first post and i can pretty much damn well guarantee i have a low tinnitus in both ears.

I have always listened to loud music because its my life i love rock/metal so I kinda always was gonna prepared if this happened.

So it started out a couple days ago when it was very low in right ear. It only lasted 4 seconds than went away. That was about 2-3 days ago.

Unfortunately now it's becoming more persistent and in both ears louder and they feel very clogged.

Im 15 and my birthday is in 6 months so i know i have hope available. I want it to go away asap but I know its not that simple.

Should i stop listening to music for a month or two? Music is my life i have to listen to it loud. Maybe if i take a big break i can go back to listening to rock?

Please help me out im trying to stay as calm as possible its starting to scare me that i might have this forever.

 

[fishbone]

Hi everyone its my first post and i can pretty much damn well guarantee i have a low tinnitus in both ears.

I have always listened to loud music because its my life i love rock/metal so I kinda always was gonna prepared if this happened.

So it started out a couple days ago when it was very low in right ear. It only lasted 4 seconds than went away. That was about 2-3 days ago.

Unfortunately now it's becoming more persistent and in both ears louder and they feel very clogged.

Im 15 and my birthday is in 6 months so i know i have hope available. I want it to go away asap but I know its not that simple.

Should i stop listening to music for a month or two? Music is my life i have to listen to it loud. Maybe if i take a big break i can go back to listening to rock?

Please help me out im trying to stay as calm as possible its starting to scare me that i might have this forever.

I remember when I was your age, there was no mentors/guidance anything that talked about tinnitus. If you are experiencing low level tinnitus, then it is telling you that your ears are not comfortable, with the music you are listening too. I would give my life and soul to be in your shoes right now. Do not keep listening to loud music and if you go to a concert or a loud party...have a DB meter on your iphone and see how loud the environment is. Take care of your ears and protect them...if you don't..then you can increase that level of tinnitus.

You are in a good spot, don't worry...just avoid super loud music and events that can damage your ears. Shit, i feel like i am talking to my son

Be well..

 

[fishbone]

I was just like you bro, i had a walkman and metallica and loud rock n roll in it and i paid the price and have to live with it. Please don't make the stupid mistakes i made and do not listen to your music with headphone with loud volume, it can do damage that you'll regret, when you get older....

 

[racerfish]

My T hit me for the same reasons as you. Listening to my music on full blast with headphones and going to too many clubs. Looking back, I did it way too much and way too often and now have moderate T permanently. I know you may like your music loud, but if you continue listening to loud music or going to concerts without ear protection your T will most likely worsen with time. If you protect your ears and listen to music at a reasonable level, you should be fine. Don't do what a lot of us on this board have done and destroy your ears.

 

[Jason Davids]

Thanks for the advice guys I haven't been to a doctor yet but today im going. Im praying to god this is just temporary and will go away in a week.

 

[addot]

Jason,

Did you go to the doctor? As your T onset is relatively recent, he may prescribe you prednisolone, which may help decrease the damage. It did for me.

I was just five years older than you when I first contracted T. Mine was also low, and I felt my ears clogged/muffled as well. I can assure you that it will get better. In about a month, the clogging disappeared. A year later my T had gone down considerably to the point where I would rate it at a very mild 1 or 2/10. Just try to stay positive, and it will get better for you as it did for me.

However, this isn't the most important thing i have to say to you.

The most important thing is: from now on, you have to be extra careful about your ears. You are young, and you don't have to stop doing anything you like to do, but you gotta take care. Always wear earplugs if you go to concerts. Be careful with headphones - auditory damage isn't just a matter of raw dBs but also of exposure time - even at comfortable levels, don't listen to headphones for extended periods of time.

I'm saying this because, in a way, I see myself in you when I first got my T. I am a musician - when i noticed that my T had settled down I was so happy I assumed i was good and stopped taking care of my ears. Eventually I played a gig and ditched the earplugs. This not only worsened my T but gave me Hyperacusis and distorted hearing on certain (mostly high pitched) frequencies.

From now on, your ears are a much greater risk of damage than those of the average listener. I know it feels like a burden: why do I have to take extra care about something which will never bother most people? But I can assure you it is worth it. After this episode, I started wearing earplugs religiously: music is my job and my passion, I couldn't just stop performing and attending concerts. I also made an effort to listen to music on stereo speakers instead of headphones whenever possible. By doing this, I managed to keep myself immersed in music and my T didn't get any worse.

As I can't go back in time and say this to myself when my T first started, I'll say it to you: things will get better! But you gotta take care from now on.