Tinnitus Worse from Using AirPods Pro / Further Worsening After Dentist Used Ultrasonic Drill

[NootNoot]

So I have had tinnitus since 2015 after I went to a club and was standing in front of the speaker for too long. However, it was really mild where almost everything could mask it.

Fast forward a few years, I had another spike when I was in a club and my earbuds dropped but that spike also went away after a few weeks.

THIS TIME, however, my tinnitus has spiked to horrible loud frequencies where it is high pitched and I can hear it almost all the time. This happened after I was talking on the phone with my girlfriend using AirPods Pro for about an hour. The volume of the phone call was kinda loud but we didn't talk much, mostly just on the phone with each other's presence.

The spike continued and got worse after I had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday in which the doctor used the ultrasonic drill thing.

Is this spike permanent or would it get better? It's caused me so much anxiety for the past week...

 

[dbeats]

Last year I experienced something similar, where I had been exposed to some loud sounds first, and a week or so later I went to the dentist, where they used the same drill (ultrasonic scaling device?). After a few weeks of time, it went back to normal.

 

[NootNoot]

Wait, so yours eventually returned to baseline? If so, congrats!! Hopefully mine does too...

 

[dbeats]

Wait, so yours eventually returned to baseline? If so, congrats!! Hopefully mine does too...

It took a couple of weeks.

 

[NootNoot]

It took a couple of weeks.

Did your tinnitus get really loud in those few weeks? How did you handle it? What advice would you give?

Sorry if I keep asking questions... it's just really impacting me currently...

 

[dbeats]

Did your tinnitus get really loud in those few weeks? How did you handle it? What advice would you give?

Sorry if I keep asking questions... it's just really impacting me currently...

No problem, I get it. At the moment, my tinnitus (in both ears) is more in the background, so it doesn't bother me that much. When I had a spike in that period, it was louder, and much more distracting (causing me to be irritated, and worried that it would be a new baseline).

I think the best way to handle it is to get out of the house, go for hikes, hang out with people. Try to focus on things you like, watch tv shows, work on a hobby, etc. These things can help distract you from the tinnitus.

 

[Mister Muso]

I've had several spikes lasting between 2 to 6 weeks. I would donate the AirPods to a friend or family member though.

 

[creasy212]

@NootNoot, did your spike from the dentist drill go down? If so, how long? I suffer from tinnitus and hyperacusis, I think relatively severely, I habituated recently (after near 3 years) but a trip to dentist has caused an increase in both tinnitus & hyperacusis - it's been 5 days or so and no change - I'm hoping this is just a spike...