Tinnitus from Using Headphones / Loud Music / Sinus & TMJ Issues — Can't Let It Get Any Worse!

Hi everyone, I just made an account to stay connected with other tinnitus sufferers and stay up to date on the latest research.

I first noticed tinnitus when I was 19 (34 now), when falling asleep, I could barely hear a small ringing. I started wearing earplugs after that when I played music (I'm a bassist), but over the years things slowly got worse so I cut out headphones entirely. It was a big loss for me. I was raised around music and it was a big part of my identity.

Unfortunately for my ears, I also worked at a record store for the past 13 years. And having habituated to tinnitus, I had times where I thought "what the heck, your ears can take it" and didn't put in the earplugs or listened to headphones. I'm 34 now, and quit the record store for unrelated reasons this past year. I have been going through a major mental health crisis for the past 4 years. And now I'm just getting out of it, and I finally noticed that my tinnitus is louder and noticeable in places it wasn't before.

Some caveats - my posture is atrocious. I don't just mean according to grandma either. I only became aware of how bad it was in the past month (I only became aware of a lot of things in the past month!). I've been curled up like a shrimp in bed, and barely sleeping. My beard and hair have turned grey and started falling out because of the incredible tension that's built up in my body, all along my facial muscles and down through my sternum and into my groin and inner legs. I have weird sinuses too, and used to snore VERY loudly, as does my Dad. I also have pressure in my eardrums. It's noticeably louder when I smoke marijuana, and sometimes if I drink more than one beer.

My life is really finally turning around so I feel grateful that my hearing is pretty much fine (definitely lost some fullness and fidelity, but no problems hearing anything at all) and that my tinnitus isn't any worse than it already is. It's a high pitched tone in both ears. I can make it wobble and distort if I try to, and it definitely responds to tension and pressure in my air cavities or tmj area. I'm certain that it improves noticeably when I'm sober, not stressed, and with normal posture. But I know that it's never going to go away unless some treatment miraculously works on me. I'll never use headphones again and I might even give up playing music entirely. It's just not worth the risk.

I hope everyone out there is managing to get through the day and not let the tinnitus ruin everything! Thanks!

-Jesse

 

From my long-term journey (40 years now) I can say that with the passage of time, and doing all you can to not subject your ears to loud noises, you should continue to habituate and improve.

Good luck!