Why Does Tinnitus Spike?

[Seawater7]

My tinnitus gets louder when I hear a unexpected loud noise for a short time. When I call the audiologist to see if the noise could have caused hearing damage they say, are your ears ringing.

It makes it seem like everytime that happens my ears are ringing louder because of hearing damage, my fear then is that the tinnitus will get worse.

I have had my hearing tested, and no visible hearing damage is seen.

I am just so tired of worrying about the loud sounds causing damage, especially the mufflers from sports cars when i'm walking, and they rev the engine.

 

[fishbone]

I understand your frustration. Do understand that it's not always the sound that causes the spikes. Many times, the stress can cause spikes and it can keep it going. I been through quite a few accidents lately and non of them have impacted my tinnitus. I did not get scared about the situation and I did NOT let stress get into my head.

I wasn't always like this. If I broke glass plates, I'd get nervous or worry. Eventually I just let it go, accidents will happen and we cannot blame ourselves all the time. This does take patience and practice....but it can be done

 

[Michael Leigh]

My tinnitus gets louder when I hear a unexpected loud noise for a short time. When I call the audiologist to see if the noise could have caused hearing damage they say, are your ears ringing.

It makes it seem like everytime that happens my ears are ringing louder because of hearing damage, my fear then is that the tinnitus will get worse.

I have had my hearing tested, and no visible hearing damage is seen.

I am just so tired of worrying about the loud sounds causing damage, especially the mufflers from sports cars when i'm walking, and they rev the engine.

HI @Seawater7

Please click on the links below and read my posts: Spikes in tinnitus and: Tinnitus, A Personal View. Try to read them in full and not skim through them.

All the best
Michael


https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/are-spikes-from-loud-noise-permanent.18156/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

[Seawater7]

Thank you, very helpful

 

[glynis]

@Seawater7,
Tinnitus as a mind of its own and some spikes have a cause and some just happen but stress is a big factor .
Building up more lovely things in your life helps to balance out the tough times but I know what mental torture tinnitus can be.
Love glynis

 

[Bill Bauer]

When I call the audiologist to see if the noise could have caused hearing damage they say

Now that our ears have been compromised, it takes a lot less (noises that healthy people won't even notice) to cause a T spike. I had a spike that lasted for over three month that was a result of me pressing a loud phone to my bad ear.

 

[glynis]

I had a fire alarm go off in our hotel room and was on a wall right at ear height.
So ontop of Menieres and hearing loss the alarm caused constant pain and my ear has never been the same..
Love glynis

 

[fishbone]

I had a fire alarm go off in our hotel room and was on a wall right at ear height.
So ontop of Menieres and hearing loss the alarm caused constant pain and my ear has never been the same..
Love glynis

Awwwww, so sorry. I can understand just how horrible, that feels. Sending you lots of love and hugs

 

[sjtinguy]

I find when I am under stress, I can't filter out the sound of tinnitus very easily. Being afraid of sound stresses you out, and unexpected noises likewise can increase your stress level. As I get better at handling noise, unexpected loud sounds stress me out less, and likewise seem to trigger tinnitus much less.

That being said I have no improved to the point where I feel confident being around car traffic without some kind of hearing protection. As you say, car mufflers and the like can be very loud. I have some ear muffs I wear when I go out during the day in the city because there is lots of traffic and even if i'm not stressed by it, it can still irritate my ears

 

[Seawater7]

Thank you everyone amd merry christmas.. hoping that this spike will go down soon, has anyone ever heard of loud car mufflers causing hearing damage? 140 decibles at 60 feet away was my experience 3 days ago. And my tinnitus has spiked, but more afraid it has caused hearing damage than anything.

 

[sjtinguy]

honestly i doubt a car muffler one time would cause significant hearing damage. I have worked in heavy traffic for years and my hearing tests come out very good. These noises can cause or exacerbate tinnitus though.

the fact that you are stressing out about it is going to cause it to be worse regardless of how bad it is. If there was some damage, it's already done, and it's not your fault

 

[hans799]

I have some ear muffs I wear when I go out during the day in the city because there is lots of traffic and even if i'm not stressed by it, it can still irritate my ears

I also wear my -20dB musician's plugs in the city and at untrusted locations (e.g. the small gym I go to). It is not visible, it does not insulate me from others (can talk normally), but that -20dB is a great insurance policy.