Poll: Has Your Tinnitus Increased Over Time?

[fishbone]

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.

I have to agree on this one. Over-protecting and scaring ourselves of daily sounds does no one any good. You can build up fear, paranoia, OCDs and possibly create hyperacusis. Our lives are already messed up to some degree because of tinnitus. It's good to protect the ears, but going overboard is NEVER a good thing. I'd avoid doing this, at all costs.

The fear,stress,anxiety, paranoia,OCDs can possibly lead to increase in the tinnitus, so what's the point? I attribute the demon level tinnitus I am at...due to constant loud exposure that I was exposing myself to. (bars, pubs, concerts, dancing by spearkers). NOT from brief daily exposures to daily sounds...

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have to agree on this one. Over-protecting and scaring ourselves of daily sounds does no one any good. You can build up fear, paranoia, OCDs and possibly create hyperacusis. Our lives are already messed up to some degree because of tinnitus. It's good to protect the ears, but going overboard is NEVER a good thing. I'd avoid doing this, at all costs.

The fear,stress,anxiety, paranoia,OCDs can possibly lead to increase in the tinnitus, so what's the point? I attribute the demon level tinnitus I am at...due to constant loud exposure that I was exposing myself to. (bars, pubs, concerts, dancing by spearkers). NOT from brief daily exposures to daily sounds...

Great post as usual @fishbone I haven't seen you for a while and wondered what happened? Tried sending you a PM just to say hello, but "starting conversation" box is missing on your Avatar.

Take care
Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

You are getting worse in your arguments, more aggressive as well.

The above is not an argument.

Yesterday you advised a kid to stop playing on his PS4 because of the fan noise, which is like 40 dB.

I don't remember advising anyone avoiding 40 dB fan noise.

The person whom you refer, is showing signs of stress and anxiety often assoicated with tinnitus and hyperacusis when they become overbearing.

I Am disappointed about a slight worsening (possibly due to work-related stress) that I have been experiencing for about two weeks now. But I can still keep it together. For now.

It's good to protect the ears, but going overboard is NEVER a good thing. I'd avoid doing this, at all costs.

Good advice. Likewise, avoid UNDERprotecting, at all costs.

 

[Michael Leigh]

The above is not an argument.

I don't remember advising anyone avoiding 40 dB fan noise.

I Am disappointed about a slight worsening (possibly due to work-related stress) that I have been experiencing for about two weeks now. But I can still keep it together. For now.

Good advice. Likewise, avoid UNDERprotecting, at all costs.

I am a sensitive person @Bill Bauer and one has to be to counsel people with tinnitus. I knew something was affecting you and hope you start to feel better soon.

All the best
Michael

 

[Jéssica Amorim]

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

10

 

[dpdx]

I have to agree on this one. Over-protecting and scaring ourselves of daily sounds does no one any good. You can build up fear, paranoia, OCDs and possibly create hyperacusis. Our lives are already messed up to some degree because of tinnitus. It's good to protect the ears, but going overboard is NEVER a good thing. I'd avoid doing this, at all costs.

The fear,stress,anxiety, paranoia,OCDs can possibly lead to increase in the tinnitus, so what's the point? I attribute the demon level tinnitus I am at...due to constant loud exposure that I was exposing myself to. (bars, pubs, concerts, dancing by spearkers). NOT from brief daily exposures to daily sounds...

I have to agree on this one. Over-protecting and scaring ourselves of daily sounds does no one any good. You can build up fear, paranoia, OCDs and possibly create hyperacusis. Our lives are already messed up to some degree because of tinnitus. It's good to protect the ears, but going overboard is NEVER a good thing. I'd avoid doing this, at all costs.

The fear,stress,anxiety, paranoia,OCDs can possibly lead to increase in the tinnitus, so what's the point? I attribute the demon level tinnitus I am at...due to constant loud exposure that I was exposing myself to. (bars, pubs, concerts, dancing by spearkers). NOT from brief daily exposures to daily sounds...

I love bars, pubs, resturants, and cafes. I wouldnt go to concerts with tinnitus.

 

[Jéssica Amorim]

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.

Loud noises exposure

 

[Taylorslay]

Likely if that's whats not increasing it. Its possible that it is not the main contributor to your T. There are plenty of factors that go in to T but typically from what I've seen its usually one. Like ototoxic drugs or loud music.

Maybe look at what medicine your taking or if you have a deficiency in something.

 

[Jack Barnes]

Before the trauma it was a single 1//10 volume tone in my right ear, for a few months or so after the trauma it was 5-9/10 fire alarm/morse code/squealing balloon sounds simultaneously in both ears, and now it's become this psychotic symphony of rapidly fluctuating tones playing underneath several constant tones mixed with some soft cricket chirping. The good news is that the volume is at a stable 3-4/10 most of the time. So in that regard I would say it's better now.

I just wish it would stop fluctuating much so I could filter it out.

 

[fran dana]

I'm just going to say that sometimes it's a party up here

 

[Liam_Cairns]

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.)


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.

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.

I was told to stop worrying about noises and that got me to where I am now, at the age of 23 with tinnitus which went from mild to moderate. I actually lost my shit at the audiologist who told me that overprotecting was bad when I came back in after what had happened and told her I was protecting my ears again and she told me that I was "doing the wrong thing". I have since found a new audiologist who says that some people really do just need to protect their ears more and that the risk of developing hyperacusis is pretty rare from it. She has 23 years of experience and tinnitus herself so yeah.

 

[dm222]

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.

How long it took to improve?

 

[JurgenG]

How long it took to improve?

It's really hard to tell, I've had my biggest improvements in the first half year, but after that it still continued to go down.
Sometimes it's louder again, and than I get a periode of a couple of days where I doubt my actions and get really anxious again, but now I am entering the part where I can tell myself that's its a temporary increase.
It's still not gone completely, but if it stays like this I am fairly happy. Just now need to get rid of the H (because of overprotecting) & the part where I am too scared to do anything and it's intervering way too much with my life.

Sidenote: I had a co-worker, who was standing on stage and firework went off next to his ear, serious acoustic trauma, lost hearing for a while, came back, and 2 years later he's totally T-free. It went down and he didn't even notice the fact that it went down. Then one day, it was just silent.
The guy continued working at concerts etc, but did protect himself as much as possible. So it is possible.

 

[dm222]

It's really hard to tell, I've had my biggest improvements in the first half year, but after that it still continued to go down.
Sometimes it's louder again, and than I get a periode of a couple of days where I doubt my actions and get really anxious again, but now I am entering the part where I can tell myself that's its a temporary increase.
It's still not gone completely, but if it stays like this I am fairly happy. Just now need to get rid of the H (because of overprotecting) & the part where I am too scared to do anything and it's intervering way too much with my life.

Sidenote: I had a co-worker, who was standing on stage and firework went off next to his ear, serious acoustic trauma, lost hearing for a while, came back, and 2 years later he's totally T-free. It went down and he didn't even notice the fact that it went down. Then one day, it was just silent.
The guy continued working at concerts etc, but did protect himself as much as possible. So it is possible.

Do you know what kind of treatments he did? Just time?

 

[Siri]

Yes. I've had it for decades since I had an ear infection in high school but was not to bothered because it was at low volume. A year ago it spiked higher and stayed loud, I didn't think I could ever tolerate it but I finally adjusted. Just when I was getting on with my life much better a month ago it got even louder and seems to be staying at this louder level.

 

[JurgenG]

Do you know what kind of treatments he did? Just time?

Piracetam I think or sortlike to get the blood flowing in the inner ear.

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

This poll is in a lot of ways not helpful to new sufferers coming to this forum. Sadly, the members of this forum are not the majority, and hear because of the problems tinnitus has caused them (not all of course) so you're going to get a skewed result. Tinnitus improves for majority of people.