Tinnitus for 7 Years Has Gotten Worse

[sydneygirl]

Hi everyone,

I've had tinnitus since 2010 when I was 13. I can't remember much about the habituation process but I remember it wasn't too bad. I spent the past 7 years pretty much living my life as normal, and going to sleep was fine. This was the only time I would hear my t, is when I would sleep.

However, I recently regrettably went to a loud nightclub and the next day my ringing didn't stop. Now, it's gotten even louder, and this type of ringing is the loudness I usually get when I previously go out to a party, but the ringing would stop the next day. However, this loudness of my t hasn't stopped since the party and it's been really difficult.

It's been about 2-3 weeks since my t has gotten worse, and I'm struggling. It is so loud that if I enter a room, I will hear it very loudly. I went to a friends house, and all I could think the whole time was about how loud my t is. I couldn't even have a proper conversation or enjoy myself as all I could hear was the loud ringing in my ears.

I feel really upset and sad that I went out one night and my t has now gotten loud than ever. Before this night, my t was never this loud, it was a low pitched ringing I only heard at night. Now I hear it so often, and I know for sure the pitch is even higher.

I hate that I didn't take care of my t properly. I had such a good life before this, I wouldn't hear my t until I slept. Now I hear it a lot during the day. I'm finding my self getting anxious thinking about places I need to go, and how loud my t is going to be. This is not what I worried about before.

I'm finding it hard to feel excited or happy about anything. I am feeling really down and cried a lot yesterday. I went to a specialist back in 2014 who won't be able to see me until a months time, so I'm going back to my local gp to see if they can refer me to another specialist who's available sooner.

Please no negative comments, just really need support.

 

[Carlyi]

Hi Sydneygirl,

I'm sorry to hear this. You really need to start protecting your ears from now on. The changes are good that it will go back to baseline but you can't go out to concerts or loud clubs without earplugs. To be honest i would even skip those venues for a long time. Give your ears alot of rest and eat healthy. I heard supplements like NAC (N-Acetyl-Cystein) , Ginko Biloba, and Magnesium are important for ear health. Things will get better!

 

[glynis]

Hi @sydneygirl ,
Stay positive your ears might settle down again.
The doctor can check for ear wax and then your specialist can check hearing etc.
Make sure you get some earplugs to help you protect your ears.
We are here around the clock to support you so keep posting.
Try keep relaxing music on at a low level to help distract you a little from focusing on your tinnitus .
Love glynis x

 

[jer]

I agree with the above posts. It could be that you just had some trauma, and that it will go back to the baseline that you had before. That happened to me a few times. There are a few rules that you must follow now in order not to worsen your condition, or stop it from going back to your baseline.

1. No headphones anymore. That means in-ears and over-ears. Both are very bad for your hearing, and the sound comes way to close to your eardrum that way. That means, not even at 25% volume. Just don't do it!
2. I know you are young, but stay away from bars, clubs, concerts ect for a long while. You need to give your hearing all the rest if can get now. If you ever go back, ALWAYS wear ear protection. Stay as far away from the speakers as you can. But I still would not recommend it.
3. Be super careful with medicines. If they are ototoxic, they can cause a lot of damage to your hearing also.
4. Try to differentiate between harmful every day sounds and non harmful ones. I know now that all you probably want to do is put earplugs in everywhere, But be careful, you don't ant hyperacusus by overprotecting your hearing. Examples, airplanes and subways are bad. Supermarkets and shops are okay sound wise.

Just be aware that you have this now. Be very careful with your hearing from now on, and there is a more than a very good chance they your tinnitus will lower again. It just might take a little bit of time.

 

[sydneygirl]

Hi @Carlyi thanks for your kind words. Do you have any recommendations for good ear plugs that are discrete? x

 

[sydneygirl]

Hi @jer thank you for your detailed reply. It's been really helpful.
1. I do actually work in a call centre. We wear over the ear headphones. I only work 2 shifts a week, and I'm planning to quit my job at the end of this month anyway. I'm thinking I should quit earlier because I don't think anything is worth my tinnitus getting worse. I have stopped listening to music for leisure. Before this worsened t, I would always listen to music with my earphones, I definitely have stopped that now.
2. I know I really should be staying away from bars, clubs, etc, - it is the wisest thing to do in terms of my health. However, fate would have it - I will be studying abroad in USA for 5 months. I'm someone who enjoys having fun and couldn't wait to spend my time partying and going out over there. I know there will be times while I'm overseas that I'll definitely be going out and definitely need to wear earplugs. Do you have any recommendations for discrete ones, that aren't too obvious? I'm only 20, and I just really don't wanna lose my life enjoyment over my t. But it feels like it will change a lot in my life....
3. I will be flying overseas in August. Do you have any recommendations for how to take care of my ears on the plane?
Thanks a lot.

 

[sydneygirl]

@glynis thank you so much. I am looking forward to going to the gp and specialist, hopefully it turns out well. Do you have any recommendations for discrete earplugs?

 

[glynis]

I had some off amazon that are clear rubber and vented and flat to your ear.
I didn't save the box but I'm sure you can ring them.
I find noise reduction plugs better than foam ones.
Love glynis x

 

[Bobby B]

@sydneygirl
Maybe I missed it but how did you get T initially ?
Do you have any hearing loss ?

For hearing protection - you can get flesh colored foam plugs such as hearos or Mack and insert those deep no one can see anything
Those potentially offer the highest protection if inserted correctly - while being also the least visible

Foam plugs should not stick out - that's not good protection , take your time and try inserting those at home before and snap your fingers close to the ears to check for leaks

For loud plane rides the best is the Peltor x5a or the plugs or alternate both for comfort

 

[sydneygirl]

@Bobby B I believe I first got it when I was 13 when I had a cold. I blew my nose way too hard and my ear blocked and it started ringing from there on - and I habituated for 7 years. Back in 2014 I went to a ENT and got checked for hearing loss - which I didn't have. Not sure if I have any hearing loss after my recent ear trauma, will check once I go to my ENT appointment.

Are these the flesh coloured plugs you're referring to? https://www.ebay.com.au/i/112403253684?chn=ps&dispItem=1&var=412803939504 I live in Australia, so some Amazon suppliers don't ship here.

& also, are these for what you're referring to for loud plane rides?
http://www.earplugstore.com/3m-peltor-x5a-ear-muff.html

Thanks!

 

[Bobby B]

Yes those are the exact plugs and also muffs

The muffs are very large - I paint the white line with a black marker so it may look like headphones
For plane or loud train rides

 

[TuneOut]

2. I know I really should be staying away from bars, clubs, etc, -

Good. Now act upon that knowledge.

 

[TuneOut]

3. I will be flying overseas in August. Do you have any recommendations for how to take care of my ears on the plane?

You might want to check out the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 earphones or the QC 25 headphones. These will cancel out alot of the low-frequency engine noise. Just don't play any music through them!

Alternatively, a good set of earmuffs like the Peltor X5A and/or some 33db earplugs. Here's the ones I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002..._FMwebp_QL65&keywords=howard+leight+ear+plugs

If you have a narrower ear canal, you can try these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003..._FMwebp_QL65&keywords=howard+leight+ear+plugs

 

[jer]

If you still want to go out and have fun, You should probably look and invest in some musicians earplugs if you can afford it. They are a few hundred dollars, but are custom made and fit your ears perfectly. They offer about 20-25db reduction (if inserted properly) and come with multiple filter options. That means that if you have problems in certain frequencies, the audiologist can work with you to see which filter would be best for you.

I know you are young and want to have fun, but I would really like to stress again the importance of picking and choosing your battles (concerts, parties etc). Your hearing is at a very precarious moment now, and any small or big trauma can give you a major boost in your tinnitus. So please be aware to weigh if that loud concert will be worth it to have much higher tinnitus for the rest of your life. I do not mean to scare you, but this is what happened to me, and I wish I would have never have gone the day I got much worse tinnitus.

For the flight. Some of those peltor heavy construction headphones are good. Some people swear by noise cancelling headphones, others say it makes their tinnitus worse. So there is plenty to choose from.

 

[TuneOut]

If you still want to go out and have fun, You should probably look and invest in some musicians earplugs if you can afford it. They are a few hundred dollars, but are custom made and fit your ears perfectly. They offer about 20-25db reduction (if inserted properly)

That's just not enough protection. Remember, decibels are logarithmic. For every 10 decibels, the loudness is doubled. So the difference between 20-25db and 33dB NRR is quiet significant.

 

[jer]

I agree. It is probably not enough protection. But barring not going at all, the musician ear plugs are probably your best bet protection wise if you must go! And of course standing as far away from the speakers as humanly possible.

 

[Bobby B]

Foam plugs are good but after several hours hours can start to hurt a bit due to the pressure on the ear canal - only a temporary issue

That's where those musicians/custom plugs work well so musicians can wear those all day long without pain

So unless you Plan on listening to loud music all day long I'd say good flesh colored plugs offer up to 32 Db and are invisible when inserted deep and cheap of course

 

[Ambassador]

Foam plugs are good but after several hours hours can start to hurt a bit due to the pressure on the ear canal - only a temporary issue

That's where those musicians/custom plugs work well so musicians can wear those all day long without pain

So unless you Plan on listening to loud music all day long I'd say good flesh colored plugs offer up to 32 Db and are invisible when inserted deep and cheap of course

Please don't mistake NNR with db. There is no plug that offers greater than 33NNR and that does not mean a reduction of 33db.

A realistic estimate of protection can be obtained by reducing the labeled NRR by 50%, for example:

Environmental noise level = 92dB NRR = 26dB, which reduced by 50% becomes 13dB
Level of noise entering the ear
is 92dB – 13dB = 79dB

 

[Ricardo AM]

@sydneygirl

Do you have any recommendations for good ear plugs that are discrete?

If your concern is about this too (which I fully understand) i recommend to try this alternative product / is what i use and fit perfectly because you can modelate it in your ear canal and color is very discreet (in fact no one will see it if you cover with the right portion inside the ear canal...) is very comfortable and higly reduced noise as well!

Not so expensive / but i also advise do renew it after use a few times for hygiene reasons....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OHROPAX-C...587297&hash=item33bea0fa9b:g:ZuAAAOSwgmJXztXm

Most important you to know at this particular moment:

1- You are still very young and with your "sacrifice" protection NOW you will give your body a great chance to naturally make some recovery!

2- You probably have some hearing loss in the high frequencies (because of use of headphones) as most of us here / but the good and hopeful news is at this very moment there is at least 9 serious research c0mpanies working to find a eficient treatment and i truly believe in a few years Tinnitus and even hearing loss is something can be reversible!

So, think positive and respect your ears!

All the best for you!
Ricardo

 

[Bobby B]

Please don't mistake NNR with db. There is no plug that offers greater than 33NNR and that does not mean a reduction of 33db.

A realistic estimate of protection can be obtained by reducing the labeled NRR by 50%, for example:

Environmental noise level = 92dB NRR = 26dB, which reduced by 50% becomes 13dB
Level of noise entering the ear
is 92dB – 13dB = 79dB

and why would that be 50% ?

if you insert a 32 db NRR plug correctly and if fits the ear canal in size well, you do get the 32 db noise reduction. that is why it is officially rated at 32 db NRR ..when INSERTED PROPERLY

 

[TuneOut]

Hi @Carlyi thanks for your kind words. Do you have any recommendations for good ear plugs that are discrete? x

How about using bright, colorful earplugs and spreading the word about tinnitus?

 

[Ambassador]

and why would that be 50% ?

if you insert a 32 db NRR plug correctly and if fits the ear canal in size well, you do get the 32 db noise reduction. that is why it is officially rated at 32 db NRR ..when INSERTED PROPERLY

I'm sorry and don't want to start a war over this but that is not true. Try a few internet searches and you will quickly find that NNR is not directly related to a reduction in db.

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/...how-to-use-the-noise-reduction-rating-nrr.pdf

Check this link for a good explanation.

 

[Bobby B]

I read the paper The NRR - of 33db was calculated as the best value among 10 people who inserted the plugs with the help of a specialist.

So it's still posssible to get the actual 33NRR or very close provided those plugs are inserted properly and fit the ear which may vary depending on the person

If we assume that the average person does not know or does not take the time to properly insert those plugs then yes at the worst case you only get half.

This can be avoided unless you happen to have extremely large ear canals and plugs are too small

Again - take the time to find the best plug size and insert those deep and properly and you will get close to the NRR

I had training in how to insert ear plugs during my military duty

 

[Fred-Bear]

@sydneygirl

Ok, I'll give you my view on this. I've habituated twice and I'm back on because an ear blockage has made mine worse again, (but don't think negatively that you will have my problems, my ears have been damaged badly by working in clubs and djing).

I think everyone goes through these two stages. Firstly they get tinnitus and it's very low, you get used to it quickly and so long as it doesn't change then you are fine with it. Can be years, for me it was about a year.

Then you get the first change or spike or pitch tone of some sort. The volume shoots up because it's your worst nightmare come true. Why do I need to go through this again etc. This second time is where I think you truly get to grips with it. Basically this time you have to accept it properly. Just say to yourself that you accept the change and that it can do what it wants. Don't let it bully you anymore. Let it be and live your life as normal. As soon as you take your mind off it (hard I know) it will drop in volume and your subconscious brain will start the process of ignoring it.

Listen to it now and again, tell yourself, it ain't that bad, then carry on. You HAVE TO nothing it. It's not easy but you will do it. You will accept it and not be bothered by it. And it's every bit as good as not having it. And it prepares you for all the odd things that it will inevitably do through your life. Like having a cold etc. It will affect your T but you just won't care.

Don't hide yourself away. Don't avoid loud life. Now be careful in clubs, get plugs definitely. But don't avoid normal levels. Hyperacusis is the same as tinnitus in that if you latch onto it it becomes worse. So if normal sounds start hurting a little then don't shy away from them. I got H and dealt with it by rattling cutlery in a drawer and saying to myself 'have that!' and that sends a strong signal to my brain that sudden noises are fine. My subconscious unlatched and the H went. If you tip toe around T or H then you feed it, and it will bully you. Stick your fingers up at it and bully it right back. That's the only way to tell the subconscious brain that it can turn off the fear. And once the fear goes everything is hunky dory.

 

[jer]

I agree with a lot of what was said in the previous post, but going to clubs, parties and concerts is for people with significant tinnitus a reckless activity that should be avoided if at all possible.

 

[Fred-Bear]

@jer Of course protect your ears with plugs if it gets loud. But normal levels of noise shouldn't be avoided. Say pub chatter with background music in is fine. If you fear that level which won't damage your ears then you feed the beast. Bars and clubs with music people are dancing to, get those plugs in.