- Nov 15, 2024
- 4
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2024
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic trauma
Hi, I'm new here and new to tinnitus, though unfortunately, I'm no stranger to health struggles.
At the end of April 2024, I went to a concert in Paris with my sister. It was a soft piano-rock band I've seen live before—not the type of music you'd typically associate with tinnitus. However, it was in a relatively small, snug venue with superior acoustics. The issue wasn't the main act but the intro band, which was so loud it made both of us distort our faces and plug our ears.
I quickly realized we were standing too close to the sound boxes and regretted not bringing my foam earplugs, which I had brought to Paris but left in my hotel. Desperately, I searched for anything to protect my ears. All I could find was the paper concert ticket, so I made little balls of paper to use as makeshift earplugs, but they were ineffective. I even tried to rip apart my suede purse to use its fabric as earplugs.
The venue was packed, and I was reluctant to leave for the toilets or try to find proper earplugs, fearing I'd lose our spot for the main act. Fingers crossed, I hoped everything would be fine. After the concert, I asked my sister how her hearing was, and we both agreed we were glad there was no ringing. The next day, my hearing still seemed normal.
A week later, while driving down a hill to the airport—a route I've taken many times—I suddenly heard a high-pitched ringing in my ear. At first, I wasn't worried, as I'd heard such sounds before, and they always subsided within a minute. This time, however, the ringing persisted. By the time I reached the airport, it was still as loud as when it started, and I began to panic.
I immediately thought of the concert but reassured myself that tinnitus wouldn't appear a week after an acoustic event. I also had a mild cold with a stuffy nose and blocked Eustachian tubes, so I attributed the ringing to that. Oddly, sitting on the plane was soothing because the engine noise masked the ringing. I had no issues with ear pressure during the flight, but the ringing continued afterward.
For the next six weeks, I worked to distract myself from the sound. I wasn't overly anxious since I blamed the ringing on my cold and stuffy nose. By June 2024, the tinnitus faded into the background until I barely noticed it anymore. I avoided keeping track of its progression, knowing that focusing on it would only make it worse. By July, I realized I hadn't heard the ringing for a while. One evening, when I listened for it, I faintly heard it, and the sound intensified. Quickly, I turned on my neck fan and some music to distract myself and moved on.
Unfortunately, I didn't stop using my headphones. I listen to music all the time and often get notifications about my music volume being too high. I typically ignore them, as I love good music and use high-quality over-ear headphones. Convinced my previous tinnitus episode was due to Eustachian tube issues, I didn't consider the possibility of acoustic damage.
By September, the tinnitus came roaring back. I'm not sure what triggered it this time, but I had a stuffy nose again and had been dealing with chronic TMJ issues, neck tension, and headaches due to a slightly misaligned spine. Before the tinnitus returned, I endured three days of severe tension headaches. I also spent three days working on a video project, listening to music through headphones almost nonstop.
This time, the tinnitus is loud, shrill, and high-pitched. Both ears feel full and clogged. I hear it over everything, even on planes. Panic hit me hard this time. Everyday sounds, like people talking or kitchen utensils clinking, now hurt my ears, suggesting I've developed hyperacusis. I started using cotton pads in my ears to block sounds, something I'd never felt the need to do before.
I also have a long-standing vascular skin condition that causes intense skin burning and facial flushing. While unrelated to tinnitus, it adds to my overall struggle. I often sleep with a fan or air conditioning to keep cool, and I wondered if the fan noise might have irritated my ears. Using earplugs made the tinnitus feel louder, though, so I stopped.
My GP, who loves heavy metal concerts, laughed when I told him about the band. He said there was no way a band like that could cause tinnitus. I found it funny but knew any concert could cause tinnitus if you're close enough to the speakers. He believed my vascular condition, stuffy nose, and inflammation were the more likely causes. However, when I told him the tinnitus had been ongoing for five months and was ruining my life, he referred me to an ENT specialist.
The ENT ran audio tests and concluded that the concert likely caused hearing loss, leading to tinnitus, even with the six-day delay. He explained that my audiogram showed some hearing loss in the higher frequencies, about 8 dB, which he said was enough to cause tinnitus. However, it wasn't severe enough to warrant hearing aids, especially at my age.
I asked whether the tinnitus could have affected my hearing test results, as it felt like the ringing overshadowed the test tones. He dismissed the concern, saying it didn't matter. He also waved off my complaints about clogged ears, TMJ symptoms, and blood pressure medication as unrelated. His advice was to prevent further damage, exercise to retrain my brain to ignore the tinnitus, and try meditation—which I've always struggled with due to racing thoughts. He suggested coming back in two years to reassess.
Living with this sound 24/7 is exhausting. I constantly have podcasts, music, or shows playing in the background to distract myself. I had hoped the issue was fluid behind the eardrum that would resolve on its own. Instead, I was told this is permanent, though I might be able to train my brain to ignore it over time.
For now, I feel like a zombie, always aware of the tinnitus. Reading posts on this forum has been helpful, and I save anything that gives me hope. I have deep respect for everyone here who has managed to live with this condition and find satisfaction in life.
Let me know if you'd like further adjustments!
At the end of April 2024, I went to a concert in Paris with my sister. It was a soft piano-rock band I've seen live before—not the type of music you'd typically associate with tinnitus. However, it was in a relatively small, snug venue with superior acoustics. The issue wasn't the main act but the intro band, which was so loud it made both of us distort our faces and plug our ears.
I quickly realized we were standing too close to the sound boxes and regretted not bringing my foam earplugs, which I had brought to Paris but left in my hotel. Desperately, I searched for anything to protect my ears. All I could find was the paper concert ticket, so I made little balls of paper to use as makeshift earplugs, but they were ineffective. I even tried to rip apart my suede purse to use its fabric as earplugs.
The venue was packed, and I was reluctant to leave for the toilets or try to find proper earplugs, fearing I'd lose our spot for the main act. Fingers crossed, I hoped everything would be fine. After the concert, I asked my sister how her hearing was, and we both agreed we were glad there was no ringing. The next day, my hearing still seemed normal.
A week later, while driving down a hill to the airport—a route I've taken many times—I suddenly heard a high-pitched ringing in my ear. At first, I wasn't worried, as I'd heard such sounds before, and they always subsided within a minute. This time, however, the ringing persisted. By the time I reached the airport, it was still as loud as when it started, and I began to panic.
I immediately thought of the concert but reassured myself that tinnitus wouldn't appear a week after an acoustic event. I also had a mild cold with a stuffy nose and blocked Eustachian tubes, so I attributed the ringing to that. Oddly, sitting on the plane was soothing because the engine noise masked the ringing. I had no issues with ear pressure during the flight, but the ringing continued afterward.
For the next six weeks, I worked to distract myself from the sound. I wasn't overly anxious since I blamed the ringing on my cold and stuffy nose. By June 2024, the tinnitus faded into the background until I barely noticed it anymore. I avoided keeping track of its progression, knowing that focusing on it would only make it worse. By July, I realized I hadn't heard the ringing for a while. One evening, when I listened for it, I faintly heard it, and the sound intensified. Quickly, I turned on my neck fan and some music to distract myself and moved on.
Unfortunately, I didn't stop using my headphones. I listen to music all the time and often get notifications about my music volume being too high. I typically ignore them, as I love good music and use high-quality over-ear headphones. Convinced my previous tinnitus episode was due to Eustachian tube issues, I didn't consider the possibility of acoustic damage.
By September, the tinnitus came roaring back. I'm not sure what triggered it this time, but I had a stuffy nose again and had been dealing with chronic TMJ issues, neck tension, and headaches due to a slightly misaligned spine. Before the tinnitus returned, I endured three days of severe tension headaches. I also spent three days working on a video project, listening to music through headphones almost nonstop.
This time, the tinnitus is loud, shrill, and high-pitched. Both ears feel full and clogged. I hear it over everything, even on planes. Panic hit me hard this time. Everyday sounds, like people talking or kitchen utensils clinking, now hurt my ears, suggesting I've developed hyperacusis. I started using cotton pads in my ears to block sounds, something I'd never felt the need to do before.
I also have a long-standing vascular skin condition that causes intense skin burning and facial flushing. While unrelated to tinnitus, it adds to my overall struggle. I often sleep with a fan or air conditioning to keep cool, and I wondered if the fan noise might have irritated my ears. Using earplugs made the tinnitus feel louder, though, so I stopped.
My GP, who loves heavy metal concerts, laughed when I told him about the band. He said there was no way a band like that could cause tinnitus. I found it funny but knew any concert could cause tinnitus if you're close enough to the speakers. He believed my vascular condition, stuffy nose, and inflammation were the more likely causes. However, when I told him the tinnitus had been ongoing for five months and was ruining my life, he referred me to an ENT specialist.
The ENT ran audio tests and concluded that the concert likely caused hearing loss, leading to tinnitus, even with the six-day delay. He explained that my audiogram showed some hearing loss in the higher frequencies, about 8 dB, which he said was enough to cause tinnitus. However, it wasn't severe enough to warrant hearing aids, especially at my age.
I asked whether the tinnitus could have affected my hearing test results, as it felt like the ringing overshadowed the test tones. He dismissed the concern, saying it didn't matter. He also waved off my complaints about clogged ears, TMJ symptoms, and blood pressure medication as unrelated. His advice was to prevent further damage, exercise to retrain my brain to ignore the tinnitus, and try meditation—which I've always struggled with due to racing thoughts. He suggested coming back in two years to reassess.
Living with this sound 24/7 is exhausting. I constantly have podcasts, music, or shows playing in the background to distract myself. I had hoped the issue was fluid behind the eardrum that would resolve on its own. Instead, I was told this is permanent, though I might be able to train my brain to ignore it over time.
For now, I feel like a zombie, always aware of the tinnitus. Reading posts on this forum has been helpful, and I save anything that gives me hope. I have deep respect for everyone here who has managed to live with this condition and find satisfaction in life.
Let me know if you'd like further adjustments!
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