Muffled Hearing and Loud Tinnitus After I Went Out Clubbing Last Night

I agree with @Stuart-T that normal, everyday sounds should theoretically be ok. That said, you know your auditory system best, so my best advice is to listen to your body and exercise common-sense caution.

I'm happy to hear that you seem to be dealing with everything and living your life. Wishing you continued healing!

 

Thank you both

 

7 week update:

So I have got very mixed feelings. In the past weeks, I have been doing pretty well tinnitus-wise. I could only hear the sound when I went to sleep or in a completely quiet environment. It changed into a hiss and the ringing was pretty much away the past week. I had difficulty sleeping again but I think that was maybe just because of the number of things I have going on besides tinnitus. So things have been pretty well until this afternoon.

Every time since I started my new work, there was a fire alarm on Friday that lasted for probably less than a minute. Two times this has happened I have just plugged my ears and by the time I was able to get out, it stopped anyway. So today the alarm went on and I just plugged my ears (with fingers as that is the quickest way) and it went away after less than a minute again. I have not noticed anything bad (apart from colleagues looking at me like what I am doing lol as apparently, it was not that loud to them). However, now that I came home I can hear the loud tone again in my living room where I usually was not able to hear tinnitus before due to other noises here. I also had crisps before I came home as I was super hungry and it was just a quick thing I could have (otherwise I eat pretty healthy) so I do not know if the salt had anything to do with it. I also had a bit of coffee in the morning as I got a really nice one from my boyfriend before all this tinnitus crap started and it will be going off soon and I am just tired of constantly organizing my whole life and not going anywhere or doing anything I want because of tinnitus. I had a little bit of that coffee before and it has not done anything to me. Now I know the loudest sound might go away still as it went away and came back a few times but in the past few weeks it was never so loud for me hear in the living room.


...Okay so as I was writing this, the tone actually went away so I don't know what to make of it, maybe it was just a random occurrence but I am not sure. I don't want to risk it with the fire alarm again but I don't know what to do about it - I noticed it usually happens at around 3pm but I can't leave my workplace really because of it. Maybe I could go to the toilet and use earplugs + headphones or something at around that time, but it just feels lame and annoying I have to deal with this and be forever scared of things like this + tomorrow is bonfire night which basically means shittone of fireworks in the UK and I will be working (a different job) until 10 pm so won't even be able to use earplugs as I will need to speak to people.

End of the rant (apologies if you read it all)

 

Hi everyone, I thought I would post a 2.5-month update.

So the tinnitus is definitely still here although maybe a little bit better. I ordered CBD oil and actually, my tinnitus was noticeably lower for about a week but it started going down the night before it arrived even so it could have just been a placebo but who cares, the main thing is that it helped.

The tinnitus has increased since then a bit (now it is a hiss plus radiator sound and sometimes also a tone) but I do not view it as so tragic anymore. I learned to sleep with the meditation every night and don't have sleep issues anymore and I also usually don't hear it for most of the day and if I do, I can block it out when I am focussed on something else.

What worries me though is that I hear it in nature when on walks and in quiet places like this as I cannot really block it out when there is nothing to focus on intensely.

The point is, I am wondering whether I should try HBOT or any treatment like this as I know it is most effective in the first 3 months after onset which I am now approaching. However, I am quite worried about the side effects which apparently could be quite severe and I know also from experience that a couple of times when I went diving (only with a snorkel) I got an ear infection presumably because of the changes in pressure so it could make things worse and might not be worth the risk especially now when I am relatively used to the tinnitus.

But I was still wondering if anyone has got any experience with HBOT or similar treatments or if you think it is worth a try?

 

Hi @Pauli -- I just made a short post on my HBOT experiences. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

@Pauli, sounds like you are doing well.

How are you dealing with the regular fire alarm at work?

 

Thank you Lane, I will look into it

I had a look at your post and you mention that HBOT helped you to stay calm about tinnitus and I was wondering whether it also decreased the volume of your tinnitus? I was also wondering if you experienced any side effects. Also, I was thinking whether in your opinion it is worth doing only a few sessions, let's say 3, as I wouldn't really be able to afford many at the moment.

I was also wondering why the British Tinnitus Association is against the treatment when the only evidence they cite is a review from 2005 and it is not even for tinnitus broadly but only idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss with tinnitus and there are plenty of other studies that they ignore + their article was supposedly updated this year.

Thanks for the answer, I bought a pair of earmuffs but usually I just plug my ears with my fingers because it is quicker and I believe similarly effective. It only lasts about 20 seconds so I don't think it can really harm me much at this point. But I think going forward I will put in earplugs for the time when it usually happens.

How is your tinnitus going?

 

Hi @Pauli -- I had a variety of experiences with my tinnitus while doing mHBOT. There were times when it slightly increased it for up to a couple hours, times when it stayed the same, and other times when it seemed to soften it somewhat. It often "seemed" a wash as far as the tinnitus went when looking at it on a week to week, month to month basis.

But getting into longer time periods, during which I did mHBOT 3-4x/week for over a year, my tinnitus did become more manageable, primarily (I believe) because the regular mHBOT gave my brain and neurological system a lot of support, leading to more resiliency. A calmer brain and nervous system "seemed" to be at least partly responsible a very gradual softening and stablity of my tinnitus.

As far as side effects, I did notice that if I did too much, my body didn't like it. It's been a couple of years since I've done it, and don't recall clearly what I experienced, but it seemed in line with other reports I'd read about overdoing it. Is it worth doing a few sessions? From everything I've read, and my own experience, I'd say the likelihood of HBOT having a significant (or worthwhile positive impact) in the short term is fairly low.

If you were really serious about this however, you could consider getting a new credit card that allows you to make purchases with no interest due for up to 18-21 months. You could also get a cash back on those purchases of 1-2% or so. My understanding is these HBOT machines hold their value well, so you could actually use it for 1-2 years, and if you thought at that point it was well worth it, you could keep it. Or else you could sell it, and pay off the credit card.

If it depreciated $2,000 or so, that would come to about $100/month of regular HBOT therapy, a pretty amazing cost/benefit ratio. Like I mentioned earlier, you could purchase one, and if you didn't feel you were doing well enough with it in the first 30 days, you could return it. I think these are worthwhile options to consider if you're serious about following through on this. A person who tends to get enthusiastic about something new, but starts losing interest if those endeavors start feeling like too much of a time commitment might not be a good candidate for such an undertaking.

I hope some of this helps!

 

Thank you for your answer @Lane. I am glad that you found the HBOT helpful.

I don't think it is realistic for me to purchase it at the moment so the only option for me would be to go to a place where it is provided but based on what you said and what I read about it elsewhere, it would only be helpful long-term which would be costly and I do not think I would even have time for it so I think I will have to leave it for now.

But thanks for your insight

 

Out of curiosity, @Lane - where did you buy the mHBOT chamber, and how much was it?

 

Hey @Pauli - thanks for posting the update. I'm glad you're at least finding ways to minimize the impact that your tinnitus has on your sleep and daily routines. I hope you continue to see improvements!

 

13-week update:

I finally got home to Slovakia and managed to go to a specialist here one day after my arrival. She did various tests, let me choose a sound that resembles my tinnitus the most, prescribed Betahistine and Ginkgo, and also sent me for an X-ray. The next day I called for the results and she let me know that I have structural issues with my neck and that is probably why the tinnitus still persists. She said I can attend rehabilitation and that should help and decrease the sound.

So I will attend these and will try to look after my posture as much as I can and will maybe try to also get a standing desk. So my message would be to try to explore all options before accepting tinnitus. I would probably never learn about this if I just stayed in the UK and relied on NHS tbh or it would have taken a few years minimum. But even if you can't get an appointment, I would say trying to have a better posture and relaxing the neck muscles can only be beneficial so may be worth a shot.

 

Hi @Pauli,

Your story sounds familiar and the last few sentences are so absolutely true. I also have tinnitus following an acoustic trauma (concert) this summer. After I started doing exercises for my neck (with the OTO app, big recommendation), the noise decreased hugely. I would never have thought the impact would be this much...

 

Hi @Stephen1985,

That's amazing! I'm glad that this has helped you and it also gives me a very good motivation to stick with the exercises. I will make sure to check the OTO app as well, thank you!

 

I bought one of the least expensive models on the market, but also has a reputation for being dependable. It was a brand called "Summit to Sea". I got the large size, called "the Dive". With an additional $300-400 for a "silencer", I think it now runs around $9-10K or so.

If I buy another one, I'll be getting the next smaller size. I thought I needed the large size because I'm tall, but the next smaller size would fit me just fine, and would fit in a room better as well. I think the next size down would save a person $1-2K. These are just rough estimates. Other models are much more money.

 

Thanks! The OTO app is quite expensive, but I think it’s worth the investment I hope you get some results anytime soon!

 

I thought I would post an almost 7-month update here.

Tinnitus is still here but it has faded greatly, the last improvement happened only a few weeks ago so I am hopeful it will continue fading. At this point I only hear a hiss - the radiator sound and tone are almost always gone. I also do not have any hypersensitivity to sound anymore at this point.

I don't really notice the tinnitus much either anymore unless I am very tired, in a stressful situation or sometimes after exercise. The only thing is that I still play a guided meditation to go to sleep but it is also beneficial as my boyfriend snores and it masks the snoring as well, so we can actually sleep together better than before and he also doesn't mind my meditation.

I continue to take earplugs with me though and protect around roadworks, fire alarms and things like that. It has limited my socializing options but it is manageable with some form of earplugs although it's not great as the voices etc sound weird and I can miss out on what is being said, but I am alright without earplugs in gatherings without louder background music. However, in day-to-day life the tinnitus does not affect me much at all anymore.

I have not done anything special, not even the back and neck exercises overly much but I plan on getting back to it now that I have successfully submitted my dissertation and completed most of the coursework.

I hope this is going to be a positive message for anyone with new tinnitus. I do not think about it and most days I don't even notice it in the morning and just get on with my day.

I will also update if there are any more improvements or changes. I would also note that the improvement was not linear, sometimes it would get worse for a week or two, then better etc but the long-term overall trend was towards an improvement.

 

Thank you very much for continually updating with this very detailed report.

That's great news you are continuing to improve as well.

 

Thanks for the update and I'm glad you're doing better. Your challenge now is to remember that your tinnitus can come roaring back with one false move. Be careful and enjoy.

 

This is splendid news @Pauli, I am very pleased for you. I don't want to rain on your parade but I feel you should know that there are certain precautions that a person should take when they have noise-induced tinnitus.

@Jammer is absolutely right, one false move and your tinnitus could return with a vengeance that you wouldn't believe is possible. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy your life and have a good time, you just need to be careful moving forward.

Please click on the links below and read my posts.

Take care and wishing you all the best,
Michael

Will My Tinnitus Get Worse? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

I am pleased for you. It seems those with noise-induced tinnitus have better improvement rates than those of us who have non noise-induced tinnitus.

 

This is nice to hear. I'm approaching 7 months... It has not lowered substantially but you're giving me some hope.

 

10-month update:

My tinnitus is not causing any substantial issues.

It is still present though, usually hissing and 1 tone (occasionally 2 if I am very tired). I feel like lately the hissing began to reduce in volume gradually so we will see what comes out of that.

I hope it will continue to go away but it is pretty manageable now although I do still notice it in quiet environments and sometimes find it annoying to think about. If I want, I can read with it in a completely quiet room so at least I can get it off my mind if there's something else to hold attention on. I do not know how some people are able to get used to it to the point they don't realize they have it for weeks. I am not sure whether I will ever get to this point but maybe I was monitoring it more lately as I started a summer job in a kitchen and serving food a few weeks ago, and there is substantial amount of nose i.e. dishes clanking, dishwasher noise etc. I have not noticed any worsening of the tinnitus due to this and I am very happy about this.

I was thinking about trying the AudioNotch therapy at home to get rid of the tone but I am not sure I can be bothered to do it. Does anyone have any experience with this type of therapy?

I would also like to go to the cinema with earplugs but I am not sure if it's a good idea - when I put in earplugs I have to listen to the tinnitus which would probably spoil the experience, and without earplugs it might be too loud, so not sure.

My job is probably as loud as the cinema would be but it's not a constant noise like it would be in the cinema so that might make a difference.

If anyone has any advice, it would be good to hear it.

 

You are making good progress @Pauli. Since you have asked for advice, I don't think you should listen to the AudioNotch therapy, especially not through any type of headphones.

Just be patient and carry on as you are. Use low level sound enrichment whenever possible, particularly at night using a sound machine by the bedside. If I were you, I would keep away from the cinema and give your ears more time to heal. Even if you wear noise reducing earplugs at the cinema, there is a risk of your tinnitus spiking which could set you back by making it louder! Sorry to sound so sobering. If external sound is loud enough, it can pass through the head and reach the inner ear by bone conduction. The tinnitus could spike, and, if you are fortunate, the spike will reduce or it could increase the tinnitus to a new permanent level.

Noise induced tinnitus is not something to take lightly, believe me. Go to my started threads and read: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? Will My Tinnitus Get Worse? The Habituation Process, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, As I See It.

You are doing well. Be patient and give your ears plenty of time to heal and don't rush things, because you are still in the early stages of recovery.

Michael

 

I don't think the cinema will damage your hearing. I may be wrong though. Anyway, I will go to the cinema.