Third Day of Tinnitus — Will This Be Forever or Not?

[Cbg327]

So I'm not sure if it is forever or not. It is just ending the 3rd day and the intensity varies a lot. I would like to talk to some people with experience with this. I hear a near constant high pitch ring, it vanishes occasionally but for a very small amount of time (non-stop on day 1, day 2 I would get 10 second breaks every so often, day 3 there were a lot of breaks within a short period of time and the longest lasted several minutes and was followed by about a half hour of barely hearing it, it is currently intense again but was reduced seconds ago) .

I notice when I get close to sleep I no longer hear it but I get a pulse across my head or stomach that wakes me back up. I watch YouTube videos to help myself sleep (no headphones) and if I listen to the frequency I hear (8 kHz is pretty close) then the sound tends to stop for a bit (I do not count breaks I trigger as one of the breaks I previously mentioned). It is primarily in my left ear, the right pretty much never does anything (if it does then there is no annoyance and it lasts seconds before vanishing). I am turning 25 this month.

Some questions now:
1 Are ear plugs good or bad to wear regularly?
2 Does it sound like it might fade away or do I have to adapt to it?
3 Anything that you would like to say? (tell me how yours started, if you are listening to me then it is only fair that I will hear your experience if you want to talk)

 

[Tybs]

Fluctuation is a good sign, especially if it fully disappears sometimes. I'd say your chances are pretty good.

if I listen to the frequency I hear (8 kHz is pretty close) then the sound tends to stop for a bit

This part intrigues me, as this was the first discovery I had with my T (3.300 Hz). My T originates from the neck muscles though, and is not sound induced. Did you recently experience some (minor) trauma to the head or neck?

 

[Gabriel]

I was in your place so read carefully!

Yes there is high chance it will go away if you don't focus on it! Lots of people have tinnitus for days or sometimes for a few weeks, but the more you focus on the tinnitus sound, the less your brain will erase it.

- Don't wear ear protection unless you go in a loud environment
- Always be in a rich sound environment, watch tv, listen to music
- Don't listen for your tinnitus, never ever, try to forget it
- Go out, do sports, play video games

If you don't focus too long on your tinnitus, like for example if you watch a movie and you are super focused on the movie, you will probably notice that you can't hear your tinnitus anymore.

Letting your brain erase it is the key.

 

[Tybs]

play video games

Agree, though I would recommend ditching the headset and buying a studio microphone for any online communication. Even though I personally consider headsets low-risk, there is no valid reason to take chances when suitable alternatives are available: after all, sound induced tinnitus is a permanent condition (until research... you know). Health comes first.

 

[Gabriel]

Agree, though I would recommend ditching the headset and buying a studio microphone for any online communication. Even though I personally consider headsets low-risk, there is no valid reason to take chances when suitable alternatives are available: after all, sound induced tinnitus is a permanent condition (until research... you know). Health comes first.

Agree too, playing video games doesn't mean you have to wear headphones, the best is to have the sound on speakers.

My point was more like to do tasks that have all your focus on it.

 

[Cbg327]

I want to thank you all for the advice. I was listening to it to try to be use to it but unmanaged to forget it a while and it vanished for a long time till it came back (throwing up made it return) as for the neck injury, no nothing traumatic but I have been thinking something might be wrong with back/neck area for a while

 

[Michael Leigh]

Some questions now:
1 Are ear plugs good or bad to wear regularly?
2 Does it sound like it might fade away or do I have to adapt to it?
3 Anything that you would like to say? (tell me how yours started, if you are listening to me then it is only fair that I will hear your experience if you want to talk)

@Cbg327

1 Ear plugs are not good to wear regularly. Please click on the link below titled: Hyperacusis, As I see it, for more information.

2. The tinnitus may fade away but I advise that you do not deliberately listen for it. Use sound enrichment at night instead of sleeping in a quiet room. More about this is explained in the links below.

3 I advise you not to use headphones even at low volume and be careful of exposure to loud sounds. The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Typically, it is using headphones at too loud a volume and going to clubs and concerts etc where loud sounds are present. Shooting guns can cause it and using the best type of ear protection is no guarantee you will be safe. Please click on the links below for more information.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/habituation-and-tinnitus-treatments.38091/

 

[Cbg327]

So I managed to fall asleep but the whole time I tried my ear kept poping and I kept feeling pressure changes, I got dizzy and nausea, my ear also itched. I'm wondering if it could be a sinus infection as well. Ignoring the sound is helping. I have produced orange mucus in previous days but recently I have been very dried out. (I know I have a lot going on, I have been sick for 6weeks now, it was bronchitis first but then it lead into something else) I am very much appreciating any and all advice you all have been giving

 

[Michael Leigh]

So I managed to fall asleep but the whole time I tried my ear kept poping and I kept feeling pressure changes, I got dizzy and nausea, my ear also itched.

If these symptoms persist for longer than 5 days I advise you to make an appointment at ENT to get your ears and auditory system checked. The ear is delicate and the symptoms you describe, if they persist need to be checked by an ENT doctor so don't delay.

Michael.

 

[JohnAdams]

If these symptoms persist for longer than 5 days I advise you to make an appointment at ENT to get your ears and auditory system checked. The ear is delicate and the symptoms you describe, if they persist need to be checked by an ENT doctor so don't delay.

Michael.

Why wait?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Why wait?

The ear will often correct itself. If there were acute pain or symptoms of deafness then I would advise going to ENT immediately.

 

[JohnAdams]

The ear will often correct itself.

Yeah okay.

 

[Cbg327]

I think I have an appointment with an an ear doctor on the 17th, that's the soonest they can see me they said

 

[Michael Leigh]

I think I have an appointment with an an ear doctor on the 17th, that's the soonest they can see me they said

That is good, try to be calm and relaxed.

 

[JohnAdams]

I think I have an appointment with an an ear doctor on the 17th, that's the soonest they can see me they said

You might as well not even go if it's a week from now. Nothing they can or will do for you by then will be helpful.

 

[Cbg327]

Why will it not be helpful by then?

 

[Cbg327]

Update, it at least seems significantly quieter since taking everyone's advice. I do not care if it is really more quiet or just my perception but I am eternally grateful for all the help and support. Before I could have the tv on 40+ and still hear it loudly. At this moment the tv is on 18 and I'm barely noticing it. Also it seems less noticeable when in thought or If I'm reading something. I think it might actually be quieter because I was curious and plugged my ear in a quiet room and I remember it being worse. (Sometimes the sound of blood pumping in my ear drowns it out)

 

[Mike T]

I'd get to a doctor and a strong course of prednisone. It can help if the tinnitus has only been there for a few days.

 

[Cbg327]

Everyone I have heard from who has this says that nights are the worst, I can confirm that to be true. I really want to get my hopes up and say that I think it will continue to fade as it has been but I'm concerned that I'm going to set myself up for disappointment. Tonight has had some rough patches but seems better than the previous nights. I want to know. Does anyone else get nausea when they try to sleep? I do not feel sick to my stomach throughout the day and I have plenty of masking sounds to cover it up at night. It might be that I'm still sick, I also started the antibiotics today since my stomach was doing better. I managed to sleep a little so far and it was easier than before. Throughout my day I had lots of times it stopped and for a while I went outside and the only sound was a gentle breeze and it managed to cover up the sound for a good while. It has regained some intensity since then but it seems to remain at a lesser volume for the most part. I noticed that coughing makes it become more intense but it fades away again after a while, it also seems to be loudest when I wake up but it does not linger to long and the last time I woke up was better than the previous time. Today has been a good day for me at the very least and that is something. I understand that tomorrow is not guaranteed though. I thank all of you who have given advice and support

 

[Tybs]

Everyone I have heard from who has this says that nights are the worst, I can confirm that to be true. I really want to get my hopes up and say that I think it will continue to fade as it has been but I'm concerned that I'm going to set myself up for disappointment. Tonight has had some rough patches but seems better than the previous nights. I want to know. Does anyone else get nausea when they try to sleep? I do not feel sick to my stomach throughout the day and I have plenty of masking sounds to cover it up at night. It might be that I'm still sick, I also started the antibiotics today since my stomach was doing better. I managed to sleep a little so far and it was easier than before. Throughout my day I had lots of times it stopped and for a while I went outside and the only sound was a gentle breeze and it managed to cover up the sound for a good while. It has regained some intensity since then but it seems to remain at a lesser volume for the most part. I noticed that coughing makes it become more intense but it fades away again after a while, it also seems to be loudest when I wake up but it does not linger to long and the last time I woke up was better than the previous time. Today has been a good day for me at the very least and that is something. I understand that tomorrow is not guaranteed though. I thank all of you who have given advice and support

Confirmed, nights are the hardest to get by. If your T does not respond to sounds (in other words, does not increase when confronted with external frequencies), you can try white noise / natural background sounds to sleep with. It takes roughly a week to get used to it, but afterwards 6+ hour nights could become normal: at least that was the case with me during that period. Make sure not to mask your T though, keep the sound volume just below the tinnitus level.

If white noise is not an option: eventually habituation can kick in, although this takes quite some time. I hardly hear my T during the day at this point, and I can sleep in quite fast (in 5-10 min) despite hearing my sounds. I do usually wake up a few times in between, but sleep in again soon after: I adjusted my daily rythm to a 9 hour sleep time to compensate for the missing hour. Occasionally there can be a bad night where I lie awake longer, but to be fair, that's often caused by a different factor: the sounds themselves can be a bit annoying, but don't bother me most of the time. Having six of them, I guess that should count for something , though I should note that I can "choose" between active sounds by switching posture, so I do have some control in my case.

Yet again, with a bit of luck your T could very well decide to leave. Draw your hope out of that for now

 

[Cbg327]

I woke up this morning with it being louder than when I fell asleep, I turned the fan back on and turned up the volume on my tablet (6hour water sounds) I could still hear it but fell asleep fast. I woke up again and it is very quiet now and it keeps fading away. I do however notice the feeling of fluid in my ear. Not sure if it was the earwax removal drops last night or if I had an infection (doctor could not see my eardrum but gave me azithromycin. It is an antibiotic that I have not heard of before) I started taking the antibiotics around 3:00p.m yesterday and the nausea I had been feeling seems to be fading. I'm currently trying to see if I can get the fluid I feel out. The discomfort in my ear has faded a good bit and I was not getting the pressure(reduced) and dizziness(gone so far) I was getting.

External frequencies do seem to help. Listening to my frequency and shutting it off makes the sound stop for about a minute maybe 2.

I need to clarify that I did th earwax removal drops an hour before bed and I believe I drained my ear properly. I did not feel the fluid before bed, I'm just aware of a possibility that it might be related.

 

[Momme]

I also took yesterday earwax removal drops and got a spike, still have a spike today. F-king tired of this shit!

 

[Cbg327]

I was upset too when mine spiked with the drops. Maybe yours will go away soon. I wish you luck. I thought I did something wrong and checked if my ear drops could be damaging my ears (they were not).

I managed to get the fluid out of my ear I think (I put drops in again and also pressed on points to empty the tube that runs from the ear to the jaw (I can't remember the name, starts with an E I think). I'm not sure which one helped but it feels like all the fluid is gone now.

 

[Cbg327]

If your tinnitus seems to change from a sharp sound to a more dull static like sound is that a sign of continued recovery (lessening severity) or is it just different?

So far every day has had a quality of life improvement since it started whether it be longer breaks or more often breaks.

Today seems to have no more of extra breaks but the level of annoyance has gone down. Not sure if it is quieter but the sound seems to be less harsh. Is this the first sign of habitation or just a random change?

I know at one point my power went out (wind blew hard. It's came back relatively fast) and while the power was out I managed to convince myself it stopped (not sure if it was me or just a natural break that happened at a lucky time).

I have noticed that there are 2 levels of stopped 1 where I can not hear it when cupping my ears because the sound of blood pumping covers it, and 2 true silence when I can not hear anything when placing my head on a pillow/blanket.

I understand that it is a hard call if static is an improvement to a sharp ring in the sense of lessening or if it is just perceptionally better. I know 8 kHz still removed the sound for a while and that repetition seems to create increasing results (I set a timer to see how long I got relief and I get an extra 10-20 seconds of peace each time I did it before the ringing started to come back).

I hope my experimenting can help others.

 

[Cbg327]

I was in your place so read carefully!

Yes there is high chance it will go away if you don't focus on it! Lots of people have tinnitus for days or sometimes for a few weeks, but the more you focus on the tinnitus sound, the less your brain will erase it.

- Don't wear ear protection unless you go in a loud environment
- Always be in a rich sound environment, watch tv, listen to music
- Don't listen for your tinnitus, never ever, try to forget it
- Go out, do sports, play video games

If you don't focus too long on your tinnitus, like for example if you watch a movie and you are super focused on the movie, you will probably notice that you can't hear your tinnitus anymore.

Letting your brain erase it is the key.

I think you are right on. I am having a hard time ignoring it but I have had luck the last few days have been better than when I first started this post. I manage to forget sometimes while I have water sounds on so I do not notice it always but I have had an irregular day today. All my breaks are coming at once (long stretches of being in my near silent room not noticing it, then unfortunately long stretches being in a room with 3 different sources of sound while carrying a conversation and being aware of it, not cripplingly aware but aware. I was just on a long stretch and I ended it with my go to video that stops it and decided to start timing it. Once it came back I did it again but this time I blanked my mind while staring at the timer and the results were significant!!! The sound stopped for about twice as long and remained extremely quiet once it came back. Also talking about it does not seem to make it start for me so far, only focusing on what it sounds like does. During typing this the majority of my time has been silent and the only thing running is the ceiling fan on low. I think a lot of it is like ghost pains of random limb syndrome (at least in my case) it seems to exist primarily because I expect it to. (It might still be there sometimes but I thought taking my mind off it was to alleviate the anxiety of it to reduce severity, I thought this was just a coping method to buy time till it resolved itself or till habitation kicked it. Then again, this could be a form of habitation). Sorry this is so long but I'm worried it will come back as soon as I break focus from this. Thank you very much!

 

[Candy]

Sounds like it's fairly low... just carry on ignoring it as much as you can. It will be a conscious effort in the beginning and then it will come naturally. The fact you're getting breaks from it is very encouraging. Try not to identify the sound too much if it's maskable by other noise.
By doing that you won't be confronted with it so much and will stay calmer which I think really helps with perception or who knows it may help with the volume itself.

If it fades great news, if not you'll learn to tune it out. Some people go on for days without noticing. I know a few mild tinnitus sufferers in person and they all manage to screen it out.
Keep volumes down, don't expose yourself to loud noise... better to play safe...

 

[Cbg327]

Yeah, it is pretty easy to drown out right now and I just had a coughing fit (coughing seems to spike mine). One fan is all it is taking, originally I needed a fan, my tablet, and the tv to ignore it. I still can not sleep on my left side but I am at least feeling better about it.

 

[Cbg327]

So I heard that it can happen but I caught me off gaurd. It is switching ears back and forth. Slowly fading from the left then slowly increasing in the right, then fading from the right and going back left. It keeps repeating and seemingly stopping sooner with less maximum volume. Anyone know what's going on? Some times I can not tell what ear it is coming from and only can hear it when both ears are plugged and it is very faint.

 

[Lane]

I also started the antibiotics today

@Cbg327 -- Just to mention, antibiotics can be ototoxic; it's how my wife got tinnitus. Be sure they're absolutely necessary, as many doctors hand out prescriptions for as little reason as "a precaution". Your ears will almost certainly be more vulnerable to ototoxic drugs than most people's with uninjured ears.

 

[Cbg327]

@Cbg327 -- Just to mention, antibiotics can be ototoxic; it's how my wife got tinnitus. Be sure they're absolutely necessary, as many doctors hand out prescriptions for as little reason as "a precaution". Your ears will almost certainly be more vulnerable to ototoxic drugs than most people's with uninjured ears.

one theory was I was getting an ear infection and the shooting aggravated it to make the ringing start sooner. I did however have the appointment already planned because I had been sick for 6weeks prior to the ringing. I got to the doctor the same day I started this post (day 3 of ringing). While I did not wear ear protection the doctor mentioned that because of how far away I was for my friend when I noticed the ringing that my chance of hearing loss would not be as great (I was a a good distance away and covered my ears with my hand, although that is not very suitable protection).

I plan to be more careful with my ears from now on and I just got on to say that shortly after it started going back and forth between my ears it seemed to nearly stop (super quiet).

I'm not sure when but it stopped. My estimate for how long I have had complete silence was 20-40 minutes. By far the best length of silence yet. It only came back when I coughed and it was just a whisper of a sound and it vanished quickly. I'm not saying I'm out of the woods yet but long as I do not aggressively regress I think I will never notice it unless I try to. I will keep posting updates of wether or not this is just a good day or significant progress. Best wishes to you all and thank you for educating me in what was/is happening