Struggling to Understand Cause of My Tinnitus — Why Would the Noise of a Night Out Affect Me Now?

[Zigs]

Hello All

I am wondering / hoping if anyone with more knowledge than me can help me understand why my tinnitus has got so much worse. I've had tinnitus for ten plus years in both ears at a very mild level and had fully habituated. It was never noisy enough for me to hear other than in bed really.

Just over a week ago I flew back from Spain and had some irritation in my left ear. I thought it might be ear wax as I've had issues with wax before so I used some warm olive oil and booked a GP appt. Around the same time my ear felt blocked and my face around my ear was sore. The GP said it was infected and gave me some steroid drops. My tinnitus was still normal at this point. That weekend I went on a night out which is a totally normal thing for me to do, and woke up on Sunday with extremely loud tinnitus in my left ear which hasn't reduced at all. I'm struggling to understand why noise levels on a night out would affect me now and never in ten years before, and also why just my left ear. I feel it must be linked to the infection but an ENT has said since my ear looks fine, although my ear drum is apparently slightly red and there's some liquid behind the drum.

Could the warm olive oil have damaged my ear? I don't know how to approach treatment as I don't know what the cause is and I feel I'm losing my mind.

Thanks so much in advance x

 

[BobDigi]

I would assume the tinnitus is an aftershock from the infection.

If I was you I would avoid loud noises and look after them, forever ideally, but at least for a few months.

It's probably a temporary thing. But it's a sign your ear isn't happy about something so no headphones, no clubs and loud pubs, no loud environments and let it heal in peace.

 

[Zigs]

Hello all and Merry Christmas

It's now almost three months since I woke up and my tinnitus has got a lot worse almost overnight. I had previously had tinnitus for over ten years and had completely habituated / barely ever noticed it.

I am trying my best to adjust to my new reality. I don't have any hope that my tinnitus will go back down to the previous "base level". I've had a few good days in the past 3 months but it's been mostly very hard. I'm naturally an anxious person and have suffered with anxiety for years. My main concern now (apart from wondering if I will ever adjust) is that my tinnitus will get worse again. I have no explanation for why it got worse after such a long period and that frightens me - if I don't know why it got worse how can I stop it happening again? I am avoiding loud places, wearing ear plugs and no longer use earphones.

If anyone has any advice / encouragement / experience I would be very very grateful.

Zigs x

 

[MRItechssuck]

I'm very similar... one loud event 20 years ago gave me tinnitus... in 2-3 years I never noticed it. I continued to always use earplugs and protect my ears... at the movies, at Disney, etc.

I was naive and went in unprotected to an MRI... I had no emergency button to stop the procedure so I was stuck in the tube and couldn't stop it.

I am two months in... my tinnitus is also louder than it ever, ever was.

The ONLY encouragement I can offer is that your brain adjusted last time, and hopefully it will again. But you know you lived through tinnitus before... and you will again... maybe in 3 years you and I will be habituated again.

Good luck.