Spike After (Unknown) Exposure to Vacuum Cleaner (Whilst I Was in Shower)

[Rust]

Hi all,

This is a bit of a strange one, and you most probably will think I'm being a bit crazy, but nonetheless it has caused a spike in both ears.

I was in the shower on Saturday, and my partner was vacuuming in the next room off the corridor (unknown to me). The bathroom door was open and the room she was vacuuming had the door open too, with only 1m of wall behind where the shower is protecting me from direct exposure.

She was mainly vacuuming about 18–32 feet (5.5–10m) from my shower cubicle, with the bathroom door 1ft ajar, and only the wall protecting me from direct exposure.

She was vacuuming for about 5 minutes solid, and the vacuum cleaner is 83db at the users perspective (2-3ft) (Dyson V6 cordless).

The strange thing is I didn't hear the vacuum cleaner whilst I was in the shower due to the noise of the shower (it's a normal shower), and I only heard the vacuum cleaner once she moved the vacuum cleaner to within 4m of the shower – when I put buy fingers in my ears and told her to stop.

My thinking is that if I couldn't hear the vacuum cleaner over the shower then it should not have been loud enough to spike my tinnitus. However I still have a spike in both ears.

I ran an experiment afterwards, and the 83db vacuum cleaner sounded at 52db in the shower cubicle under the same conditions (apart from the water being turned off!). However, it sounded very shrill/harsh and not nice in the cubicle, even at only 52db.

(This is using my iPhone dB meter app, which roughly matches the more official 83db vacuum cleaner reading, so I think 52db should be accurate enough).

I just don't understand why I have a spike. I'm a little worried, since it was a constant 5 minute exposure. However, if I didn't hear it whilst I was in the shower, surely it shouldn't be a problem?

What do you guys think? Any experiences with vacuum cleaners?

I've got so scared of constant, long exposures, that this stuff now really worries me.

Many thanks,
R

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

I just don't understand why I have a spike. I'm a little worried, since it was a constant 5 minute exposure. However, if I didn't hear it whilst I was in the shower, surely it shouldn't be a problem?

The truth about tinnitus is you can't always understand it. Have you eaten anything different lately, been sleeping worse? Have you been taking any different medications?

From what you've said, you've most likely not given yourself an acoustic trauma (physical damage to the ear), but your anxiety as a result could certainly be giving you a spike!

I wish you all the best.

 

[Rust]

The truth about tinnitus is you can't always understand it. Have you eaten anything different lately, been sleeping worse? Have you been taking any different medications?

From what you've said, you've most likely not given yourself an acoustic trauma (physical damage to the ear), but your anxiety as a result could certainly be giving you a spike!

I wish you all the best.

Many thanks @Pleasure_Paulie, I have actually been taking a new stronger Magnesium Citrate vitamin supplement for the past week or so. However it didn't have any effect on my tinnitus for the week before the hoover/vacuum cleaner incident, so I'm not sure if it really could attribute to the spike – who knows though!

An yes, you're right about the anxiety thing!

 

[fran dana]

in my case it is normal to have random spikes
I suppose they are for anxiety. about a year ago my tinnitus remains the same, although I have had periods of up to a week where I think it gets worse

 

[Layla23]

I just came across this post. The same exact thing happens to me whenever my roommate has the hair dryer going. I'll be in the living room (far away from the bathroom) and it literally spikes my T until the hair dryer is turned off. I never noticed until one day I plugged my ears while the hair dryer was going off.

It doesn't make sense because the noise doesn't even bother me also....
And the fact that I'm far away (so it's not even loud) should matter but it doesn't. It still gives me a spike.

I have noticed that my T hates white noise. And Hair dryers and vacuums kind of sound like very harsh white noise.

Who knows?


Best,

Layla

 

[Bill Bauer]

This thread contains two posts with evidence that when your ears have been compromised, it can take surprisingly little to hurt your ears (and the guidelines designed for the healthy people, won't help you to predict which noises you should stay away from).

 

[jimH]

I have noticed that my T hates white noise. And Hair dryers and vacuums kind of sound like very harsh white noise.

Same here. Additionally, I have intermittent H to complicate matters. I purchased this low-noise hair dryer some time ago. It's pricey but the shipping is included. The customer reviews are very favorable. 87% give it a 5 star. I do also. It's got two heated speeds and a non-heated cool air feature.

If you purchase one, you can ask your roommate to use it too out of consideration for you.


https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Lo...keywords=low+noise+hair+dryer&tag=tinntalk-20

 

[Layla23]

Thank you! I'll buy one.