New Member, Mike — Constantly Worried About Making My Tinnitus Worse

[MikeO123]

Hey everyone, my name is Mike. I'm new to this forum.

I've had tinnitus for about a year now, I think I may have had it longer but so mild that I didn't even notice it but it's been becoming more noticeable.

A few weeks ago acoustic trauma made it louder and higher pitched. I'm also getting new sounds as well.

I've been trying to be really careful since then but I feel like I keep getting exposed to loud noises. I'm constantly worried about making my tinnitus worse and it seems that whenever I take my ear plugs out there's a really loud noise. I want to make sure it doesn't get any worse.

Today I was out buying earplugs and when I was walking back to my car which was parked right outside the store a truck came in the parking lot and screeched it's breaks and it was super loud and high pitched. I'm worried that this my have caused more damage and I was hoping to get your opinions.

I look forward to being a part of this forum and sharing our experiences with tinnitus.

 

[HiDezGuy74]

@MikeO123 123 What caused your acoustic trauma?

Unfortunately, we will all be exposed to loud noises throughout the day. Almost daily, something will happen at my work, or I'll drop something at home and it'll be really loud (I have hyperacusis, too -- especially when my tinnitus is louder on certain days), but I don't notice random noise exposure making my tinnitus worse. I've just learned to accept that loud noises are going to happen. Your sense of being constantly bombarded by noise might actually be hyperacusis -- you have a higher sensitivity to sound right now.

As you habituate to your new tinnitus level, hopefully you'll feel calmer over time. It's a learning process and a lot of trial and error.

BTW: Wearing earplugs all the time can actually make sensitivity to sounds worse, so try to limit that.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm worried that this my have caused more damage and I was hoping to get your opinions.

You should worry about a past exposure to noise only if it results in a spike that doesn't fade for over a month. Most spikes are temporary spikes. They can last for over three months, but normally begin to fade after at most a month.

It is impossible to not be exposed to noises. All you can do is try to minimize (but not to eliminate!) the exposure. If you do what you can to minimize the exposure, it ought to be enough to avoid permanent increase in tinnitus.

Just before your latest spike, was your tinnitus quieter than it was six months ago?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Wearing earplugs all the time can actually make sensitivity to sounds worse, so try to limit that.

I agree, you don't want to wear earplugs 24/7. It can become debilitating:

this behaviour hasn't stopped. The behaviour has actually gotten worse (some of you will read this with a 'WTF is wrong with you' reaction, and that's fair enough, my own family say it to me regularly). Nowadays, I am double protecting in the house and out of the house, in my car (I still drive as I have to for work) and when walking the dog. I listen to the tv and films on subtitles and with no volume. On the rare occasions that I watch something with the wife that requires volume, I can't hear the volume anyway through the double protection. I sleep in earmuffs as I can hear the road outside through the single glaze windows. I take baths and don't shower - if I have to shower it is in peltor muffs. When washing my hair, I used waterproof 'swimmers' earplugs and take great care not to make undue noise and splashing. I don't go out really much any more. I have friends over but make excuses not to go out to restaurants or places where it could be loud. I have even started saying no to golf (sounds stupid, but I have). My world has become a lot smaller. I am getting chewed up inside now as it is my brother's 30th birthday tomorrow and his wife has organised a meal for friends in London. I'm invited, she even consulted me on venue and booked a private room, but as it gets nearer I know that I will likely not go. I want to go, but I feel I just can't. I am also in the midst of a spike right now, caused by some road traffic noise. My front door is 20-30m from a road. I like to avoid exposure here and so run to the car/run the dog past the road to quieter wooded area, but today, I felt my earplugs 'pop' maybe due to wax behind the ear, and I'm now terrified it wasn't in correctly and I've caused lasting damage - this worry and spike is despite me having earmuffs ontop of the plugs.
...I also spend ages pushing the plugs into my ears; if they crack or make a sound or pop, I repeat the process until they do not do this when i take my hand away. Embarrassingly, yet truthfully, it has sometimes taken my 20 mins to leave the house satisfied that they are in ok. If they 'pop' when 5m from the front door, I am back in the house repeating the 'process'.

It is important to mention that these things did not happen to me at once. They were incremental, but they are at the point now where I do not recognise the person I was before they happened. I have almost become used to this life. Trying to do something different or outside of my limited comfort zone, puts me into a panic attack and weeks of protracted stress and rumination. The double protecting within the house started when I was caring for a sick family member, who has since died. I didn't want any spikes ontop of that stress...but since I started doing it, it has now become habit...

Would I like things to be different - obviously yes!
Would I rather live like this than have the tinnitus get worse - sadly also yes, which is why I continue to do it...probably

 

[MikeO123]

@MikeO123 123 What caused your acoustic trauma?

Unfortunately, we will all be exposed to loud noises throughout the day. Almost daily, something will happen at my work, or I'll drop something at home and it'll be really loud (I have hyperacusis, too -- especially when my tinnitus is louder on certain days), but I don't notice random noise exposure making my tinnitus worse. I've just learned to accept that loud noises are going to happen. Your sense of being constantly bombarded by noise might actually be hyperacusis -- you have a higher sensitivity to sound right now.

As you habituate to your new tinnitus level, hopefully you'll feel calmer over time. It's a learning process and a lot of trial and error.

BTW: Wearing earplugs all the time can actually make sensitivity to sounds worse, so try to limit that.

I went to a wedding and then a few days later I went on a school trip which was very loud. I'm definitely gonna try to limit the use of earplugs. I work in a school and with the bells and the kids screaming it can get pretty loud. That job is only part time though and 3.5 hours a day. I wear my earplugs when I go there but besides those 3.5 hours I don't wear them unless I'm going to someplace I know is gonna be loud. Do you thinking wearing earplugs 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week is still too much?

 

[MikeO123]

You should worry about a past exposure to noise only if it results in a spike that doesn't fade for over a month. Most spikes are temporary spikes. They can last for over three months, but normally begin to fade after at most a month.

It is impossible to not be exposed to noises. All you can do is try to minimize (but not to eliminate!) the exposure. If you do what you can to minimize the exposure, it ought to be enough to avoid permanent increase in tinnitus.

Just before your latest spike, was your tinnitus quieter than it was six months ago?

Yeah I guess all we can do is try our best. It wasn't quieter before the spike, I would say if anything it was actually louder or maybe I was just paying attention to it more. My tinnitus has always been a hissing sound which is still there but for the last couple days there has been a whistling sound as well. It would come and go on Monday and Tuesday but since last night it's been pretty consistent. This new sound is what I'm most worried about now.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I went to a wedding and then a few days later I went on a school trip which was very loud.

Weddings are the kind of events that can cause new tinnitus tones...

Do you thinking wearing earplugs 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week is still too much?

I wear earplugs every night when I sleep. During road trips I wore them for about 5 hours during the day + the usual 8 hours each night, this had lasted for several weeks and hasn't resulted in any problems. You just don't want it to get debilitating.

o this behaviour hasn't stopped. The behaviour has actually gotten worse (some of you will read this with a 'WTF is wrong with you' reaction, and that's fair enough, my own family say it to me regularly). Nowadays, I am double protecting in the house and out of the house, in my car (I still drive as I have to for work) and when walking the dog. I listen to the tv and films on subtitles and with no volume. On the rare occasions that I watch something with the wife that requires volume, I can't hear the volume anyway through the double protection. I sleep in earmuffs as I can hear the road outside through the single glaze windows. I take baths and don't shower - if I have to shower it is in peltor muffs. When washing my hair, I used waterproof 'swimmers' earplugs and take great care not to make undue noise and splashing. I don't go out really much any more. I have friends over but make excuses not to go out to restaurants or places where it could be loud. I have even started saying no to golf (sounds stupid, but I have). My world has become a lot smaller. I am getting chewed up inside now as it is my brother's 30th birthday tomorrow and his wife has organised a meal for friends in London. I'm invited, she even consulted me on venue and booked a private room, but as it gets nearer I know that I will likely not go. I want to go, but I feel I just can't. I am also in the midst of a spike right now, caused by some road traffic noise. My front door is 20-30m from a road. I like to avoid exposure here and so run to the car/run the dog past the road to quieter wooded area, but today, I felt my earplugs 'pop' maybe due to wax behind the ear, and I'm now terrified it wasn't in correctly and I've caused lasting damage - this worry and spike is despite me having earmuffs ontop of the plugs.
...I also spend ages pushing the plugs into my ears; if they crack or make a sound or pop, I repeat the process until they do not do this when i take my hand away. Embarrassingly, yet truthfully, it has sometimes taken my 20 mins to leave the house satisfied that they are in ok. If they 'pop' when 5m from the front door, I am back in the house repeating the 'process'.

It is important to mention that these things did not happen to me at once. They were incremental, but they are at the point now where I do not recognise the person I was before they happened. I have almost become used to this life. Trying to do something different or outside of my limited comfort zone, puts me into a panic attack and weeks of protracted stress and rumination. The double protecting within the house started when I was caring for a sick family member, who has since died. I didn't want any spikes ontop of that stress...but since I started doing it, it has now become habit...

Would I like things to be different - obviously yes!
Would I rather live like this than have the tinnitus get worse - sadly also yes, which is why I continue to do it...probably

It doesn't sound like you need to worry about it. I think you are doing the right thing when you protect at school. IMO you should have been more careful and stayed away from the school trip and the wedding...

 

[MikeO123]

Weddings are the kind of events that can cause new tinnitus tones...

I wear earplugs every night when I sleep. During road trips I wore them for about 5 hours during the day + the usual 8 hours each night, this had lasted for several weeks and hasn't resulted in any problems. You just don't want it to get debilitating.

It doesn't sound like you need to worry about it. I think you are doing the right thing when you protect at school. IMO you should have been more careful and stayed away from the school trip and the wedding...

Yeah looking back I wouldn't have went. Before the events I didn't know much about tinnitus at all. I wish I would've found his forum before I went. My mindset was "it's probably me getting anxious for no reason, let me enjoy these events." Bad idea.

 

[Digital Doc]

I went to a wedding and then a few days later I went on a school trip which was very loud. I'm definitely gonna try to limit the use of earplugs. I work in a school and with the bells and the kids screaming it can get pretty loud. That job is only part time though and 3.5 hours a day. I wear my earplugs when I go there but besides those 3.5 hours I don't wear them unless I'm going to someplace I know is gonna be loud. Do you thinking wearing earplugs 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week is still too much?

That amount of earplug use at a noisy school sounds quite reasonable and appropriate to me.