Post Concussion Tinnitus?

[Asian]

Glad to be on this site and meet you all wonderful people. I am 27 and a newbie . My T started 24 days ago after I got hit on the top of head by a concrete wall while playing football.

I would say my T is moderate and stands at 5 at its loudest on a scale of 10. It basically started after about 24 hours of the trauma.

I was totally freaked out for the first 2 weeks and had also developed light and sound sensitivity along with some post concussion symptoms which seems to be gradually subsiding and I feel near normal now; except for this T thing which still lingers every now and then. I had done CT scan which was normal and audiometry twice(first test showing mild sensoneural hearing loss which probably wasnt because of the impact according to the audiologist, second test after 20 days done by a different lady showing perfect hearing with no sensoneural loss whatsoever) .

I have been to 3 ENT doctors but they coldnt help me much and just said " T should settle down in time and that its just an annoyance nothing else! " and prescribed B vitamins and all. I still feel scared and anxious all the time and hope it fades away because with each passing day my hopes are going down. In the beginning I had some blocked and "imbalanced" or pressure feeling inside the ears and that seems to be clearing up slowly now.

My T has improved somewhat I feel than it was before ( maybe I am little used to it now, not sure ) and is at its lowest from morning till evening but increases after that and continues to stay the same throughout the night.

My social life is poor and I never went to concerts or clubs. I atleast want to know what has gone wrong inside my ears (or head) after the impact. Is it the cochlea(hair cells) or the nerve or the auditory cortex? Nobody bothers to investigate and they just say " it will get better further if it has till now " .

Even the neurologist seemed least interested and just said to give it some time before going for an MRI. I feel I am wasting time as I have the best chance for any treatments to work in this acute stage. Ayurvedic doctor feel its might be inflammation an has given me seasame oil along with some nerve calming pills I guess. But none of the doctors have recommended that I put oil in my ears.

Can concussion cause ringing? Where likely can it cause the damage? What are the chances of it going away?

Sorry for my bad grammer as Engligh is not my first language. Just writing this has helpe me calm down a bit.

Concussion induced tinnitus is a different category altogether and there isnt much infomation available on the interest so far.

The sound seems to be coming from inside my head and not ears if that matters.

 

[martin12]

Hi Asian-

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Seems the 2 of us have near identical stories. My ear also felt clogged up the 1st week or so and is now better. I'm 5 weeks post concussion and still suffer with ringing in my right ear (side of impact).

I was wondering what sort of audiology tests you did? Did you do an acoustic emissions test? That test can measure if the ringing in your ear might be caused by outer/inner hair cell damage.

Are you starting to feel better? How are you sleeping?

My sleeping since this accident has suffered tremendously.

 

[tom68]

My ENT thinks my tinnitus is linked to head trauma. However my GP thinks it's linked to stress from a bereavement, and I do have high frequency hearing loss, so who knows. I did have balance issues for a few months post accident but the tinnitus started after these had resolved.

Anyway from onset mine has got a lot better, it's no longer constant and is generally a bit quieter - it's not better though and at times can be quite loud. I am less bothered by it though even whenit it present - I'd rather it wasn't there but and it can be annoying but I'm not breaking down over it. The only change to my lifestyle is I wear earplugs to stuff like the cinema or football matches (soccer if you are American), I am not one for clubs and concerts these days anyway.

My ENT also said it's too early and as he thought it was post concussion it might resolve by itself and said he'd see me in 6 months. I have done some oxygen therapy, I figured it might help the brain to heal, I should say this is cheap here I wouldn't have paid a lot for it. Maybe it has but I'm not making any claims for that, I also took every supplement under the sun for a bit but I've stopped that now and there has still been a slight continued improvement. Anyway to answer your question yes concussion can cause tinnitus, I don't think anyone will give ou a conclusive reason why but theories will include damage to the ear and the brain, yes it can improve and I would say it can go away, but if it doesn't it can get a lot better to the extwnt it's more of a minor annoyance than something that ruins your life.

 

[Asian]

@martin12 I am not sure about the name of the test. I guess it was the routine audiometry test. I will discuss with the audiologist regarding this.

My sleep isn't affected much. Except when I get up in the middle of the night the T sound is always there. I am entering the second month now and the sound pattern has changed slightly and has fluctuated from a tone to hiss and back to the tone, but lesser intensity now. It seems to be coming from inside of my left half of head instead of my left ear. I wonder it's a good sign or bad And whether that means my left ear is healing ? Who knows . The clogged feeling is better now but my ears obviously don't feel good like normal ears.

I am planning my next step now and thinking to hunt for a doctor who is willing and interested to treat this. Also I am confused if I should just leave this thing and let it run it's own course. Probably I will search for a good doctor.

@tom68 since how long have you had T? I assume it's been more than 6 months for you and if your ENT feels another 6 months might make it a lot better is a good time frame given to it and a lot of hope .do you know anyone who have had T after a concussion and whether it healed in the end ? I have heard that tinnitus from a concussion isn't usually permenant but takes a long time to go away. Can I ask what will be the best course of action for me in the first 6 months ? What's HBOT? Many thanks

 

[martin12]

Mine also changes from hissing/swooshing to ringing. different frequencies at different times.

what part of your head did you hit? i hit my chin, below the eye and the temporal bone on the right side. Thus explaining why my ringing is only in the right ear.

wonder if anyone has ever recovered from post concussion tinnitus?

 

[Asian]

@ martin12 I got hit on the top of head. Have you been to the ENT? What did he say? What else have you done after the onset of T ? If at all it has to go it will really really take a very long time to diminish. We can only hope my friend. I have been to so many doctors but till now I haven't been able to find out where has the damage occurred ! And nobody has done anything to investigate. I guess there is really no way to tell that. And no matter what you do T seems to be having its own mind. Yesterday a homeopath doctor told me that it's not because of the head injury but due to stress and it coincidently just came after the concussion. That was the stupidest opinion ever and I felt offended! Nobody will understand this really!

 

[Eric Gabrielsen]

Glad you are here, Asian, my T is a result of a TBI after a surgery on my head, they popped the top off and took out a 7cm by 3cm tumor. The T started 2 weeks after that. I've been treated for TBI since then and have had H and Vertigo (do you guys just call that "V"?). It's gone down considerably since its height in Nov (a 9 for me). I'm on amitryptilin (sic) which seems to work but now I'm developing all kinds of crickets and still have weird pressure in my ears, sinuses, and throat.

Quick question: Did you have what felt like inner ear seizures, too? Those were really freaky but take heart, they went away.

 

[martin12]

Asian was yours considered a brain concussion or inner ear concussion?

 

[Karianne]

My very first meeting with tinnitus was after head-trauma when I was 13 years old. I fell off my bicycle face first into the pavement, and suffered an minor fraction on my skull. That tinnitus was quite mild and got even milder over time until it completely went away. I believe it has little or nothing to do with my later noise-induced tinnitus although it might have been there all along without me noticing it. If you rate your tinnitus below 5 on scale from 1-10 now I really believe that it will go away or drop down to an un-noticable level like mine did back then

 

[Asian]

Hi martin12,
My ENT thinks it's an inner ear concussion but my neuro says it's PCS.

 

[Dan Reagan]

I also have concussion induced tinnitus, a bicycle accident, head on collision with another rider then fell face first and fractured facial bones. My T started about a week later, I was taking Vicodin with ibuprofen, that may have had an ototoxic effect. I am going on 10 months since onset and have seemed to habituate fairly well but because of sometimes unexplained spikes I still get panicky and depressed, but the early days were hell in comparison. I do have some wonderfully mild days but maybe about 20 to 25% of the time.

 

[Marlene]

Mine all began with a virus in the menengies,head virus,lasted 4months total,and lost over 4 stone in weight in that 4 month period.Often wonder how many now who developed this terrible condition began with a head condition ,that's then led on to having tinnitus,my husbands tinnitus began over 30 yrs ago from a heaviest of a head cold. We both took considerable paracetamol over long period of time,I consider that led onto developing to our tinnitus. We take these over the counter meds,not fully realising the outcome they result in,today mine is high in left ear,so anxiety wants to tag along.who else gets this side affect on bad days to this condition.I don't get depressed only damn angry on a truly bad day,with no let up to the high pitch screaming away,today is such a day.its hard to be distracted to,no matter what I do to ignore it,my balance not helping things also.think of you all out there.

 

[Asian]

I also have concussion induced tinnitus, a bicycle accident, head on collision with another rider then fell face first and fractured facial bones. My T started about a week later, I was taking Vicodin with ibuprofen, that may have had an ototoxic effect. I am going on 10 months since onset and have seemed to habituate fairly well but because of sometimes unexplained spikes I still get panicky and depressed, but the early days were hell in comparison. I do have some wonderfully mild days but maybe about 20 to 25% of the time.

Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear about the accident. How was your MRI? Any other symptoms of concussion ?What do the docs suspect for tinnitus? Is it ears or the brain damage ? Tinnitus is a very common symptom of PCS and it may resolve when your brain is healed...are you on some medications? How are your hearing tests ? how long did you take ibuprofin? And lastly, is it much better than it was before volume wise ?

 

[Dan Reagan]

The MRI came back normal as far as the concussion goes. I've had blurred vision, dizziness, and headaches in the first few months, also stiff neck and loss of mobility. Most of those symptoms have subsided a bunch. I wish I knew if it's ears or brain damage. No meds for the concussion but I went through plenty for the anxiety and insomnia caused by my reaction to the tinnitus. The doctors helped 0% with the cause of the tinnitus, but helped with the anxiety. I have about 10-20% hearing loss at high frequencies but no one knows if that was due to the concussion. Took ibuprofen for a week. The tinnitus is better overall but spiked today because I was stupid and went to a loud public pool, people screaming, and music over a PA system. I'm assuming my spike is that, some depression about my personal life or both. I was afraid to wear my ear plugs until the last minute when the noise was too much for me emotionally. I also have sinus issues that cause spikes sometimes too.

 

[martin12]

Hey Dan- good chance it will fade over the next several months. a good majority of concussion induced tinnitus heals with time.

do you notice a shift in your T if you bite down or yawn? Also Dan is your T frequency same in both ears? Hope you are doing better, at least it seems so.

 

[Dan Reagan]

Hi Martin, yeah, the pitch goes higher when I bite down, no change when I yawn. The left ear is usually louder, but the sound moves around or is in the center of my brain. Thank you and Asian for the encouragement and concern, I hope things continue to get better for you guys as well.

 

[Asian]

Ditto here,Dan. My T has the exact same pattern as yours. It's mostly in my left ear but it can shift to middle of the head sometimes. There are days when I can barely hear it. Even I am struggling to find out if it's PCS or some inner ear damage. Every doc has his own opinions.

Regardless, most concussion induced T fades a bunch with time as Martin said. It just takes a lot of patience and time. Dan you can start a vitamin regimen for the concussion if you have not already. B6,B12 and omega 3 are critical for brain recovery. Concussions are tough to deal with but they bring a sense of gratitude and appreciation of our health, right ?

 

[Dan Reagan]

Yes, very true, there are blessings to gain even with tinnitus, as strange as that sounds (pardon the pun). Thanks dietary tip, I'll make sure I'm getting the proper nutrition, I've been neglecting that a bit lately.

 

[martin12]

I spoke to a friend of mine and she had a concussion with a skull fracture that resulted in blood coming out of her left ear. She had persistent ringing in her ears for nearly a year and had hearing loss for months.
Fortunately, now 12 months later most of her symptoms are gone. Every case is different however concussion induced T should get better as the inner ear/brain heal with rest and healthy diet.

Please keep us posted how things go over next few months.

 

[Asian]

I spoke to a friend of mine and she had a concussion with a skull fracture that resulted in blood coming out of her left ear. She had persistent ringing in her ears for nearly a year and had hearing loss for months.
Fortunately, now 12 months later most of her symptoms are gone. Every case is different however concussion induced T should get better as the inner ear/brain heal with rest and healthy diet.

Please keep us posted how things go over next few months.

Hi Martin ,
Is your T loud when you wake up in the middle of the night? I occasionally wake up with a very loud T that seems to be coming from inside my head..it's 10/10 and very disappointing...are you experiencing this ?

 

[Asian]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/retired-nfl-players-may-be-at-risk-for-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0045599

 

[Ricky81]

I was assaulted by 2 guys all over my head, ears, jaw, punches only. I had concussion. T started 50 days after the assault. Ears were plugged for a good month. I had drainage so ENT doc prescribed Ciprodex and on 8th day of using Ciprodex ear drops my T started.

Xray showed no Skull frature so that was a relief.

On 4th week now with T and my biggest complain is sleeping.
I have a higher louder sound in left ear, and like crickets in right ear.

I hope this resolves in the new few months. who knows. I'l be getting MRI etc and have ENT visits next week.

 

[Marlene]

I'm so sorry Ricky,can't believe what another human can do to another at times,makes me angry,and I'm a mum of 2 .Glad XRay clear,see what if anything MRI or ENT comes back with,probably be okay,if that XRay had signalled anything they would have sent you for MRI same time,just get checked out,then go from there,beginning of my T sleep was issue,it's same for most .Now I sleep 7 to 8 hours straight,have done for long time now so give it time it will come when your find ,hey I've had good nights sleep.I got into meditation ,that's how I then began to get good nights sleep,i still do it if my rhinitis is bad when I go to bed switch everything off,meditation you can do in bed,it works.Give it a go,it will help .you will feel so relaxed your just drift off to sleep.Night. Night T let's know how things turn out .

 

[Ricky81]

I spoke to a friend of mine and she had a concussion with a skull fracture that resulted in blood coming out of her left ear. She had persistent ringing in her ears for nearly a year and had hearing loss for months.
Fortunately, now 12 months later most of her symptoms are gone. Every case is different however concussion induced T should get better as the inner ear/brain heal with rest and healthy diet.

Please keep us posted how things go over next few months.

Thats good to hear that concussion related T gets better with time. I'm in 4th week of T and its been over 2 months since concussion. I've been staying home on weekends, no bars, clubs, alcohol or caffeine for next 6 months or till T goes away.

 

[martin12]

Hi Ricky- sorry hear about your injury. Did you have an otoacoustic hearing test?

That's the test for hair cells that doctors use. i would get that checked.

 

[Ricky81]

Hi Martin, yeah, the pitch goes higher when I bite down, no change when I yawn. The left ear is usually louder, but the sound moves around or is in the center of my brain. Thank you and Asian for the encouragement and concern, I hope things continue to get better for you guys as well.

My T also goes up when I intentionally bite my molars.
my T started 50 days after an assault. I had an ear infection and high intracranial pressure due to assault on day 50. My ENT thinks my T is due to assault concussion.

 

[Ricky81]

Anyone know if post concussion T is permanent or will it fade away after a few years? Anyone know of any success story?

My T started 50 days after assault, but I also had a crazy ear infection due to assault when my T started.

 

[Asian]

As its with all tinnitus, concussion tinnitus is no different. I have personally read no stories of it going away but that doesn't mean its not possible. It can fade a bunch and there comes a time you dont care so much. What else can we do? I am more worried about H than T.

 

[Ricky81]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/retired-nfl-players-may-be-at-risk-for-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0045599

Wow.. 50% of Nfl football players have T.
I hope they are donating money to T research foundation. If we can get football players to push for more research we might find a cure sooner for concussion related T. I'm sure some football players have visited this forum.

 

[Paul Maxwell]

Hi all,
first let me state i have a concussion, been reading online for awhile about tinnitus today and am getting towhere i need to rest my eyes awhile. so, i havent read through but a few of these posts here. so if i repeat anything please be understanding. The few posts i read here and many posts i've read elsewhere people seem to be at a complete loss of how to help deal with this problem. let me start by saying i'm not in the medical field at all but have an experience and idea to share that i think can help many of you.
The Brain is a wonderous thing. We,(maybe especially men?), have the ability to tune out and ignore people, places, things going on arond us. The brain can also be tricked into overlooking the obvious. You dont have to suffer when dealing with this situation. You just need to train your brain to tune it out and ignore it.

When i was a kid we had a Tv where the Antenna would make a loud ringing noise just like the one i'm hearing in my ear right now. Long story short about that tv it was our main tv for about 2 years and then became our secondary tv for another year or two. It was agravating but once we started watching the tv show, and got focused on the show, our brains tuned out and forgot about the ringing. After a few years of dealing with that tv my brain today is dealing with the ringing in my ears no problem. I'm often tuning it our and forgetting about it and actually laughing when i realize its still there. I've read this ringing could last up to a year for me which i'm not going to let that stress or upset me. I feel lucky now we had that tv because my brain has already been trained with how to tune out and ignore the ringing. I'm already aware how to do it.

For those who dont have a concussion or brain injury that's causing the T. i would suggest to read a book. It will take your thoughts and focus off the ringing and help your brain to tune out and ignore it. If you don't like books play your favorite video games, watch your favorite movies, surf the internet. For me i cant do any of those things for long times because it causes headaches. So, i'm just fining things i enjoy very much and getting caught up in doing those things to help my brain forget about and tune out the ringing.

The hardest time to tune it out for many to tune it out and ignore it is most likely at bedtime. I read that some people have found that robitusson helps get rid of the ringing and that they took it at bedtime to sleep better. I have not had to try anything like that yet. I have in the past, when restless, taken a dose of nyquil. It always puts me to sleep fast.

So, my suggestions here are to first make yourself stop stressing over this. The more you think about the ringing and stress about it the more impossible it becomes to deal with it and tune to it out. you have to decide, "i'm not gonna allow this to ruin my life. I'm still going to enjoy life to the fullest." Then delve into things that you love to do that will help take your focus off of the ringing. if you become agitated start thinking of reasons you have to be very satisfied and the blessings you'e had / have in life. Focus your mind on anything Except the ringing. Refuse to think about it. Do things to help you forget about it.. I hope this helps some of you out there. I feel your pain. while writing this message the ringing has been glaringly obvious in my ears,. But its only because i'm focused on the subject.

GL all,
Max

Ps. Of course during the time your dealing with this you want to keep consulting with your doctor. I read in most cases it lasts only for up to a year. so any longer than that he will probably want to know and to find out why.