Tinnitus from Flu/COVID-19 — Looking for Hope/Understanding

[vme1987]

Hi all!

Tinnitus started for me after either the flu or COVID-19 in February 2024. Nothing was irregular about the flu or COVID-19 - I felt pretty miserable for a couple of days, and I have never had any other health issues or concerns.

I have scanned tinnitus forums for months and am looking for someone to post about their similar journey and reassure me that it will disappear. I also, at the beginning of all this, went into a panic/anxiety-ridden state, saw my doctor, and did a hearing test and regular exam with an ENT. Labs, chest x-rays, and hearing tests all was OK. The ENT noted that it was likely from COVID-19, and the tinnitus is from some possible nerve damage seen in flu-related cases. They told me the ringing would likely subside in 4-6 months.

After that appointment, the ear ringing was the least of my concerns after throwing myself into a panic state of anxiety. I had accepted it and felt normal again - I didn't want to feel how I did during that anxiety hype ever again... The only thing was there was some faint ringing, still.

I had been okay with it for the last two months. One day a couple of weeks ago, the ringing spiked up a bit - I can't think of any changes other than maybe general allergies/a slight cold. However, since then, it has brought back the anxiety feelings and wonder again that something is seriously wrong with me and causing this tinnitus to happen. I followed up with the ENT, and they asked about salt/caffeine intake and told me they would do an MRI 'just to make sure they're not missing anything.'

I guess I finally felt the need to post in this forum to see if anyone has a similar journey to mine and if there is any reassurance. If this is post-viral and 'likely to go away within six months per the ENT,' does the random sound spike cause concern? Again, I'm seeking a little support. My anxiousness does stem from thinking that something is medically wrong with me so, just an FYI with any responses I appreciate places like this because we want logical answers and understanding when we face things!

 

[Supersix]

I understand what you're going through. It sounds like you have a mild case, and the sudden increase scared you, making you think it would never go back down. I can reassure you that 99% of spikes always come down. It would be best to remind yourself of that so you don't panic.

Learning breathing exercises will help tremendously, and keeping busy during the day when you experience a spike and listening to the sound of rain can help calm it down. I have a hissing sound and deep ringing at night when I sleep; certain nasal sprays will spike it. Afrin and Flonase do this, so I stay away from those.

It takes time to adjust, but hopefully, it will disappear for you. Most of us went through the same emotions you're going through. Don't be afraid to try medication that can help you. If you experience any side effects, they will eventually subside.

 

[kingsfan]

Though I already had tinnitus before catching COVID-19, it did make mine worse. It's now much more erratic, and I will have days where it is like my pre-COVID-19 tinnitus was and days where it is spiked with an electrical hissing that sometimes moves around my head but often is focused just in my left ear. I also get sudden, brief, unilateral, tapering tinnitus (SBUTT) pretty often now, too.

 

[Supersix]

Though I already had tinnitus before catching COVID-19, it did make mine worse. It's now much more erratic, and I will have days where it is like my pre-COVID-19 tinnitus was and days where it is spiked with an electrical hissing that sometimes moves around my head but often is focused just in my left ear. I also get sudden, brief, unilateral, tapering tinnitus (SBUTT) pretty often now, too.

COVID-19 infection spiked my tinnitus for a few days, and so did the vaccine. I was one and done with the vaccine.

 

[kingsfan]

COVID-19 infection spiked my tinnitus for a few days, and so did the vaccine. I was one and done with the vaccine.

Yea, the vaccine spiked me for a couple of months as well.

 

[RunningMan]

I'll keep taking the vaccine—six times so far with no effect on tinnitus. However, COVID-19 is 2000 times more likely to cause tinnitus than the vaccination for it, plus other possible complications such as "long COVID" or worse.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk. Don't worry too much about spikes. Most of the time, they will subside to baseline. You may not want to help trigger or prolong the spikes, as extreme anxiety will trigger the limbic nerves and turn you into the fight or flight mode of reaction, which usually makes things worse. Don't let the brain think that the spikes are mortal threats, as doing so will cause the brain to zero on the spikes non-stop and amplify the sensations. Try living life and focusing on other aspects of life. Employ relaxing exercises and abdominal breathing, calming your nerves and anxiety. Stay optimistic that all will be well. Take good care. God bless your recovery.

 

[vme1987]

Your responses have been a breath of fresh air! I don't know anyone who has experienced this personally, and I truly appreciate the insight!

 

[Supersix]

Your responses have been a breath of fresh air! I don't know anyone who has experienced this personally, and I truly appreciate the insight!

How's your tinnitus? Did it come down?

 

[vme1987]

Actually, it did, but I'm conveniently hitting another spike at the moment. It's a tough cycle because when it does spike, it's so frustrating to think this might be here forever, all because of one random encounter with COVID-19.

It can be tough sometimes not to let it get to me. However, I've been able to manage some of the anxiety by reminding myself that I've dealt with it before; and if I did it once, I can do it again.

I'm coming up on the one-year mark since having COVID-19. Has anyone else experienced success with tinnitus going away, even after this long?

I know there are far worse things that could happen, but this has still been a challenging experience for sure.

 

[billie48]

However, I've been able to manage some of the anxiety by reminding myself that I've dealt with it before; and if I did it once, I can do it again.

This is a helpful approach to reducing anxiety. Focus on positive thinking, relax, and trust that things will improve. There is no need to insist on making the tinnitus disappear. If you read success stories, you'll find that for some, tinnitus does fade away, while others simply habituate to it.

Habituation occurs when the brain accepts tinnitus without an emotional or fearful reaction. It's a state where the brain often fades tinnitus out of conscious awareness, and you become largely unaware of its presence. The brain achieves this when it no longer perceives tinnitus as a threat—similar to how you stop noticing the sound of a jet engine while engrossed in a movie or how the hum of a refrigerator fades into the background even if you're sitting near it.

Give it time and try to live life as normally as possible. Allow time to work its natural healing process, helping your body and mind adjust. Over time, you may become resilient to tinnitus.

Best wishes, and may your recovery be blessed.

 

[vme1987]

I really appreciate your responses! It's so helpful to hear from others, especially when frustration starts creating what I like to call an anxiety loop. The ringing gets louder, which increases frustration and anxiety, and then the anxiety just seems to make everything worse—ringing, blood pressure, and so on.

I'm truly grateful for this community and the opportunity to connect with people who deal with similar issues. It makes such a difference!

 

[Jon R.]

I hope you don't mind me sharing a similar issue. I'm starting to really panic. I came down with a bad flu on December 18th (I didn't take a COVID-19 test, but this hit me far harder than COVID-19 did last year). It felt more like the flu because it hit my chest hard, and I couldn't even get out of bed. By December 28th, I felt better, and now I feel almost back to normal.

However, my tinnitus has spiked massively. The electrical hissing is incredibly loud and chaotic in both ears—most days, it's unbearable. When I'm in a quiet room, I notice an intensity to it that wasn't there before. On top of that, my TTTS has worsened; every keystroke on my keyboard triggers a thumping/fluttering sensation much more than it did before.

During the illness, I didn't sneeze much, as it mostly affected my chest. I was bringing up phlegm and felt so heavy, like I was stuck in quicksand. My nose did run, but not as severely as with a typical cold. I've never experienced this level of fatigue or chest tightness with any illness before—it hit me like a brick. This is uncharted territory for me.

My hissing tinnitus originally started in 2021, after the vaccine, and it never went away. It was reactive, but I had managed to get somewhat used to it thanks to a crackling fire noise machine that helped mask it. Since this illness, though, I feel like I'm back to square one—and even worse. Nothing masks it now, not even slightly. I was crying in bed the other night because I'm just so sick and tired of dealing with this.

Do you think this could still go back to baseline, even after 10 days of feeling normal since the illness? I've read that for some people, the flu makes their tinnitus louder, and it stays that way. That terrifies me, as I was already struggling with the loudness before.

The fact that I still sometimes blow snot out of my nose (sorry!) gives me some hope that it might just be ear mucus blockages, but it doesn't feel like that's the case.

Any words of hope would mean so much. Thanks, everyone.

 

[vme1987]

I am currently dealing with another spike, and it has been going on for about a month now. Cold air, coughs, colds—I am not entirely sure what triggers them, but my spikes tend to last a long time. However, they do eventually return to baseline. It is incredibly frustrating, but it helps to remind myself that things will settle back down in time.

I used to hope I could eliminate tinnitus altogether, but I have stopped thinking that way because it only made me more frustrated. It does help to know we are not alone. So many people are dealing with this. While it is never easy, I want to emphasize that all of my spikes eventually subside, even though they often feel like they drag on forever.

I hope you can find some comfort in that. I have found solace in reading about others' experiences, knowing I am not the only one facing this. I also try to remind myself that it could be worse. That perspective does not always feel helpful, but on certain days, it helps ground me and bring my mind back to reality.