Will Tinnitus from Sound Damage Worsen or Spike Even If I Don't Expose Myself to Harmful Sounds?

[Freeatlast]

Hi,

I am a young man from Scandinavia in the mid 20s and have had tinnitus for three months due to loud noise exposure over time by iPhone earphones.

Tinnitus has gone from being all kind of different loud piiiiip eee or hissing noises to become a mild hiisss and eee sound.

But still I am now deeply worried after reading a post from Dr Bruce Hubbard (psychologist) in this forum who wrote that tinnitus can worsen over time? This has ruined my hope that you can ever get habituated for me or that I will ever get well again.

Is it correct that tinnitus from sound damage worsens or spikes even if I do not expose myself to harmful sounds again? Or is hope all gone and I'm stuck in misery for the rest of my life?

 

[Markku]

Hi,

I am a young man from Scandinavia in the mid 20s and have had tinnitus for three months due to loud noise exposure over time by iPhone earphones.

Tinnitus has gone from being all kind of different loud piiiiip eee or hissing noises to become a mild hiisss and eee sound.

But still I am now deeply worried after reading a post from Dr Bruce Hubbard (psychologist) in this forum who wrote that tinnitus can worsen over time? This has ruined my hope that you can ever get habituated for me or that I will ever get well again.

Is it correct that tinnitus from sound damage worsens or spikes even if I do not expose myself to harmful sounds again? Or is hope all gone and I'm stuck in misery for the rest of my life?

It can sometimes worsen spontaneously for no obvious reason, but you shouldn't think of it as "yeah that'll surely happen to me". You don't know if it'll happen to you. Consider it a good sign that your tinnitus has already gone down and become mild. You should really feel good about that, this good progress doesn't happen to everybody.

Avoid loud noises, protect your hearing where needed, if you get new medications, do a little check on the ototoxicity profile, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Besides that, accepting the fact that ultimately life is pretty much out of our control is important. Any of us can, for example, have a terminal disease creeping into our lives or have an unexpected accident waiting around the next corner.

It's such a cliché but try to enjoy today and not worry about tomorrow.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Is it correct that tinnitus from sound damage worsens or spikes even if I do not expose myself to harmful sounds again? Or is hope all gone and I'm stuck in misery for the rest of my life?

HI @Freeatlast

I have had tinnitus fo 21 years which was caused by sound exposure (headphones). It got worse in 2008 due to further noise exposure and has improved and habituated for the second time. It is my belief that when tinnitus is caused by exposure to loud noise, it doesn't get worse providing you are not exposed to further loud noise or listening to music through headphones even at low volume. Some people with noise induced tinnitus return to using headphones without any adverse effects. However, I think it is risky and advise that they shouldn't.

Relax and try not to worry I don't believe your tinnitus will get worse providing you follow the advice that I've given above. Use sound enrichment at night by using a sound machine by your bedside. Read my articles: Tinnitus, A Personal View and Hyperacusis, As I see it. Click on the links below.

Please keep away from reading negative posts on tinnitus, and try not to get involved with negative thinking people on the forum, who believe tinnitus is a lifelong distressing condition, that no one can habituate to and a person is unable lead a fulfilling life as this isn't the case. It is negative thinking about tinnitus that prevents some people from habituating, don't give into it. Please read my post: Positivity and Tinnitus in the link below.

All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/positivity-and-tinnitus.12060/

 

[Freeatlast]

It can sometimes worsen spontaneously for no obvious reason, but you shouldn't think of it as "yeah that'll surely happen to me". You don't know if it'll happen to you. Consider it a good sign that your tinnitus has already gone down and become mild. You should really feel good about that, this good progress doesn't happen to everybody.

Avoid loud noises, protect your hearing where needed, if you get new medications, do a little check on the ototoxicity profile, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Besides that, accepting the fact that ultimately life is pretty much out of our control is important. Any of us can, for example, have a terminal disease creeping into our lives or an unexpected accident around the next corner.

It's such a cliché but try to enjoy today and not worry about tomorrow.


View attachment 13421

Thank you very much, Marrku. Its a pleasure to get an answer from someone with experience. I also wish to know if "head noise" is what the most common outcome of T for you and many others here? My T started high at my right ear and quickly moved to the left ear after some days, and has since occupied the head. Is this "normal"?

 

[Markku]

Thank you very much, Marrku. Its a pleasure to get an answer from someone with experience. I also wish to know if "head noise" is what the most common outcome of T for you and many others here? My T started high at my right ear and quickly moved to the left ear after some days, and has since occupied the head. Is this "normal"?

My tinnitus is in both ears. "Head noise" is not uncommon either.

You may find the below of interest.

This one is from our last year's survey:

And this one is taken from a survey we ran several years back:

 

[Freeatlast]

My tinnitus is in both ears. "Head noise" is not uncommon either.

You may find the below of interest.

This one is from our last year's survey:

View attachment 13422


And this one is taken from a survey we ran several years back:

View attachment 13423

Great statistics. Do you got any studies or statistics regarding recovery from tinnitus from different sources?

 

[Markku]

Do you got any studies or statistics regarding recovery from tinnitus from different sources?

I'm afraid we're lacking information in this area. Our 2016 survey touched on tinnitus causes (see image at the bottom), and we also inquired what treatments people had tried and how helpful people thought they were.

The full survey results are here if you'd like to see: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-hub-talk-survey-results.14295/

It is something that interests both me and @Steve a lot.

What we'd like to do is have surveys with people coming to Tinnitus Talk (initial survey could ask about their tinnitus cause, take their current Tinnitus Functional Index score, etc) and then follow up on them over a period of time, to find out what kind of treatments they have tried (if any), and how their tinnitus progresses over time.

To that end, we actually acquired a license to use TFI.

A huge majority of our visitors visit, sometimes stay for a bit and then drop off. Following up on this demographic especially interests us (while naturally we also want to follow up on our active members as well).

 

[Bill Bauer]

Great statistics. Do you got any studies or statistics regarding recovery from tinnitus from different sources?

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/

The fact that your T has improved after three months is a very good sign! Chances are it will continue to improve. I am making this statement based on reading posts on this forum made by others who described the process of their recovery.

 

[Freeatlast]

Update: I have had tinnitus for 6 month now, and has somehow got to accept this condition to bother me for the rest of my life. The T has improved abit, the eeeee has gotten lower compared with the 1 month of beginning. He who said or is sayin T isnt permanent or has good chances to recover is lying to them selfs