Why Does It Get Worse...

[JurgenG]

My T has recently -doubled- in intensity. I can no longer mask it, having a lot of trouble dealing with this. Really having a dyingwish now. I don't understand what is wrong, or what I did wrong.

I avoid all loud places, and when I have to be in noise I protect myself. I wear a headset from time to time for my job but keep the volume low enough. Sometimes I do get a loud signal in it, but its always a short exposure than.
I've had one of these a couple of days ago, but I thought it wasn't even that loud.
Sometimes I have the normal loud noise spikes like a plate that falls or a car that makes too much noise.
I realised that these sounds can't hurt, but still I am starting to doubt if thats true.. Since I am actually getting worse.

I am on all the supplements mentioned here but planning on stopping to see if this changes anything...

Even my ear that was almost T free has some T again.
Don't know what to do..

 

[3ri0w]

When did the doubling start? Sometimes when there is a loud sound exposure it takes a day or two for the spike to begin..I don't know why..then it's a waiting game!!! I wish you have something to take your mind off it! Just gotta be patient and wait for the spike to go away

 

[JurgenG]

I think it started somewhere two days ago. Yesterday I also had some mild earpain.

I hope this is nothing more than a spike.. how long can it last?

 

[fhs]

Nobody can say for sure. If your hearing wasn't physically damaged in some way by medication, sound, or something like endolymphatic hydrops then there's a very good chance it should go back down to normal. Ear pain? Could also be an ear infection.

 

[maltese]

I think it started somewhere two days ago. Yesterday I also had some mild earpain.

I hope this is nothing more than a spike.. how long can it last?

My tinnitus did some 'random spiking' in the first 2-3 months. Random days of very loud T, ear fullness, all sorts of fun.

Every time I freaked out but it always went down.

Apparently new tinnitus is like that- completely unpredictable.

There is not much you can do about it, try to keep calm and hopefully it will settle.

 

[JurgenG]

My tinnitus did some 'random spiking' in the first 2-3 months. Random days of very loud T, ear fullness, all sorts of fun.

Every time I freaked out but it always went down.

Apparently new tinnitus is like that- completely unpredictable.

There is not much you can do about it, try to keep calm and hopefully it will settle.

Yeah, I always had a varying T, but never as loud as this..
Is it possible that my tolerance for loud sound is so low that I keep getting more damage? :/

 

[Krish230]

Yeah, I always had a varying T, but never as loud as this..
Is it possible that my tolerance for loud sound is so low that I keep getting more damage? :/

If you overprotect your ears to normal everyday sounds then it will definitely mean that your T becomes more sensitive and it will spike more. That's been the case with me.

 

[glynis]

Have your ears checked for wax or ear infection and could be sinus or allergy related.....
Do what you can stay calm and keep some relaxing sound on or the tv or radio and relaxing walks in the fresh air.....
Keep posting for support through this rough patch and I think it will settle over the next few days....
Lots of love glynis

 

[Jomo]

have you tried getting good sleep? I have noticed that my T is a lil worse on days that I dont get a good 8 hours. As long as you dont have multiple tones going on, things should calm down eventually. Also stay way from headphone use. Also since you can no longer mask it, what frequency would you say your T is at? Have you tried using sink sounds? That works for me and I am at around 8000 khz.

 

[maltese]

Btw, do you hear your tinnitus over kitchen faucet?

 

[JurgenG]

Thanks all. I've had a hard day, thinking about it too much.
It's just not logical I had no especially loud encounters, I think..Might my hearing damage make it harder to judge if something was loud?
Hope it will settle again.

 

[JurgenG]

Btw, do you hear your tinnitus over kitchen faucet?

Normally I didn't for Sure, but now? I'll check later.

 

[maltese]

Thanks all. I've had a hard day, thinking about it too much.
It's just not logical I had no especially loud encounters, I think..Might my hearing damage make it harder to judge if something was loud?
Hope it will settle again.

Tinnitus is not logical, it will spike for no reason sometimes like mine did today, no point in trying to figure it out.

It's not such big deal anymore, I'm upset and conserned but not terrified and immobilised like I would be if such spike happened a few months ago.

 

[SilverSpiral]

I am on all the supplements mentioned here but planning on stopping to see if this changes anything...

If you were literally taking all the supplements mentioned here, you'd be spending all day swallowing pills...

The changes in your T are probably unrelated to anything you are/aren't doing. That is my guess.

 

[Sam Bridge]

Btw, do you hear your tinnitus over kitchen faucet?

Do you hear yours over a running tap? That must be insanely loud :|

 

[maltese]

Do you hear yours over a running tap? That must be insanely loud :|

Fortunately any kind of faucet is enough to mask my tinnitus.

 

[Alue]

If you were literally taking all the supplements mentioned here, you'd be spending all day swallowing pills...

The changes in your T are probably unrelated to anything you are/aren't doing. That is my guess.

If he was taking every supplement mentioned here all at once I'd be worried about his liver and kidneys.

 

[JurgenG]

If he was taking every supplement mentioned here all at once I'd be worried about his liver and kidneys.

True that. I was on zinc, NAC, mag, ginkgo, VIT B, VIT C, and some antioxidants..

 

[JurgenG]

Is it possible that my obsessing about visual snow did this? Being an anxious fella..

 

[Michael Leigh]

I avoid all loud places, and when I have to be in noise I protect myself. I wear a headset from time to time for my job but keep the volume low enough. Sometimes I do get a loud signal in it, but its always a short exposure than.

Don't know what to do..

Hi @JurgenG
I am sorry to hear that your tinnitus has become worse. When tinnitus is caused by noise exposure it doesn't usually get worse. However, if a person is exposed to further loud noise or continuous to wear headphones even at low volume it can make the condition worse. Not everyone that has noise induced tinnitus will be adversely affected by headphone use at low volume, but I believe a person is taking a risk. I have written about this many times in this forum, and a lot of people have contacted me saying, their tinnitus has got worse when using headphones at low volume.

I think the clue as to why your tinnitus has become more intrusive is in your post. Unfortunately, I believe it's the wearing of a "headset" that is responsible. Quite a few people that work in call centres and wear headsets have contacted me complaining of tinnitus.
Sorry to sound so sobering.

I hope your symptoms improve.
All the best
Michael

 

[JurgenG]

Hi @JurgenG
I am sorry to hear that your tinnitus has become worse. When tinnitus is caused by noise exposure it doesn't usually get worse. However, if a person is exposed to further loud noise or continuous to wear headphones even at low volume it can make the condition worse. Not everyone that has noise induced tinnitus will be adversely affected by headphone use at low volume, but I believe a person is taking a risk. I have written about this many times in this forum, and a lot of people have contacted me saying, their tinnitus has got worse when using headphones at low volume.

I think the clue as to why your tinnitus has become more intrusive is in your post. Unfortunately, I believe it's the wearing of a "headset" that is responsible. Quite a few people that work in call centres and wear headsets have contacted me complaining of tinnitus.
Sorry to sound so sobering.

I hope your symptoms improve.
All the best
Michael

Thanks for your comment Michael, luckely my headphone is limited to a couple hours a week though.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thanks for your comment Michael, luckely my headphone is limited to a couple hours a week though.

It doesn't matter JurgenG. If a person is sensitive to sound particularly if hyperacusis is present, wearing a headphone or headset for a short period time there is a risk of making the tinnitus more intrusive.
All the best
Michael

 

[JurgenG]

It doesn't matter JurgenG. If a person is sensitive to sound particularly if hyperacusis is present, wearing a headphone or headset for a short period time there is a risk of making the tinnitus more intrusive.
All the best
Michael

I don't have hyperacusis, and I will see what I can do to eliminate as much of it as possible. Do you think it's a permanent increase?

 

[Michael Leigh]

I don't have hyperacusis, and I will see what I can do to eliminate as much of it as possible. Do you think it's a permanent increase?

Hopefully your tinnitus will calm down. If the increase is due to "headset" use and you continue using them, the tinnitus could remain permanent and there is a risk of it getting worse. I wish I could be more positive but I prefer to give you the truth as I see it. Just be careful. You might consider placing some cotton wool in "headset" earpiece to help reduce sound/volume entering your ears.
Michael

 

[JurgenG]

I hope this will pass because I actually need about 9 dB more to mask this. So sad : (

 

[JurgenG]

Might I dare to get another round of prednison?

 

[JurgenG]

Update: its gotten better!

 

[SilverSpiral]

It doesn't matter JurgenG. If a person is sensitive to sound particularly if hyperacusis is present, wearing a headphone or headset for a short period time there is a risk of making the tinnitus more intrusive.
All the best
Michael

Michael, you gave yourself tinnitus with headphones and as a result are biased against headphones. I personally do not use headphones, but I doubt using them 2 hours a week at low volume is causing Jurgen's increases. You are trying to induce unnecessary anxiety in Jurgen, as he has to use headphones for his job (afaik). You are projecting your own experience with T onto Jurgen, and constantly scaremongering about headphones.

You frequently use in ear white noise generators, while constantly warning people that any headphone use can increase tinnitus, failing to recognize that in ear white noise generators are easily comparable to headphones at low volume. In fact they are more comparable to ear buds, which are exponentially worse than headphones. Yes you keep WNG below your T level usually, but any sensible person would keep their headphones well below their T level as well.

Similarly you took ginkgo biloba after your acoustic trauma (headphones) and since your rudimentary audiogram came back in the normal range you believe ginkgo biloba healed your hearing, and that you now have above average hearing. Despite Dr. Sedley's recent video where he states all the research he's seen points to ginkgo biloba being ineffective. The concept of hidden hearing loss appears to not interest you, as you are happy thinking "I had severe tinnitus and hyperacusis following noise trauma, and claim to have had tinnitus for 20 years as a result of noise trauma, but I believe I have better than average hearing". Which is in my opinion impossible, either you are exaggerating the severity of your tinnitus/hyperacusis or you are consciously dismissing the concept of hidden hearing loss, so that you can live in your fantasy realm, where you have noise induced T/H so severe that you had to stop working, and couldn't handle conversation, yet have above average hearing.

I know what it's like to be autistic mate, but try to point some of your hyperfocus towards interpreting new data about tinnitus, rather than recycling your old TRT Jastreboff stuff.

 

[SilverSpiral]

Update: its gotten better!

My personal opinion is that your T is noise induced, and new, and as such it will fluctuate in nature. It may spike due to some sound exposure, but this may not always be an indication of further permanent damage/increase. Your best bet is to protect your ears as much as possible, and stop monitoring, as it's fluctuation may be outside of your control.

 

[JurgenG]

My personal opinion is that your T is noise induced, and new, and as such it will fluctuate in nature. It may spike due to some sound exposure, but this may not always be an indication of further permanent damage/increase. Your best bet is to protect your ears as much as possible, and stop monitoring, as it's fluctuation may be outside of your control.

Thanks, do you think fluctuations are also possible without any loud noise exposures?
I keep wondering what "too loud" is as well.