A few days ago I randomly got tinnitus out of nowhere and I didn’t understand what’s up. An hour or so ago I finally understood/learned what’s happening to me and read up on tinnitus and I’m devastated. I’m only over 20 and having this for the rest of my life as it becomes worse is heartbreaking to me. I was already overly sensitive to certain noises and am in love with music but with tinnitus I lost something precious and permanently gained somethimg that I just will need to live with. I’m heartbroken and scared. I know I will learn to accept it within a week as my brain processes this new experience but right now I just feel gutwrenchingly horrible. Especially so when I was already having some other physical and mental health issues that I’m unable to cope with and this adds to the burden. I need some advice on how to live with it and some comfort in knowing of other people going through the same. Thank you. :(
(I don’t live is US if that matters in any way.)
I have it, caused my hearing damage (non genetic). I’ve noticed some muscle relaxers will increase the sound, but when the meds wear off it goes back to normal.
Broadly speaking, I live in a quiet environment. Over there past few years it seems like it’s gotten better. Like since I hear it slightly all the time my brain ignores it better. YMMV.
But yes, see a doctor about it. And don’t freak out. What comes on suddenly may go away slowly too. My sudden episodes sometimes last two weeks, but they subside.
You can get temporary tinnitus from an active ear infection or a swollen/inflamed ear, it may not be permanent.
Were you exposed to any overly loud sounds recently, or chronically over the course of your life?
Or cerumen clog
Just before that happened I was taking new meds to help with my lifelong issues of falling asleep and went to sleep with noise cancelling headphones on top of that. It was just for 2 weeks where on some days I skipped them so I took them 10 times. That’s the only major thing that changed recemtly that comes to my mind and I suspect it being the case but it may be unrelated and I will be seing a doctor rbout that. The substance is trazodoni hydrochloridum. I wasn’t listening to music very loudly but given I’ve been listening to it almost daily for ever decade as background sound to calm me down I expect my ears to have worn down and it to just have hit me in one go. D:
Maybe you never noticed because you’ve been listening to music all the time.
But certain meds can cause tinnitus. And Covid.
According to wikipedia, Tinnitus is listed as an uncommon side effect of that drug, so that is indeed the most likely culprit, meaning it is very likely not permanent. :)
Constant background sound does not hurt your ears unless it is over a certain decibel level.
meaning it is very likely not permanent
I honestly don’t believe it with my luck and I’d rather not give myself hopes and prepare myself for the worst. Today I will rest to let my brain process things and tomorrow I will investigate things more about what’s going on. I’m so disappointed with my body/situation in so many ways… :/
I just realised that I should message my psych about that as well since she brought it up unprompted and recommended it to me to try for my sleep issues.
Sudden onset tinitis should be treated as an urgent medical problem or medical emergency. There are a number of conditions that can cause it that are very nasty but reversible if caught early
I have lived with it for 20 years. I listen to a lot of music or podcasts to help not focus on it. I got relief once for about 2 hours after my ears popped on an airplane. Everyone is different but rubbing the pressure point behind my ear doesn’t go away but turns down the volume for a bit.
If you suddenly developed it without any major accidents (like your eardrums burst from pressure) or continued harmful noises (construction is a big one). You should probably get it checked
Could be a symptom of an underlying issue and it might go away if you fix that
If you come back from that and it genuinely is tinnitus, then I recommend:
- Keeping your mind distracted. Mostly easy if you are doing day to day stuff, hard when you’re trying to sleep
- Play ambient noises. I like ocean waves if I have problems with mine, it helps drown out the static
- Exercise. Doesn’t actually help reduce it, but it does help make your body ignore it IMO, and makes it easier to fall asleep.
Youuuuu juuuust leeearrrn to deeeeeal wwwwith iiiitt.
Check your blood pressure
After a few tests the SYS is in the range 120-140+ while pulse is consistently ~115-120. So per this chart it’s stage 2 as I understand. But I think I put the device wrong initially (or I do now) since the last few results after correcting have consistently been 120-~127 for SYS. I don’t understand the results and am not sure what to do with them. :(
Edit: I’m about to depart in the middle of the night for emergency visit.
Your pulse is 120 resting? That’s concerning. See a doctor.
Am at hospital right now waiting.
Good on you for not kicking the can down the road.
Sudden onset is very concerning OP. In the US most pharmacies have a blood pressure check station. If the top number is over 160 and/or the bottom number is over 110 go to an urgent care, if the top number is over 180 go to an ER. If your blood pressure is normal make a primary care appointment or audiologist appointment because sudden onset still highly suggests that it’s a secondary symptom that may very well go away when the underlying cause is treated.
TLDR; good news very possibly not actually permanent, bad news, you actually really need to check that you’re not sick.
For me it helps to have a fan next to my bed. It helps me to focus on the fan noise instead of the Tinnitus when trying to sleep.
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Ive had tinnitus throughout my living memory. Unsure if it’s because I was a loud child or something inherent to my physiology. Maybe having no memory of perfectly crisp hearing makes it easier to forget, but I can’t say that it has truly affected my quality of life. I can still sing in a choir and listen to jazz. Mine might be a milder case, I have no way of knowing, but please don’t allow it to keep you from doing what you enjoy.
I normally react by ignoring it until it goes away. Doesn’t work for everyone of course, but if you only started getting it a few days ago there’s some chance that it might work for you.
give it time, you brain will adapt and filter much out! - also my experience is that lack of sleep and alcohol sort of temporary suspend this “filter” :( … also search for head tapping tinnitus, a technique that gives you a few minutes of “freedom”
I am in a very similar position. I am at an age which ig would be considered “young for getting hearing problems”. Music is my life. Practically all my hobbies involve it in one way or another. Guitar, going clubbing, seeing live bands, going to raves etc. I spend most of my waking hours listening to music in some form. And not quietly either. Im well aware my hearing is getting worse and worse as time goes on, currently at the stage where i have tinnitus, but in one ear more than the other, which can be off putting. Not changing the way I live my life though, so I’m having to come to terms with the fact it is only going to get worse.
First things first, give it time. There have been a few occasions where I’ve thought “Fuck. That’s it. I’ve really fucked my ears this time. I’m never going to enjoy my music the same way again.” Only for my hearing to stop ringing so much after a week or so. Second, if it is permanent (again, I have permanent hearing loss now, thought it would be a good idea to stick my head into a subwoofer cab a few too many times) know that it does get better with time. Our brains can find ways of getting used to it and tuning it out over time. In fact, as I’m writing this, my tinnitus has become deafeningly loud in one ear, because I am thinking about it. Usually I’d have to focus on it for it to become unbearable. I also have ADHD which makes things more inconvenient, especially when my hearing first got worse, was a hard pill to swallow for a couple weeks. Can’t lie, between my adhd and already poor sleep patterns, I had a few sleepless nights, but it does get better.
Do you have ear plugs for live shows? Because you will 100 percent regret fucking up your hearing.
Yeah but only wear em sometimes. For raves/sound system events I ALWAYS wear em. Metal shows/festivals not so much. Usually dependent on how loud the venue is, if I’m moshing, which band is playing.
And yes. I will - I do. But I don’t plan on sticking around for too long. And in the rare case I see 40, I’ll be happy knowing I lived life the way I wanted, and experienced everything I wanted to, no regrets.
I’m sorry. I don’t have any practical advice, but an Italian singer I like (Caparezza) developed it ~10 years ago. He would go talking about his condition extensively in his subsequent albums (Prisoner 709, Exuvia and Orbit Orbit). The most explicit song about it is “Larsen”. In fact, I’m going to a concert of his in a couple of months.
What I mean to say by this, is that if he managed to live with it, produce 3 albums and he’s still doing concerts, I’m sure you can overcome this as well, and I hope you can take some solace in knowing the experience of other people.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, go see a doctor. It’s always possible that it’s temporary or that it can be slowed down.
Also I think my mom used to have a milder form of it, and other than turning the volume up on the TV, I don’t think she ever was too bothered by it.
Short answer: Get an evaluation by an audiologist, if possible, to determine if something can be done.
Long answer: Depending on the personal cause of tinnitus, solutions range from nothing to getting hearing aids with specific software that provides tinnitus relief. I have genetic, moderate to severe hearing loss in higher frequencies and have very noticeable tinnitus. The complications from hearing loss with tinnitus can vary, but personally were resulting in increased sensitivity to noise throughout the day, irritability, and diminished ability to communicate (I couldn’t hear what my spouse or kids were saying when there was any kind of background noise present). It led me to never want to go anywhere or do anything outside our home because I couldn’t hear or enjoy anything.
I went to an audiologist, had a bunch of tests, and was prescribed a set of hearing aids. Said hearing aids play soft ocean noises in addition to boosting the frequencies I have diminished hearing in. The ocean noises allow the brain to train itself to treat the tinnitus as a routine background noise instead of a panic inducing “danger” sound. Over time, it has helped in significantly reducing my attention to the tinnitus. It will never go away, and I have to sleep with ocean sounds playing so I don’t go insane.
I get mine fitted Monday. I’ve already got the speaker, but my tinnitus is an entire… octave? above the sound from the recording, incredibly high-pitched static. Tho I use a babbling brook because the other ones are just… very annoying. I don’t really find the speaker helpful, but my audiologist said it was unlikely to do much on its own, so.
I’m really hoping the hearing aids work better. But at least I got obnoxiously colored ones!
Nice! Glad you’re getting yours fitted soon! Honestly, mine have been literally life changing. I truly didn’t realize how bad my hearing had gotten because the change was so gradual. The sound generated through the hearing aids is much better than an external speaker, and after the adjustment period, I sometimes don’t even notice it’s playing. The brain learns to filter it out, along with the tinnitus. It’s different than trying to block or mask it with a speaker. Not a cure, but much better. I hope yours work well for you!
I had it my whole life so I’m good at filtering it out the moment I get distracted with something else.
You’re asking a medical question of a random Internet forum, IMO that’s not a good start. Particularly since you don’t live in the US so it’s likely that simply asking a doctor a question isn’t going to financially destroy you and your family.
If any sort of worrisome medical condition just “randomly” shows up for no apparent reason, that’s reason to go check with a professional.
OP already understands this is something that requires a professional, however, there is still insight to be gained from other people’s experiences.
Yeah, will be seeing a doctor about that and already contacted my psych. I just wanted to hear people’s experiences and find comfort in conversing with people that experience similar/the same. I see a lot of bad takes from this user on a regular basis so I’m mot too bothered about them. I should apologise to them for wanting to converse with other people instead of closeting things I guess.
