Poll: How Old Were You When You First Got Tinnitus?

[JasonP]

How old were you when you first got tinnitus? If I was to guess, I would think most people on here started getting it in their 20s but only the answers will show the truth.

 

[glynis]

I got tinnitus through Menieres about 12 years ago or more.
I'm now 50.....lots of love glynis

 

[NineNails]

Too early!!

 

[Zora]

I got it the first time when I was 18, but that went away. Now I got it again when I am 20. its making me sad, bc I just want to be able to party like my friends

 

[LostInNorcal]

29

 

[bill 112]

18 but went away only to return when I was 20.

 

[christophe]

46

 

[JasonP]

I got it the first time when I was 18, but that went away. Now I got it again when I am 20. its making me sad, bc I just want to be able to party like my friends

Hey, I was just curious. How long did it last the first time?

 

[Zora]

@JasonP I think 5 days maybe...was so loud in the beginning I couldnt hear what people were saying. But calmed down quickly. back then when I wasnt pre damaged. It wont leave now

 

[JasonP]

@JasonP I think 5 days maybe...was so loud in the beginning I couldnt hear what people were saying. But calmed down quickly. back then when I wasnt pre damaged. It wont leave now

Sorry to hear that. I got a new tinnitus tone in December and creates pulsing sounds on my hearing aid maskers due to amplification of a sound when I rolled down the window of my car. My hearing aids did not cut off the sound and amplified it too much and I got hearing damage. Was wondering if it would go away but I guess not.

 

[Andunwoody]

I have a very clear memory from when I was around five or six (I'm 60 now) ........ It was Christmas Night and we were staying overnight at my Aunties and I had been put to bed. I even remember the nightdress I was wearing, dark blue and white striped, trimmed with white lace. After a long, exciting and happy day I was overtired but could hear this strange whooshing noise in my ears, it didn't bother me though and I was soon asleep. I'm sure this was my first experience of T. Fifteen or so years later my Dad was diagnosed with T after a blow to the head (which also later caused him to lose much of his sight), this was the first time I had heard of Tinnitus. My own T started intermittently when I was in my 30's. That memory from childhood has served me well, my T has never kept me awake at night even when it has been really bad, I guess my brain somehow associates the noise in my ears/head with that happy night so many years ago so doesn't perceive it as a threat. I'm very grateful for that memory, it has saved me a lot of distress.

 

[Christokp]

29. It's intersting that the majority who answered this poll are less than 35 years old.

 

[JodieStephens]

13, I'm 23 now...

 

[Anima]

I was 57 when I first got it. It was a severe and intrusive, antibiotics related tinnitus. In four years time, it got milder and my life went back to "normality". Now is back since April due to IV anaesthetic, it's even more severe and intrusive now than it was 13 years ago. I'm 70, let's hope things get better this time too.

 

[DefNFlaky]

Was 2 when infected with Spinal Meningitis. Always scared me as a kid with this strange whistling in the night when the hearing aids came off for bed. Had gotten used to it until an accident cause a severe spike that tapered off to baseline over a year.

 

[Julien87]

19

 

[Johan Berndt]

I got it the first time when I was 18, but that went away. Now I got it again when I am 20. its making me sad, bc I just want to be able to party like my friends

Hello! Why can't you do that? Why would the tinnitus stop you from doing that? I didn't party for like 4 months when I got tinnitus, but now I am back where I was before (of course I use earplugs while partying)

I got tinnitus like 1-2 weeks before my 19-birthday and now I am 19

 

[Jenny Guo]

I was only 7

 

[TomPearson]

5-8 when I first noticed it, but it went away. 15 when it became permanent.

 

[dpdx]

27 and after that my life turned to sh*t, grey hair, extreme stress/anxiety, severe h, severe t, etc.

 

[dfw]

Wow. So sorry for most of y'all on this poll. Didn't realize the majority are in their 20's onset. I guess I'm one of the "lucky" ones

So much for the medical theory it's only hair cells. I'm assuming a lot of people in their 20's don't have much hearing loss.

 

[acute]

The month I Turned 25 Great gift.

 

[Agrajag364]

Circa 75% with an age of onset 35 and under. The forum skews young compared to the mean age of onset which according to this paper must be about 40.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3220697/

 

[Hazel]

Circa 75% with an age of onset 35 and under. The forum skews young compared to the mean age of onset which according to this paper must be about 40.

Actually, more than half of our forum members are over 60. But the most active members seem to be younger, as are most of our volunteers.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Actually, more than half of our forum members are over 60.

Hi @Hazel

I wonder if more over 60 have physical tinnitus, PT and medication caused tinnitus then noise exposure tinnitus.
Studies tend to indicate this, but inactivity per posting may be because of other reasons such as age.

 

[Agrajag364]

Interesting. Would likely be the same skew for the poll respondents I guess.

 

[ToriaM34]

12 and I'm 21 now

 

[Ken219]

12 and I'm 21 now

I grew up with ten watt speakers, I have not used headphones much at all. Today the sky's the limit. We manufacture too many harmful products.

 

[Snake]

13

21 now.

 

[Allan1967]

Not fucking old enough.

27.

51 now.