Poll: Has Your Tinnitus Increased Over Time?

[Jéssica Amorim]

For some time I have been living with the tinnitus. I can say that at first it affected me a lot but I learned to live with constant whistling.

However, I have noticed a significant increase in volume, even avoiding loud music, which was the likely cause of my tinnitus.

My question is: Has your tinnitus increased over time?

 

[Jake007]

I've had tinnitus for little over a year now, it has increased quite a bit since onset, but it was due to things out of my control. How significant was this increase?

 

[Rajin]

From 1 to 10 where was it at , how much it increased? Just curious.

 

[zeroday]

The first 9 months I suffered physical ear pain with my T...having said that I was a long haul truck driver and the environmental itself lead to extreme noise saturation...after that time it has reduced to its current unmaskable lever and hadn't changed...mine is tri tonal and modulates slightly...

 

[Michael B]

I have my good days & bad but I would have to say that my T has actually gotten worse in that I now wake up to it more often in the morning. When that happens, my day is pretty much mapped out for itself.

 

[MonstercatMusic]

Mine has got worse in 3 notable stages.
At onset I could mask it with light wind outside and only hear it to an annoying degree in a silent room.
Then randomly 5 months later I had multiple small increases (proabnky due to working in a moderately loud envoronment) .
Still its was just about maskable by wind outside.
Then the day before I moved to the big city (3 months after first increase) it spiked, I expected it to die down after 10 seconds as per usual but it never did. This level is now unmaskable unless I'm walking on a busy street.
Then a few days ago a more sharp pitch at the same volume added itself to the mix.

On top of that I've had visual snow for 3 months. So basically my hobby (music) and work (IT) has been destroyed by these things.

 

[dpdx]

Yup, I went from Mild T to Moderate (baseline)/Severe, it fluctuates from Moderate to Severe. Reasons are caloric test, vemp, fire alarm (twice), walking on busy road, car muffler, motorcycles passing by, ambulance siren, etc

 

[Bill Bauer]

avoiding loud music

Try avoiding moderate noises (like that of a vacuum cleaner) for a month.

 

[Michael Leigh]

However, I have noticed a significant increase in volume, even avoiding loud music, which was the likely cause of my tinnitus.

@Jéssica Amorim
Tinnitus that was originally caused by "loud noise" will not usually get worse over time. If it does and there is no underlying medical problem responsible, then the usual cause is exposure to loud sound or headphone use even at low volume. The overuse of hearing protection and avoiding normal everyday sounds can also cause this, due to the "loudness threshold" of the auditory system being lowered which will make it more sensitive to sound, particularly if hyperacusis is present.

Stress, anxiety and negative thinking about tinnitus can also cause it to become more intrusive and this may require counselling with a Hearing Therapist.

Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

avoiding normal everyday sounds

What do you mean by the above? Would the sounds made by a vacuum cleaner, blender, hair dryer, lawn mower fall into this category?

 

[Michael Leigh]

vacuum cleaner, blender, hair dryer, lawn mower fall into this category?

Yes they do but there are exceptions to this. If a person has hyperacusis I advise they use "noise reducing" earplugs when using a vacuum cleaner, blender or hair dryer. When using a lawn mower particularly if it is petrol, then proper Ear defenders should be used. They should also be worn when using electric power tools.

Hyperacusis needs to be treated and the continuing use or overuse of hearing protection to suppress normal everyday sounds, in the home and outside environment will halt the healing process, and often will make the auditory system more sensitive to sound. There are many people in this forum that overuse hearing protection and I believe, it is the main cause of their tinnitus becoming worse. It instils negative thinking, stress and anxiety.

The sooner hyperacusis is dealt with and reducing the use of hearing protection around normal everyday sounds the quicker a person will be habituate and move on with their life.

Michael

 

[Steve]

It's worth mentioning that the poll will present a very skewed picture.

In general, people who have had tinnitus for a time and are using this site are those that have had issues, and likely to have had volume increases.

Those who have had no volume increase and are getting along fine don't tend to search for help, and therefore don't find or use TT.

 

[Julien87]

I voted no. I am not sure though, I think it has increased a little bit since the onset (12 years ago) but it is definitely not a significant change.

 

[JurgenG]

No, went down. So actually I should not be on the forum, but I like to vote because this vote is biased for that reason.

 

[jay777]

@Michael Leigh hi how do you get counselling with a Hearing Therapist on the NHS?

 

[Bobby B]

for me improved quite a bit over 2.5 years thanks to LT and some supplements and of course protecting ears very religiously

 

[Nics2drescue]

Yep, mine is getting worse. My T started 11 months ago, and was very mild for a good 6 months. I could sleep no problem. Since then it has increased every few months and is getting worse. I'm now on Mirap to help me sleep at night. My T is quite bizarre and it fluctuates. It can range from Mild to Moderate to Severe. I could have a mild spell for a few days, then I could have a moderate spell for a couple of weeks and a severe spell for a number of days. I have habituated to some of the noises. I have around 6 tones, a static tone, a cicadas tone, low hum tone, low eeeeeeeee tone, a high eeeeeeee tone and a very far away hum. I have habituated to the first 3 tones, but when I get to a stage of habituation, a new tone comes along and causes havoc! I think with time it is inevitable you habituate to a certain tone, but what I find most frustrating is when a new tone comes along and it brings me right back to square 1. It's exhausting! You fight so much, and you get to a good-ish place then BANG!, you're right back to where you started. I've only had my T for 11 months and it has increased 10 fold so I am very worried about what the next few years holds for me. It's daunting to think you have to fight this for the rest of your life. If the same tones stayed, T would not ruin my life. I would have a happy life! Alas

 

[Bill Bauer]

If a person has hyperacusis I advise they use "noise reducing" earplugs when using a vacuum cleaner, blender or hair dryer. When using a lawn mower particularly if it is petrol, then proper Ear defenders should be used. They should also be worn when using electric power tools.

This is where the two of us will have to agree to disagree. I am convinced that it is a good idea to stay away from all of the above, and not to rely on hearing protection.

thanks to LT and some supplements

What laser have you been using?

What supplements do you think had helped you?

 

[Taylorslay]

Do you know how you got your T?

Mine is from over exposure to loud noise. So I avoid loud areas or wear earplugs. My T has actually gotten quite better since its start.

 

[Michael Leigh]

This is where the two of us will have to agree to disagree. I am convinced that it is a good idea to stay away from all of the above, and not to rely on hearing protection.

Indeed, you are entitled to your opinion. The following may not apply to you but I've seen it many times in forums and people that have contacted me that follow your approach. It is for this reason many of my posts on my "started threads" address this issue and one which @Ed209 @fishbone and others agree with. Sound avoidance particularly everyday normal sounds instils negative thinking. Over time this can cause stress, anxiety and if one isn't careful phonohobia and misophonia. A member of this forum has developed both these conditions in addition to tinnitus and hyperacusis. I advised this person of the risk of overusing hearing protection and avoiding normal everyday sounds. It got the point where this person wouldn't leave their home.

The member's Audiologist has said, the phonophobia and misophonia is a result of overusing hearing protection and sound avoidance. This person has now been referred for counselling and it's something that could have been avoided.

Michael

PS: I have written at length of the risks of overusing hearing protection and sound avoidance in many of my posts and don't wish to comment further at this time.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Michael Leigh hi how do you get counselling with a Hearing Therapist on the NHS?

Have a word with your GP and ask to be referred to Audiology. You may have to travel if a Hearing Therapist doesn't practice tinnitus counselling at your local hospital.

 

[Bill Bauer]

people that have contacted me that follow your approach

LOL Some anonymous people contacting you directly, instead of just replying - good story!

Well, here are some people who followed your approach and lived to regret it:

My T faded a lot suddenly almost 3 years ago. I had total remission of some trebly sounds in my head. It became only audible in quiet rooms.

Now its back in full force cause I'm stupid. Some ENT told me ear plugs are safe. Wrong! T is with me again.

I was told not to wear hearing protection for normal everyday situations but look where it's got me. I had my plugs in my pocket too. Getting on with a normal life hasn't helped for me.

" iwholovemusic " had a spike for about 2 years after loud event . I remember he had posted this about 2-3 years ago .
He was also wearing ear plugs and ear muffs !

I tried to wear some ear plugs while I was at the gym because I was afraid the clashing of the dumb bells was going to hurt my ears.

However, after working out twice I now have these two low frequency tones that feel like they are fighting over who should be playing every waking second. I can't quite figure out their pitches because they keep tag teaming, but it's much lower than my regular tinnitus.

I'm kind of distressed because I feel like I can never workout again for fear of making my tinnitus worse. What should I do?

Yes, you are correct. Not only that, but I have experienced firsthand already how avoidance is so much more helpful. Yes, even using earplugs and earmuffs is not a suitable replacement for avoidance.

In the third or fourth week of November I bought earmuffs and started wearing them on the bus, which I would take daily for work. At some point earlier on in this month (December) there was a new bus driver who not only had the bus intercom system turned on, but had the volume incredibly loud. I wore my ear protection and kept shuffling seats in an attempt to not be near one of the speakers. I suppose I must have not seen one of the speakers and ended up getting blasted. Even with ear protection on, it made my tinnitus arguably at its worse and gave me a new tone. Ever since then, I have opted for ridesharing services despite how expensive they are. I have sworn off using the bus.

Now, to my amazement, and in less than a month, not only has my new tone vanished, but my tinnitus has gone from moderate to mild. It is amazing to think that just cutting out a 15 minute bus drive with ear protection could have such benefits.

While I agree some people here go overboard with hearing protection, this increase in noise sensitivity after wearing hearing protection is only a temporary one. It is not the same thing as the brain turning up the auditory gain when there is a permanent loss in hearing.



With regards to noise exposure that isn't dangerous to most people, I developed a new tone in my right ear after a noise exposure at work back in October. I spent about half an hour in an area that I would estimate was at most 90db, but it was probably less than that. I had deeply inserted large foam earplugs at the time, but apparently that was not enough protection. That tone has not gone away, and it's not some psychosomatic spike. Spikes in volume are somewhat relative in my opinion, they can be attributed to stress, lack of sleep, noise exposure, diet, etc., but completely new tones that do not go away are something different.

What is safe for you may not be safe for me. And the fact is there has been no good study done assessing the vulnerability of already damaged auditory systems. The gold standard for dangerous noise levels is based on old data from OSHA where they looked for permanent threshold shifts of 10db or more at 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hz. As we know now, you can have fairly significant auditory damage without having a permanent threshold shift in those three ranges. There is also a lot of industry push-back when OSHA tries to make safety guidelines more strict (I haven't seen this with noise levels, but I have seen it with chemical safety guidelines). Moreover, it's very likely that some people are more genetically predisposed to hearing damage than others.

What I'm getting at here is I agree with you that some people really do go overboard with hearing protection, and obsessing about noise is not healthy, but it irritates me when people adopt this attitude of "well it works for me therefore it must work for you" or "it's safe for me therefore it's safe for you". No one can say that.

the noise has actually got worse - a lot worse just lately as I've been exposed to a noisy office environment. Normal for everyone else but too noisy for my ears. I now have a noise like a jet engine, a rushing wind with a high-pitched whine in it.

Yeah. I am going through the same thing. Got my T to improve and go back to mild and went to a restaurant I have eaten safely at twice post T and have had the loudest spike that has, after a week, not improved at all. And my H got worse too.

Of course these are just the tip of an iceberg. I remember several weeks last summer when we would get one or more horror stories per Day.

The member's Audiologist has said, the phonophobia and misophonia is a result of overusing hearing protection and sound avoidance.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...forum-more-useful-than-your-ents-advice.28006

 

[Julien87]

Now its back in full force cause I'm stupid. Some ENT told me ear plugs are safe. Wrong! T is with me again.

He was also wearing ear plugs and ear muffs !

You are posting messages of people reporting an increase after... wearing protection. Isn't it the approach that you recommend Bill?

Oh, and if Michael tells someone it's a good thing to brush their teeth everyday, will you also hold him accountable if those people report a T increase after months of teeth brushing? I mean, you cannot prove that it's one choice or the other that leads to the increase.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Bill Bauer

I am quite disappointed in you Bill, that you treat this matter with such flippancy and also doubt my verasity. I expect this behaviour from members that are well known for their disrespect, when I am talking about such a serious issue. I assure you that I am not making anything up.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

Flippancy??? Lack of Seriousness???!?!?

You are giving advice to people that has the potential to ruin their lives. I provided the evidence that your advice is dangerous, and somehow my comment is frivolous?!!?!?

If you are talking about me saying that you got anonymous comments about my advice, then all I was trying to say is that actual comments that all of us can see in context are more useful than anonymous comments that another person got to read. I shouldn't have included the text "good story" in my message. Too bad I can't remove it now. (I wish they were to give us a couple of hours to edit our posts.)

You are posting messages of people reporting an increase after... wearing protection. Isn't it the approach that you recommend Bill?

I recommend staying away from noise whenever one can (as hearing protection may provide a False sense of security). The posts that I quoted are evidence that even with earplugs/muffs one might not be safe.

I mean, you cannot prove that it's one choice or the other that leads to the increase.

In the posts that I quoted, people got spikes right away or the next day after doing what Michael advises and getting themselves exposed to loud noises while wearing hearing protection. I am sure that in one or two cases something else might be the culprit, but I don't think this is the case for most of those cases.

 

[Jcb]

Why do these posts always end up going in this direction? I think we would all agree we are on here working towards the same goal more or less. We all have different methods of dealing with T, some I agree with, some I don't. It's for the individual to decide what's best for them. I take most things with a pinch of salt on here, until we get this miracle cure we have to do the best we can to live a normal life. Just be respectful of each other's views, I'm all up for debating but since I've been on here I very rarely see that, it always ends up with people getting in their own feelings (which is understandable to a certain degree)

Love and peace and all that bollocks

 

[JurgenG]

LOL Some anonymous people contacting you directly, instead of just replying - good story!


https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...forum-more-useful-than-your-ents-advice.28006

Well, suprise that you were going to abuse that "ENT topic".
You are getting worse in your arguments, more aggressive as well.
Yesterday you advised a kid to stop playing on his PS4 because of the fan noise, which is like 40 dB.
This has gone too far..

 

[Tinker Bell]

LOL Some anonymous people contacting you directly, instead of just replying - good story!

Well, here are some people who followed your approach and lived to regret it:













Of course these are just the tip of an iceberg. I remember several weeks last summer when we would get one or more horror stories per Day.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...forum-more-useful-than-your-ents-advice.28006

How many of these examples were longterm increases versus temporary spikes? Did any other factors contribute, such as noise anxiety or hyperacusis?

I have seen other members quoted as examples before, and then the actual source responds that it was a temporary spike or that they are doing better now. Sometimes member comments are even taken out of context or important details are overlooked (for example, that they suffer from severe hyperacusis).

 

[Michael Leigh]

Well, suprise that you were going to abuse that "ENT topic".
You are getting worse in your arguments, more aggressive as well.
Yesterday you advised a kid to stop playing on his PS4 because of the fan noise, which is like 40 dB.
This has gone too far..

You are quite correct in your diagnoses @JurgenG The person whom you refer, is showing signs of stress and anxiety often assoicated with tinnitus and hyperacusis when they become overbearing. For this reason I withdrew from the conversation...

 

[Jazzer]

I always listen to @Bill Bauer for good common sense cautious advice.
(Where potential damage is concerned,
too late, is always too bloody late.)
Where uncomfortable noise is concerned, I either use ear plugs, or if possible, get outa there.

I regularly go to @fishbone when I need a top up to my courage. He is the top man for that.