Newbie with Some Questions...

[frogatog]

Hi everyone,

So my tinnitus journey began about 10 days ago. I don't want to bore people with all of my history, but I am a 45 year old male have had relatively mild tinnitus at 3khz in my right ear only for about the last 10 days. (I think it might have been related to a loud concert about 5 months ago, and maybe also to a single generic viagra pill I took, but I'm not sure). I went and got an audiogram which shows 40db of hearing loss at 3khz. Also, my ears generally seem sensitive to loud noise (this has been true for most of the last year).

I took a brief course of prednisone but the doctor said it probably wouldn't do anything. (He basically didn't have any particular recommendation, as one might expect.) Also taking b complex for tinnitus, magnesium, and zinc. I am not really expecting any of this to help.

Anyway, my question is this -- the ENT I saw said that it is hard to discern whether or not I have permanent hearing loss at 3 khz, or if the tinnitus goes away whether I might get the hearing back. I am curious if anyone else has hearing loss at one specific frequency, the one with tinnitus, and if the hearing has ever returned. If it has I am curious what sort of time range people have experienced. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that this is just my state now, but I am also wondering whether it is reasonable to hold any hope of the hearing returning. The tinnitus itself seems to be lessing a little bit so far and I hope I can just deal with it.

Of course I also wonder if more terrible things are going to happen to my ears and if there is anything I can do to stop it.

Thanks everyone!

 

[James Brown]

There's no defined period of time, but I believe if your T aren't gone in one month, you better use to it. What can you do to avoid getting worse? If you T it's noise trauma related, avoid loud noises like concerts, sirens, fireworks, horns etc. Other things can cause T, not just noise, but also stress, backbone problems, jaw problems and so on.

 

[ceauses97]

There's no defined period of time, but I believe if your T aren't gone in one month, you better use to it. What can you do to avoid getting worse? If you T it's noise trauma related, avoid loud noises like concerts, sirens, fireworks, horns etc. Other things can cause T, not just noise, but also stress, backbone problems, jaw problems and so on.

Well... its only considered permanent after 6 months.

 

[Karen]

Hi, @frogatog, and welcome to Tinnitus Talk!

I have hearing loss in my right ear from about 30 years ago, when I sat too near the speakers at a concert. That's what started my tinnitus, and the hearing loss was a direct result of that occurrence. My hearing in that ear has not returned, but it also hasn't deteriorated very much since then, either.

I had very mild tinnitus in that ear for a long time, but my tinnitus worsened after I took blood pressure medicine for the first time (five years ago). Since then, my tinnitus has been on a higher level, but it has stabilized at that higher level. After awhile, it is possible to get used to your tinnitus.

The main thing to remember from this is that your right ear has been injured from the loud concert or the pill, so it's very important that you protect that ear from any additional damage going forward. Be sure to buy some high quality ear plugs, and use them whenever you are exposed to loud noise. Also, taking NAC (N-Acetylcistene) may help to protect your ears from further damage. Right now, let your ear heal, and stay away from noisy places for awhile.

Things will begin to improve for you over time, but whether or not your hearing will improve, it's hard to say.

Best wishes,
Karen