What Caused Your Tinnitus? Hair Bleach Maybe

[Ricardo1991]

Hey everyone,
Just curious; what caused your tinnitus? Or at least what do you think caused it? What did the doctor say?
Mine, like everyone else is a mystery. However, I think mine was caused by a viral infection in my right ear. The doctor said that it migrated to my left ear and caused a notch in my hearing at 4500-5500 Hz causing mild hearing loss.

Also, the night before all of this started, I bleached my hair! Not sure if that's the cause but who knows? I bleached it myself and boom, tinnitus. I left the bleach on for maybe 2.5 hours because I have jet black hair naturally, I did burn my temples a little.
The doctor said that he's never heard of hair bleach causing hearing loss.

Anyways, my Eustachian tubes keep popping, I hear hissing randomly in my left ear and my right ear sounds like jingle bells far away or a field of crickets that are far away too.
When I chew, I hear ee ee ee ee in my right ear (which has been going down actually).
Right now, it's like my ears are full and when I burp/ yawn/ swallow my right ear pops a lot.
Yesterday at the hot springs, my right ear hurt when I blew my nose.

Aside from the hair bleach, I didn't have any noise exposure. I went to the gym that night with wet hair on a cold night. I listened to my headphones, but I am pretty sure that I had worse nights at a club where I woke up with no tinnitus. I slept well that night, I didn't have any ringing in my ears or buzzing or anything. The next morning, small buzzing in both ears. The following week was awful.

Now, not so much. Anyways, hope to hear from you guys.
Let me know what you think.

Also, does anybody have any suggestions for sleep? I generally take melatonin and listen to the Simpsons or Netflix, etc. Sometimes I'll put "Cricket Sounds For Sleep" on youtube and that's about it but I still find myself waking up at like 5 am.

Ricardo

 

[Dana]

I went to the gym that night with wet hair on a cold night

I think that is more likely the cause of your T onset than the chemical bleach on the scalp.
Also, if you did the bleaching ourself, you may have strained your neck or/and stayed wilt you head in an uncomfortable position for a while.
I would put in your avatar, as possible cause of T, instead of "hair bleach", "hair bleach procedure" as that comprises" more things that could have played a role (neck straining, head tilted, going outside with wet hair)

 

[Beste]

Sorry that you are suffering from T.
I never figured out what caused mine.
It is maybe from benzodiazepin or stress or TMJ or noise induced. I don not know...

 

[Ricardo1991]

@Dana Thank you! That makes me feel a little better. I have actually improved a little in my hearing test. I started out at 30 db (mild) hearing loss in my right ear. About a month later, it shows up as 20 db hearing loss (borderline normal hearing) on the audiograms I've had done. I still get ear pains (like last night) and my ear still feels full and my Eustachian tube recently started popping a lot and hurts when I blow my nose. Ugh just a whirlwind of symptoms. I just hope that at least the pain stops and the fullness goes away.
Hope you're having a good day!
Ricardo

 

[LadyDi]

Hi, @Ricardo1991: Anything can happen. But I strongly doubt that beaching your hair just one time would cause tinnitus. I agree that maybe it could be a pinched nerve/some strain ii your neck/maybe TMJ, given all the popping and pain.

Or it can be the hearing loss, which certainly can cause tinnitus. And all kinds of things can cause hearing loss -- everything from noise exposure, to infections and viruses, to simply getting older.

It think the important thing to remember is that many, many people never find out exactly what caused their tinnitus. Unless its something like a neuroma (very rare), it doesn't really matter because there are no cures or even effective treatments. On the other hand, spending a lot of time ruminating about the cause can make your T worse, I think, because you are paying more attention to it. Just my opinion.

 

[Zora]

I know for sure that music via headphones caused mine. I bleached my hair as well before T! even 3 three times in a row in a day because, first it became orange, then it became yellow and then bleached colour lol but I got T 4 months after I bleached them, so I dont know/ I dont think that the bleaching gave you T...

 

[Ricardo1991]

@LadyDi yea, I think so too. When I move my neck or turn it, it definitely gets louder. I do have mild hearing loss in my right ear at about the 4000 hz mark at 20-30 db. I am just worried that it's just going to keep getting worse because I have pain in my ear and Eustachian tube. Also, I can sort of feel the ringing; like it feels like tiny static pulses in the back of my head and temples sometimes.
Ricardo

 

[Ricardo1991]

@Zora okay, this makes me feel better a little because I didn't even like the look after I was bleached.
Ricardo

 

[tinnitube]

mine was caused by a viral infection on the balance system that went a little down to the cochlea . left ear . its not so bad now . but i love music and one of my favorite parts of musical instruments was the silence between some notes . Audiometry shows a little notch in the 4khz region and 8khz . but still normal . but the righr ear seems kind of better . I can hear up to 14khz . 39 years old .

 

[Ricardo1991]

@tinnitube interesting, the doctor said that most likely mine was viral too. I had pain all over the place tho.

 

[LadyDi]

I am just worried that it's just going to keep getting worse because I have pain in my ear and Eustachian tube. Also, I can sort of feel the ringing; like it feels like tiny static pulses in the back of my head and temples sometimes.

Ugh, @Ricardo1991, that sounds really uncomfortable. Maybe a neurological issue? Although pain in the ear and e.tube suggests maybe an infection? Perhaps you should see a neurologist? Sigh, chasing things down the medical system rabbit hole can be really frustrating.

Re. sleep: I have had sleep problems for years, prior to tinnitus. I finally just gave up and take a nightly sleeping pill. Melatonin probably is the strongest sleep supplement; you also could try valerian root or tart cherry juice. Seems like the problem, though, is early waking, not falling asleep. Are you going to bed at the same time every night, not eating a meal or drinking alcohol at least three hours before bedtime? These things can cause early waking.

Good luck.
D

 

[Ricardo1991]

@LadyDi, I may have to see one soon. I have a bunch of symptoms that don't make sense! Like, I feel like everyone else has just the tone or hissing noise but mine just is all over the place and my head constantly feels tingly and goosebumpy. Sorry, just venting.