What's Going on with My Hearing?

Santiago Biagi

Member
Author
Benefactor
Aug 9, 2017
68
Tinnitus Since
07/2017
Cause of Tinnitus
One exposure on loud club
So I've had tinnitus for almost two months. Started after noise exposure in loud nightclub. The nearest ear to the speaker was the right one and was the one that got major fullness at the beginning.

I had severe hyperacusis which faded to zero. Tinnitus in both ears (different tone and pattern) not as bad as in the beginning but lingering. My main issue right now is that the right ear has not come back to 100%. I still have a faint ear fullness feeling and sounds feel slightly muffled, like in a lower bitrate, can't seem to put it another way. Less richness.

But my hearing test came back OK, he said nothing unusual, that the 10 dB gap at 128 Hz isn't noticeable.

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How can I have a normal audiogram and feel hearing in that ear different? I'm talking about discerning where the sounds come from different. It's not as bad as before I think, but two months in I'm worried.

Anyone had this? Can hearing recover after this long? Should I try any treatment?

I also had otitis last week but that cleared up and my ear looks fine according to ENT.
 
Though your audiogram looks ok, it could very well be there damage above 8KHz. Online you can find some youtube e.g. where audio sweeps from 0 - 20,000hz. you might notice a dip somewhere.

Given the structure of the inner ear, healing can take a lot of time (a broken leg also doesn't heal overnight). A side from that, you can't force it, but give it as much rest a possible. Try to take supplement which might be beneficial (Magnesium, Zink, B12, Omega 3). Ginko Biloba gives some relief as well.
 
Though your audiogram looks ok, it could very well be there damage above 8KHz. Online you can find some youtube e.g. where audio sweeps from 0 - 20,000hz. you might notice a dip somewhere.

Given the structure of the inner ear, healing can take a lot of time (a broken leg also doesn't heal overnight). A side from that, you can't force it, but give it as much rest a possible. Try to take supplement which might be beneficial (Magnesium, Zink, B12, Omega 3). Ginko Biloba gives some relief as well.

I did the online test and my hearing cuts out on both ears at around 15 KHZ.

I'm taking Gynko, Zinc and B12. Might try Omega 3.

But even if Very high frequency hearing loss was in place, that can't explain why every sound (Low or High) is heard more on the left side that on the right side, nor can my ENT explain it and it's quite annoying.
 
I did the online test and my hearing cuts out on both ears at around 15 KHZ.

I'm taking Gynko, Zinc and B12. Might try Omega 3.

But even if Very high frequency hearing loss was in place, that can't explain why every sound (Low or High) is heard more on the left side that on the right side, nor can my ENT explain it and it's quite annoying.

Hi @Santiago Biagi

Try not to worry about your hearing. Everything that you are experiencing is typical with noise exposure. Click on my "started threads" and read in the list my post: New to tinnitus what to do. Also in the list is: Tinnitus, A Personal View, and Hyperacusis, as I see it. The information in these articles will give you advice on coping methods and suggestions on using sound enrichment. You will improve but it will take time.

Michael
 
Hi @Santiago Biagi

Try not to worry about your hearing. Everything that you are experiencing is typical with noise exposure. Click on my "started threads" and read in the list my post: New to tinnitus what to do. Also in the list is: Tinnitus, A Personal View, and Hyperacusis, as I see it. The information in these articles will give you advice on coping methods and suggestions on using sound enrichment. You will improve but it will take time.

Michael

Will check it out! I think i made improvements, being able to walk outside without normal sounds bothering me is already great.

Might try sound enrichment since you recommend it, i usually sleep in total silence.

I understand ears take a long time to heal after Noise Exposure. I'll wait and see what happens....
 
Will check it out! I think i made improvements, being able to walk outside without normal sounds bothering me is already great.

Might try sound enrichment, i usually sleep in total silence.

I understand ears take a long time to heal after Noise Exposure. I'll wait and see what happens....

Please take each day as it comes and try not to look for quick improvments. This takes time believe me. Read my articles and you will understand what I'm talking about.
Best of luck
Michael
 
Started after noise exposure in loud nightclub.
What's the nature of this noise exposure? Was it a big bang? Blown out speakers?

Are you a regular nightclub visitor?

The nearest ear to the speaker was the right one and was the one that got major fullness at the beginning.
This might explain that. When did you go to the club? When did you get the fullness/muffled hearing?

I had severe hyperacusis which faded to zero. Tinnitus in both ears (different tone and pattern) not as bad as in the beginning but lingering.
When did you notice hyperacusis? How bad was it in the beginning on a scale of 0 to 10? Did it begin in both ears or only the right ear?

But my hearing test came back OK, he said nothing unusual, that the 10 dB gap at 128 Hz isn't noticeable.
How does he know if it's noticeable or not? Did he order any additional tests? How old are you? How long after the incident was this audiogram taken?

How can I have a normal audiogram and feel hearing in that ear different?
Very good question! You can ask him that the next time you see him.

I'm talking about discerning where the sounds come from different.
What do you mean by this?

It's not as bad as before I think, but two months in I'm worried. Anyone had this? Can hearing recover after this long?
I would say it depends on your history of noise exposure, and the severity of any acoustic incidents. Sensory hair cells don't regenerate, but they might be able to recover slightly if they are not too badly damaged. The progression you describe is common among many of us, where the hyperacusis goes down to almost zero. The same is true for mild forms of tinnitus.

I also had otitis last week but that cleared up and my ear looks fine according to ENT.
If you have sensorineural hearing loss, you probably want to keep your middle ears and Eustachian tubes clear. As to compensate ever so slightly for any sensorineural hearing loss. So you may want to check this regularly.

I think i made improvements, being able to walk outside without normal sounds bothering me is already great.
Sounds like you are making great progress. I'm happy for you!

Might try sound enrichment since you recommend it, i usually sleep in total silence.
This is one of those things that I think can benefit you in more than one way. On one hand, it helps block out the tinnitus. On the other hand, it retrains your auditory system to tolerate sounds again. This is one thing that I think helps with hyperacusis. Isolating yourself from sounds might seem like a good idea at first. But if you do that for a long time it will become the new normal. You have to gradually retrain your system to tolerate sounds. This may not help severe cases of hyperacusis, but I believe it can help in mild cases, which I think yours is (or rather was).

I really hope you make a full recovery! You are still just in your second month now. If you do recover, you can expect it to take very long time. Even if you don't, just know that there is a life with tinnitus.
 
So I've had tinnitus for almost two months. Started after noise exposure in loud nightclub. The nearest ear to the speaker was the right one and was the one that got major fullness at the beginning.

I had severe hyperacusis which faded to zero. Tinnitus in both ears (different tone and pattern) not as bad as in the beginning but lingering. My main issue right now is that the right ear has not come back to 100%. I still have a faint ear fullness feeling and sounds feel slightly muffled, like in a lower bitrate, can't seem to put it another way. Less richness.

But my hearing test came back OK, he said nothing unusual, that the 10 dB gap at 128 Hz isn't noticeable.

Hey @Santiago Biagi, my audiogram looks almost exactly like yours. My biggest dip is 15dB in my right ear at 1kHz. Regardless, the ENT still described the audiogram as "perfect". Anyway, I wanted to tell you that the feeling of ear fullness can indeed last for a very long time, it's been almost nine months for me now. It's certainly improved over time though, and I hope it will eventually go away completely. Is your feeling of fullness constant or does it come and go throughout the day?

How can I have a normal audiogram and feel hearing in that ear different? I'm talking about discerning where the sounds come from different. It's not as bad as before I think, but two months in I'm worried.

Anyone had this? Can hearing recover after this long? Should I try any treatment?

What do you mean "discerning where the sounds come from different"? I've realized that if there's ambient white noise and I turn my head, the noise will change in level and pitch. I don't know if this is related to the imbalance in my hearing (5dB vs. 15dB at 1kHz, left vs. right), or if it's just some kind of somatic element. I also don't know if the 15dB dip in my right ear is real or because of the T preventing me from hearing pure tones at that frequency.

You may benefit from adding Magnesium (I like glycinate) and NAC to your supplements during the first few months.
 
What's the nature of this noise exposure? Was it a big bang? Blown out speakers?

Danced near the speakers with my friends for maybe 2 hours.

Are you a regular nightclub visitor?

No i'm actually more of an introvert, it was a friend's Birthday.


This might explain that. When did you go to the club? When did you get the fullness/muffled hearing?

It will be 2 months next weeks since the "incident". I got the fullness right after leaving, and it stayed fully for 5 days, then it progressively got fainter.


When did you notice hyperacusis? How bad was it in the beginning on a scale of 0 to 10? Did it begin in both ears or only the right ear?

I noticed it when i couldn't stand my friends voices the week after the exposure. I coudn't even talk to my GF without my ears hurting. Both ears as far as i can tell.


How does he know if it's noticeable or not? Did he order any additional tests? How old are you? How long after the incident was this audiogram taken?

Well, he says that particullar range and with that "minor" gap should never be an issue and could never tell the difference.

I'm 24 BTW. Well, he did not ordered any aditional test, only audiogram and it was taken 3 weeks after the exposure.


Very good question! You can ask him that the next time you see him.

Yes! It is peculiar, but they just don't have a clue about this.

What do you mean by this?

It means that if you are talking to me from 5 feet away. I look at your mouth and the sound isn't coming from there, all sounds sources are sided more to the left, like if you tinkered with your TV audio balance (Left and right speakers). It's subtle but enough for me to notice it. This includes TV, cellphone, cars, you name it.

The world feels unbalanced. :cautious:

I would gladly wear small hearing aids to solve this, but my ENT tells me to wait it out. The reason i come here it's becouse he is the same guy that told me that Tinnitus is never over 8 KHZ.............. at least he is a nice guy.


I would say it depends on your history of noise exposure, and the severity of any acoustic incidents. Sensory hair cells don't regenerate, but they might be able to recover slightly if they are not too badly damaged. The progression you describe is common among many of us, where the hyperacusis goes down to almost zero. The same is true for mild forms of tinnitus.

Yes, i understand that no two cases are the same. I only had one "Major" incident actually where my hearing felt muffled on one side for two days like 9 years ago, it happned in the same venue.... for god's sake lol


If you have sensorineural hearing loss, you probably want to keep your middle ears and Eustachian tubes clear. As to compensate ever so slightly for any sensorineural hearing loss. So you may want to check this regularly.

Been checking for that, pressure seems fine so no ETD as far as i can tell. Taking care of them.


Sounds like you are making great progress. I'm happy for you!

Yes, it's getting better! One less issue! :)


This is one of those things that I think can benefit you in more than one way. On one hand, it helps block out the tinnitus. On the other hand, it retrains your auditory system to tolerate sounds again. This is one thing that I think helps with hyperacusis. Isolating yourself from sounds might seem like a good idea at first. But if you do that for a long time it will become the new normal. You have to gradually retrain your system to tolerate sounds. This may not help severe cases of hyperacusis, but I believe it can help in mild cases, which I think yours is (or rather was).

I really hope you make a full recovery! You are still just in your second month now. If you do recover, you can expect it to take very long time. Even if you don't, just know that there is a life with tinnitus.

Yeah it seems to help people, I'll start doing sound enrichment, Michael says it can help T volume when sleeping with it so what gives :dunno:

I understood quite early that hiding from normal sounds was going to do no good. I want to have a normal life, i started doing a normal life and then H got away, milage may vary OFC.

It's still early i know, it's just that i know people care here so i wanted to hear what they got to say about and hear some advice. I'll write a success story even if i don't get fully recovered, i'm an optimist. My life is back for the time being (Minus cinema and concerts).

Thanks!
 
Hey @Santiago Biagi, my audiogram looks almost exactly like yours. My biggest dip is 15dB in my right ear at 1kHz. Regardless, the ENT still described the audiogram as "perfect". Anyway, I wanted to tell you that the feeling of ear fullness can indeed last for a very long time, it's been almost nine months for me now. It's certainly improved over time though, and I hope it will eventually go away completely. Is your feeling of fullness constant or does it come and go throughout the day?

Hy Casper! That 15DB gap seems within normal range, i read that the fullness can last for a long time, hope yours will fully go away.

My feeling comes mostly when i start noticing a sound difference within ears, then it my right ear goes full.
It's like when my brain notices the difference it just goes like "OH OH" and starts "pouring water on my ear". This is not a sensation it's actual fullness. The rest of the time the fullness is quite faint. It works just like T, when you focus on it it gets louder and when you don't check it you just don't care (Mild/Moderate T).

What do you mean "discerning where the sounds come from different"? I've realized that if there's ambient white noise and I turn my head, the noise will change in level and pitch. I don't know if this is related to the imbalance in my hearing (5dB vs. 15dB at 1kHz, left vs. right), or if it's just some kind of somatic element. I also don't know if the 15dB dip in my right ear is real or because of the T preventing me from hearing pure tones at that frequency.

You may benefit from adding Magnesium (I like glycinate) and NAC to your supplements during the first few months.

Please check my answer to Samir about this so i don't fill out the page haha.

Thinking about your paticullar issue, remember that ears have shapes that catch sound waves, so you won't actually hear the same exact pitch when switching ear with a particualar distant sound source, i've alway experienced that. That's my 2 cents!
 
It's still early i know, it's just that i know people care here so i wanted to hear what they got to say about and hear some advice. I'll write a success story even if i don't get fully recovered, i'm an optimist. My life is back for the time being (Minus cinema and concerts).
Of course, avoid cinemas, at least for now. I was going to say avoid loud cinemas, but then... what cinemas are not loud in this time and age. Many movies are made that way so they have to play them loud. Concerts is something I would not even consider. Or at least not in the coming months. Give yourself time to heal. That's my thinking at least.

Yes, you are still early into this, and every case is different. But after reading all this, my impression is that you have a fairly good chance of making a full recovery. So be patient, be cautious about sound levels, and stay positive.

Danced near the speakers with my friends for maybe 2 hours.
So the sound level was likely very high, which is expected for a nightclub. But that exposure time is way too long. But I completely understand. You were celebrating your friend's birthday and all that. Hey, life is for living! Unfortunately though, we don't stay young and healthy forever. You will find as you grow older that you cannot do many of the things you used to be able to. That's also part of life. I don't want to tell you to not go to nightclubs anymore. But try to be mindful of things like this. Even taking short breaks will help you restore your senses. And refresh your legs! ;)

I got the fullness right after leaving, and it stayed fully for 5 days, then it progressively got fainter.
Did you hear a static noise as well during this time, or after the fullness went away?

I noticed it when i couldn't stand my friends voices the week after the exposure. I coudn't even talk to my GF without my ears hurting.
Yes, what you describe is hyperacusis. But I would rather describe it as if the brain is hurting. Because when I get this I cannot localize it to the ears per se. So I cannot exactly tell where it hurts. However, the ears have pain receptors, called nociceptors. So just like you perceive pain when you put your hand on a hot kitchen stove, your brain can perceive sound levels as painful. Following text is taken from Wikipedia.

A nociceptor is a type of receptor at the end of a sensory neuron's axon that responds to damaging or potentially damaging stimuli by sending danger signals to the spinal cord and the brain. This process is called nociception.

Both ears as far as i can tell.
Yeah, hyperacusis is usually perceived in both of your ears. Well... it's not really like it's in the ears really... it's more centralized in the brain, as explained above. I think that's why you are a bit confused about it. I think you would know for sure if it was one ear or the other.

Well, what I meant to ask you here was if your tinnitus was in both ears or only one ear? I know... my original question was a bit clumsy. You can try answering now if you want.

I personally first started having fleeting tinnitus in one ear or the other, where it would just beep for approx. 5 seconds and then go away. This is the type of tinnitus I think many people in the world experience. That is, non-chronic tinnitus. About one to two years ago I had a few acoustic incidents and then I gradually started noticing like a static noise. It was mostly noticeable at night when I go to bed. Then it became tonal and that's when I realized I had developed tinnitus.

Well, he says that particullar range and with that "minor" gap should never be an issue and could never tell the difference.
Everything is relative of course, but I think your doctor may be underestimating the 10 dB gap. For normal hearing that is pretty significant I think. What makes it more difficult to asses the damage is that they can't tell how much of that is created by the ears and how much by the brain. I will give you an example below.

Well, he did not ordered any aditional test, only audiogram and it was taken 3 weeks after the exposure.
That's a fairly early assessment. I myself waited up to 10 months just to see an ENT doctor. But before that, I went to an audiologist. I think it was about 2 months after my latest acoustic incident (I have had a few before that). The diagram showed overall normal hearing, but there was a sharp 30 dB dip at 6 kHz, which was coincidentally the average frequency of the noise I was exposed to. When I saw the ENT several months later, he ordered a new audiogram and it showed a 15 dB dip this time.

So did my ears heal? I would hope so, but no one is able to tell me. My thinking is that this 15 dB boost is the result of my brain cranking up the volume. In an attempt to balance out the loss, because you see my mostly damaged ear is the left ear. So I recognize the sensation of the world being "unbalanced" as you describe it. My brain cranking up the volume is my explanation for why I experienced hyperacusis as well. Then my hyperacusis went down, and so did my tinnitus.

It is peculiar, but they just don't have a clue about this.
Exactly, they don't have a clue. Which is why we have to be our own doctors. I welcome the age in which we are able to monitor our health conditions ourselves and treat ourselves when possible, and with the right knowledge of course. That's my way of thinking. There is this diluted belief that doctors are miracle workers. Get this: doctors are not smart! They are just highly educated and have a good salary! I am of course talking about medical doctors, not "doctor" doctors - those would be the men and women who do real science.

It means that if you are talking to me from 5 feet away. I look at your mouth and the sound isn't coming from there, all sounds sources are sided more to the left, like if you tinkered with your TV audio balance (Left and right speakers). It's subtle but enough for me to notice it. This includes TV, cellphone, cars, you name it.
Yes, I have had that experience. This is when my static noise became more of a tonal noise. At first I thought it was coming from my computer, and then realized it was in my ear. I say "ear" because it felt like it was in one ear more than the other, then I started noticing it in the other ear as well, and then it kind of found its way up to the head. So now it feels mostly like it's in the middle of the head somewhere. Some days it's good, some days it's not so good. But I get along well anyway. The worst part is over for me, especially the hyperacusis. That was the worst part initially I think.

The reason i come here it's becouse he is the same guy that told me that Tinnitus is never over 8 KHZ.............. at least he is a nice guy.
Mr. Nice Guy with a high income job! :D

If you browse around on this site you will find people that have tinnitus at frequencies as high as 15 kHz. But the thing about tinnitus is that it doesn't really have a specific frequency. All these frequencies are self reported, because no one can really measure it. The best you can do is try to match it against an external sound source. Even people that have tonal tinnitus can experience shifts in frequency and amplitude. It can even change in character or pattern as you describe it.

Until we can properly detect and diagnose it, I'm afraid all our attempts at solving this will be shots fired in the dark.
I only had one "Major" incident actually where my hearing felt muffled on one side for two days like 9 years ago, it happned in the same venue.... for god's sake lol
Bad luck! :) Well, that's one of those early warning signs we need to pay attention to if we want to stay healthy. I mean I have used and abused my ears for good two decades now. I have experienced those ringing sensations where it just comes and goes on its own. I used to make jokes about it with my friends and family. I never really understood that what I experienced was this thing called "tinnitus" or that it could become permanent. So there you go... I learned the hard way, just like many of us here. There is not enough awareness about this, and people who have it don't like to talk about it or share their story.

Been checking for that, pressure seems fine so no ETD as far as i can tell. Taking care of them.
Sounds good! Because believe it or not, some people get it from ETD, outer ear or middle ear obstructions. Then they recover by clearing this up. But you need to be careful about what you use when cleaning the ear canal, or what drugs you use for middle ear problems. These can do more harm than good sometimes. Always read the description for any medication you take. Some of them can cause hearing loss.

Yes, it's getting better! One less issue!
Yeah, like I said, hyperacusis is probably the worst part. That is my experience as well. As I said you are still early into this, there is a fair chance that you might recover from this completely. One way or another you will get through this. Stray strong! Stay positive!
 
Guys, tinnitus lowered in volume 1/10 on quietish enviroments, 3/10 on total silence. and Hyperacusia went fully fully away. But my hearing "seems" (Don't know if true) diminished. It's subtle, took online hearing test and it's as before and speech in noise comprehension is 10/10.

Binaural sound location (Wich i mentioned earlier, sounds don't coming from the same visual reference) seems to be better. All this happened in the last 4 days, i just started taking Magnesium and Omega 3, probably a coincidence. I started a nasal decongestant today BTW (Non steroid) for ruling out ETD.

Could it be that lasting Hyperacusia was turning everysound too loud that now everything seems quieter? I'm lost, i can't recall wich soft sounds i could actually listen before all of this.


If anything, lost hearing would raise Tinnitus awareness.
 
BTW , Tinnitus on left ear it's just static now. Right ear morse code comes and goes, some times i have to plug my ears to actually find it.
 
BTW , Tinnitus on left ear it's just static now. Right ear morse code comes and goes, some times i have to plug my ears to actually find it.

Awesome! Sounds like you may yet make a full recovery in time :) How is the ear fullness, has that improved too?
 
Awesome! Sounds like you may yet make a full recovery in time :) How is the ear fullness, has that improved too?

It might happen, seeing success stories two months is early for noise induced tinnitus.

Last night i did valsalva couple of times and was left with fullness for the rest of the night. Ear fullness it's really minor today since i haven't done it, i have to focus on it to show up.

It's all so random!
 

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