Tinnitus and ETD After Being Exposed to the Noise of a Drill

[Yuri_ol]

74 days ago I worked with a puncher for a couple of hours.
There was not any pain or noise in ears that day.

Only in the next morning I woke up with a roar (ringing) in my ears and fullness feeling in right ear. A day after the noise exposure I haddexamethasone.

I did 6 audiograms including up to 16,000 Hz. Everything is ok. There is a "blockage" at 6000 +10 dB...

I hear very well, even better than before the injury. The usual sounds are louder than before (the sound of plugs, spoons, glasses and similar sounds create discomfort.

Speech intelligibility in noisy places - no problem (I checked it several times).

On the 30th day after the noise exposure eustachian tube dysfunction appeared (clutching in ears when swallowing and without). The doctors could not verify it because they do not know about the ETD test and how to do it.

Classical tympanometry is normal.

The first week I had loud ringing.

Then it changed to cicadas in their ears (very loud).

Now it's the sound of sand that falls on a plate (or brown noise) + in the left ear in full silence I can hear ringing (like a neighbor's vacuum cleaner) and morse code...

Now the volume of the noise level is audible in a quiet room and when wearing earplugs.

Recently I felt that the tympanic membrane itself sometimes twitches in the left ear (a couple of times a day and only in one ear, perhaps because of the auditory tubes).

Several times a day there is slight possibly phantom pain in the cochlea.

Now I wear silicone earplugs. In the evening after work I listen quietly to music.

1. How to treat eustachian tube dysfunction? Besides Mometasone and exercises, is there something else?
2. Can eustachian tube dysfunction cause tinnitus?
3. What to do with the tinnitus (a little tired of it), will it pass?
4. Can hidden hearing loss be diagnosed somehow?
5. Twitching of the tympanic membrane, what is it caused by? The auditory ossicles?
6. Is it worth it to wear ear plugs?

 

[Yuri_ol]

My audiogram:

 

[Yuri_ol]

most hearing studies are conducted on mice, but how do they interrogate mice for the presence of tinnitus and if the noise is subjective in the brain
So how?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Twitching of the tympanic membrane, what is it caused by?

TTTS usually goes away on its own in about 12 months.

In the evening after work I listen quietly to music.

Are you using headphones?

Now I wear silicone earplugs.

Do you wear them around loud/moderate noises (or where there could be a potential to exposure to noise), or do you just wear them 24/7?

Now it's the sound of sand that falls on a plate (or brown noise) + in the left ear in full silence I can hear ringing (like a neighbor's vacuum cleaner) and morse code...

Now the volume of the noise level is audible in a quiet room and when wearing earplugs.

Looks like your T is fading fast. If you are able to avoid secondary acoustic traumas, it ought to continue fading.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[Yuri_ol]

Thank for your consideration for my post.

Are you using headphones?

I'am not (thank you for your posts). listen in car and home speakers. can you tell about using mobile and landline phone is ok for ears?

Do you wear them around loud/moderate noises (or where there could be a potential to exposure to noise), or do you just wear them 24/7?

I need advise about it. I scare that people loud speech can make some problems. now I use them in loud places like shops... few days ago my mom dropped the glass on the table for 3 days it was pain in right ear (I was without ear protection).

silicone earbuds is awesome

also today's morning it come better. I dont know how explain it... but I feell my T better

 

[GSC]

Thank for your consideration for my post.

I'am not (thank you for your posts). listen in car and home speakers. can you tell about using mobile and landline phone is ok for ears?

I need advise about it. I scare that people loud speech can make some problems. now I use them in loud places like shops... few days ago my mom dropped the glass on the table for 3 days it was pain in right ear (I was without ear protection).

silicone earbuds is awesome

For sudden, unexpected noises at home, I keep my peltor's X5A on me, or by me all times. That way if a noise happens, like a dog barks too much, or a plane flies overhead and I can hear it coming, I just slip them on - and it's way quicker than carefully putting earplugs in, or panicking. It's second nature to me at this point. Also advice: I don't trust anyone, but myself when it comes to T. If I'm by someone and they're handling dishes, I put my muffs on, because I know they're careless. It has saved me a handful of times.

EDIT: By on me, I mean in my hand, not over my ears. HAHA.

Also, if you're hearing louder than before... then maybe you should schedule an audiogram 3 months from now, or four. Sounds like you might have a case of LOUDNESS H.

 

[Yuri_ol]

[QUOTE = "GSC, сообщение: 434470, участник: 35918"] Кроме того, возможно, вам следует запланировать аудиограмму через 3 месяца или четыре. Похоже, у вас может быть случай громкости H. [/ QUOTE]
I made audigram
after first month and second month

what do you wear on work ?

 

[GSC]

[QUOTE = "GSC, сообщение: 434470, участник: 35918"] Кроме того, возможно, вам следует запланировать аудиограмму через 3 месяца или четыре. Похоже, у вас может быть случай громкости H. [/ QUOTE]
I made audigram
after first month and second month

what do you wear on work ?

Pardon? Do you mean, what do I wear for work? Ear plugs.

 

[Bill Bauer]

listen in car and home speakers. can you tell about using mobile and landline phone is ok for ears?

I've read a considerable number of horror stories of quiet music and headphones. I don't recall seeing too many stories about phones.

I know that my most serious spike (that had lasted for over three months and that involved a change in pitch to make T more unbearable) happened as a result of me presssing an old landline phone (its volume stuck at Max) to my bad ear, and the person on the other end of the line raising her voice as she greeted me.

It is my understanding that moderate/loud noises pumped directly into the ear canal are sometimes unsafe (see all of the many stories of people getting new tones or huge spike as a result of being kissed on the ear). I try to keep the phone's speaker about an inch away from the opening of my ear canal...

I feell my T better

This is a very encouraging sign! It should continue to improve and fade.

I scare that people loud speech can make some problems. now I use them in loud places like shops...

You should do some trial and error. Try not wearing earplugs, and see whether you get a spike or whether it doesn't feel right.

I didn't read all the above comments, but did peruse a fair amount of it, and ran across many good points on both sides of the argument. What strikes me is there seems to be an underlying assumption (of course I may be wrong on this) that all brains and neurological systems are created equal. The way I see it, that's simply not the case, so everybody's way of dealing with tinnitus and/or hyperacusis is going to have to be highly individualized.

I read a book many years ago called "Adrenal Syndrome". A lot of the book touched on the residual resiliency of people's adrenal glands as they respond to life's stresses. Very low resiliency often resulted in months/years of chronic debilitating exhaustion following a stressful event(s) in their lives. Very high resiliency indicated essentially the opposite. The author broke this down into some rough numbers:

25% of people have low resiliency, meaning normal life stressors will often send them into some degree of a tailspin.
25% of people have high resiliency, meaning that no matter how severe a stressor comes into their lives, they will be able to cope without becoming debilitated to any degree.
50% of people fall somewhere inbetween.

I believe there are some kind of corresponding numbers for a person's brain and neurological resiliency as well, which can greatly affect the ability to cope with tinnitus. (I believe adrenal resiliency also plays a major role in our ability to cope). -- Based on these assumptions, it's pretty easy for me to conclude that what may be overprotection for one person will be underprotection for another, and vice versa.

I think the main point to understand for someone new to tinnitus is that their path forward is going to be a lot of "testing the waters". Generally, IMHO, it's going to take a few weeks or months to get important insights that will help us achieve a healthy balance. In all likelihood, most people are going to learn from experience when their over-protecting or under-protecting.

I've come to believe however, that in those early months, if one is going to err in either direction, it should be toward overprotection. It just seems to me the consequences of underprotection (which could result in permanent injury) in those early times are much more dire than the consequences of overprotection--which as I understand, generally results in temporary setbacks.

Doing a number of things to better support the brain and neurological system and the body's stress response (adrenal glands) is quite high on my list of recommendations I would make to anybody with tinnitus. Doing so might even prevent phonophobia or OCD, etc., as we go through our learning curves -- Just my 2 cents worth.

Relative newbies to tinnitus are likely to find all the information/opinions above quite confusing. So here are a few common-sense rules to follow:

1. The best protection of all is avoidance. Even the best earplugs can't guarantee complete hearing protection so those relatively new to tinnitus are best advised to avoid prolonged loud noise exposure - especially amplified sound at for example live concerts and sports events. This may involve lifestyle changes.

2. When in doubt, use hearing protection. In the many tasks we all do through the week, some will inevitably involve exposure to noise - which may be at higher levels than we at first realise - so using hearing protection for many of these is only sensible.

3. Build quiet into your day. It's not a good idea to be wearing hearing protection all the time - so you need to give your ears a break by ensuring that there will be quieter times during your day when hearing protection isn't necessary.This may involve changing your routine. Use soft masking noise and light music (not using headphones) to avoid "silence" where tinnitus is most noticeable.

4. Don't stress about stress. Tinnitus newbies are forever being told that the thing which makes tinnitus worse is stress. But while it's true that how you are feeling at a particular moment can make tinnitus temporarily louder, it won't have a lasting effect. But prolonged loud noise exposure can make tinnitus permanently louder. So don't stress about stress - but do be concerned about noise.

 

[Yuri_ol]

few minutes ago the fireball has flown and blown up near me (in my home).I worry about my T.
before it happened I took magnesium and vitamin B.
Hope all will be ok

 

[GSC]

few minutes ago the fireball has flown and blown up near me (in my home).I worry about my T.
before it happened I took magnesium and vitamin B.
Hope all will be ok

Fireball? Take some nac too. Mag too.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Fireball

ball lightning...sorry for my english...

 

[Contrast]

ETD can be a loose or even misdiagnoses, ear fullness from loud noise trauma is unknown consequence that doesn't even have a name. Maybe the Eustachian tube got damaged from noise trauma.

 

[Yuri_ol]

ETD can be a loose or even misdiagnoses, ear fullness from loud noise trauma is unknown consequence that doesn't even have a name. Maybe the Eustachian tube got damaged from noise trauma.

maybe.... first was fullness in ear
ETD come after 30 days....

 

[Yuri_ol]

Yesterday I heard one clatter of dishes - today I have pain and fullness in right ear

 

[Contrast]

maybe.... first was fullness in ear
ETD come after 30 days....

Have you had a history of ETD before?

 

[Yuri_ol]

Have you had a history of ETD before?

Never...

 

[Contrast]

Never...

Why would you think ETD is a total coincidence?

It's more then likely this has something to do with a noise injury.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Why would you think ETD is a total coincidence?

It's more then likely this has something to do with a noise injury.

I think yes. I read about it on this forum.

First it was the fullness which drove me crazy.

 

[PortalNaut]

Yesterday I heard one clatter of dishes - today I have pain and fullness in right ear

I've had heightened sensitivity to things like the clatter of dishes, or the drop of a toilet lid.

You have my sympathies, and I hope your sensitivity gets better. Mine did, and I'd say these things weren't a problem after 6 months.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Why would you think ETD is a total coincidence?

It's more then likely this has something to do with a noise injury.

I had a tympanometry test, all was ok (twice!).

But I feel fullness (in one ear) and cracking in head when I swallow (on both sides).

Do you know what might help?

 

[Contrast]

I had a tympanometry test, all was ok (twice!).

But I feel fullness (in one ear) and cracking in head when I swallow (on both sides).

Do you know what might help?

nothing, we just suffer.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Is speech discrimination in noisy places a mandatory element of hidden hearing loss?

I just cannot fully establish my diagnosis (have I got hidden loss or not?). I have excellent results from the audiological tests and I perfectly understand speech in noisy places.


i just read:

Thus, experiments on mice showed that the connections between sensory cells and the auditory nerve are successfully restored under the action of neurotrophins, proteins from the family of growth factors that stimulate the development and activity of neurons.

the auditory pathways always try to compensate for the impairment of the input cells and to correct the heterogeneity of the signals corresponding to the neighboring frequencies. Such a mechanism really allows to improve hearing, but, at the same time, it provokes and enhances neural activity, which generates tinnitus.

the auditory pathways always try to compensate for the impairment of the input cells and to correct the heterogeneity of the signals corresponding to the neighboring frequencies. Such a mechanism really allows to improve hearing, but, at the same time, it provokes and enhances neural activity, which generates tinnitus.

 

[Yuri_ol]

How can I check for hidden hear loss?

 

[Yuri_ol]

Two days ago I went to a picnic with earplugs. Music was playing quite loudly nearby. Now two days later I have ear pain, I don't know if it is connected... But what should I do?

I take NAC and magnesium.

 

[GSC]

I've read people take the magnesium that you pour into water to help with ear pain, though I think it only helps a certain type, I am unsure.

 

[GregB56]

Hi Yuri.... Can I ask how your symptoms are now? I have a lot of the same issues (fullness, ear flutter, T etc etc) after a sound trauma event back in December last year. For me seems that the symptoms, particularly the ear flutter, are getting worse not better. Cheers, Greg

 

[Contrast]

Hi Yuri.... Can I ask how your symptoms are now? I have a lot of the same issues (fullness, ear flutter, T etc etc) after a sound trauma event back in December last year. For me seems that the symptoms, particularly the ear flutter, are getting worse not better. Cheers, Greg

What did the ENT's and doctors say?

It's such a mystery why some people get better and others get worse.

 

[Yuri_ol]

Hi Yuri.... Can I ask how your symptoms are now? I have a lot of the same issues (fullness, ear flutter, T etc etc) after a sound trauma event back in December last year. For me seems that the symptoms, particularly the ear flutter, are getting worse not better. Cheers, Greg

Thanks for your interest in my topic. Fullness comes and goes (a couple of days ago a door slammed loudly). Trembling is constant. Now (for about a month) a new symptom is ear pain, not much dull pain.

I cannot say it has become quieter or louder, there have been quite a few spikes (they went away). But the ringing turned into noise. Feel free to ask me questions.

 

[Contrast]

Thanks for your interest in my topic. Fullness comes and goes (a couple of days ago a door slammed loudly). Trembling is constant. Now (for about a month) a new symptom is ear pain, not much dull pain.

I cannot say it has become quieter or louder, there have been quite a few spikes (they went away). But the ringing turned into noise. Feel free to ask me questions.

Are you letting your ears rest so they might heal? Don't challenge the pain, never contest the pain.