Tinnitus from Gunshot: Progress, Treatment, and Hope for Recovery

rioxy4152

Member
Author
Mar 7, 2025
1
Tinnitus Since
11/01/2025
Cause of Tinnitus
Gunshot
Hello everyone,

I developed tinnitus after firing a few rounds from a rifle on January 11.

Early on, I had muffled hearing, slight hyperacusis, and very loud tinnitus. Over time, the tinnitus in my right ear went away, but it remained in my left ear. It was quite loud, and I could hear it over everything, even outside.

After waiting for about a week, I decided to see an ENT, who diagnosed me with acoustic trauma.

I received five cortisone injections in my left ear, which helped me recover about 70 percent of my hearing and relieved the muffled feeling. I currently have mild hearing loss between 4 to 8 kHz (10 to 20 dB). My tinnitus also improved quite a bit, but it was still loud enough to be bothersome.

I went on for two more weeks, but I was very depressed and sad. After doing some research, I found that another round of cortisone injections between weeks four and five could be beneficial. So I got them during that time and also started TRT.

Now, seven weeks since the onset, my tinnitus has been improving. I used to have multiple tones, but now it has reduced to just one. Some days, I can barely hear it, especially when I am outside. I have even experienced a few hours of total silence, which reminded me how nice it was! However, there are still times when it spikes again.

At this point, I am just waiting to see if it will continue to improve. I am quite young (21), so this has been hard on me, but being young also gives me hope for recovery.

I wanted to share my story and hear your opinions—do you think there is a chance for a full recovery?
 
There is definitely a chance for a full recovery (no more tinnitus). If it was only a few rounds fired and you are so young, you have good odds of recovering.

Stay hopeful. Stay strong. And maybe no more guns for you.

If you do continue to shoot, use earplugs and wear earmuffs on top of them. Protect your ears from now on!
 
It does get better. Like you, I had a similar recovery.

I still hunt and shoot occasionally. Always double up on hearing protection. I work in construction, so avoiding really loud noise is almost impossible. I am around steam lines, dump trucks, clanking rebar, and I run loud tools and equipment like jackhammers. Always wear your ear protection. I use 3M foam earplugs and earmuffs when working with noise levels above 110 decibels.

You will be fine. Life goes on. I have met so many people who have tinnitus. Like you, I was very paranoid at first, and I still have days when it ramps up, spikes, or worsens due to congestion from being sick.

You will get better. There is always hope that it could go away, so never stop holding on to that. I am just here to tell you calm down, it will get better. Trust me.

I used a company called Treble Health, and they helped me quite a bit in overcoming the fear of tinnitus. I would recommend giving them a try.
 

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