Studies Confirm Tinnitus Improves Over Time

[Sonic17]

The brain is VERY slowly learning to choose new neural paths and learning to pay attention to more important things.

@Lorac Thank you Lorac, this is helpful for me.

 

[Flamingo1]

In my case, I don't think it's gotten better. I've just learned to accept it so that I stop freaking out over the constant hum. Ignoring it makes it SEEM better but I pretty sure it's the same. (I'm at the 3 month mark.)

 

[Sonic17]

@Flamingo1 Yes, I am at the three month mark as well…..learning to freak out less and just ignore it, too. Still can only sleep with masking and benzo's though. Being outside is really helpful as I cannot hear it as much with the nature sounds of outside (wind, birds, cars etc.). I am worried about our long winters, though when I am indoors so much due to the cold weather (we get very cold weather November-April). However, just trying to take this day by day and enjoying being outdoors as much as I can right now.

Originally I thought this T would only last a couple of weeks for me, when I see members that have been on here for years I get a little worried I will be in the same boat as them. I would be happy with just a reduction in my T if I could, even enough to get off of the benzo's to sleep at night would be a godsend.

 

[Flamingo1]

@Sonic17 My T was noise induced so I'm pretty sure it's here to stay. I hang my hope on the hearing restoration efforts several companies are pursuing, which keeps me from getting totally depressed. Plus, I know from reading this forum that the more attention you pay to T, the more strongly the neural path gets etched into your brain, so I try to keep my mind off of it!

This is what I use in my home, especially at night and to fall asleep.
https://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-6050-Sound-Soother-Solutions/dp/B013KHZBQM

It's a godsend and the nature sounds will makes you feel like you are outside!!

I have my first tinnitus retraining appointment this Friday to train my brain to ignore the T. I suggest looking into it too while you're still in the early stages and there's still some plasticity in the brain.

 

[Steve]

@Flamingo1 Yes, I am at the three month mark as well…..learning to freak out less and just ignore it, too. Still can only sleep with masking and benzo's though. Being outside is really helpful as I cannot hear it as much with the nature sounds of outside (wind, birds, cars etc.). I am worried about our long winters, though when I am indoors so much due to the cold weather (we get very cold weather November-April). However, just trying to take this day by day and enjoying being outdoors as much as I can right now.

Originally I thought this T would only last a couple of weeks for me, when I see members that have been on here for years I get a little worried I will be in the same boat as them. I would be happy with just a reduction in my T if I could, even enough to get off of the benzo's to sleep at night would be a godsend.

You shouldn't worry about becoming one of us long term people. We represent a tiny portion of people with tinnitus, it's just that we are more represented in groups and forums than the majority.

What you should focus on is the huge number of people who visit, find what they are looking for, improve and move on with life.

 

[ebbie]

You shouldn't worry about becoming one of us long term people. We represent a tiny portion of people with tinnitus, it's just that we are more represented in groups and forums than the majority.

People with mild transient pain from a paper cut also make for a bigger group than people with severely impacting chronic pain. Knowing that makes the life of the majorly impacted none the easier. She has had tinnitus for 3 months, her tinnitus is probably going to stick long term. She should be worried.

 

[Steve]

People with mild transient pain from a paper cut also make for a bigger group than people with severely impacting chronic pain. Knowing that makes the life of the majorly impacted none the easier. She has had tinnitus for 3 months, her tinnitus is probably going to stick long term. She should be worried.

Sorry but you are wrong to say that. You are using your own experience and imposing it on others, it doesn't work to a script. I am in the long term group and I don't have it particularly easy but I would never dream of telling other people to worry just because of my own experience.

It's important to understand that there is also a psychological link, obsessing over the noise, not being able to stop listening, worrying over the future of it. It's important to break that link.

 

[Sonic17]

]

I have my first tinnitus retraining appointment this Friday to train my brain to ignore the T. I suggest looking into it too while you're still in the early stages and there's still some plasticity in the brain.

@Flamingo1 Thank you for amazon link….unfortunately this sleep machine does not not ship to Canada but maybe I can find something similar in Canada.

I live quite far north, there is no Tinnitus Re-Training here or even in my province, otherwise I would be all over it. Pretty sure I would have to travel to Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal for any TNT. I could alway try somewhere in the states. I just hate to be away from my family right now.

 

[Sonic17]

What you should focus on is the huge number of people who visit, find what they are looking for, improve and move on with life.

@Steve Thank you Steve, this is helpful for me. I did not mean to sound disrespectful, just surprised that T can stay around so long for some people and praying it will not be me. However as each day passes and I see no change in it, I start to wonder if I will be long term. However this gets me really upset as the only thing that keeps me going some days is thinking it will go away or at least fade……….I do not even know exactly how I got this???
Steve, are you the director of Tinnitus Talk? I always find your posts so encouraging and helpful. Thank you for always choosing words of support.

 

[Sonic17]

It's important to understand that there is also a psychological link, obsessing over the noise, not being able to stop listening, worrying over the future of it. It's important to break that link.

@Steve Yes, that is what I am trying to do. I do not want to plan my life around T.

 

[JurgenG]

You shouldn't worry about becoming one of us long term people. We represent a tiny portion of people with tinnitus, it's just that we are more represented in groups and forums than the majority.

What you should focus on is the huge number of people who visit, find what they are looking for, improve and move on with life.

Do you think if you had some new spikes along the path of T, that the chances on recovery are a lot less?
Like new loud noise exposure (even with earplugs). I tried to be super-safe for 6-7 months but I a couple of days ago went to a concert with muffs and I met my old T again that night, spiking as I've been into a rave for 10 hours.
Do you think it was too soon, do things like that jeopardize any spontaneous recovery? :'(

 

[JoyBenz007]

You shouldn't worry about becoming one of us long term people. We represent a tiny portion of people with tinnitus, it's just that we are more represented in groups and forums than the majority.

What you should focus on is the huge number of people who visit, find what they are looking for, improve and move on with life.

Steve

People with mild transient pain from a paper cut also make for a bigger group than people with severely impacting chronic pain. Knowing that makes the life of the majorly impacted none the easier. She has had tinnitus for 3 months, her tinnitus is probably going to stick long term. She should be worried.

I've had

@Steve Yes, that is what I am trying to do. I do not want to plan my life around T.

@Sonic17 how long have you had t?
It took me 2 months to have it lower down in volume and I still have good and bad days....

 

[Steve]

@Steve Thank you Steve, this is helpful for me. I did not mean to sound disrespectful, just surprised that T can stay around so long for some people and praying it will not be me. However as each day passes I and see no change in it, I start to wonder if I will be long term. However this gets me really upset as the only thing that keeps me going some days is thinking it will go away or at least fade……….I do not even know exactly how I got this???
Steve, are you the director of Tinnitus Talk? I always find your posts so encouraging and helpful.

Hi Sonic17,

Yes I am, although of Tinnitus Hub which runs Tinnitus Talk (which is basically me and Markku )

It is so hard to try and put the sound out of your mind, especially when you are wondering what the future may hold. In the early days I worried a lot, about it staying and getting louder, what would happen to me if it did. I am one of the unlucky ones, mine did stay and it did get louder. I often wonder if it was mainly due to my obsessive behaviour in monitoring it.

For me though life goes on. It's not easy but I have broadly habituated. It isn't a fun tinnitus, moves around and goes up and down in volume a fair bit. You can't let it get you down. But you are a long way from where I am and I would try to lose that obsession, it is seriously not easy but it is important to do it. Also try some audio therapy, distraction using sounds and other things.

 

[Sonic17]

For me though life goes on. It's not easy but I have broadly habituated.

@Steve That is awesome that you have habituated. I am trying many things, and this forum is great for ideas and support. I do believe mine will go away or at least fade……I just have to right now.

 

[Sonic17]

JoyBenz007 three months now……

 

[vermillion]

I often wonder if it was mainly due to my obsessive behaviour in monitoring it.

But Steve can this really be a reason of worsening?

 

[GGG-DG]

@Flamingo1 Yes, I am at the three month mark as well…..learning to freak out less and just ignore it, too. Still can only sleep with masking and benzo's though. Being outside is really helpful as I cannot hear it as much with the nature sounds of outside (wind, birds, cars etc.). I am worried about our long winters, though when I am indoors so much due to the cold weather (we get very cold weather November-April). However, just trying to take this day by day and enjoying being outdoors as much as I can right now.

Originally I thought this T would only last a couple of weeks for me, when I see members that have been on here for years I get a little worried I will be in the same boat as them. I would be happy with just a reduction in my T if I could, even enough to get off of the benzo's to sleep at night would be a godsend.

You are very likely to improve as most tinnitus improves:

"If you are in the 'new onset' period of tinnitus (less than 6 months), you can be reassured that, for many, the natural course of tinnitus is to improve over time and most people do not go on to have persistent, bothersome tinnitus."
http://www.entnet.org/content/tinnitus

 

[Spiral]

You are very likely to improve as most tinnitus improves:

"If you are in the 'new onset' period of tinnitus (less than 6 months), you can be reassured that, for many, the natural course of tinnitus is to improve over time and most people do not go on to have persistent, bothersome tinnitus."
http://www.entnet.org/content/tinnitus

I sure hope you're right. Here I am at almost 4 months and I'm barely keeping it together. I can't help but think that any date you set up in your mind is an arbitrary number (the ones doing the survey don't truly know, some say 3 months, some say 6 months, some say a year, some say 2 years is chronic, etc.) and that the original exposure that you had dictates how long you'll have your T (provided you don't do any more damage) since the damage is already done. I've seen post after post on this very forum that those who make up a number tend to disappoint themselves and that the best course is to just accept that you've aquired the condition for life.

 

[Sonic17]

@GGG-DG Thank you, believing that the T will one day go away or at least fade gives me strength.

 

[Sonic17]

@Spiral I think it depends on your personality. For me, thinking that I have this for life seems so depressing! I know what you mean though, I originally thought my T would only last 6-8 weeks like most whiplash injuries, when that time passed and I still and the T, I was really upset. I am still hopeful mine will go away though…..just taking longer then I first expected. But not for life….

 

[GGG-DG]

I sure hope you're right. Here I am at almost 4 months and I'm barely keeping it together. I can't help but think that any date you set up in your mind is an arbitrary number (the ones doing the survey don't truly know, some say 3 months, some say 6 months, some say a year, some say 2 years is chronic, etc.) and that the original exposure that you had dictates how long you'll have your T (provided you don't do any more damage) since the damage is already done. I've seen post after post on this very forum that those who make up a number tend to disappoint themselves and that the best course is to just accept that you've aquired the condition for life.

The quote I posted is not saying after 6 months, it's not gonna get better. It's just defining the new onset period. You are right there is no date. In medicine, chronic is just a convention (after 3,6,12 months). Chronic means long-lasting, doesn't necessarily mean permanent and irreversible.

As for tinnitus there is no research about this. Here's a book chapter. It's pdf so I took screenshots:

https://books.google.ca/books?id=YStcWFsxQZEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Textbook+of+Tinnitus&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOoMHG5JHVAhXGx4MKHWlqBRwQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Textbook of Tinnitus&f=false

The neuroimaging study they talked about looked at people with tinnitus with less than 4 years vs more than 4 years
https://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2202-10-11

Plus even if it's permanent, it can fade away to barely audible in addition to habituation...

As for people with longer tinnitus, this guy's wife's uncle got rid of his tinnitus after 40+ years

New Tinnitus (Is There Anything Urgent I Should Do Right Now?)

 

[GGG-DG]

@GGG-DG Thank you, believing that the T will one day go away or at least fade gives me strength.

Check the success stories, there was a guy which didn't improve until a year and then improved very quickly:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/14-months-update-sharing-a-bit-of-hope.21987/

 

[Spiral]

The quote I posted is not saying after 6 months, it's not gonna get better. It's just defining the new onset period. You are right there is no date. In medicine, chronic is just a convention (after 3,6,12 months). Chronic means long-lasting, doesn't necessarily mean permanent and irreversible.

As for tinnitus there is no research about this. Here's a book chapter. It's pdf so I took screenshots:

View attachment 13334
View attachment 13335
https://books.google.ca/books?id=YStcWFsxQZEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Textbook+of+Tinnitus&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOoMHG5JHVAhXGx4MKHWlqBRwQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Textbook of Tinnitus&f=false

The neuroimaging study they talked about looked at people with tinnitus with less than 4 years vs more than 4 years
https://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2202-10-11

Plus even if it's permanent, it can fade away to barely audible in addition to habituation...

Thanks for the research! I just don't want to hold on to a false sense of hope for habituation. I tend to be more realist... Maybe I'll hold on for a bit longer.

 

[Sonic17]

@GGG-DG Thank you, read the success story and the following posts on the thread…..so hopeful! Yay!

 

[GGG-DG]

Thanks for the research! I just don't want to hold on to a false sense of hope for habituation. I tend to be more realist... Maybe I'll hold on for a bit longer.

If you are a realist, you should expect habituation, since it happens to majority:

https://books.google.ca/books?id=weJtKjIYf3sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Tinnitus+Retraining+Therapy:+Implementing+the+Neurophysiological+Model&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiX1-O97pHVAhXh4IMKHUjzCsUQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model&f=false

Keep in mind that "more than three quarters" should be in addition to those who had complete remission.

 

[Flamingo1]

Actually, my T did fade since I got it 3 months ago. How do I know? Because I went to a noisy restaurant yesterday (~75 dB) and now my tinnitus is as loud as it was 3 months ago!? Don't ever underestimate the power of T to fvck with you

 

[Steve]

But Steve can this really be a reason of worsening?

I believe so yes. The brain is the most plastic organ in our body. It is constantly changing and creating new pathways. So the more you concentrate on tinnitus, see it as a threat, see it as something that will continue and be a source of anxiety then the more pathways you create.

I think that if I had proper information at the time of onset, a better understanding from the doctors, I would be a lot better than I am today - I also believe that if I didn't do all the things I do related to tinnitus I wouldn't be as bad

I still think I would have tinnitus, just not so loud and persistent. This isn't a rule for everyone though, because we all have different causes and sometimes the intensity can override the ability to tune it out.

Do you think if you had some new spikes along the path of T, that the chances on recovery are a lot less?
Like new loud noise exposure (even with earplugs). I tried to be super-safe for 6-7 months but I a couple of days ago went to a concert with muffs and I met my old T again that night, spiking as I've been into a rave for 10 hours.
Do you think it was too soon, do things like that jeopardize any spontaneous recovery? :'(

There just aren't any hard and fast rules, it's impossible to say. I do think that you need to get back to living life as much as you can, which tinnitus often deprives you of. Part of that is doing things you enjoy and not being afraid, while making sure you don't damage your hearing. I learned that I had to stop going to really loud places, even with earplugs. Just one of those things I guess, I burnt my ears out with years of partying.

 

[vermillion]

I believe so yes. The brain is the most plastic organ in our body. It is constantly changing and creating new pathways. So the more you concentrate on tinnitus, see it as a threat, see it as something that will continue and be a source of anxiety then the more pathways you create.

I really appreciate your answer. The reason i'm asking is because i cannot snap out of the negativity. I think i have already done much of reading regarding on the condition; threads in here, a few scientific papers etc. but i still cannot stop see this as a threat. I would say the contrary. So i try to figure out if the culprit of my worsening can be my current mental state, which of course we all know it's a vicious cycle. My tinnitus progressed significantly during my 8 months mark.

I think that if I had proper information at the tone of onset, a better understanding from the doctors, I would be a lot better than I am today - I also believe that if I didn't do all the things I do related to tinnitus I wouldn't be as bad

I'm really confused with all the information online and how to act from now on. I would be happy if you could share with me those things you did related to tinnitus that you wouldn't do. Thank you for your time. All the best.

 

[Steve]

I would be happy if you could share with me those things you did related to tinnitus that you wouldn't do

Virtually everything in the early days... I used to listen for it (it started as a low tone, only audible in quiet). If I was in a space with environmental noise I would plug my ears to see if it was still there, I would worry if I was going to go deaf, I worried that it would get so bad I wouldn't be able to take it any more. A general future anxiety that I actively reinforced with my patterns of thought.

So i try to figure out if the culprit of my worsening can be my current mental state,

It is a possibility but it isn't always the case, there could be a cause underlying it that you need to treat. I see you have unknown cause, have you tried to diagnose yourself or had any feedback from doctors on a possible cause?

On the whole the mental state plays a huge role in tinnitus. Learning to push it out of mind, to ignore it (if that is possible) or put a neutral label on it, learning to see it as an irritation rather than catastrophising it. Today as I write this mine is particularly loud, a screaming sound like a jet engine. I just think "I wish you would bugger off" rather than attaching something severe to it that would lead me into a spiral of anxiety and depression.

I don't know how I got to this point, it just happened (slowly). I do have an attitude that I won't let it beat me but I don't know how that impacts on how I approach it. I have a very large physical link to mine and I have a sore neck right now so that is part of the reason for it being loud right now.

 

[Sam Bridge]

@Steve when you say this is a small group of tinnitus sufferers here. Do you mean that's people with loud tinnitus or do you just say thats people with permanent tinnitus. Because for example my uncle has tinnitus for years but I am sure it's very mild as he still goes to concerts even without protection etc and he says it can be louder for a few hours after a concert but always goes back to being quiet, he seems very lucky with his!!

When people say loud tinnitus what exactly does that mean? Unmaskable?