Possible Causes of My Tinnitus: Noise (Hammer Drill, Loud Speaker), Insect Killer, Stress

[Simon85]

Hi everyone.

I'm a 35-year-old male and 3 months into tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Possible causes of my tinnitus in the week before it started:

- Use of a hammer drill without ear protection about a week before my tinnitus started (most likely cause, I think).

- I was unfortunately near a load speaker whilst taking a tractor ride on farm tour a few days before developing tinnitus. I have a 3-year-old son who likes to visit the farm. My whole family agreed it was super loud and I was trying to cover my son's ears at the time (while he wriggled).

- There was a spider on the fence that I sprayed with insect killer. A gust of wind sent a good dose of it into my face. I coughed and cursed under my breath. Really I shouldn't have lingered.

- Stress. I work long hours in the financial markets. At around this time there were several big projects due and I was also having marriage issues. We were talking about divorce and what that would mean for splitting time with our child. I was not in a good head space and all.

As some background I've unfortunately not taken good care of my ears: raced in 2 stroke motorsport as a kid, played in rock bands without ear plugs for years, generally didn't wear ear protection for DIY jobs (not that I did much of it anyway).

I first noticed my tinnitus while sitting at my computer with ear phones on and music playing softly (25/100). There was a stabbing pain in my right ear. I took my headphones off and noticed that there was some light ringing if I blocked my ear: eee... eeeee... eee... When answering phone calls I had to shift my cell phone to my non-dominant hand as I couldn't hear so well out of my right ear. I visited the GP and explained these symptoms. She looked a bit puzzled and said 'could be ETD', told me to monitor it and then sent my on my way.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and it wasn't getting any better. I was shaken awake in the night by a loud 'DOOOOOOO' right in the middle of my head. I got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror utterly terrified. The sound travelled down my head slowly from the centre towards my right ear. Once it reached my right ear it sounded like a siren went off. I eventually ended up at the ED for tests. They said I have hearing loss and gave me a 10 day course of high dose Prednisone. By this stage my head felt like it was under siege. There were at least a dozen violent sounds roaring in my head along with ear pain. I'd lost count. I was lucky to sleep a couple of hours a night and that got worse with the side effects of Prednisone. Music sounded like one jumbled mess and even soft noises would hurt my ears.

Fast forward a month and I've seen an ENT who specialises in tinnitus. He tested my hearing again and it appears to be within a normal range. He also sent me for the works in testing: blood tests, MRI of head and ears, MRI with contrast, CT scan. He checked my ears, nose, throat, listened with a stethoscope to see if he could hear any sound. In the end he mentioned that all looks good and to wait until the 3 month mark to see if it gets better. This 3 month mark is coming up and I've got my next appointment with him on February 5th.

Today the tinnitus and hyperacusis are both much more tolerable. It's reduced in volume from approx. 8/10 to 3/10 and the sounds are not nearly as violent. It still occupies a lot of my thoughts and I'm not used to it by any means. However, I have managed to sleep through the night which is great progress. Before that I was only getting rest with sleeping pills.

I should also add that I love music and have been playing guitar since I was in my early teens. I currently play guitar, banjo, weissenborn, ukulele... Even though my tests appear to be good, my favourite songs sound off and different. Also, there is a large amount of distortion at times that sounds like someone is blowing on the top of a bottle... wooooooo. Sometimes it overpowers the music altogether. I've invested so much time in my music. I met my first proper girlfriend playing a student bar pub rock gig. I met my wife while practicing guitar in the park. It's my outlet for relaxation. I'd reached the level of mastery where my last guitar teacher, a veteran himself, mentioned that there is nothing more he can teach me. I feel like I've thrown it all away... just for not taking a cautionary moment to protect my ears. I've cried. I've wanted to scream, but it would only hurt my ears. I'm clinging onto some hope that with time my ears may get better. Perhaps I can hear the music again without this awful distortion.

In the meantime my current strategy is time and silence. I used to play masking sounds, but my tinnitus is reactive: electric and rattling tinnitus sounds climb above constant noises like running water, fans and white noise. I feel like I cope better just sitting in relative silence with my baseline tinnitus. Also, even small masking noises make my ears rattle. After falling asleep with a fan on, for example, I'd spike and wake up with my ears screaming at me. Sleep has been much easier after keeping my bedroom silent. There are some challenges: my toddler loves to make loud noises. I've been wearing industrial scale ear muffs while playing with him or at times where I know he might protest (like at bath time).

Thanks for reading. I've also found the posts on this forum very helpful. @Bill Bauer I've read your posts in particular and they have been very helpful: many thanks.

I hope we all find some peace,
Simon.

 

[Drachen]

Welcome, Simon!

Wow, I've got to say reading your post has was fairly difficult at times. It sounds like you've got yourself a particularly bad case, but to hear it's dropped a bit (from a whopping 8/10 to 3/10) is nothing short of a welcome improvement that should, hopefully, lead to further improvements. Still, having reactive tinnitus on top of what sounds like both hyperacusis and dysacusis, I'm amazed you're still up and functioning. Having any one of these symptoms can be truly devastating, and a lot of the worst sufferers here have a combination of two or more.

It does appear to be the case, based off what you've said and what your specialist ENT has determined, that you are in the noise-induced hearing loss camp. It's just so weird that you can have hidden loss or very small, insignificant (to you) loss that your brain decides is something that needs to be adjusted. Not enough research is going into this field to determine why this is the case, how it can be prevented, and how it can be remedied.

Regardless of how you may have been a bit too careless with your ears, you still do not deserve to suffer the consequences of this symptom; simply put, nobody does. You made mistakes, and sure you probably could have done better in the past, but that doesn't mean anything now. Don't beat yourself up over it, because that will just add fuel to the fire with regards to the stress and anxiety you have. I know all of this is easier said than done, believe me I can empathize with that perspective, but it's something to keep in mind as you work towards recovery.

I can understand how, as a musician, a condition like this is all the more painful. Having to give up your passion, or at the very least have it distorted by this symptom, is cruel beyond words. As a father, I'm sure it doesn't help either having your little tyke going about doing what kids do. There are several others parents on this forum that have also been afflicted (@twa comes to mind) that may be able to provide you further advice on how to go about juggling your situation. That being said, you seem to be on the right track using hearing protection when you view it is appropriate.

I want you to know that this is likely not the endgame for you. If you're interested, the Research News sub-forum is generally a great, uplifting, and optimistic resource for you to learn of new treatments coming through in medicine, either for hearing loss specifically or perhaps even tinnitus and hyperacusis itself. Perhaps the most promising drug so far is that of FX-322 by Frequency Therapeutics, which aims to restore the damage done in your ears by using your own body's support cells to regenerate your cochlear hair cells. Though it's still undergoing trials, and there's nothing for sure yet, the science seems legitimate and the results thus far are promising.

Your current strategy is likely the best bet for your specific situation. It is truly unfortunate masking does not work in your case, but at the very least your sleep is on the mind. This is often cited as a big step you need to take on the way to bettering your situation. The only certainty that you can expect out of all of this is that time will bring change. As you've mentioned @Bill Bauer, someone that is very researched in how this has afflicted people in this community, he tells you the same thing. It's very hard to process this, and again, this is something I have not yet processed either. I know how impatient you may feel. How uncertain you may feel. It is all valid, and we all understand.

With all that being said, I certainly wish the best for you and your family going forward. I hope and pray only for recovery your way, and given time, you will hopefully reclaim your life as you once knew it.

 

[Digital Doc]

It was both the hammer drill, and the tractor ride. Delayed tinnitus spikes after noise exposure are quite common by up to several days.

Avoid further noise exposure, and feel better soon!

 

[Michael Leigh]

Hi @Simon85.

Noise induced tinnitus usually improves with time and early signs indicate this is the case for you. However, for this to continue there are a few things that I will suggest. Stop using headphones, earbuds and headset even at low volumes.

The advice your ENT doctor has given you is right and advise you follow it. Noise induced tinnitus with or without hyperacusis can take up to two years to recover. If you follow my suggestions and don't use the devices I mentioned then I'm confident that you will habituate to the tinnitus quite successfully.

In addition to the above, I recommend that you stop playing the musical instruments for a while at least 2 to 3 months to give your ears a rest. Monitor how you feel after this period and if the hyperacusis has improved, then you could resume playing the instruments using Noise reducing earplugs. Please read my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It, in the link below. This explains how to use noise reducing earplugs correctly as overuse can cause problems.

If you continue playing the instruments without giving your ears time to settle, you risk making the hyperacusis and tinnitus worse. It is a delicate balancing act and therefore, prudence and patience is required. This cannot be rushed. If I were in your position, I would leave at least 6 to 12 months before using any musical instruments but the choice is yours. I suggest that you never use headphones, earbuds or headset again even after the tinnitus and hyperacusis has improved. Don't use them even at low volumes. Again, this is my advice ultimately the choice is yours whether to follow it.

Try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings especially at night by using low level sound enrichment. This doesn't mean masking the tinnitus or covering it up so it can't be heard as this is the wrong thing to do. Keep the sound enrichment slightly below the tinnitus. This will help treat the tinnitus, hyperacusis and assist in habituation. Please click on the links below and read my posts for further information. Take your time and read them without skimming.

Please go to my started threads and read the following posts and if possible, print them and refer to them often. They will help to reinforce positive thinking. This is one of the most important things to acquire that will enable a person to move forwards with tinnitus. Tinnitus is not a quick fix but a lot can be achieved with time: The Habituation Process, Will My Tinnitus Get Worse? Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset. Acquiring a Positive Mindset. Tinnitus, A Personal View.

All the best
Michael

New to Tinnitus, What to Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Hyperacusis, As I See It | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

[Simon85]

@Drachen, @Digital Doc, @Michael Leigh, thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I appreciate it.

Wow, I've got to say reading your post has was fairly difficult at times. It sounds like you've got yourself a particularly bad case, but to hear it's dropped a bit (from a whopping 8/10 to 3/10) is nothing short of a welcome improvement that should, hopefully, lead to further improvements.

I'm really hoping for more improvements. That early period was harrowing.

Don't beat yourself up over it, because that will just add fuel to the fire with regards to the stress and anxiety you have.

I'm working on this. I struggle with it at times.

Perhaps the most promising drug so far is that of FX-322 by Frequency Therapeutics, which aims to restore the damage done in your ears by using your own body's support cells to regenerate your cochlear hair cells.

Glad that something is in the pipeline there. Fingers crossed that my ears heal and I won't need it.

With all that being said, I certainly wish the best for you and your family going forward. I hope and pray only for recovery your way, and given time, you will hopefully reclaim your life as you once knew it.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm really hoping that, with time, things get better. I think for both of us it's early days. From what I understand it's likely the sounds we're hearing now will be different from what we hear in 12 months. I would love to hear sweet silence again.

Avoid further noise exposure, and feel better soon!

Thanks. I'm currently treating my ears like royalty. It may be too little too late, but time will tell.

Noise induced tinnitus with or without hyperacusis can take up to two years to recover.

Geez. I wish these ears would get a move on.

I would leave at least 6 to 12 months before using any musical instruments but the choice is yours.

As difficult as that is I think you are likely right there. I've got myself a pair of custom moulded earplugs. In 6 months I'll look to slowly start again by playing some acoustic guitar. I think that banjo and electric guitar are likely to be off the cards for longer. I'm going to be proceeding very cautiously.

I suggest that you never use headphones, earbuds or headset again even after the tinnitus and hyperacusis has improved. Don't use them even at low volumes.

Yeah, I've shelved them. I'll look at getting good external speakers for playing music in the future, but that is still some time off. I'm honestly terrified of my tinnitus going back to its peak.

Please go to my started threads and read the following posts and if possible, print them and refer to them often. They will help to reinforce positive thinking.

Thanks for taking the time to share these. I've read through them. At the moment I feel like I'm heavily protecting my ears... perhaps too much. It's difficult to find a balance. If a sound feels uncomfortable, even if most people would consider it very mild, I'm tending to avoid it.

Thanks again,
Simon.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Geez. I wish these ears would get a move on.

Recovery and habituation to noise induced tinnitus cannot be rushed. Patience and adhering to my recommendations are the best way for you to move forwards.

As difficult as that is I think you are likely right there. I've got myself a pair of custom moulded earplugs. In 6 months I'll look to slowly start again by playing some acoustic guitar. I think that banjo and electric guitar are likely to be off the cards for longer. I'm going to be proceeding very cautiously.

I would have preferred that you didn't buy custom moulded ear plugs as ordinary noise reducing earplugs would suffice. Whilst there's nothing wrong with custom plugs, there's the danger of overusing them and this will make your auditory system more sensitive to sound, which can result in hindering or completely stopping the habituation process. The same applies to noise reducing plugs, they must not be overused. Please read my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it.

I feel like I'm heavily protecting my ears... perhaps too much

Try not to over protect your ears because you'll make your symptoms worse long term. Follow my suggestions in my posts.

All the best
Michael

 

[Simon85]

Hi guys.

Sorry for the long post.

I had my 3-month appointment with the ENT this week.

Currently I have tinnitus and hyperacusis, but he mentioned only to protect my ears from industrial noise. That I shouldn't protect my ears around the house, going outside, playing instruments, ... no earplugs or earmuffs. Only to protect my ears for things like home DIY.

This is quite different from the advice I've received online from people with the condition - at least in the early period. He also suggested that I schedule an appointment for a couple of weeks to get TRT in-ear maskers fitted. They cost approx. $3K.

My instinct is to give my ears a rest given I'm only 3 months in. Also, I've had good progress so far over these 3 months. At the moment I listen to my body and only protect my ears if the situation feels uncomfortable. Shouldn't I just wait another 3 months at least and see where I'm at before forking out $3K for TRT maskers? To be fair, I get not overprotecting - developing a fear of sound would be very unhelpful. I'm just trying to find a balance.

Unfortunately this has been a point of conflict for my marriage. My wife was at the appointment and heard all of this advice coming straight from the professional. Now we get into arguments whenever I put my earplugs in. My son wanted to play an instrument, I popped my earplugs in and we immediately got into an argument. Protecting my ears will cause me to fear sound and is not good for me. I should listen to the specialist.

However, I've got a bigger problem than instruments unfortunately. I'm from Australia and we're in the hotter months at the moment. It's rare, but my wife has night terrors and I don't sleep with earplugs in. It's unpleasant for both of us and there have been two incidents of this over the last month. I think she dreams there is an intruder in the house and wakes up screaming and gouging at me (thinking I'm the intruder). In the last incident it drew some blood and I had a long scratch across the top of my head. It's not so much the gouging I'm worried about but more the screaming. My tinnitus spikes, the ear pain is intense and I can't get back to sleep. I thought the first incident was unusual, but since the second instance I've been sleeping on the couch. Thankfully the tinnitus spikes subside in the days following and I go back to where I was before, but I'm truly scared about the impact of this on the ability of my ears to heal. When it comes time to sleep I'd rather sleep on the couch at least in the short term.

The question was posed to my ENT - Should my husband come back and sleep in the room? The answer was a yes. The screaming is loud, but according to the ENT it shouldn't be for a sufficient duration to cause long term damage. Now this has become a big issue. Basically there's been talk of divorce unless I come back and sleep in the room within 2 weeks. Also, no earplugs as the professional has said I should only wear them for industrial noise. We were going through a rough patch before but this has unfortunately added fuel to that.

I don't know what to do. At the peak of my tinnitus / hyperacusis I was in a really bad place. I really, truly don't want to go back to that. If you've got any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them.

Thanks,
Simon.

 

[ajc]

Shouldn't I just wait another 3 months at least and see where I'm at before forking out $3K for TRT maskers?

You've already had good progress. I would wait 3 more months before making such a big financial commitment.

Basically there's been talk of divorce unless I come back and sleep in the room within 2 weeks.

I would leave such a woman immediately. Total lack of understanding. Lack of empathy. Just my opinion.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I would leave such a woman immediately. Total lack of understanding. Lack of empathy. Just my opinion.

I agree with you one hundred percent. If the situation were reversed, you would hear the husband is controlling etc etc you get my drift. I don't like blackmail especially the type that is happening to Simon. I agree in fairness but unfortunately this does not apply to most men during a divorce, particularly when children are involved. The wife holds all the cards because the a law is on her side and Simon's wife and the majority of women know this. I feel sorry for him because tinnitus and hyperacusis can be very debilitating.

@Simon85 I am deeply sorry to hear of your situation because you are between a rock and a very hard place, and mean that in every sense of the word. Your ENT doctor has some knowledge of tinnitus and hyperacusis, this is not always the case. Most are physicians not tinnitus specialists as this is the area for an Audiology department, and to be under the care of an Audiologist or Hearing Therapist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management. Wearing white noise generators alone, is not good enough unless you are going to have regular tinnitus counselling with your Audiologist. Please go to my started threads and read my articles on TRT. You may not need it as you're making progress.

Your situation is complex and a decision only you can make I'm afraid. Please go to my started threads and read some of the articles, and hope they will be of some help.

Very sorry to hear what you're going through and hope things improve in the near future.
Take care.

Michael

 

[Wantlife]

Hey Simon
Don't listen to ents...
I was recovering well and thought I should follow advice from environment and give my ears some air.. 1 loudish noise and now it's been 9 months no improvement at all. In fact a lot worse since it spread to my healthy ear...

take care

 

[Simon85]

Thanks very much for the replies. I did find it rather odd that the ENT suggested I just carry on per usual. I'm going to cancel my next appointment and push it out 6 months or so - that way I'll be in a better spot to judge If I actually need the in ear maskers. I also intend to wear earplugs if I think it's necessary and aim to avoid loud noises. As for the sleeping arrangements it has been rough. To be fair I have been very easily irritated over the last few months with this condition and I'm sure that doesn't help. However, for my sanity and my health I'm still sleeping on the couch at least until the weather cools a bit (which is likely to be be a while). I've explained where I'm coming from at length and it was unfortunate with the ENT visit.

I feel like this condition is really misunderstood. So many people I've talked to say 'Oh, I've got a little tinnitus if I take the time and listen hard for it, but it doesn't bother me.' I used to be in this camp with the lightest of flutter in my right ear. I never imagined just what was in store for me. Having the opportunity to read posts on this forum has been very helpful and I appreciate all of you taking the time to come back to me. Now I'm playing the waiting in relative silence game to see if my symptoms will reduce some more.

 

[Simon85]

Well it's now the 5th of May so I'm 6 months in and it's time to provide an update.

As a summary, the tinnitus is at a 2/10 (from a peak of 8/10 at onset) and the pain hyperacusis is largely gone. I feel lucky, though I suspect my recovery situation is typical. Hopefully in six months to a year, I can get to the 'can only hear it in quiet rooms' stage. I'd encourage any new forum entrants to hang in there and give it time. At all times I've done my best to stay in quiet environments and don't take any meds or supplements. I've provided some more details on symptoms below.

Hearing loss: When I first entered the emergency room at the height of my symptoms, I noticed that the receptionist was bobbing her head and it dawned on me... she can hear music. I looked around and saw a speaker in the waiting room. However, all I could hear was a mess of hissing and squeaking. Occasionally a few words came through. I recognised one briefly as an old Cat Stevens song before it faded out into a collection of pshhh... ssss... eeee. I stepped into the audiologists room and my hearing was tested. Her conclusion: It doesn't look too bad, only minor hearing loss. I mentioned that I couldn't hear the music in the waiting room and was told I'd have to talk to the ENT about that. I do notice today that very high pitched sounds, like some bird sounds, seem to sit on my left ear as I can't hear them through my right. I now hear most of the music and only a bit of distortion rather than mostly distortion and a little music.

Hyperacusis: I honestly feel for people going through this long term. Everyday life was hard. I would get stabbing pain in my ears from turning a light switch, doing the dishes, that damn reverse beeping my car makes, people talking... I was fortunate enough to be working from home during the pandemic and wondered whether I'd ever be able to work in an office again. I walked around the house with heavy earmuffs on. At around the 4.5 month mark a spoon dropped on a plate while I wasn't wearing ear protection. I stiffened waiting for the pain to kick in, but it didn't come. Instead it felt like an eardrum impact without pain - I've heard others describe this as eardrum flinching. Since then I've been reducing my ear protection and letting the sound in. What a relief: no pain, no listening to the damn tinnitus on earplug overdrive and I can play masking sounds. I haven't been wearing ear protection around the house. Over the last month I've also taken a 10 hour road trip interstate and hopped on a short 1.5 hour flight.

Tinnitus: At onset I'd describe my tinnitus as a cacophony. It was just ridiculous. A few dozen sounds going for dear life. At the time I felt like I could see my nose vibrating. There was the obligatory steady stream of EEEE from both ears. My most intrusive sounds were a car horn in my left ear that went off approx every 30 seconds, a mid head screaming tea kettle and a wawawawa. Sleep was a major issue - I'd mostly get either a couple of hours of broken sleep a night or none at all. At around the 4 month mark the car horn sounded more like a rickety gate opening and closing... eventually it went away. The last time my head erupted into a tea kettle was two months ago (4 month mark). I was driving in my car and it decided to flair up, but only for an hour or so. This was after not hearing the tea kettle for a couple of weeks. I haven't heard it since. What I hear now is sometimes a light whine, mostly crickets and at times louder cicadas. I can still hear it while driving down the highway or while outside, but only lightly. It's not that loud but does manage to cut through other sounds at times.

Tinnitus reactivity: this is around 20% of its peak. Sounds like faucets, computer fans, motors and fans still seem to set it off. The trend is still very much in the right direction though.

I still find it difficult to forgive myself for doing DIY work without ear protection. I could have saved myself a lot of pain. As for moving forward, it's more of the same - playing the waiting game and hopefully getting further improvements. Whilst I don't regret it the whole not playing music setup for 6 months has been very difficult. There is no doubt that I'm rusty. I intend to kick off practice again this week under strict rules: earplugs at all times, no amplification, only practicing solo so that I can control the volume.

Well that ended up being quite a lengthy post. The first few months in particular are a hell of noise, pain and sleep deprivation but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With any luck I'll be able to post a 'can only hear it in quiet rooms' success story in 6-12 months.

 

[Sointu]

Simon,

thank you for writing to me and giving me hope and advices what to do.

It seems like you had quite rough time with your symptoms in the beginning.

I found your story and noticed we have had many similar symptoms. I haven´t found many people here who seem to have so many similar symptoms. Such as I can´t mask my tinnitus at night because the tinnitus gets worse; my tinnitus is reactive (I hear whistling on top of white noise and such) and I have pain in ear. Your descriptions of pain sound really familiar. When you describe your tinnitus as a cacophony, it sounds really familiar too. Sometimes my tinnitus is almost screaming, it is so scary but luckily it is fluctuating also a lot. And it is not loud all the time.

In my case the symptoms have got worse from the beginning. I did not have pain in ear in the beginning, it was more like loudness hyperacusis first in my case that progressed to pain hyperacusis. I made some progress in the first weeks but probably started to make too much at once and got setback. I did what my ENT suggested and it was probably a mistake, I maybe could have found better advice here from Tinnitus Talk. Being careful and listening to the body and intuition would have been good advice for me.

I have been really confused with the whole earplugs thing. You seem to also have thought about this in this thread of yours. In the beginning I did not use earplugs anywhere (avoided loud places though) and actually made progress with my hyperacusis but I did not go to a lot of places besides my home. There were some sudden loud situations in everyday life that made my symptoms a bit worse and maybe because of those situations carrying earplugs would have been a good idea and resting my ears more. Almost all the ENTs I have met have said not to use earplugs, at all, saying they make hyperacusis worse but I don´t know if they understand pain hyperacusis completely and a cycle of pain it can trigger.

I have music as a hobby (play keyboard and piano and other instruments in the past) and music is also a part of my studies I did before I got the acoustic trauma. I just continued playing after the acoustic trauma but I think I should have kept a break. The ENT recommended continuing my piano hobby after my acoustic trauma and not suggest a break because he thought piano or keyboards are not that loud. Then at one point I noticed some piano keys started to trigger ear pain. It feels really sad when music sounds distorted and this acoustic trauma has ruined music for me at the moment.

Are you able to listen and enjoy music at the moment?

But now even that doesn`t feel such a big problem when thinking about what I am dealing with. I am scared of hearing loss because my hearing feels really weird at the moment and the ear pain has got worse.

I hope you feel better at the moment! It has been quite a ride.

Sointu

 

[Simon85]

In my case the symptoms have got worse from the beginning. I did not have pain in ear in the beginning, it was more like loudness hyperacusis first in my case that progressed to pain hyperacusis.

Don't be too concerned about this. For me the pain hyperacusis turned up a bit after the tinnitus was in full swing. It'll likely take months for it to diminish. I no longer experience sharp stabbing pain from everyday sounds. If I overdo practicing music then sometimes I may get a delayed light ear ache, but I'm taking that as a cue from my body to give my ears a rest.

Are you able to listen and enjoy music at the moment?

I'm listening to music at the moment and testing the waters. My distortions did get materially better, but they're not quite gone yet. Some songs have more distortion than others, so I'm mostly avoiding those. Other songs have relatively minor distortion. One song I have been enjoying is 'thick as a brick (Pt. 1)' by Jethro Tull (going deliciously old school there) - it's long at over 20 minutes but I can listen to and enjoy it.

I'm slowly getting back into practicing music. Regardless of the instrument I always pop in my musicians earplugs before practicing. I played acoustic guitar for 45min yesterday. I'm trying not to push it, so no multi hour jamming sessions, but I'm headed in the right direction. Banjo is a bit loud, but I've purchased an electric banjo that hopefully I can practice softly with while my ears are still settling (it just arrived via courier a moment ago).

But now even that doesn`t feel such a big problem when thinking about what I am dealing with. I am scared of hearing loss because my hearing feels really weird at the moment and the ear pain has got worse.

Give it time, listen to your body and you should start moving in the right direction in the coming months. I fully understand that the pace of healing is frustrating.

 

[Simon85]

Well it's been a whole year now so an update is likely in order. The hyperacusis is still gone thankfully, tinnitus is currently around the 2/10 mark and the hearing distortions, while much improved, are sticking around for a bit. I did have an unusually very quiet month last month, so I hope this is good sign.

I've been slowly trying to get back into music. Around the 6-7 month mark I popped in my musicians earplugs and started practicing on my acoustic guitar. It felt great to be playing again, but I did overdo it playing for about an hour and was greeted with a delayed spike for the rest of the day (which subsided). I remember trying to watch a movie that evening and constantly turning up the volume, cursing this high pitched static that came with the spike and was drowning out the sound. I rested my ears for a couple of days and then started very slowly testing the waters with 2-3 songs per day. I've built this up and can currently practice for an hour or so without any spikes. Occasionally I'll also play acoustic instruments without earplugs. I feel like the tinnitus is much more stable now and less prone to spiking.

The distortions are much better than at onset, though I still hear a 'wooooo' (blowing on the top of a bottle) sound over music and talking. This doesn't completely overwhelm the music like it did in the beginning, but it more co-exists with the sound source. My own voice triggers it fairly regularly and it does get annoying when having team meetings over MS Teams or Zoom. I can still hear what others say, but the distortion plays over the top. Some other distortions include a rattling and a sound like water going down a drain. I've also noticed on a very specific subset of words (spoken at a particular frequency) there is an abrupt change in pitch while the word is spoken and it sounds almost robotic. 99%+ of words are ok, but every now and then it's like a record skipping... if I'm listening to a recording and I replay the word it consistently has this effect. It's likely all part of the same hearing damage story. Some songs are very odd: Jamming by Bob Marley has some weird distortion going on, very high pitched rhythmic clinking, that I have not heard from any other other sound or song. In any case, there is a fairly wide subset of music where the distortion is tolerable. I used to avoid listening to songs that were more heavily distorted, but over the last few months I've been adding these back to the playlist. My logic is that perhaps I'll get used to the distortion and it will bother me less with time.

For supplements I'm currently taking Magnesium and NAC. Usually I'm not keen on taking supplements, but after reading a few success stories with NAC I decided to give it a shot. That quiet month I mentioned was a couple of weeks after starting the NAC supplements. At times it got very quiet which had me hopeful. It's back to being louder now, but I'd encourage others to try NAC if they haven't already.

I'd definitely say that my emotional reaction to the tinnitus and distortions, while still present, is not nearly as bad as at the beginning. At onset it was just despair. Music had always been a lifting experience no matter how hard life got... I feared I'd never be able to play again. With some adjustments I think it's possible to continue enjoying music and to have a good life. In another year I suspect there will be additional improvements.

Best wishes to all,
Simon.