Tinnitus from Using a Leaf Blower (93 dB for an Hour)

[Julianv]

Hi all,

I got tinnitus from using a leaf blower back in October. I didn't wear hearing protection and the blower peaked at around 93 dB (I used it for an hour). The following morning the tinnitus was very loud but started to fluctuate early November; since then the volume goes up and down daily depending on the exposure to noise the day before.

I have mild hearing loss: -35 dB in both ears around 4 kHz. I know I had a slight ringing prior to the loud tinnitus, but it was something mild that I never really noticed.

Do you think I can get back to normal or is this damage permanent? I am 50 years old.

Thank you!

 

[Chadilac]

I have a similar story. I had mild tinnitus that I had forgotten about and then I used a loud Shop Vac with no hearing protection and now I have severe tinnitus. Mine is a constant high pitch ring.

It may be a good sign that yours fluctuates. It may go to a lower volume. Time will tell.

 

[Julianv]

Hi Chadilac

Thank you for replying to my message. How are you doing with your tinnitus?

I am having a hard time dealing with my tinnitus and hyperacusis. I have a lot of anxiety and I am currently scared of leaving my house for being exposed to the tinnitus for long periods of time without the sound masking I have at home. The sounds I hear even though they are familiar, their volume is much higher than before to the point the tinnitus is pretty much over any other sound; TV, while driving, etc. At times my ears change to a higher pitch in a sweeping eeeeuuuuEEEEEE. Not sure is these are good signs.

I am not using headphones (only use my speakerphone function on my cell) in hope to help the ears recover and whenever I listen to TV or music, it is at a very low level.

Hope you are doing well,

Julian

 

[Chadilac]

Hey Julian. Well I can tell you that the first 5 months were Hell. The only way I got through it was with in ear maskers. I got some hearing aids that cost $2400 but they were worth every penny. They are so much better then using EarPods because the batteries last 5-7 days. Anyhow, I was using them every waking hour of the day and I was also afraid of going without them. I thought I would go insane if I wasn't always masking and then suddenly after around the 5 month mark, I didn't really need them anymore. Now I only sometimes use them when I'm at home watching tv. I am no longer afraid of the sound and can deal with it. I am even going periods of the day when I'm staying busy that I don't even notice it.

I think I'm in the early stages of habituation. You will get there too. I believe it's only a matter of time that we habituate and learn to live with it.

 

[billie48]

I am having a hard time dealing with my tinnitus and hyperacusis. I have a lot of anxiety and I am currently scared of leaving my house for being exposed to the tinnitus for long periods of time without the sound masking I have at home. The sounds I hear even though they are familiar, their volume is much higher than before to the point the tinnitus is pretty much over any other sound; TV, while driving, etc. At times my ears change to a higher pitch in a sweeping eeeeuuuuEEEEEE.

Welcome to the forum. Yes, having both tinnitus and hyperacusis can be a scary and trying time. But those tough times will pass. I have both ultra high pitch tinnitus and severe hyperacusis and I was in a mess initially mentally and physically. I thought life was over for me and that I would never recover as I had relentless anxiety and panic attacks daily. But never say never. Today I live a normal, productive, and absolutely enjoyable life, travelling often until COVID stops most forms of travelling. So don't worry too much. Your H will most likely fade over time. This form of H developed from acoustic trauma tends to fade, not just for me, but for many members here. But this will take time and patience and some helpful strategies. I wrote my success story and share some of these strategies. Check it out to see if they can help you. Take care. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

 

[Bill Bauer]

depending on the exposure to noise the day before.

Limit the exposure to noise.

Do you think I can get back to normal or is this damage permanent?

If the volume isn't relentlessly at the same level, there is a chance that it will eventually begin fading. It can take over 2 years to get to the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage.

You will want to make sure that you don't hurt your ears during this period of vulnerability as your body is healing. You will want to avoid taking ototoxic drugs, avoid microsuction or syringing (performed when you need to clean wax out of your ears; a manual tool should be used), and not let your dental hygienist use an ultrasonic scaling tool on you (a manual tool should be used). For more details, see

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

 

[Julianv]

Thank you @Chadilac, @billie48 and @Bill Bauer for your replies. I trust you are all doing well.

Chadilac: any changes with your tinnitus? Volume decreasing yet, or are you just getting used to it (habituation)?

I basically have 2 theories why my tinnitus changed:

1. I irritated my tinnitus and i am currently going thru a temporary spike or
2. there was cumulative permanent damage done to my hearing which caused the increased in tinnitus volume

Are there ways to help identify what path I am currently on? Unfortunately I don't have an audiology report prior to the event which would have confirmed if the hearing loss is new or it had been there all along. I just know I had light hearing loss from hearing tests around 12 years ago.

Bill: My tinnitus is very difficult to measure as i am masking it all the time. It does feel softer at night in complete silence, but I believe it is because the sounds are familiar and there are no other noises for it to compete against. This changes during the day as the tinnitus is much louder than any other sound (TV, music, etc).
After taking a long shower or driving for over an hour (with winter tires on) I believe the tinnitus gets louder (or could it be that I just notice it more due to the extended time I am exposed to it without masking sounds). At other times it feels like the volume is down; but that could be the mood that I am in.

I have seen 2 ENTs and both agreed that my condition is permanent; as a person with mild hearing loss is a prime candidate for tinnitus. However, they failed to realized that I already had mild tinnitus prior to the event and assuming there was no additional hearing loss, I could just be going thru a tinnitus spike. My GP on the other hand believes that I should be able to return to my "normal" pre leaf blower condition.

I am having a hard time believing that an electric leaf blower would cause hearing loss and increase in my tinnitus volume. As mentioned before, I measured the blower using my iPhone at it peaked at 93 dB. Using it for about an hour should not cause hearing damage. But again, hearing loss is cumulative.

My ears continue to feel full and once or twice a day I feel a sharp pain inside them.

Currently I don't leave my house; especially my bedroom where I have my masking sounds going on during the day. I am able to concentrate and work while I can't hear the tinnitus. However if I hear it; it quickly sends me spiraling down with high levels of anxiety; hence I no longer watch TV, listen to music or play video games. Last month I visited the ER on 2 occasions due to anxiety attacks due to these noises in my head. They prescribed benzos but I am not willing to take them as I don't feel like myself under the effects of these chemicals. I am also concerned about creating dependencies.

I am having a really difficult time adjusting. Any word of advice how to better deal and cope with this condition is much appreciated.

Julian

 

[Ken219]

But again, hearing loss is cumulative

You're only a couple of months into it. Don't rush to medication. Are you getting sleep? Do not expose yourself to loud noises. There is also a false sense of security saying I'll wear ear plugs to the event. They have invalid ratings. 3M is known for knowingly manufacturing defective eraplugs. Stay away from anything 3M. Get a good pair of ear muffs. Use your fingers for any sudden exposure to loud noise. G-d bless.

 

[Julianv]

Hi @Ken219,

I am able to sleep 6-7 hours. I don't want to take medication, but my family continues to push for it. They believe it will make the sound more tolerable and therefore I would venture out of the house/bedroom.

They don't realize it but I am starting to move around the house for a few minutes at a time; but when I do, the tinnitus becomes apparent sending me into flight or fight. In the kitchen It feels like the glasses in the coverts are vibrating; creating that screeching sound. I cannot stand it.

I purchased the EarPeace HD Concert earplugs on Amazon. I use them whenever I go out of the house, or if I feel the noise around is not tolerable.
This however makes the tinnitus more noticeable and it is the main reason I hardly ever venture outdoors.

Thank you,
Julian

 

[Chadilac]

Hey Julian,

The noise is just as loud now as it was at onset. I have just adapted and it does not cause distress anymore. If I'm home for too long and sedentary then it is more prominent and it can get annoying but it doesn't create anxiety like it used to.

i think you could benefit from an anti-anxiety medication. I am on one and I think it has helped me in starting to habituate faster. Stay clear of benzos though.
Just be patient and trust in the process. Right now your brain is focused on the noise and is seeing it as a threat but in time it will no longer be a threat and you will go lengths of time without noticing it and it will just be an inert sound and you'll be able to carry on living a normal life.

 

[Julianv]

I am only 6 weeks in but my quality of life has dropped drastically since the beginning of this chapter.

I can't leave my house/bedroom.
I can only get sleep when tinnitus is not lurking around; which is pretty much always.
Can't relax as tinnitus takes over the joy.
Can't watch tv, listen to music or play video games as tinnitus takes over and becomes center stage.
Now I am unable to mask it.
It is driving me insane.

 

[Chadilac]

I know exactly what you're going through as I have been there. All I can say is to hang in there and it will get better. I heard my tinnitus wherever I went, almost everywhere, even in a busy department store, but now it seems the only time I hear it is when watching tv or in a quiet setting.

As time goes on, I am noticing it less and less.

If somebody were to tell me I'd be where I am a few months ago, I wouldn't have believed them. I didn't think I would ever not need my maskers. Now I do not need them.

 

[Julianv]

Not sure how to take this...

I've had 2 really good days followed each time by a crappy day: Let me explain:

I had 2 days were the ringing didn't really bother me and I suspect it was that the tinnitus volume went down or I was habituating; so I was able to do every day stuff such as going to the coffee shop, grocery store, take the family for a drive, etc. Not sure if while having a normal day I abused my ears (I wear ear plugs in loud places) and the following day I paid the consequences with the tinnitus going up in volume and annoying the hell out of me.

I am here today (after a really good day yesterday), my left ear instead of ringing it is hissing! The hissing is louder than the ringing and very noticeable. Hence I am right here next to these virtual birds chirping away. My right ear is ringing but hardly noticeable.

Not sure what to make out of all of this. I am 7 weeks into experiencing tinnitus after my noise trauma early October, and up until now both; volume and ringing had been steady on both ears just switching focus from one side to the other every few days.

 

[Julianv]

@ the 9 week mark and ears are still ringing away.

No improvements other than the EEE sound sometimes turns into a hissing/electronic sound.

Question: Has anybody with mild hearing loss recovered from loud tinnitus? Or got back to baseline after noise induced tinnitus?

I reached privately to some of you to get support and advice how to better cope with this condition. Thank you for taking the time to reply to my questions/concerns!