Tinnitus After Concert / Ear Infection

Hi all,

Introducing myself so I can share details about the various things I am trying to reduce the impact of my recent tinnitus.

I got persistent tinnitus after a concert in October 2023 (I've always had mild tinnitus due to too many loud concerts as a kid without protection). Before I could only hear it in a quiet room. I can now hear it even in a crowded restaurant.

I wore earplugs but they were these Minuendo high fidelity acoustic earplugs and I had them in backwards for half the concert. Weirdly, that evening I didn't have any muffled hearing or tinnitus but it built up over the next two weeks. My doctor thought it was an ear infection because he saw redness and fluid buildup behind the eardrum. So the cause was either the noise or the ear infection or some combo of both.

I tried Prednisone 60 mg tapering over 2 weeks (starting at 3 weeks from the concert).

I have been doing HBOT since about 1 month after the concert (mix of 2.0 ATA chamber flooded with 100% O2 and 2.5 ATA with 97% through a mask). I plan to do this until around the 3 month mark from the incident.

Taking Ginkgo biloba, Magnesium and Lipo-Flavonoids.

So far I don't think anything has helped but my understanding is these are all things that might reduce the volume over longer periods of time, so I'm not expecting a short term fix.

The thing that helps me the most in the short term is Anapanasati meditation. I've been doing it for about ten years and it helps me the most with the anxiety and depression that comes with the tinnitus.

Next, I am considering trying LLLT at Lumomed in Florida. A German doctor practicing out of Ibiza working with a chiropractor in Florida sounds like the very definition of sketchy, but if there's a chance it can help I'm willing to give it a go.

I'm also starting Tinnitus Retraining Therapy next week. This is the treatment I have the most hope for. It seems the brain should have the ability to tune out a sound that's always there.

 

I hope it gets better over time for you. Keep protecting your ears. I would avoid loud concerts going forward. I've already sworn them off after one causing mine. Going to that concert was the worst decision of my life.

 

Thank you. No more concerts for me, that's for sure.