Tinnitus Spike Theory — Damaging Long Term?

[shasta0863]

So before my T got worse from noise trauma of a wood saw (7-8 years of mild T) I never had spikes, just same ole T. Didn't change usually.

Since new worse T and bad H for 11 months I've noticed, I suppose these "spikes". My issue is, is this causing trauma to the ear. Clearly it can't be a good sign for the ear to go through a spike I would assume. What is it exactly causing it, I never understood.

I felt my T the last week or so was a bit more mild in comparison to to how the flu sickness in April left me. It felt a bit less intensive and a bit softer in both T tone pitch. Yesterday, I got hit by this F-ING rat dog that I've clocked at 92db at my 2nd floor window with him about 15 feet below. So, I got hit in the backyard when it ran near me and flipped out for a good couple of seconds. Very loud.

Now, my right ear instantly got a full feeling, probably my ear muscles tensing up and my T pitch was now more intense. I slept awoke and even past 24h it's still not back. This type of crap just doesn't make sense me. Are these spikes, assuming this isn't perm. damage, causing a problem we can't know about? Doesn't seem good if the T is louder even temporary, that seems to me something in chaos in your ears to create that increase.

I'm starting to perhaps think these "tables" of what db level you can be around don't mean crap to people with really damaged ears. 10min before damage at 100db? I doubt that. I get hit by a high pitch dog and my progress is gone.

Also, if a low freq. sound is 95 db and a high freq. sound is 95 db, does that freq. matter at all in terms of damaging? Are higher freq. more harmful to the ear then lower ones? Just curious on that.

 

[Nonna]

I have same questions

 

[Hopeful1]

I think the freq. that are damaged ( where ohc and ihc has discordent damage) are the ones that cause you most damage....as ihc excites neurons and the brain expects feedback from the corresponding ohc which are damaged and these neurons go hyper.

These can be high or low depending on where you have damage but usually it is high freq.

 

[Gosia]

It's a long time people figured out here that OSHA guidelines are not compatible for us. Not even for anyonem to be honest but even less for us. First months it's usually being afraid of any louder noise. Then again, my bf has T, works in opera , goes to concerts, doesn't seem to get any worsening for years.

 

[Alue]

It's a long time people figured out here that OSHA guidelines are not compatible for us. Not even for anyonem to be honest but even less for us. First months it's usually being afraid of any louder noise. Then again, my bf has T, works in opera , goes to concerts, doesn't seem to get any worsening for years.

I don't even think OSHA guidelines for hearing protection are compatible with the general population. They are based on detectable hearing threshold shifts, which indicates severe deterioration. NIOSH guidelines are a little bit more sensible, but for already damaged ears, who knows?

 

[shasta0863]

Yes, it's tough because how do we know. These guidelines just don't seem to apply to those with damaged ears.

My concern especially now that I had a "spike" and then got hit again 24h later with a plate hitting kitchen floor which is given me sore ears and high T that sounds like missfiring, is this causing damage?

Normal people go out to loud concert they come home ears ring for 24h and go away, that's obviously damage occurring even if minor. My fear is these spikes are creating damage/chaos to already existing sensitive ear hair cells or neural transmitters that may be on the fringe of breaking.

 

[Bobby B]

If you have noise damage Already you need to plan ahead on what is going to happen in terms of potential noise attacks and design a protection plan

Use plastic plates at home - they have some very nice ones now not cheap looking.. I bought a few
Look around your home and figure out which items can fall and make a big noise and re arrange by placing those lower

I use my big peltor ear muffs when cooking because I don't need my ears to hear metal cutlery dropping onto a steel kitchen sink. I want to relax and concentrate on cooking so muffs are perfect for this

This is all useless sounds my hair cells don't need to move for

I use ear muffs or plugs outside too so that I can relax and not have to worry about noise attacks

No big deal - the silicon plugs I have do 30db and are comfortable and even ear muffs are fine and who cares what other think

Just protect your ears that's all - you cannot control outside noise

I think spikes are bad but what's worse is all the worrying that comes with it that's why I protect my ears even if most sounds attacks may not have a big impact

You will never regret over protecting your ears

 

[shasta0863]

If you have noise damage Already you need to plan ahead on what is going to happen in terms of potential noise attacks and design a protection plan

Use plastic plates at home - they have some very nice ones now not cheap looking.. I bought a few
Look around your home and figure out which items can fall and make a big noise and re arrange by placing those lower

I use my big peltor ear muffs when cooking because I don't need my ears to hear metal cutlery dropping onto a steel kitchen sink. I want to relax and concentrate on cooking so muffs are perfect for this

This is all useless sounds my hair cells don't need to move for

I use ear muffs or plugs outside too so that I can relax and not have to worry about noise attacks

No big deal - the silicon plugs I have do 30db and are comfortable and even ear muffs are fine and who cares what other think

Just protect your ears that's all - you cannot control outside noise

I think spikes are bad but what's worse is all the worrying that comes with it that's why I protect my ears even if most sounds attacks may not have a big impact

You will never regret over protecting your ears

Thanks for the reply. I guess we can't know if spikes are dangerous or not, or long term problems to the ear, I suppose. Unless we had people over 10 years getting spikes and see any similarity if they got worse or not.

My main problem with over protecting is I read it makes your ears more sensitive to noises and it;s not healthy to do. Have you experienced that at all with the protection you do even inside?

 

[Bobby B]

Plugging you ears does not change anything inside on a physiological level so how can it make ears more sensitive ?

There is no evidence and no study to back such this claim.

Millions of people use earplugs and we have not a single study saying it changes something permanently or make ears more sensitive.


Besides we spend a lot more time in very quiet bedrooms without effect either

 

[linearb]

There are a number of studies which have shown alterations in hearing function in healthy volunteers wearing earplugs chronically for weeks.

I have also seen more than enough anecdotes from people who say that chronic use of earplugs made their hyperacusis worse, to think it must be true for some people.

 

[Bobby B]

There are a number of studies which have shown alterations in hearing function in healthy volunteers wearing earplugs chronically for weeks.

@linearb
Which study ? Show us a link

 

[linearb]

@linearb
Which study ? Show us a link

I'm on a phone at the moment. I'll have PC access in a few days. Pubmed is no fun on a mobile browser

 

[Bobby B]

@linearb
The browser results from a phone or PC will give out the exact same results - there are no such study

the op is certainly a living proof that not wearing ear protection didn't make his ears stronger because normal short loud sounds seemed to further damage his ears permantly

The only study I read was that healthy patients got temporarily tinnitus by wearing silicone earplugs all the time for 2 weeks in ONE ear only And that is more of a Brain perception issue with no permanent ear structure changes because the t went away when the plug was removed

 

[Bobby B]

The induction of phantom sounds through ear plugs was thus fully reversible.

http://www.tinnitusresearch.org/en/...usResearchArticleSeries_forTRI_5_Schaette.pdf

This study shows that there are no permanent changes occurring inside the ear even if you were to wear plugs continuously which no one does not even me

@shasta0863 @linearb

 

[linearb]

Yup, I wasn't trying to imply that using earplugs is going to cause permanent damage, only that it may be detrimental to people struggling with hyperacusis.

Plenty of people disagree with that, and that's fine with me. Plenty of others have clearly stated that excess protection impeded their return to a normal life.

I personally can't imagine wearing earmuffs to cook, or never walking outside without plugs, but if that works for you then my opinion shouldn't matter...

 

[Bobby B]

Like I said there isn't a single study that's shows that ear protection induces any changes inside the ear so how can it affect hyperacusis that is caused by noise damage ?

The op specifically mentionned "ears getting more sensitive" which isn't the case

Brain perception is another story

Yes maybe you get a temporary few seconds of increased sound perception phenomenon processed by the brain once you remove ear protection but that's about it .

Temporary effect like removing sunglasses on a bright day .

On the other hand not wearing ear protection may cause further irreversible inner ear damage resulting in even more hyperacusis

@linearb

 

[linearb]

We don't have to agree on everything or necessarily find common ground @Bobby B -- if your strategies are working for you, that's what matters!

 

[Bobby B]

We need to stop this "ears getting more sensitive " nonsense .

The only study we have proves that wearing plugs continuously induced no changes inside the ear .

The op in this Thread is getting additional permanent damages and suffering just because he was under the wrong assumption on hearing protection .

 

[shasta0863]

Assuming this isn't temp, yes it's pretty much making me believe wearing plugs more than not is the way to go. I gathered my view on the sensitivity from I suppose comments on this website. That your ears are essentially overclocking to hear noise since it's being so limited by protection and others that have claimed that mentally you start to have the feeling of more sensitivity to noises that are actually fine (85 let's say).

It's been almost a year since my mild T became the awful T and H I have now, and I've been suffering sensitivity and issues of changing T levels constantly. I think overprotecting currently is what I have to do, sadly.

I was feeling pretty decent for a week or two, and now from a dog barking close to me, a plate dropping on the floor and military helicopters flying directly over my car all with in 4 days of each other I'm having serious issues. T is worse, pitch has changed a bit, I re-acquired this vibrating pulse in my right ear that I got a year ago that subsided to very once in awhile affecting me to now morning and day and night when ever I go out or am around noises and I have a soreness in both ears. It's pretty much f-ing hell over things that shouldn't be damaging me, but they did...or these are temp. increases in which is a daily battle of not taking the easy way out of life and waking up hoping it will go back to the level I was already miserable at before.

 

[Bobby B]

Its only "overprotecting" until the plates fall, siren blast off or dog barks... At which point you are glad having had some ear protection in place before .

Keep in mind that ear wax produced inside the ear canal cannot flow out if you are plugged for extended time so make sure to rinse your ear canal daily with warm water - its water soluble - even better use earmuffs as plugs can push wax deeper into the ear canal.