Metalworking, Noise Exposure, and Managing a Tinnitus Spike

[object16]

Hi,

I'm doing some metalwork as a home hobby. I don't normally use the rotary grinder, but I decided to measure the noise afterwards, and it registered at 105 dB.

I was wearing the Soundcore Q45 noise cancelling headset, which is rated to provide 20 dB of protection. I worked on and off for about 10 minutes, using the grinder for a minute and then stopping for a minute. For the first three minutes or so, I used just the noise cancelling headset. Then I decided to play it safer and added my musician's in ear hearing protection, which provides another 20 dB of protection. That means I spent about five minutes at an estimated 85 dB exposure.

The problem is that I already have very bad reactive tinnitus, along with 40 dB of hearing loss to start with. The noise did not seem overly loud to me, but that is likely because of my hearing loss. My subjective experience is not a reliable measure of the actual sound level.

After I finished working, nothing seemed wrong. I went to bed as usual with some quiet music playing. However, I woke up about five hours later with a tinnitus spike. It is not the worst spike I have ever had, but it is upsetting. Normally, I experience just one pitch of tinnitus, but now I have two, and the new one is more intrusive.

I keep Clonazepam on hand for spikes. I have already taken two, and I will likely take 3.75 mg of Imovane (Zopiclone) as well to help suppress the spike and get back to sleep.

I know I should be more cautious since I already have tinnitus, but I had not used the Dremel tool in years. This job required a bit of grinding, and because of my hearing loss, it did not seem overly loud at the time. Still, my intuition told me to wear extra protection after a few minutes.

I am 68 now, and I can feel my mind starting to deteriorate. My memory is slipping. I forget where I leave things, and I struggle to tolerate sedatives because they leave me feeling spaced out. I still work, so I can take a day off if needed, but long term, concentrating is becoming harder. That makes this even more upsetting. Ten years ago, if I had a spike, I would have been scared but reassured myself that it would settle down in time.

Now I am left wondering: did I do permanent damage? Do hair cells recover after bending, or do they stay damaged once they are affected?

This whole experience has left me so afraid. I went to where my wife sleeps and cried because I felt so upset with myself. Later, we used the dB meter to check, and it confirmed the noise level was 105 dBA.

 

[object16]

I took another 5 mg of Clonazepam. I don't want to take too much at once; I'm just taking small amounts until it has an effect. I even took 2.5 mg of Morphine, but getting to sleep feels impossible.

 

[UKBloke]

Hi,

I'm doing some metalwork as a home hobby. I don't normally use the rotary grinder, but I decided to measure the noise afterwards, and it registered at 105 dB.

I was wearing the Soundcore Q45 noise cancelling headset, which is rated to provide 20 dB of protection. I worked on and off for about 10 minutes, using the grinder for a minute and then stopping for a minute. For the first three minutes or so, I used just the noise cancelling headset. Then I decided to play it safer and added my musician's in ear hearing protection, which provides another 20 dB of protection. That means I spent about five minutes at an estimated 85 dB exposure.

The problem is that I already have very bad reactive tinnitus, along with 40 dB of hearing loss to start with. The noise did not seem overly loud to me, but that is likely because of my hearing loss. My subjective experience is not a reliable measure of the actual sound level.

After I finished working, nothing seemed wrong. I went to bed as usual with some quiet music playing. However, I woke up about five hours later with a tinnitus spike. It is not the worst spike I have ever had, but it is upsetting. Normally, I experience just one pitch of tinnitus, but now I have two, and the new one is more intrusive.

I keep Clonazepam on hand for spikes. I have already taken two, and I will likely take 3.75 mg of Imovane (Zopiclone) as well to help suppress the spike and get back to sleep.

I know I should be more cautious since I already have tinnitus, but I had not used the Dremel tool in years. This job required a bit of grinding, and because of my hearing loss, it did not seem overly loud at the time. Still, my intuition told me to wear extra protection after a few minutes.

I am 68 now, and I can feel my mind starting to deteriorate. My memory is slipping. I forget where I leave things, and I struggle to tolerate sedatives because they leave me feeling spaced out. I still work, so I can take a day off if needed, but long term, concentrating is becoming harder. That makes this even more upsetting. Ten years ago, if I had a spike, I would have been scared but reassured myself that it would settle down in time.

Now I am left wondering: did I do permanent damage? Do hair cells recover after bending, or do they stay damaged once they are affected?

This whole experience has left me so afraid. I went to where my wife sleeps and cried because I felt so upset with myself. Later, we used the dB meter to check, and it confirmed the noise level was 105 dBA.

When tinnitus becomes severe, it can be a very cruel and demanding condition that few people, even those who "have tinnitus," can understand. You're doing the best you can. You have to keep living your life.

 

[object16]

Thanks! I managed to suppress it with medication. The combination of Morphine and Clonazepam likely helped me sleep—it knocked me out for seven hours. I took half a Morphine tablet (2.5 mg), 1 mg of Clonazepam, and 75 mg of Quetiapine.

 

[object16]

Hi all,

Luckily, I think I acted in time, and this spike is temporary. It is very frustrating. At my age, I am trying to cut back on medications, and I have noticed that I can actually think much more clearly now. Even though my blood level of Carbamazepine is below the therapeutic range, I still experience ataxia and dysarthria. Cutting back from 400 mg, which is already considered a low dose, to 250 mg made it obvious that I was drug toxic. I was probably overdosed on Mirtazapine as well. That medication has a 20 to 40-hour half-life, and when I reduced the dose from 45 mg to 22.5 mg, I suddenly started thinking clearly again.

What has been extremely disheartening, and I mean this psychologically, almost philosophically, is observing the environmental decline around us. When I was a kid, I loved collecting butterflies, but where have all the butterflies gone? I sprout chickpeas for their health benefits, as they are a valuable source of isoflavones that help prevent Alzheimer's disease. However, I have noticed that chickpeas do not sprout anymore, likely because the environment is contaminated with Roundup. This means I cannot prepare isoflavones at home anymore.

Thankfully, I found one dedicated organic farmer in Illinois who grows strictly organic yellow soybeans. Soybean sprouts are another great source of isoflavones, so I have ordered a 45-pound sack, hoping they germinate and grow properly. Still, I am worried about the bigger picture. Crop failures due to climate change and widespread contamination are becoming a reality. Roundup is present in rainwater and soil, and I fear we will eventually reach a point where nothing can grow. That is a terrifying thought. On a personal note, I am somewhat relieved that only one of my kids has a child, and that child is already nearly 30.

Anyway, for those who follow my content, I have mentioned before that I take CBG, CBD, and CBDV. These are available as isolates in some countries, and I take about 200 mg of each at night. I have found they help me sleep. Even if I eventually pass away from leukemia (I have been diagnosed with chronic leukemia, possibly from exposure to Roundup), at least I have something to manage symptoms.

I also do all the recommended sound therapies. In terms of knowledge and knowing what to do, I think I am doing okay.

I looked up sound pressure levels from normal activities, and the numbers are shocking. When I used to play in a symphony orchestra, it was 110 dB. Sitting in front of the percussion section, where I often was, reached 130 dB. A firecracker also hits 130 dB, and as a kid, I played with those constantly. Other sources of damaging noise include Harley Davidson motorcycles, hair dryers, shop vacs, table saws, Dremel tools, parties, dances, pubs, and even driving a car with the windows down, especially into a headwind. All of these can cause permanent, irreversible hearing loss.

It is a myth that hearing naturally deteriorates with age. What I have is accumulated hearing loss from activities that many people consider normal. When I finally realized something was wrong, I started wearing hearing protection 24/7, but that led to hyperacusis and generalized sound hypersensitivity.

Back then, there was no internet, so no one knew much about these issues. I was even evaluated 40 years ago at a teaching audiology center by a master's level audiologist. She measured my sound sensitivity and found that 60 dB was too loud for me. She dismissed me as a nutcase, saying that was not possible. Nobody understood this back then. By the time the information became available, it was already too late.