by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man wrote:
I do not expose myself to high noise levels either in my occupation or leisure. I do not listen to iPods etc. However, 5 days ago after a night out, when leaving a bar with loud music, my hearing felt dull. While my hearing appears normal, I now have a feeling of fullness and a constant ringing. I have scared myself silly reading all the forums and panicking that after 5 days, this may be permanent. Has tinnitus been known to go after 5 days?
I’d call going to nightclubs exposing your ears to loud sounds in your leisure time. You may have been exposing your ears to more loud sounds than you realize.
The feeling of fullness you are experiencing is actually indicative of a temporary threshold shift. In other words you do have a hearing loss significant enough that your brain notices it—thus you get this “blocked” feeling. The constant ringing (tinnitus) is another sign that the noise was far too loud, and you exposed your ears for far too long.
I’m glad you have “scared yourself silly”. Hopefully, you will now carefully protect your ears in the future. Too bad you hadn’t done that before. At the very least, have some foam ear protectors in your pocket, and put them in your ears before you go into noisy places, or leave as soon as the racket gets too loud.
Now to explain about tinnitus and whether it will go away. Typically the way it works is that the first few times you expose your ears to loud sounds the tinnitus goes away reasonably rapidly—hours or a day or so—but the more you expose your ears to loud sounds (and the louder the sounds are), the longer it takes for the tinnitus to go away. Finally, if you don’t wise up and protect your ears, it will never go away.
I doubt this was your first time in a night club, so I fear you have been exposing your ears to excessive noise for some time.
The main thing now is not to expose your ears to any louder sounds in order to give them time to “heal” if they will. After a month or so, re-evaluate your tinnitus and see whether it has gone away. In the meantime don’t dwell on your tinnitus or it will only appear to get worse. You need to totally ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life and let the tinnitus fade into the background.
In a month or so, it wouldn’t hurt to go to an audiologist and have a complete audiological evaluation to see the state of your hearing. That way you’d know if there was any permanent damage. I wouldn’t go now—give your ears time to recover, and hopefully the temporary threshold shift will go away.
Stephen Butler says
I have suffered tinnitus since May 2007 when i came out of a gig and my hearing never recovered.
I’ve been listening to loud music since i was a teenager, riding motorcycles without ear plugs and now i’m suffering. It’s not nice and i really am scared about the future of my hearing.
The last test i had confirmed a loss of 14.5% in my left ear and 10.5 in my right ear. Is there anything i can do to make it go away and/or not get worse in later life. I’m only just 42 yrs old.
Thanks
Steve
Clare A says
Hi Doctor, am kind of at desperation point now with my tinnitus. I had an inner ear infection 3 yrs ago and it’s left me with constant tinnitus, with which I suffer from frequent migraines. Have seen an audiologist but have been given no advice really other than that my hearing hasn’t been impaired but it’s so debilitating. I’m a nurse so the constant ringing of call bells doesn’t help. Please tell me, will it ever get better/ or go away?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Clare:
Was it the ear infection that caused your tinnitus, or the drugs that you took for this infection? I’d suspect drugs at this point, not knowing anything else about your situation.
How are the migraines related to your tinnitus? Any ideas?
What does your tinnitus sound like? Like your call bells? or what?
If your tinnitus is constant–never goes away and more or less stays at the same volume and has done so for the past 3 years, then you are going to have to work on taking control of your tinnitus, rather than letting it run (and ruin) your life. I explain how you can do this–either with, or without professional help in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”. You can get it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ .
Once you have read it so you know what is going on and what your various options are, if you need further help, contact me again.
Cordially,
Neil
Sandra says
Hi Doctor,
I’ve had tinnitus since about the beginning of December (2 months now). Its a loud insect noise which really makes me anxious and puts me into depression. There are some very few days I don’t hear it at all, but today it is louder than ever.
I was on an anti-malarial, Malarone between June-January. Does this medicine cause tinnitus even after its discontinued? I have stopped the medication since beginning of January.
I went to an ENT and she instructed me to get an MRI since it is only in my left ear and not on both sides.
I had pulsaite tinnitus in my right ear for two days – because of my TMJ.. that one is more annoying as it sounds like beach waves when there is no beach around.
I have researched the side effects of Malarone but read that side effects should stop after usage. Do you think Malarone could be the cause?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Sandra:
Malarone is made up of two drugs–Atovaquone and Proguanil. Both of these can cause tinnitus in some people, but it doesn’t seem to be very common.
Just because you stop taking a drug doesn’t mean that the tinnitus will go away. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I think a lot of it has to do with your psychological (emotional) makeup and how you respond to your tinnitus.
Drugs can cause tinnitus in one ear or both. Just because your tinnitus is only on one side doesn’t mean there is something else going on.
If you have pulsatile tinnitus, that is a vascular condition and has nothing to do with the drugs you took. Often, a good ENT can fix it surgically or medically. If you are sure it is just caused by TMJ, then a good dentist or upper cervical spine chiropractor may be the best person to treat it.
The good news is that if your tinnitus disappears for a day or two at a time, that shows that it does not have to be permanent. So you need to work on making it go away for more days at a time. My book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” at
http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ can teach you how to help this along.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil says
Hi Steve:
You can’t fix the damage that has already been done to your ears, but you CAN try to prevent more damage from occurring in the future.
You need to protect your ears from loud sounds. Loud sounds are any sounds greater than 85 dB or so. This means wearing ear protectors when you are around loud music or riding your motorcycle and kindred things.
Your hearing may continue to get worse over time, and eventually you will need hearing aids to help you hear better. That’s the reality of the situation.
Neil
Colby Hedrick says
I was shooting my ar 15 with no protection dumbly, and I had muffled hearing for the next couple or days after that I had a constant ring in my right ear that was almost 5 weeks ago is the tinnitus permanent because I went to an audiologist and she said that my hearing was fine I didn’t do any damage to my hearing miraculously but I am very scared about the ringing I’m only 17
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Colby:
If your tinnitus has persisted for 5 weeks now, there is a good chance it may prove to be permanent. You have to remember to ALWAYS protect your ears when using firearms or when around loud sounds.
You have almost certainly damaged your ears–whether your audiogram shows it or not. They now call it “hidden” hearing loss. This does not show up on an audiogram.
One of the best ways to deal with tinnitus is to learn to ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life and let your tinnitus fade into the background where it will not bother you. You might also want to try Arches Tinnitus Formula at https://www.tinnitusformula.com/store/arches-tinnitus-formula.html. It often helps people with noise-induced tinnitus. Note: you typically have to take it for 3 months for it to become effective.
Cordially,
Neil
Colby Hedrick says
Hi Dr. Niel Since then it seems to have reduced in sound. is that a good thing? Maybe showing that it will eventually go away
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Colby:
Any time your tinnitus reduces in volume, that is a good thing! And if it continues to do so, soon it won’t even bother you. It may eventually go away, or at least fade into the background so you are not even aware you have tinnitus much of the time.
Cordially,
Neil
gaila says
Hello Dr Bauman,
I recently have terrible noises in my ears.
I have never been exposed to loud noises.I have taken Lorazepam to help me sleep for the last 3 months. But, the dose I take is 1/4 to 1/2 of an 0.5mg tablet. Will the noise ever go away? I’ve read about having lidocaine injections in the ear, but am very afraid of doing that.
Sylvia says
Does Zyprexa cause hearing loss. The drug is psychotropic.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Sylvia:
Olanzapine (Zyprexa) can cause hearing loss in some people. Since it belongs to the Salicylate family of drugs, I suspect any hearing loss is probably temporary, but that’s only my best guess.
Cordially,
Neil
Nick says
Hi Dr Neil
How far (reasonably) do you think we are away from the ability to regenerate human hearing hair cells?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Nick:
They can regenerate hair cells now, but that is not the real limiting factor. It will probably take at least another 10 to 20 years before they get the bugs worked out IF they can work them out.
You can read more about it in my article called “Cochlear Implant or Stem Cell Therapy–Which? at http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/?p=500. Follow and read all the links in this article and you will see some of the major problems still to be resolved.
Regards
Neil
Devin says
I exposed myself to loud noises this past weekend and I am now on my fifth day of the ringing. It seems to be lessening but I can’t be sure. My ears also feel clogged. How long will the clogged feeling last, and is it possible that the ringing will go away?
Thanks,
Devin
Tim says
Hey Doc,
About a week ago I went to the shooting range to shoot my handguns, and afterwards it felt like I had water in my right ear. That feeling went away after a few hours, but my ear continues to ring when it’s quiet. I am quite upset that this happened to me, especially since I was wearing ear plugs and the damage occurred anyway. My left ear is fine, and it was only 1 shot that seemed to penetrate through the right foam plug. I was hoping you could tell me the chances that it will go away, given that it was only one shot from a gun that caused it.
Robert DeLong says
I have a question I cannot get answered in my town.
There is only 1 provider of hearing aids.
I have a moderate hearing loss in my left ear and tinnitus in that ear as well. My right ear is normal. I have been told all I need is 1 aid for my left ear. The audiologist here says I need 2 because the tinnitus will migrate to my good ear.
I am very suspicious of this because this was never told to me and I believe they are trying to sell me something i do not need.
I would appreciate any information you could offer. I a a retired hospital director and psychogist.
Thank you very much.
Robert DeLong MA MFCC LT
Dr. Neil says
Hi Robert:
You only wear hearing aids in ears that need help hearing. So what you were told–one hearing aid–is correct. If you were to wear a hearing aid in your good ear, you’d find everything would be too loud and that would probably CAUSE tinnitus in your good ear.
I have not heard of tinnitus “migrating” as such. Some people hear their tinnitus in one ear, the other ear, both ears, or just inside their head without reference to any ear. For example, as I am writing this, my tinnitus has decided to be louder in my right ear. Normally it is about the same in both ears, but sometimes it is louder in my left ear. That just the way it is. (Mind you, I have a severe hearing loss in both ears.)
I’d get a hearing aid for your bad ear–and when you are wearing your hearing aid, you may find that your tinnitus goes away, but may come back at night when you take your hearing aid off. That is a common occurrence. Personally, I’d never wear anything in my good ear (if I had one).
Regards
Neil
Kevin Wright says
Hi,
Here in the UK November 5th is fireworks night. I was part of a group that put on a display for the local school. At the end of the night, after we set of a few more and one exploded very close to my head. It was very loud and the ringing has been with me since (7 days), plus a dulling of my hearing in my left ear. I am fairly certain this is going to be long term. My doctor has prescribed prednisolene steroids as they may help. Do I have a life of buzzin ahead? Will the steroids do anything?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Kevin:
I wouldn’t expect the steroids to do much for your tinnitus directly. They may help bring back some hearing though. And if some hearing comes back, your tinnitus may reduce in volume.
If your hearing is “bad” after 7 days, you likely have more than a temporary hearing loss, but permanent damage to your ear. If this is the case, your tinnitus could be lifelong too. However, you can do things to help bring it under control. As I’ve said many times, you need to learn to ignore your tinnitus as much as possible and don’t focus on it. That is one secret to successfully dealing with your tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Hi Dr Neil, I went to a party with my family October 1 2011, The music was a little loud, but nothing not normal, I stayed away from the speakers as I hate that feeling of my ears going dim and hissing at the end of the evening. I left the venue with my wife who danced the night away next to a belting 15inch speaker, my ears hissed a little, so did my wife’s ears hers were worse than mine.
However the next morning we were both fine, no problems, we enjoyed Sunday laughing and joking, 6 days later, someone tried to attack me at work, there was no physical contact just some shouting. Few hours later I began to hear a high pitched Ring in my ear 13100 Hz, Its been 40 days its gone down a little, will it go? is it here to stay? Was it noise exposure or was it shock that triggered it?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joe:
I think it was a bit of both. The more you expose your ears to loud sounds, the more likely tinnitus is to develop. The “shouting match” may have been the last straw for your ears.
And of course, stress and anxiety are two triggers of tinnitus.
If you get your stress and anxiety under control, and protect your ears from loud sounds from now on, your tinnitus may slowly fade into the background. It is important not to obsess over your tinnitus as this just makes it worse and it will never go away. You need to treat your tinnitus as a totally usless noise–one that you never listen to–just like no one sits on the edge of their chair raptly listening to the fridge. Instead, they totally ignore it. Thus, treat your tinnitus as “fridge noise”
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Hi Dr Neil
There might be some success from scientists from the university of Texas as trials of the New vagus nerve stimulation get going in Europe, could there be a cure for us around the corner?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joe:
Vagus nerve stimulation shows some promise, but like all other tinnitus treatments, no single treatment will cure, or even reduce, all forms of tinnitus. But it is certainly one of the “tools” you should have in your tinnitus toolbox. Try it and see if it will work for you. If so, great. If not, put it back into your tinnitus toolbox and try another “tool”.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Dr. Neil
When I move my Jaw left to right, my tinnitus gets louder in the effected ear, could my tinnitus be a T.M.J problem? or is it just common of what I have.
Maria says
Hi Dr. Neil,
It seems my tinnitus started back in February due to a passing of a family member. Is it normal for stress and anxiety to be the cause of tinnitus? I’ve suffered with anxiety and stress since I was a teenager and I’m 25 now. I’d like to know if this will go away naturally? I also don’t think I’ve ever damaged my ears with loud music or sounds. I went to an ENT and had my ears checked, they told me that I have absolutely perfect hearing and no hearing loss. Please tell me there’s hope!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Maria:
Stress and anxiety are ONE cause of tinnitus. There are a good number of other causes as well.
In order for your tinnitus to go away naturally, you’d have to get your anxiety under control. When your anxiety levels drop to normal, it is quite possible, but not guaranteed, that you should see a drop in your tinnitus levels. Your tinnitus may not go away completely. However, the new low level of your tinnitus should not bother you.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Hi Dr, Neil
Thank you for your good advice, I am making good progress with your advice you gave me back in November,
I have had Tinnitus 3 months now. I controlled my stress and anxiety and its almost halved the Tinnitus noise, I only check my T once a day now as thinking about it constantly seems to amplify it. I am getting on living my life happily. Thank you once again Dr Neil
suzanna says
10 days ago my right ear happened ringing buzzy after one night i felt extreme sad and anxious and i hit my head top hard with my hands then i slept over with much sadness. The second morning my ear started ringing.
I tried to help myself by some physical movements (like yoga or headstanding and avoiding noise and spiritual things)then the symptom was gone in two days. But it came back again after a night of sleep! i really got panic, i went to see my dr.
I got my two ears washed( lot of old ear wax )After that i felt totally well for that day and evening. But it started stably sounding again in the morning(less sever). my dr said my right ear drum looked dull in color without the shiny obviously seen at center part. I have to wait to see.
Now im rather worried if this will be gone??
How do you think about my case? it’s on and off lasted 2 weeks already. Please help me~
i feel the low tone wooming sounds more obvious in the morning and during the day(i took long walk in nature. ok?) but less in the evening.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Suzanna:
Tinnitus can occur from a number of different things. For example, numerous drugs can cause tinnitus. Exposing your ears to louder sounds is a very common cause of tinnitus. But not as many people realize that emotions like anxiety, worry and depression can also cause tinnitus. And sometimes tinnitus seems to come out of the blue for no apparent reason.
It seems that you tend to be an anxious person–and anxiety will make your tinnitus worse. So the more you worry and obsess over your tinnitus the worse you are making it for yourself and the harder it will be for your tinnitus to go away.
Learn to focus on other things–the loves of your life–and let your tinnitus fade into the background. Forget about your tinnitus for a month, then reassess how loud/intrusive it is at the end of that time. I think you will find it will be better than it is now. But if you continue to worry about it, I can guarantee you that it will be worse at the end of a month. So choose your course wisely.
Regards
Neil
suzanna says
Thank you sooooo much, Dr. Neil!! I get what you mean. Im very grateful for your help and advice. Suzanna
Joe says
Hello Dr Neil,
Following some good success with controlling my Tinnitus I have starting having H.B.O.T treatment,in order to try and silence the T a bit more, I am on my second session, the pressure is 1.5 times normal pressure (16ft) and I am having oxygen for an hour, I am booked for 20 sessions can this do more harm than good ??? Worried about making matters worse? should I stop?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joe:
I guess you have to ask yourself the question, “Has there been any change in your tinnitus since you began the hyperbaric oxygen treatments?” If you tinnitus is getting worse, then it would be prudent to stop. However, if it seems to be getting better, then it may be working in your case and worth continuing.
I’m not aware that hyperbaric oxygen treatments make tinnitus worse so you shouldn’t have to worry on that score, but I’m certainly not an expert on this topic.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Many thanks Dr Neil,
I have not seen any improvement yet, but one thing I do notice, Once they dive me to 16ft my Tinnitus stops. (wow silence for an hour) but soon as we come up again to normal pressure, the ringing starts up again. Is my Tinnitus something to do with pressure in my Ears.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joe:
Blessed relief! Makes you want to stay down forever, huh?
I don’t think it is the pressure as such, but the extra oxygen under pressure that brings more oxygen to your inner ears and thus changes something that stops your tinnitus.
It would be easy to test whether it is the pressure alone or not by having them just use regular air and take you down to 16 feet. If your tinnitus stops, then it has something to do with the increased pressure alone.
Then test it the other way by having them give you the increased oxygen but leaving you at normal pressure. If your tinnitus goes away, then you know it is just the extra oxygen that makes the difference. (If this is the case, then taking vasodilators such as Vitamin B3 or Ginkgo biloba might do the trick to reduce or eliminate your tinnitus.)
If neither of these two tests change your tinnitus, then you will know it has something to do with the increased oxygen under pressure.
If you do this, let me know how it goes. I’m curious.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Dr Neil,
Tried just Oxygen on its own, no changes, I tried compression and no oxygen, I had no tinnitus. I tried Oxygen and compression, no tinnitus again. When we get compressed it gets warmer in the chamber, and soon as it gets warmer The tinnitus is no longer audible. Soon as we go back to normal pressure it gets colder in the chamber and the tinnitus is noticeable again.?? I cant understand it??
suzanna says
Dear Dr. Neil,
This is a good news.By yesterday morning(2Feb 2012, the issues in my right ear have been 100% resolved. I should have been here earlier as i wanted but i couldn’t since the recovery process was not straight line; it went on upwards spiral swirling up way.I was happied for three times but the ringing sounds came back to the ear for three times. However, live has overcome it’s issues. Now I dont hear the woozy fuzzy ringing sounds anymore. I hope the peace in such good condition will hold it’s foot to goodness being healthy as it supposed to be.
I have 1 note, 1 summary 1 statement here for all the people around the world who confronted( might confront directely or indirectly) tinnitus. What i say here are all from my personal experiences, I dont stand for any other or any theory; all from my instinct and general knowledge I learned at school and in life.
My note is:I later used some eardrops-herbal product which was made as washing earwax. But i sensed out that’s something the tissue in ear and brain might absort for rejevenal. I sensed out that the smells compound liquid were made to stimulate growth, the essences are: penetrating, refreshing and alerting.I recognize those from my original instinct. Oh ja! i drank proper amount of salt water of the degree i felt ok, during the later process. That’s another key!(not unbearable salty but salty enough to feel the stimulation to cells)
My Summary is: the illness came as 4 dimentional(in my case) causes relating to 4kinds of sciences: environics(mechanical to physical to acoustical to electronical causes)and physiology(tissue related, nerves related, brain chemical related and psychology(personality related, mentality related)to sociology(spirits and higher power…which i can’t be sure but that’s obvious.)
My statement is: tinnitus is not something totally scary. It can be overcomed while the right actions and treatment are applied in time. Yoga is one key in the hand of anyone who suffered this problem. And the right wind shall help you to balance the body, and the self help Qigong!
And last not least, Dr. Neil was the great guidance at the doorway.I wish all of us to be very confident while facing this suffering health issue. It can be overcomed!And we shall let every human being know it’s original environmental cause. We must care for our ears!Our ears are equaly important as our eyes.
Once more, thank you! Dear Dr. Neil, thank you so much for providing this gracious space for all the patients of tinnitus. High five to all! Suzzana
Sue says
Hello,
I have just come down with what I believe is tennitus.My ENT blew it off he said my hearing was 20 or above on all levels and unless you have no sound in your ears than any sound is tinnatus. Tinnatus is ringing in the ears even if its slight. I suffered horrific anxiety and depression for years but have walked away from that darkness a few years ago. I had severe wax in my left ear my GP never was able to remove it gave me drops to put in and sent me home. two years later which was a couple weeks ago I went back for a check up and mentioned my ear sounds he looked in my ears and said the entire canal was blocked he tried again to get it out and it wouldn’t budge he sent me home again with drops. A friend mentioned tinnitus. I went to the ENT he used a suction on my left ear he said the right was normal.I am having an awful time with this but am learning to deal with it and stay calm. Do you think it was the wax left to long in my ear. My GP should have acted the first time. I had no idea about tinnitus. I now have a new love and respect for my ears. I always took them for granted. How very sad it must be for deaf people. Have you ever heard of anyone that beat tennitus?? I pray every night for a cure because God can do anything. Thank you, Sue
Neil says
Hi Sue:
Wax blocking your ear canal can cause some conductive hearing loss. Since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, you shouldn’t be surprised to have tinnitus for that reason.
However, when the wax is removed, your hearing returns to normal and thus, typically, you could expect your tinnitus to disappear in a few days too.
As I’ve said many times before, tinnitus is a psychosomatic condition–there is a physical component (in this case wax in your ear) and an emotional (psychological) component (you are having an “awful time”).
What can happen is that if you don’t “let it go”, your tinnitus can get worse even though the wax is removed. So you want to learn to remain neutral to your tinnitus and basically ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
It’s also entirely possible that your tinnitus is from some other cause than the wax in your ear.
Regards
Neil
Zeisha says
Hello,
Its nice to see someone knowledgeable answer the queries here. I wish to seek some advice from you. My case is entirely different. There was no emotional cause to this faint ringing sound in 1 ear. I am a young girl in my 20’s and while studying in 2006 end of year, i absent mindedly put a pencil in my ear to remove wax. Ear got blocked and ringing sound like an engaged tone started in my ear. The ENT was out of town for 2 days. I studied hard along with that terrible sound. And after 2 days, he put a hook in my ear and removed all that wax and the sound was gone. Then in 2009, again the same thing happened with the same ear. This time I put my little finger inside to remove the wax and instead of the wax coming out, it went further inside and blocked the ear. I didnt panick as it happened before. Only this time I went to an another doctor who was old and he followed the old school. He insisted on using Soliwax to melt the wax first and he removed 2 weeks to just melt the wax. I lived with it for 2 weeks since I knew it would go away like it did in 2006. But this time, the doctor did not use the hook like instrument .. he used a watergun to flush the ears. Infact he used it twice since after using it once, I told him the ear was not completely unblocked. So he did it 2nd time after 3-4 days.
The ear got ublocked.. i could hear clearly again but the sound did not go away completely. It diminished but did not disappear completely. I was surprised… and thought maybe some wax is still left, blocking the ear drum and hence there is still some sound coming. So I went to him again and this is the time, he flushed the ear again.
The faint ringing sound hasnt gone since. I went to my earlier ENT ( the one who I visited in 2006 year end) and told him to use the hook. He said there was no wax so how could he use the hook. Since I was on AKT treatment since 2008 to 2009 year end, he thought maybe Streptomycin could be a cause. But I wasnt on Streptomycin at all when I was on the AKT treatment. So that was ruled out. Then he suggested losing weight which I had put on because of the steriods and medicines along with the bed rest, during the AKT treatment. He said circulation would be better since there is no other reason he could fathom for the faint ringing sound left. I anyways intended losing it asap and was just waiting for the course of the treatment to be over. He also asked to me take some cobalt medicine which i took for a month but no effect. I started my weight loss in 2010 and in about a year, had lost more than what I put on during the course of the AKT treatment for TB.
I lost about 23 kgs and the sound diminished but did not go away. Since 2011, I have been thin and fit, but the sound is still there.. very faint though, still there.
I have no problems getting through my day, and dont even realize it most of the times, except when I sleep at night and I realize it. Also when I meditate. I am thankful that there is no hearing loss in the ear and I can hear the minutest of sounds. An audiogram confirmed this. The ENT ( the 1st one ofcourse.. the 2nd one i never went to… since he is the real cause for this) he said there is no cure.. askd me to take some other cobalt medicine.. when that didnt work, he askd me to take tryptomer… which i didnt because a medical friend told me it is an anti-depressant and there was no reason I should take it for a faint rining sound caused by a ear block. I didnt and I am glad.
So, its been 2 years since the sound is there… I have lost all the weight, so circulation shouldnt be a problem. I am still fit and healthy, exercise and eat well… I just want this minor trouble to go away. Especially since I am only in my 20’s. I dont want to live my life with it.
I believe the reason for the faint ringing sound is the use of the water syringe used. The ear got unblocked, but the sound which started when the ear got blocked, didnt go away completely… it diminished, but didnt disappear.
I think the water syringe used may be the cause for it, bcos the 1st time the same ear block happened, the hook was used and the wax went away and so did the sound completely.
Check this article out : http://www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/currie1.html
After you read the article in the link, even you will agree with me. The water syringe creates a loud noise while flushing the ear and that could be the real cause, since the 1st time the hook was used and there was no sound left.
I really want to get rid of this sound because it isnt normal. It doesnt come in my way of day to day life, but I absolutely want to get rid of it .
Really hoping you can help ! Thanks.
Neil says
Hi Zeisha:
I agree that a likely cause of your current tinnitus could have been the ear syringing your ENT did. This does not happen to everyone, but certainly happens to some. I’ve had my ears syringed several times without causing any change in my tinnitus. But all that needs to happen is for the doctor to put a bit too much pressure on the syringe and the water hitting your eardrum has the same effect as a very loud sound would. The result can be tinnitus.
As you said, your case is different in that there was no emotional involvement to cause your tinnitus. I agree. But now you are emotionally involved with your tinnitus. I can tell this by the tone of your letter. And it is this emotional involvement that keeps your tinnitus bothering you–even though it is is very faint according to you.
You need to let it go–totally and completely ignore it and let it fade into the background where you are not aware of it unless you listen for it. You do this many days and this is good. Now you need to ignore it all the time. Treat it as though it were some ever-present yet totally meaningless noise such as the noise your fridge makes. No one sits on the edge of their chair raptly enthralled with listening to their fridge. So why do that with your tinnitus.
Just treat it as fridge noise and ignore it by focusing on other things. When that happens you will be habituated to your tinnitus and it will no longer bother you although it will probably still be there if you ever listen for it. If you do this, perhaps one day you’ll realize that your tinnitus has vanished.
Regards
Neil
Zeisha says
Thanks for your reply … Everybody says I should just ignore it and since my activities go on pretty well, they think I am already doing it which is actually true. It really doesn’t bother me but I know for a fact, that it isnt normal since I experienced complete silence before this happened, whenever I was in a glass cubicle or while sleeping. So its just that after knowing how complete silence is, you feel this sound is not normal.
It was easy to ignore it while I was on the weight loss regime as I felt that as soon as the weight would go, so would this… when it did not, after a year, it got my attention again ( though only when I was in a glass cubicle or I concentrated on it ).
Now, the only point is I dont want to get habituated to it… It doesnt have my attention at all.. because I have a lot of things to do and at night too, it doesnt really bother me. I have read comments above and other places, where people have had a really bad time. By God’s grace, I haven’t faced any such times.
I just wish complete silence during meditation and yoga, which is a slight impediment due to this faint sound. My question is: is there really no cure for it, if the cause was as small as ear wax blockage and a wrong method used ? Will cleaning the ear with a hook after some time help ? (its already been 2 years so there must be wax buildup again)
Thanks again.
Neil says
Hi Zeisha:
I agree, hearing tinnitus is not “normal”, but it is very common. But your tinnitus is very quiet so you only hear it when it is very quiet around you. That is good.
The thing is, in complete silence, even people who don’t have tinnitus, find they can hear it after a while. Your brain WANTS to hear something. Perhaps you should do your meditation/yoga with a very soft background sound–possibly some music, or listen to an environmental CD that has natural sounds–maybe running water, waves lapping on the beach, etc. Playing it very softly should keep your tinnitus at bay–but it is not silence–just a different sound you’d be hearing.
It is true that ear wax can result in tinnitus. So if you think that is a problem, by all means get your ears checked out and have your doctor or audiologist remove any wax.
People build up wax at different rates. Some have to have their ears cleaned out every few weeks, some every year or two.
Your ears are designed to automatically remove wax bet sometimes things don’t work exactly the way they should for whatever reason. For those of us who wear hearing aids, the earmolds keep pushing the wax back in so it builds up. Thus we need to have our ears cleaned out at regular intervals.
If your ears are blocked, getting them cleaned out is a good idea in any case–and if it gets rid of your tinnitus at the same time, so much the better.
Regards
Neil
bob barry says
I started having problems with tinnitus after I volunteered at a local haunted house last fall. Usually I am very protective of my hearing, but I let my guard down for one night. I have been to an audiologist and a ENT. And I am watching my diet (i.e. less alcohol, less coffee etc.) .
I have a couple of questions. 1) I love to play my tenor sax. And I have greatly modified the way I practice. I mostly play very mellow music and often with various different kinds ear plugs (experimenting to see what kind is better). Will my tinnitus get worse by playing music? The ENT doctor advised me that it would be ok to practice as long as I didn’t play loud rock and roll. But after 6 months my tinnitus has not changed. Some days are better than others. Still trying to figure what aggravates or doesn’t aggravate my tinnitus. I would really like to get a better handle on this.
2) I also like to exercise . I read that exercise is good for tinnitus. But it seems like when I exercise the ringing in my ear gets worse. Are these temporary up and downs the with level of ringing in my ears inhibiting my tinnitus from improving &/or healing?
Thanks I really appreciate this forum. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about tinnitus and it is great to share and read other peoples experiences with this.
Thanks
bob
Gabe says
Hey doctor, I recently used Ciprodex and my right ear has started ringing really badly. Is this normal and should it heal up? I am getting really scared because I can’t sleep or even think in a quiet room
teanna ray says
Hello,
I went to a softball game in the evening almost a week ago. It was kind of a windy and cool night. I came home and noticed my ear was hurting really bad, to the point that I thought I needed medical attention. I took some tylenol and went to sleep, tossing and turing into the wee hours of the morning until I feel asleep. I woke up to the pain being gone but my ear being plugged and a pulsating sound wave that hasn’t gone away. I have had ear problems since I was a child and had tubes in from the age of 5 until 7 and now this. It is only in my right ear, which is my bad ear and my lymph node below the ear is really swollen and tender to touch. What could this be?
Tiosha says
Hi I have recently suffered from sinusitis and otitis media. I got sick on the 21 I was running a fever and all. By the 25th my fever had went away but my hearing was muffled so I went to the doctors he prescribed antibiotics and told me to take Zyrtec-D and my hearing would get better. It did not, by the 27 i was back at the doctors and he now said I had otitis media and gave me some ear drops when I put them in and went to sleep I woke up with the cotton ball full of puss and tinnitus in my ear when will it go away?
Neil says
Hi Gabe: (#36)
Taking Ciproxed (Ciprofloxacin) can certainly cause loud tinnitus. I’ve heard this from numbers of people although the “official” figures are that Cipro causes tinnitus is less than 1% of the people taking it.
There is hope that your tinnitus will eventually go away, but this may take some months.
Regards
Neil
Neil says
Hi Tiosha:
It sounds like you have a middle ear infection and that your ear drum has burst. Probably your tinnitus will go away when the infection goes away and the gunk drains out of your middle ear and your ear drum heals up. This could take from a few days to a couple of months.
Regards
Neil
Andrew says
Hi Dr. Neil, I had always had a faint ringing in my ear due to an infection about 4 years ago. I then had a problem with my right ear getting blocked when I had a bath.
I used eardrops to clean my ears and stupidly used a normal syringe to wash out the mixture. Everything was fine, but about ten days later I have a loud ringing in my ears. Would the damage to the eardrum take 10 days to start – or would have the Tinnitus started very soon after I used the syringe? I went to the doctor and he said my ears look a bit weepy. He said I could have a slight infection and put me on antibiotics. The ringing noise has caused some panick attacks, so he perscribed an antidepressant.
I do not really want to take them, but wondered if you think it might help? (Many thanks for your help).
Max says
Hi Neil,
I have had a ringing for 5 days now. I was at a concert filming right at the front for work on Sunday. It was loud, i had ear plugs in, i was filming for 30 minutes.
I went to a Dr. where a hearing test showed i did not have any hearing loss and my hearing is very good. But the ringing is still there (predominantly in my left ear).
As it is still early days, what can i do to increase the chances of it going away? Should i ask my GP for steroids in case it is due to some hearing loss? I am only 21, and this was the first loud event i had been to for around 6 months. The last one was another live music event where i also had plugs in. Before that my ears were not exposed to much loud noise, or iPod’s etc…
I cannot cope with the idea of this lasting for 60 years, please advise what i can to do help my ears recover?
Thank you so much for your help.
Grant says
Hi Dr.Neil i am 13 years old and 6 feet tall. About three weeks ago my brother came over to visit and we were playing with caps for cap guns. So we put the caps in the cap gun and saw that the caps were not exspolding so we started hitting them with a hammer everytime after i did it my ear ring for a quick couple seconds and then i stacked 4 caps on top of each other to make a superbang and as soon as i hit it my ears started ringing and have not stopped since. i am really worried about this and always learking in the back of my mind is this ever going to go away my parents and friends said stop worrrying grant it is going to go away it was just a 4 caps from a cap gun when i was a kid we did a whole bag of 30 quarter sticks when i was a kid so that is what my dad said but the ringing is so annoying and it is hard to sleep at night because of it and i have adcesive compulsive disorder so it is hard for my to stop thinking about can u tell me if this wil go away because i am really worried.
Grant says
Also Dr.Neil i went to the doctors to get my hearing tested and she said i had average and above average hearing. she also said this could take a few days few weeks or few months for this to heal but i still constantly focus on it and worry about it can you please answer my questions as fast as possible so i can stop worrying about it and it will make me feel a lot better getting this information from a professional.
Thanks,
Grant
Neil says
Hi Grant:
As you have learned, exposing your ears to loud sounds, especially loud percussive sounds can cause your ears to ring. This is a warning that the sounds are too loud and you need to protect your ears NOW–not keep on exposing them to these loud sounds.
Typically, when you expose your ears to loud sounds, your ears begin to ring, but the ringing goes away in a few minutes to a few hours.
However, if you persist in exposing your ears to loud sounds, eventually the tinnitus will NOT go away.
Also, the louder the sounds, the more likely the tinnitus is to be severe and more persistent–and may be permanent.
There is no way I can predict whether your tinnitus will be permanent or not, BUT I can tell you this, IF you continue to worry about your tinnitus it will only get worse, and you don’t want that.
So here’s the deal. First, in the future (beginning now) you have to protect your ears from loud sounds. When you are going to be around loud sounds, wear ear protectors–ear muff style or the foam protectors you put in your ears. This will ensure you don’t make your existing tinnitus worse.
Second, you need to forget about your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life. When you are engrossed in something else, you’ll find you typically aren’t aware of your tinnitus.
Over time, as you do this your tinnitus should fade into the background (and maybe fade completely away).
I can give you hope that if you do this, your tinnitus will cease to bother you, but I cannot guarantee that it will go away. Only time will tell.
One more thing, don’t overprotect your ears and wear ear protectors when you don’t need to. Doing this will actually make your situation worse.
I wish you well.
Neil
Tom Cliff says
Dr Neil,
My name is Tom, I have recently started noticing ringing in my ears, high-pitched and only very faint, and nowhere near as loud as the sounds typically associated with tinnitus. I noticed it weeks ago briefly but soon forgot about it, hopefully emphasizing how faint it is, but the fact its there at 21 is whats worrying me.
I have been a drummer for the past 11 years and for a great deal of that time have always tried to wear earplugs (not special ones). I’m not a fan of clubs and can literally count with both hands the number of times I will go every few years, the same with concerts (excluding my own few gigs where earplugs are worn).
I have though listened to headphones regularly for a long time, although not notably loud in volume or in style of music, and for a long time they were headphones not in-ear earphones. I’m not getting the “fullness” usually experienced after a concert etc but still a faint ring.
I just want to know if it will go away (obviously). It has come and gone since I noticed it again 2 weeks ago and I’ve never experienced it before, but its so faint its hard to tell sometimes if its coming and going or if I’m just not noticing it, its actually hard to remember the absense of a sound and to try and think back to what it was like before. After I first noticed it a month ago I can’t remember hearing it at all up until 2 weeks ago, where i’ve felt like its distinctly come and gone. Its more the fact that its there at all which concerns me, and now I’m worrying about it enough to ask your advice it will surely start to seem louder. Any thoughts please???
Thanks
-Tom
Rebecca says
Dr Neil
I am 47years old I have been very naughty in the past rearding my ears. In my twenties and thirties I worked in a factory with load machinery I wore a walkman to drown out the machine noises and listened to loud music in the car and at home.
I had never experienced tinnitus during or after exposure to load noises/music. now at 47 I havent worked in a factory with load noises/music for about 5 years or so, I rarely listen to music it is at least 6 or 7 months since, and I havent listen to music or the radio or anything in the car for about 5 yrs. So for at least the last 3 to 5 yrs I have not been exposed to any kind of noise likely to cause cochlear hair damage.
However about 3 weeks ago I was wathcing a soccer match on TV (not loud) and started to hear whistling in my left ear. It soon went away and I forgot about it. about a week later I noticed the whistling again and after a couple of days it became permenant.
It has been like this now for 2 weeks except a couple of seperate days it seemed to stop for a few hours. It is less in the morning but gets continuely louder towards the afternoon.
I never have any earwax and the my GP has told me my ears are completely clear, he looked inside with a light thingy. H told me I have tinnitus and there is nothing I can do except learn to live with it.
He says I damaged my ears at somepoint in my youth and it has now manifest. Is this possible as I always believed tinnitus would appear immediatly following exposure to the noise that damges or breaks the chochlear hair cells.
Is it possible that I damaged my ears some 10years ago and that it has now manifest as tinnitus?
Thankyou for taking the time to read my long winded question.
Neil says
Hi Tom:
It’s great that you typically wear ear protectors when in noisy situations. That makes a LOT of difference. At the same time, you may have experienced some high frequency hearing loss from times you were around sounds that were too loud for your ears. The tinnitus you hear may be in response to this missing high-frequency hearing.
Unfortunately, when you have your ears tested, they typically only test to 8 kHz and this will not show up hearing loss between 8 kHz and 20 kHz.
So what should you do now? Here are three things.
1. Continue to protect your ears when you are around loud sounds–music or other kinds of sounds.
2. Give your ears a rest from louder sounds. I like to think of it this way. Loud sounds can “bruise” your ears. Just like with real bruises, it takes time for this “bruising” to go away–typically a few months. Thus giving your ears a rest for a while allows them to “heal”. Hopefully, your tinnitus will disappear during this time.
3. Completely and totally ignore your tinnitus (now that you know what is going on). This is important because the more you listen for it and think about it (obsess over it), the more your brain will think it is an important sound and thus will crank up your internal volume. When this happens, you will perceive your tinnitus as even louder and more intrusive.
And one more thing–don’t over-protect your ears from normal sounds (wearing ear protectors when the sounds are less than 80 dB for example). If you over-protect your ears, your brain will also crank up its internal volume control. The result is that you will perceive normal sounds at a louder level (with the result that background sounds can become annoying loud. Your tinnitus will be louder too–something you definitely don’t want.
Regards
Neil
Neil says
Hi Rebecca:
In your younger years, you probably did damage your ears to some degree. People’s ears vary greatly in how much punishment they can stand from loud noise before hearing loss and/or tinnitus occur. For some people even one loud episode of noise can result in permanent tinnitus and for others, it takes many years of loud noise before damage shows up.
Typically, you would expect tinnitus to show up at the time loud sounds caused damage, so you are right to be puzzled why your tinnitus occurred now and not years ago. It is possible that this was a delayed reaction, but there could be other reasons for tinnitus showing up now.
For example, perhaps you took one of the many drugs that can cause tinnitus. A lot of people don’t realize that just taking one dose of Ibuprofen can cause permanent tinnitus. So think back. Did you take any drugs–prescription or over-the-counter–in the weeks before your tinnitus showed up. If so, that could be the culprit rather than noise exposure from years ago.
Other causes of tinnitus include stress, anxiety or depression. Certain foods can also cause tinnitus–think caffeine for one.
You need to rule out these other possibilities before you settle on past noise as the cause of your present-day tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Tom Cliff says
Dr Neil,
My name is Tom and I posted a few days ago. I don’t want to pest, but I have just a few more questions based on your response.
– I know you can’t predict tinnitus, but if you could try and tell me, how long would you wait for the whistling to stop before you would think it might be permanent?
You said you ears can become “bruised” and the tinnitus might go in the months it takes to heal (I’m praying thats the case), but I do find it coincedental that I’ve just completed a year at music college and its only just started, and never experienced it at all in the 11 years as a drummer before that.
– I know for a fact I won’t be going to clubs and concerts in the next few months of healing, but would you say I completely give up drumming and listening to my iPod while they are “bruised”, even with ear protection during drumming?
For some reason I’m putting the blame down to my fairly consistent iPod listening for 9 years over anything else, although I will stress I don’t like it blaring down my ears, its not loud in style of music, I never usually have it full volume, and for a while I did use headphones not in-ear earphones
– How much tinnitus possiblily is there in listening to my iPod for roughly 9 years???
I’d say about 50-60% of the time playing drums I’ve worn basic ear protection and thought that was enough, but if considerable damage or risk of tinnitus can come from iPods….then I’m sure thats whats caused it.
– And lastly. Coincedentally I have finally started to use the special hearing protection ear plugs over basic ones. Do they completely erase the chance of hearing damage during gigs, or shall I still consider quitting for the next few months???
Sorry to bother you again but I’m concerned. I have made feeble attempts to protect my ears and I mentioned it wasn’t that aggresive, but I’m still very concerned it could be permanent.
Thanks Dr.
-Tom
Dr. Neil says
Hi Tom:
If you have tinnitus every day for 6 months or more, I’d say the chances are more than likely it will be permanent–unless there as an ongoing cause for your tinnitus such as taking a medication that causes tinnitus while you are on it.
Were you in louder situations in college than you were before? Perhaps you were under greater stress while at college and that triggered it? It’s hard to second guess these things without much more information.
The secret is to keep all sounds under 80 dB, not to avoid all sounds. And you definitely want to keep sounds below a level where it makes your tinnitus worse. This may vary depending on the person and how “robust” your ears are.
Did you ever use a sound meter and see exactly how much sound you were pumping into your ears? Damage is caused by volume times time–so a louder volume and a shorter time could equal the same damage as a softer volume for a longer time.
Also, it is good to give your ears a rest from constant music or other background sounds. Listen to your music, then give your ears some “time off” before listening to more music. This helps keep your ears “happy”.
It all depends on the volume you listened to the music times the time in hours each day, how robust your ears are, how loud the peaks were, etc., etc. So there is no way I can answer your question–but if you believe that was the cause, you must have reasons why you believe it–and thus you could very well be right.
So about half the time you didn’t wear ear protection. And if the volume was high, that could have been enough to damage your ears.
It all depends on how loud the sound is around you and the protection factor of your ear protectors. Typically you can only get about 30 dB of sound reduction. This means that in order to keep all sounds below 80 dB, and assuming your ear protectors have a rating of 30 dB, you’d have to keep all sounds and peaks below 110 dB.
It’s always possible you tinnitus will be permanent. Just remember what I said before about focusing on your tinnitus. That can make it go permanent. So protect your ears in noisy places and focus on things other than your tinnitus and hopefully it will go away in time.
Regards
Neil
Rebecca says
To Dr Neil
Thankyou for your reply.
As with Tom I don’t like to be a pest but I am curious to understand my ailment.
I rarely take medication of any kind except I am on prescribed Ethinylestradol tablets for HRT which I take 30micrograms per day.
I have been on this treatment for almost 3 yrs so I am guessing that is unlikely to be the cause.
The only drink I have that contains caffeine is instant coffee which I have very weak and have been drinking it since i was about 10yrs old.
I do eat quite a lot of chocolate but actually no where near as much as I used to.
my ear feels blocked up all the time although according to my GP it is not. also my nasal passages feel blocked up especially the left one which is the same side as my tinnitus. I have little if any trouble breathing except when I breath deeply my left nostral seems to close up (if that is possible.)
When I blow my nose nothing come out however I do seem to produce (sorry for the term I use here as I am unfamilar with the medical term) a lot of bogeys and I also sneeze a fair amount.
I am also fairly sure my hearing is fine and seems to be just as good in my left ear as my right.
Oh and I almost forgot in December 2007 I had plastic surgery on my nose for vanity reasons. Although I have read that nasal/nose surgery can cause tinnitus, again I would have thought that it would have manifest by now had the nose surgery been the cause.
I have also read that cheese can cause tinnitus. I have never been a great cheese eater but few weeks ago I bought some cheese from the supermarket 2 great big slabs buy 1 get 1 free and as I live alone I had cheese and tomato on toast every lunchtime for about 2 or 3 weeks. Which would co-inside with my tinnitus but as it has beenover a week since the cheese ran out I would have thought the tinnitus would have gone by now, although I don’t know how long it could take to get back to normal.
I cannot really think of anything else that may have brought it on.
I have been closely monitering my tinitus and I seem to have it for 3 days gradually getting louder and louder on the 3rd day is almost unbearable and then for no apparent reason it stops on the fourth day for several hours after which the cycle restarts.
Is there some sort of test I could undergo to proove that I have cochlea hair cell damage. The doctors just sem to shun tinnitus sufferers by saying
“learn to live with it”
without really first discovering the cause. If I knew for certain that hair cell damage is the cause I could begin to make plans for my future and find ways to “live with it” as at the moment I live in hope that there could be some undelying problem.
Thankyou sincerly for your help
Rebecca Sturges
Nate says
Dr Neil,
9 days ago I had an ear tube put in to help drain my ear for eustachian tube dysfuction. I was prescribed Ciprodex ear drops by my ENT to help with clearing out my ear. I used that for the first 3-4 days after I also used for the 4th day a few squirts of Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray as well as Afrin nasal spray which my ENT said was fine (I had been using these moderately in the past to try to help unclog my eustachian tube but to no avail). On the 5th day (this past Sunday) after drinking some coffee and getting on the bus I noticed shortly after that my ear that had the tube in it was ringing with a high pitch. It is still ringing right now and I can’t hear very well in it. Is this tinnitus temporary or permanent? Is there any way to know what caused it for sure?
Thanks
Nate
Samantha says
Hi Dr,Neil
I’m an 18 year old and I was at a club a week ago and after leaving the club I had ringing in my ears it has happened before a few times but not to often. This was unusal to other times as now a week later the ringing is still there. Two of my other friends both have had the sane ringing from the same night. I’m not someone who listen to ipods often or even when I do I don’t like to loud music, I also don’t go out to loud clubs often. I’m just wondering will this go away? Its been getting me down the past few days and I’m struggling to sleep. The ringing I only notice when I’m on my own in complete quiet. I’m just beginning to get very worried.
Thanks Dr
Neil says
Hi Samantha:
The fact that both you and your two friends had your ears ringing indicates that the racket in that club was even louder than you thought. Typically the way it works is that you can expose your ears to louder sounds and your ears ring for a few hours after. But after doing this several times, the tinnitus may become permanent. This may be your situation now. It’s hard to tell at this point.
The best thing you can do is NEVER to expose your ears to such loud sounds again–wear ear protectors if you are going to be around loud sounds. Hopefully, your tinnitus will not get worse, or maybe even fade away with time.
Second, do NOT dwell on your tinnitus or you WILL make it worse. The best thing is to learn to totally ignore your tinnitus and focus on other things. When you do this you probably won’t even be aware you have tinnitus for hours at a time. Learn to treat it the same as you do the sounds your fridge makes for example. No one sits on the edge of their chair raptly listening to the fridge. Instead, you so totally and completely ignore it that if I asked you whether your fridge is running, you’d have to listen for it. Treat your tinnitus the same.
Regards
Neil
Nicky says
Hi. I have had mild tinnitus in my left ear for over 20 years after exposure to a loud sound at a concert and this has been traumatised a couple of times during the intervening years. I am always trying to protect my ears when around music and take earplugs when think necessary. About 5 weeks ago, I went on the spur of the moment into a music club/bar with a friend and as couldn’t feel pressure in my ears at the time, I stupidly stayed in the club although I now know that the sound level was loud. The next morning, my left ear was feeling blocked and with enhanced tinnitus. I have since persistently dug/pulled/pressed this ear to change the tinnitus level and clear the blockage, but blocked feeling then comes back fairly quickly. I have seen 3 doctors and have used ear sprays/drops, sudafed, inhaled obas oil in hot water and used olive oil, but not much happened to improve situation. Can feel popping on this side, when open my mouth. I have also caused scabs inside of opening of ear canal which I am struggling to leave alone as when move them, seems to momentarily ease the blocked feeling. Is there a reason for this? Having now seen 3 doctors, who say all is clear that they can see, I persisted and now have a referral to an ENT (not I might add an urgent one!) Have had various consultations with ENT in previous years and feel this is way forward. So all on here should insist from doctor on a referral with ENT as can give a bit of peace of mind. I am feeling down and lack concentration at the moment. Do you think have an ETD? Is there such a thing as air trapped behind eardrum? I am going for an ear candling appointment next week with a reputable practitioner. I have had this done years back and did help my symptoms. I need to keep pushing forward with whatever I can to help myself, although one can get obsessed with reading all the info on internet these days and then mind tends to dwell more on the tinnitus/blockage; so can end up in a vicious circle. Any answers to my above questions?
Many thanks
NICKY
jamie says
I had a bad middle ear infection ringing in both ears., the infection is gone now ringing in one ear, the infection over but still ringing never had this before, please help
Abigail says
Hi,
Two nights ago I went to a drum and bass night at a club, and since then I’ve had a ringing in my ears. I don’t often go to clubs or listen to music excessively loud, but I have had this once before after a night out, but it only lasted an hour or so. Will it go away soon or is my hearing permanently damaged?
Neil says
Hi Abigail:
I’d think your tinnitus will go away eventually (give it a couple of weeks) if you don’t expose your ears to loud sounds in the meantime, but there are no guarantees. That is why you need to protect your ears from loud sounds ALL the time–unless you like the prospect of listening to your ears ring for the rest of your life!
Regards
Neil
Matthew says
dear dr. Neil
I am 13 years old and I like to like to listen to music that is quite loud but has never affected me. I have been known to have very good hearing anyway, but one day I was playing with a megaphone and a high pitched noise came out (very loud too) very suddenly for a few seconds . That evening, i found out I had tinnitus and I had a very large headache. A very high pitched sound was playing constantly in my left ear. This has been going on for 2 days now, and I’m really worried this could be permament. The doctor says it should get better but I’m still worried. the headache is a lot better now but the high pitched noise is still there. Help!
Neil says
Hi Matthew:
There’s not much you can do now except protect your ears in the future. Unknown to you, the loud music you’ve been listening to has been slowly and insidiously damaging your ears. Now, the loud squeal has brought it to the fore with tinnitus. This is a sure sign there is some damage.
You’re a teen (barely) and teens think of themselves as invincible. Thus they expose their ears to excessively loud sounds thinking that there won’t be any lasting harm to it.
As you are now aware, that is not true. In order to protect your ears in the future, you should not listen to music that is much louder than you speak. That’s a good rule of thumb. Music does not have to be overpowering in order to be enjoyable.
One of the problems with loud music is that it becomes addictive–so you “need” it loud–and your ears suffer as a result.
Much better to break this addiction and learn to enjoy music at a volume around the level of speech. Then you’ll never have to worry about damaging your ears from music–and consequently you’ll have a lifetime to enjoy music.
As for your tinnitus, your doctor may be right–and if you protect your ears in the future and don’t think about your tinnitus, it very likely will fade away–but there are no guarantees. If it doesn’t go away completely, I think it will reduce in level so you won’t really notice it unless you specifically listen for it.
Regards
Neil
Seth says
Dr. Neil,
I was at the gun range yesterday and was wearing muffs. However when I left the range and took them off all the sounds were muffled and a roaring sound was in my left ear.
My right ear now seems fine and my left ear seems to have the roaring still a day later. It is a bit lessened though.
Should I go to my doctor immediately? How long should I wait this out and see if it is temporary or permanent?
Also is it possible to go back to the range if I wear plugs and muffs?
Seth
Dr. Neil says
Hi Seth:
I’m assuming you shoot right-handed. That means your left ear is towards the gun barrel and thus get more of the blast than your right ear. That is likely why your left ear has the more severe symptoms.
You are very wise to wear ear protection when using firearms. Your ears can only stand so much punishment before damage occurs.
Having said that, some people have “cast iron” ears and seem to be able to fire guns “forever” without ear protection and resulting ear damage. Others get tinnitus from the very first shot.
If you got tinnitus and a muffled feeling, that indicates that your ear protectors are not strong enough. Wearing ear plugs and muffs over them will increase the protection somewhat. Or you can get the fancy (and expensive) noise cancelling ear muffs.
Since it is getting better after a day or so, I’d tend to wait it out. Stay away from loud sounds for a couple of weeks to give your ears a chance to recover.
Regards
Neil
Grant says
Hi Dr. Neil it is me Grant again and my tinnitus is still her after 5 months probably because i HAVE BEEN CUTTING A LOT OF LAWNS THE DOCTOR SAID A TRAUMATIZED IT AND IT CAN LAST VERY LONG IF YOU KEEP EXPOSING YOURSELF TO LOUD NOISES, BUT IT WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY JUST NO MORE LOUD NOISES
Mary says
Hello, Dr. Niel,
About a week ago, I went to see a band I like. It was a small venue, but I was in the back of the crowd. When they paused between sets I noticed immediately that my hearing felt dull and when I got out my ears were ringing and wouldn’t stop for days.
I have been to so many rock concerts back in college, and even saw this very band a couple years ago, and I’ve /never/ once had problems like this at all. Never had ringing for even a few hours.
I’m so panicked right now. A week later, the ringing has largely stopped. It comes back for a few seconds a couple times a day in my right ear only. My right ear hearing feels worse than it did before, and, paradoxically, both ears are /more/ sensitive to sounds.
My car stereo, the tv news, everything ‘hurts’. And the children’s voices! I teach elementary, so I can’t really stay out of cacophonous rooms entirely, and even my own ‘teacher’ voice bothers me now.
My father went near deaf from directing airplanes, so I have seen what that road looks like. Is this all just a prelude to seriously losing my hearing for good? Is there still a chance for recovery after a week? I am thinking about going out and buying earplugs and wearing them constantly, but is there really a point? I’m just going crazy about this, if there’s anything you could tell me I’d be very appreciative.
Neil says
Hi Mary:
When you abuse your ears like you have in the past by going to loud rock concerts, your ears suffer damage. Sometimes they let you know right away–muffled hearing and tinnitus–and other times the damage is insidious–no obvious signs of damage.
Finally, one day, you go to a concert no louder than previous ones and much to your shock and horror–you experience loud, unceasing tinnitus and maybe permanent hearing loss.
All the times you have abused your ears has finally caught up with you. As a result, in the future you are always going to have to think of your ears or worse things can happen.
Fortunately for you, your tinnitus has largely calmed down after a week. Take that as a warning. The next time, the tinnitus may last a month or a year or forever! Your ears are not robust like they once were so you need to protect them from now on.
Your sensitivity to sounds is not surprising. This is one common result of noise damage. You’d think you’d just lose some hearing, but to your dismay, you also find that the normal sounds you used to hear are now too loud and shrill and may even hurt.
This is called hyperacusis. It takes time for hyperacusis to go away–think weeks or months. During this time you need to protect your ears from loud sounds.
Think of the analogy of a bruise. You get hit and a bruise forms. It hurts. Now, if someone hits you on the bruise before it is healed up, it just makes matters worse and the bruise will take even longer to heal. Frequently hit the bruise and it will never heal.
The same holds true with your ears. Every time you assault your ears with loud sounds you are “hitting the bruise” and it will just prolong the hyperacusis and it may even become worse.
You have probably already lost significant hearing. Go to an audiologist and have a comprehensive audiological evaluation to confirm this. If you protect your ears in the future you can hope to hold the loss where it is now.
Thus, when you are going to be in noisy environments, it is wise to wear ear plugs to keep the sounds reaching your ears to acceptable levels. Acceptable is defined as sounds less than 80 decibels (dB).
Now this is VERY important. Do NOT overprotect your ears. If you do, you will make your hyperacusis worse and worse. Therefore, ONLY wear ear protectors when sounds are above 80 or 85 dB.
Don’t go by how loud things sound to you because you now PERCEIVE normal sounds as too loud even though they are still under 80 dB. Such sounds do NOT hurt your ears even though they seem too loud to you and appear to hurt. The hurt you feel is based on your perception level, not on the level of the actual sound.
Regards
Neil
Mary says
Thank you for your reply, especially the part about not overprotecting my ears (I might have otherwise done this). I’ll be going to an audiologist and I guess just see how things go for a while. Hopefully things aren’t too bad, and can still improve a little.
kristi says
Hello i’m Kristi and i’m just 15 years old. 2 months ago i was at a concert and hearing music with high sounds. I have been hearing a ring in my ear now i hear it really really lower than before and I hear it really low from day to day do you think that it can be go away sir? Sorry for my bad english ?? Thank You For Help
Kristi
Jan says
The home alarm system went off and it took me a few minutes to turn it off. It is a high decibel, piercing sound. I have had high pitched ringing for the last two weeks. I am beside myself with fear. Is there anything I can do to help it in this early, accute phase, like prednisone?
I don’t know how you ignore it and let it fade into the background. I feel like it is separating me from the ones I love and distracts me from the things I love to do.
Help!
Rob says
Hi Neal.
Im 23 years old and i have experienced temporary tinitus on and off for several years. Although i’ve never payed much attention to it before as it usually clears after a few days. This time, however, its been 2 weeks and still ringing, i’ve read your comments about trying to ignore it, which i am trying to do, and im trying to keep my music to a moderate level. I think the main thing i need reassurance that there is a chance that my “non ringing” hearing may come back if i keep my ears protected and try not to think about it too much. Regards
Rob
Darryl says
Hi Dr.,
In the last 10 days my tinnitus has gotten much worse. I went to a concert 16 days ago that in hindsight was much too loud. I had mild, intermittent ringing before, now like a fire alarm sometimes in my right ear. I told my ENT I have fullness in both ears but his test showed my hearing mostly unchanged from my last test. No signs of infection or fluids.
As I have researched this and spoke my dentist and an ENT, I’m learning that I may also have TMJ. I also have a 24 year old neck injury (broadside car accident) which, along with poor posture, causes a very stiff neck and tension headaches 3-4 times a week, always when I wake up. I had little treatment after the accident other than chiropractic to get range of motion back. I have also awoke with an ear ache 5-6 times in the last 6 months. I goes away once I’m up.
My question for you is what path should I pursue next? No doubt the concert was the last straw for me but it seems I may have a few things also causing my tinnitus, not to mention stress. My first reaction is to try everything at once – TMJ treatment, accupuncture, massage, pills, etc.
My ENT rush me out the door after 5 minutes with many unanswered questions.
How would you treat this and should I have any expectation that the ringing will be reduced any time soon?
Louise says
Hi Dr Neil,
I’ve had tinnitus since 29/06/2012 when I went to see a live rock band and it was far too loud.
I’ve been through hell since then and it continues. My big problem now is that its getting worse. I cant ignore it or not be terrified when its getting worse all the time. What seems to cause it to get worse is what you would probably consider ‘normal’ noise. For example, a shopping trip, a busy restaurant, a trip to the pub where people are talking and laughing (no music). I wont do any of these things from now on without ear plugs.
What I really want to know is why is it getting worse with this type of noise? I wouldnt consider these environments as ‘hearing loss loud’. Maybe they are above 80db though?
Thanks,
Louise.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Darryl:
Rock concerts are ALWAYS played much too loud. Unless you take and wear ear plugs, you WILL damage your ears. It may not be noticeable the first time, but all that excess noise is insidiously damaging your ears. Finally, one day you will realize you have permanent tinnitus and/or hearing loss–but now it is too late.
The reason your ENT couldn’t find any fluid or infection is because when you said you had a feeling of fullness in your ears, he immediately thought of those two things. What he doesn’t realize is that your feeling of fullness was a psychological sensation, not a physical one.
I think the first thing I’d do if I were you, since you have neck problems when you wake up, which indicates to me that your pillow is not the right kind/height is to experiment and find the pillow that works for you so that you do NOT have headaches or neck pain when you wake up. This is further proven in that it goes away in a bit after you get up. (I have the same problem so I’m very careful how I arrange my pillow so I don’t wake up sore and with a headache–but sometimes I goof and pay the results. You may find an orthopedic pillow is the ticket, or just getting one the right firmness and height and arranging it so it holds your head exactly right for you.
Certainly dealing with your stress will help your tinnitus and health in general.
After getting your back/neck looked after and dealing with your stress, see how your tinnitus is then. Maybe you’ll have largely fixed the situation.
But in any case, you need to avoid loud sounds in the future if you don’t want your tinnitus to get worse. So stay away from loud concerts or wear ear plugs with a rating of 30 and don’t sit near the speakers.
Regards
Neil
Dr. Neil says
Hi Louise:
I can’t stress this is enough. Rock bands are ALWAYS too loud! Therefore, you need to protect your ears by wearing earplugs and sitting away from the speakers.
However, the damage is done. Now you want to know what to do about it.
You’ve noticed that your tinnitus continues to get worse when you are around louder sounds–not unreasonably loud sounds just louder sounds. Here’s why.
The rock concert you went to damaged your ears. I’ll use the analogy of a bruise. As you know, I bruise takes considerable time to heal. During the time it is healing, it is still very sensitive to further damage. If you hit the bruise during this time, you will just make things worse. It’ll hurt even worse than before, even if you don’t hit it as hard as you did the first time.
Think of your ears as being bruised. It’s going to take time for them to heal. Every time you’re around louder sounds, it’s like you are whacking the bruise again. It just makes your tinnitus worse.
So for the next few weeks or months, you need to protect your ears from ALL loud sounds. In other words, stay away from rock concerts. Stay away from any venues that are excessively loud. That’s the first thing.
Second, you need to protect your ears from sounds that make your tinnitus worse, even though they’re not too loud by normal standards. You should be wearing earplugs that have a protection factor of 10 or 15. Don’t use earplugs with the protection factor of 30. The idea is to reduce the volume of the sound you are listening to buy a little bit-just to below where it causes your tinnitus to get worse.
However, you do not want to over-protect your ears, or other bad things will begin to happen.
If you over protect your ears, your brain is going to turn your internal volume up and make your tinnitus worse and cause you to have supersensitivity to sound. This is called hyperacusis.
As a result, you need to walk the fine line between protecting your ears just enough so your tinnitus doesn’t get worse, but not so much that your internal volume gets turned up and causes hyperacusis.
As you of learned, you now have to take very good care of your ears in the future if you want to get your tinnitus under control and not have it flare up in the future.
Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to protect your ears. For example, you’re walking down the street and a truck backfires, just as it comes past you.
Instantly your tinnitus gets worse, just like whacking a bruise again. The good news is give it time, and I do what I’ve said above, and your tinnitus will eventually return to its normal level.
Regards,
Neil
Harry says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve read a lot of your posts here and was hoping you could offer me some insight into my own situation. I’m a 19 year old music major and developed tinnitus in February of 2012 after a band practice. I’ve been playing music since I was in kindergarten; school band, choir, marching band, rock and metal bands, etc. Never once was tinnitus mentioned or brought up in all those years of playing. I think this goes for a lot of people, but when you are a musician and you play loud music you hear the typical “You’re going to go deaf!” but when you’re a teenager, you don’t think that’s going to happen just from playing in school band. Hearing loss is something that I think a lot of people think happen to older people who have done damage for years, not some kid in school band playing drums or trumpet being guided by a teacher whom you trust. I’ve been playing drums since I was in 7th grade (about 12): everything from drum set, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and various percussion instruments. Never once were earplugs suggested for those types of situations.
I can recall ringing and fullness only a handful of times in high school, not enough to where it was noticeable or I was concerned. In my audio engineering class, we learned about tinnitus and hearing loss about a week before I actually developed it after rehearsing with my band on drums. Needless to say, I began to lose my mind. As a musician, we are trained to pay attention to subtleties and any change (a buzzing light, a high frequency whine from an old television) I notice immediately. I’m not sure if I had a mild case of tinnitus before and I exacerbated it and started noticing it after paying closer attention to what I was hearing in music and life the weeks before. I went to see my primary doctor and he said he thought it was noise-induced hearing loss and it would go away. In my hysteria, I went to see an ENT. I have had sinus issues since puberty and have been on dozens of doses of antibiotics like Amoxicillin, Augmenten, and ZPAC to the point that they probably overprescribed it. The ENT put me on prednisone for 5 days and the originally high pitch (it’s hard to remember back then, it was a blur) seemed to go away. In the months that I’ve had tinnitus, it’s calmed down to a hiss/static noise in both ears with a slight pitch in my left ear at times (it sounds like someone is plucking a guitar string toward the headstock or playing harmonics sometimes) which I have learned to tolerate. Every now and then (like today) I will wake up not being able to breathe, congested, with a sore throat and an ear will be ringing. Usually it subsides quickly once I get up or I have to pop my ears and it stops or just goes away on its own, but it usually happens after I’ve mostly forgotten about my tinnitus and freaks me out all over again.
I went through a lot of what you said as far as hyperacusis from overprotecting my ears. I purchased -25 dB ER49 musicians earplugs immediately (I used noise canceling headphones and foam earplugs every now and then…usually when I would play drums) and wear them in the car, walking on a busy street, and so on. I don’t feel that I’m over-protecting my ears as I carry a decibel meter with me (thank God for iPhone apps) that gives me a general idea of the DB level. I now play drums with the -25 dB earplugs and -29 passive noise isolation headphones to bring things down to a comfortable level (the attenuation is obviously not that high, I’d guess 35 max). I also went to my first concert about 3 months after I developed tinnitus and wore the earplugs and measured the peak level at 105 dB (I stood outside out of fear, but I’m glad I did).
So, given my background of sinus infections, possible allergies, and being a musician I was hoping you might be able to answer these questions.
1) Tons of musicians have tinnitus. Loud noise levels are just sadly part of the music industry. Any band, even acoustic acts, can be well above 80 dB. Mixing sessions in the studio are anywhere from 70-90 decibels, or higher. As a musician, performing frequently is part of the job. Do you advise any reasonable techniques like resting your ears every hour after playing or listening to music that could be applied in real settings?
2) What do you think of IEMs (In-ear monitors) that so many professional musicians use? Many of them offer up to -25 dB attenuation and feed the mix directly into your ears like earbuds. Do you think they can do more damage than traditional floor monitors, even if you are wearing earplugs?
3) I’m a singer and have measured my voice to have peaked at over 100 decibels. It is extremely hard to sing with earplugs in low-volume settings (like a small ensemble choir). Can you damage your ears with your own singing? Is there any known evidence of someone doing vocal warm ups or singing in their room without amplification damaging their ears? I’ve seldom found it makes my tinnitus worse (except for today, but I’ve had green discharge from my nose, congestion, and I’m sure singing is just irritating it) and in some cases, actually better.
4) Do you think there should be a conscious effort among venues, musicians, and music teachers to educate students and young musicians about tinnitus and other hearing issues associated with music?
At the end of the day, I can’t stay away from music. Music is my life. It would just be nice to be able to enjoy peace and quiet and continue to do what I love for years to come.
Thank you for any advice you may be able to offer.
Harry
Neil says
Hi Harry:
> I’ve read a lot of your posts here and was hoping you could offer me some insight into my own situation.
I can try.
> I’m a 19 year old music major and developed tinnitus in February of 2012 after a band practice. I’ve been playing music since I was in kindergarten; school band, choir, marching band, rock and metal bands, etc. Never once was tinnitus mentioned or brought up in all those years of playing.
This is not good and needs to be rectified. However, people that are addicted to loud music aren’t willing to listen to sane advice–like, “Turn the racket down!” So, they have to learn the hard way.
Classical musicians also suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss or hearing distortion from the volume of music in orchestras. Some orchestras have clear plastic music shields so the trumpets, trombones, etc. don’t blast the ears of those directly in front of them. This is a step in the right direction, as are wearing custom-made musician’s ear plugs.
> I think this goes for a lot of people, but when you are a musician and you play loud music you hear the typical “You’re going to go deaf!” but when you’re a teenager, you don’t think that’s going to happen just from playing in school band.
Right. Especially if your band master doesn’t worry about his own ears. I’ve seen rules coming out that require band teachers to wear protection so they don’t destroy their own ears. They should require the same for students.
> Hearing loss is something that I think a lot of people think happen to older people who have done damage for years, not some kid in school band playing drums or trumpet being guided by a teacher whom you trust.
I understand. Did you know that about 19% of all kids in school have significant hearing losses. That’s almost one in 5. So a lot of damage is being done to children’s/young people’s ears right from the word go. I’ve seen parents with toddlers on their shoulders at air shows when jets are winding up their engines (and my ears are hurting with my 30 dB ear plugs in place) and these kids have NO ear protection. Young children’s ears are even more prone to ear damage from loud sounds than are adults. It’s no wonder that by the time they get to school age, many of them have hearing losses.
> I’ve been playing drums since I was in 7th grade (about 12): everything from drum set, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and various percussion instruments. Never once were earplugs suggested for those types of situations.
You’ve been there and now know the dangers. Maybe you are the one to go on a crusade and try to change this.
> As a musician, we are trained to pay attention to subtleties and any change (a buzzing light, a high frequency whine from an old television) I notice immediately. I’m not sure if I had a mild case of tinnitus before and I exacerbated it and started noticing it after paying closer attention to what I was hearing in music and life the weeks before.
Once you know about tinnitus, you become more aware of it, and thus it seems louder and more intrusive. (It’s also a hazard of working with people who have tinnitus–it makes my own tinnitus louder and more intrusive too.)
> I went to see my primary doctor and he said he thought it was noise-induced hearing loss and it would go away.
That is true only if you have a temporary threshold shift. But after enough times of this, you end up with a permanent threshold shift (otherwise known as a hearing loss).
> In my hysteria, I went to see an ENT. I have had sinus issues since puberty and have been on dozens of doses of antibiotics like Amoxicillin, Augmenten, and ZPAC to the point that they probably overprescribed it.
Amoxicillin and Augmentin are not known to cause tinnitus, but Azithromycin can and does cause tinnitus in some people, not to mention hearing loss. You could have a significant high-frequency hearing loss and no one knows about it. This is because hearing testing normally is only done to 8 kHz, but it should be done right up to the highest frequency of sound you can hear (around 20,000 to 24,000 Hz). Then you’d get a true picture of any hearing loss (and accompanying tinnitus that may develop because of that loss).
> In the months that I’ve had tinnitus, it’s calmed down to a hiss/static noise in both ears
To me, hissing tinnitus is a likely indication of high-frequency hearing loss.
> with a slight pitch in my left ear at times (it sounds like someone is plucking a guitar string toward the headstock or playing harmonics sometimes) which I have learned to tolerate.
I don’t have a clue what these sound like–as I can’t hear such things.
> Every now and then (like today) I will wake up not being able to breathe, congested, with a sore throat and an ear will be ringing. Usually it subsides quickly once I get up or I have to pop my ears and it stops or just goes away on its own,
The ear congestion results in some temporary hearing loss and probably this tinnitus accompanies it. Once your ear drains when you get up, hearing comes back and the tinnitus goes away.
> I went through a lot of what you said as far as hyperacusis from overprotecting my ears. I purchased -25 dB ER49 musicians earplugs immediately (I used noise canceling headphones and foam earplugs every now and then…usually when I would play drums) and wear them in the car, walking on a busy street, and so on. I don’t feel that I’m over-protecting my ears as I carry a decibel meter with me (thank God for iPhone apps) that gives me a general idea of the DB level.
Your ears WANT to hear sounds so you don’t want to protect them against sounds less than 80 dB–so if you are in 90 dB sounds, you only want to wear factor 10 earplugs–not factor 25s for example.
> I now play drums with the -25 dB earplugs and -29 passive noise isolation headphones to bring things down to a comfortable level (the attenuation is obviously not that high, I’d guess 35 max).
Just don’t overprotect your ears, but don’t underprotect them either.
> I also went to my first concert about 3 months after I developed tinnitus and wore the earplugs and measured the peak level at 105 dB (I stood outside out of fear, but I’m glad I did).
With 25 dB ear plugs, that would have just brought the sound down to 80 dB, which would have been safe.
> 1) Tons of musicians have tinnitus. Loud noise levels are just sadly part of the music industry. Any band, even acoustic acts, can be well above 80 dB. Mixing sessions in the studio are anywhere from 70-90 decibels, or higher. As a musician, performing frequently is part of the job. Do you advise any reasonable techniques like resting your ears every hour after playing or listening to music that could be applied in real settings?
Certainly resting your ears is a smart idea. Remember, ear damage is a product of volume and length of exposure. So if you play at higher volumes, you need to shorten the time (and have longer rest periods for your ears). Or wear adequate ear protectors.
I do this myself. Since my hearing is so bad (almost deaf), I have to play at HIGH volumes just to hear. If I turn the volume on my keyboard down just a bit, I immediately begin making mistakes as I can’t then tell the difference between the notes.
Therefore, I play loud for an hour or so, then go back to my silent world–hearing little or nothing–thus giving my ears a complete rest. (I seldom wear my hearing aids so my ears get LOTS of rest periods.) I have to do the same with the telephone–LOUD volume–two amplifiers in series to boost the volume to where I can hear it–but after the phone call, I go back to silence and rest my ears.
> 2) What do you think of IEMs (In-ear monitors) that so many professional musicians use? Many of them offer up to -25 dB attenuation and feed the mix directly into your ears like earbuds. Do you think they can do more damage than traditional floor monitors, even if you are wearing earplugs?
If the volume is kept well below 80 dB, it shouldn’t make any difference. I don’t see a problem with ear monitors when kept at a reasonable volume.
> 3) I’m a singer and have measured my voice to have peaked at over 100 decibels. It is extremely hard to sing with earplugs in low-volume settings (like a small ensemble choir). Can you damage your ears with your own singing? Is there any known evidence of someone doing vocal warm ups or singing in their room without amplification damaging their ears?
I’m not aware of any studies showing this. One of the good things about singing yourself is that you know when you are reaching a loud part and your ears automatically go into protective mode and reduce the volume internally. Thus you shouldn’t be able to hurt your own ears with you voice.
But if someone else does it, you don’t get the same protection–such as a baby suddenly screaming in your ear. That can and does cause problems.
> 4) Do you think there should be a conscious effort among venues, musicians, and music teachers to educate students and young musicians about tinnitus and other hearing issues associated with music?
You betcha! It’s long overdue. It’s certain to help, but not everyone will listen as you well know, so they will have to learn the hard way.
> At the end of the day, I can’t stay away from music. Music is my life.
So don’t stay away from it. Just play at a safe level and enjoy your music all day long.
> It would just be nice to be able to enjoy peace and quiet and continue to do what I love for years to come.
I understand. My ears have been ringing day and night for more than 60 years now. I don’t know what quiet would sound like. But I don’t let my tinnitus bother me. I enjoy life with the little hearing and all the tinnitus I have. But if I could wave the magic wand and get rid of my tinnitus, I’d do it.
I wish you well.
Neil
Angie says
Hi Neal,
I keep well away from loud noise, as I’m visually impaired and my hearing is extremely important to me. Yesterday I attended a wedding reception and was seated with the band directly behind me. No matter where I went in the room, even in the back, the decibel level was the same: so loud that the band, which played during the entire 3-hour dinner (after which I left) caused my ears to become so painful that at certain points I physically blocked my ears as I felt they were about to explode. Just before I left they cranked up the volume even more and started the dance party, and I felt as if my ears physically couldn’t take any more abuse… or else. That’s how painful it was. Immediately upon leaving my ears began to pop when I swallowed, which seemed to aleviate the pressure in them, so I made faces hoping it’d completely go away. Got home and my ears felt so blocked I used a q-tip to see if there was wax in there. The blocked feeling continues today and there’s no ringing or pain, just a plugged feeling in my right ear (the one closest to the band) and I wore earplugs to spin class, where normally the music doesn’t bother me. I’m absolutely terrified of what happened, and scared to death, hoping to God it isn’t permanent. Nothing like this has ever happened in my life before, and my ears are so sensitive that I steer clear of loud noise. I’m a classical musician and have never had any probles. I can hear, and my left ear’s fine, it’s my right ear that’s blocked and it’s been like that for 24 hours. I read temporary threshhold is supposed to go away in 16-48 hours. Please help! If I’d know the music was going to be that loud, I’d have worn earplugs. I don’t want to lose my hearing. Please help! Angie
wale says
Hi Dr neil,my name is wale!am 22 yrs old and I got tinnitus after taking ofloxacin.it became a little bit worse when I used an ear phone.its been 2 weeks since I used the ear phone and I have been having this constant ringing in my left ear!does ofloxacin induced tinnitus go away and do I wear ear plugs only in my left ear(affected ear) or both.and can I get an ear plug that can be used for a long time.thanks as I await your reply!
Neil says
Hi Wale:
Taking Ofloxacin can indeed result in tinnitus. It can also cause hearing loss and a bunch of other ear problems. I don’t have a lot of information on this drug, but one reference says that hearing loss is often temporary. Therefore, tinnitus may be temporary too, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Why would you want to wear ear plugs? From what you have told me, you only have tinnitus–and wearing ear plugs is NOT the way to treat tinnitus–UNLESS there are loud sounds around you.
You want to let your ears hear normal sounds–just not really loud ones. So only wear ear plugs when they are really necessary.
Regards
Neil
Neil says
Hi Angie:
Exposing your ears to loud sounds for 3 hours is a recipe for ear problems. I would have gone to the bride and groom immediately and told them that you’ll have to leave if they don’t order the music turned down–then follow through.
In such situations I refuse to abuse my ears and leave as soon as they make the music loud.
I can’t predict whether you have a temporary threshold shift that will go away in a few days or not. Only time will tell.
Are you saying that your right ear still hears as well as your left ear–just that it feels blocked?
If you want to do something to help your ears–apart from protecting them from loud sounds in the future–you might want to try taking powerful antioxidants.
I wrote about this in a couple of articles. You can read them at http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/loud-music-and-hearing-loss.php and http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/vitamins-a-c-e-combined-with-magnesium-help-prevent-noise-induced-hearing-loss.php.
If you decide to do this, you need to act now. In another day or two it will be too late.
Regards
Neil
wale says
Hi Dr neil! Its me Wale.I also have the feeling of fullness in my left ear and constant tinnitus in the same ear.pls I want to know if the fullness is as a result of hearing loss and if I should use ear plug in only my affected ear or both ears(that’s when am in noisy places like a club) thanks!
Neil says
Hi Wale:
I suspect the feeling of fullness is a result of hearing loss. You can always go to an audiologist and have your hearing tested to know for sure.
As for using ear plugs, I’d use them in BOTH ears when you go to noisy venues. You need to protect your good ear too or it will soon be as bad as your bad ear.
Regards
Neil
Francesca says
Dear Dr Neil,
I have had high pitched Tonal Tinnitus 14 months, it’s been one level pretty much everyday, once in a while it gets a little lower, buts its always there 24/7/. I have noticed that if I move my Jaw, my tinnitus in my left ear gets louder? And strangely if I turn my head hard right it gets louder in my right ear and if I turn hard left it gets louder in my left? Are these just characteristics of tinnitus ? I don’t ever grind my teeth and I have never had whiplash or any neck problems? What do you recommend I do doctor Neil?
Neil says
Hi Francesca:
You have your regular tonal tinnitus, and then you have what they call somatic (body) tinnitus. If moving your jar causes your tinnitus to change, you probably have problems with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). You can have a dentist or chiropractor that specializes in TMJ disorders check it out and help get it back into proper alignment.
Turning your neck to the left or right and hearing louder tinnitus is actually quite common. This is an indication that your neck is out of alignment and/or that the two big muscles on each side of your neck (the sternocleidomastoid muscles) are not in balance.
A chiropractor can treat that.
I’ve not heard of people that have their left ear tinnitus louder when turning to the left and the right ear tinnitus get louder when turning to the right–but I’m not suprised that it does in your case.
In my experience, the tinnitus gets louder by the same amount no matter which way you turn your head–so yours is a bit different, but the same principles apply.
Regards
Neil
Francesca says
Many thanks Doctor Neil, I will get my neck and jaw looked at. So just to check I have understood this right, I have 2 tinnitus one normal one and on top of that I have another one that’s somatic.. 🙁 How unfortunate could I be 🙁
Neil says
Hi Francesca:
Not necessarily. Your tinnitus could be caused by your jaw or neck and just gets worse when you do certain things. But then, it could be caused by something completely different. You need to think back 14 months to when it originally began and see what changed with you that might have caused it. It could have been noise. It could have been drugs. It could have been stress. Etc. etc. But it could have been that back then your jaw or neck developed some problems that resulted in this somatic tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Francesca says
Thanks Doctor Neil, Your information is very helpful, I spoke to my doctor today and agrees with your theory, He’s sending me for an MRI he says it shows up any tissue damage, he said he’s ordered a full neck & spine scan. Not looking forward to being stuck in a narrow tunnel for 20 mins, the one to rule out the acoustic neuroma only took 6 minutes I just about managed that but I suppose I better get it done.
Benjamin Stewart says
Dr. Neil,
I apologize if this question has been posed before, however I did not see my problem specifically in the previous posts.
I went shooting this past Saturday and i was foolish and did not wear ear protection because we did not have enough (I have definitely learned my lesson though). We shot several different guns and probably around 50 rounds in total between the three of us. It is now Monday and my hearing has not recovered yet. I have hearing loss in both ears though my right is significantly greater, also there is ringing in both ears again with the right significantly greater.
My hearing does seem to have gotten better since Saturday, but it doesn’t seem much better than yesterday. I know I have probably done some permanent damage, but will my hearing get better? and will the ringing get better as well? I’m guessing about a 20% loss in my left ear and a 40% loss in my right as of now.
Thank you!
Ben
Neil says
Hi Ben:
There is no law that says if you have a temporary threshold shift (hearing loss) from noise exposure, that hearing will return within a certain designated time–such as a few hours to about 48 hours.
True, this is the norm, but I don’t see any reason why for some people it may take longer. To be sure, the longer you go without any more hearing coming back–the slimmer your chances are of more hearing returning. So you may have reached the limit at this point. Only time will tell.
Tinnitus is another matter. It can take several weeks to largely fade away. Much of it depends on your emotional state. If you worry about your tinnitus, then your chances of it fading away become MUCH less than if you just ignore it and get on with your life and let it fade away on its own.
During all this time, you need to protect your ears from loud sounds while your ears are “healing”. Exposing your ears to loud sounds can start your ears ringing loudly again. Just don’t overprotect them. They need to hear normal, everyday sounds or your tinnitus can get worse and you can also end up with hyperacusis (where even normal sounds seem too loud).
Regards
Neil
Jeff P says
I fear my T was cause by having my hearing aids set too loud. This happened 4 months ago and the T is pretty much the same. It starts rather quiet in the morning and then develops into a constant high pitch shrill after a couple of hours. I’m taking Xanax, .5 mg 3 times a day. It really helps, especially to help me sleep, but I’m guessing I can’t stay on this long term.
I’ve worn hearing aids for 4 years, have pretty bad hearing loss and had occasional T. I went to a new audiologist (mine was out of town and one of my hearing aids “broke”, the line from the ear piece to the hearing aid came off [Phonax audeo]) and after a week the ringing started and has not stopped. I told the audiologist that the hearing aids were too loud. Too bad I just didn’t wear them. I’ve had my hearing aids reset to their original settings by my original audiologist, but the ringing continues.
Any suggestions?
Nick says
Dr. Neil,
Last weekend I attended a party and I was dancing quite close to the speakers for just over an hour. It has been 6 days since the party. My ears were ringing a lot 2 – 3 days after. A few days past by and the ringing in my ear had been really reduced. I can’t hear the ringing unless I am in a quiet room but I can feel it is very slowly fading but it’s still worrying me. The ringing is only in my left ear. I went to see my GP 4 days after the party. He said there’s no sign of redness and no ear wax. He suggested that inside my ear is bruised and will take time to recover. Though, he also said if after two weeks it doesn’t go away then they’ll do a hearing test. Also, my left ear is feeling full/clogged to a small degree.
Could you please recommend what I should do and what are my chances of getting rid of the ringing in my left ear?
mike says
The ringing in my ears began on november 17th of this year,It first started out in both ears. The second day it was only my right ear. I have seen a ENT doctor and he put me on two courses of metro. During that time the ringing went completely away for several days but came back in my right ear.The left ear was great for two weeks, with the right ear at times becoming extremely intense.Then the left ear started ringing again with it becoming so intense that I wanted to rip my head off.Since then after a great nights sleep the left ear was perfect for four days with just a slight noise in the right ear.Now the left ear is ringing again.I need to tell you that I have been out of work since September due to depression and anxiety.Tinnitus makes that worse.I was taking Effexor xr for six weeks before the ringing started.I was told that the effexor could be the cause of the ringing.I do have normal hearing loss for a 54 year old male.I have been off the effexor for 10 days and the ringing is not as intense but still there.I guess my question is do you think it could be the effexor and if so how long after taking the drug will the tinnitus go away?
Neil says
Hi Mike:
Metro (Metronidazole) is an antibacterial drug. Why did your doctor give you that? How was that supposed to help your tinnitus?
Anxiety and depression can trigger tinnitus by themselves. Thus, dealing with your anxiety and depression can go a long ways to getting your tinnitus under control.
Effexor (Venlafaxine) can certainly cause tinnitus and may have done so in your case. I don’t have any specific information how long the tinnitus may last after you stopped taking the Effexor. It’s a good sign that your tinnitus is already getting less after 10 days. I’d expect that to continue. It may take a number of weeks yet. Some drugs take 4 to 6 weeks. At the same time, as I said before, you need to get your depression and anxiety under control, and also not dwell on your tinnitus. Focus on other things and let it fade away.
Regards
Neil
Dr. harpreet singh says
hi dr neil,two and a half month back I heared a delta wave promoting meditation music in the form of binaural beats.it was 100 hz pure tone being played constantly for one hour.I listened it with headphones[later i measured with spl meter sound was 51 db in right speaker of headphone and 54 db in left].I played it at moderate volume but it was like humming and headphone was vibrating a bit.the very next day when i got up i heared screaching sounds in my ears more on left side.I was prescribed prednisolone for five days but no improvement.later i tried piracetam 2400 bd for seven days there was some reduction in tinnitus while on piracetam but it made me very alert and i woke up at night frequently so i discontinued it.Presently i am on gingko ,antoxidants magnesium and zinc.one peculiar thing about my tinnitus is that for one or two days it appears to be very silent or hardly noticeable but then third day it becomes loud again for one day.Gradually it has decreased to say 25% Of initial loudness at 11 weeks after exposure. my question is ; 1. are there known cases of fluctuating tinnitus like mine. what may be cause of fluctuation.
2. are these silent days a good prognostic sign?are there good chances of total recovery due to presence of silent days?
3.can it take months for healing?iam having slight distortion of sound starting from two months after exposure and hear more tinnitus intead of masking when i hear white noise.why it may be so.it is like a burnt speaker giving extra sound.it is more so in the evenings.
I have undergone audiometery two weeks after exposure .left ear shows slight dip at 4 khz [5to 10 db] which my ent surgeon says is almost normal and I remember it that about 5 year back also my ent surgeon told about some high frequecy loss in my left ear.I personally tested my hearing online which shows 16 khz is heared less by about 15db in my left ear in addition to 4 khz which is heared less by 5db as compared to right ear.subjectively in day to day life I hear slightly better in left ear[if i close my ears one by one].Please reply soon .
thanks
Dr. Neil says
Hi Dr. Singh:
Sounds at 50 to 60 dB should NOT bother your ears. That is the volume at which we normally speak. You said you listened at a moderate volume and the earphones wire vibrating a bit. Was this level still in the 50s dB range?
What levels of ginkgo are you taking. In order to be effective, studies have shown that you need to take 480 mg per day of Ginkgo that is standardized to 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones. Too many Ginkgo formulations use much less and so are not effective.
I don’t know what is causing your fluctuating tinnitus, but I consider it a good sign. If your tinnitus can go quiet for a day, there is no reason that eventually it can go quiet most of the time.
Is your fluctuating tinnitus locked into a 3-day pattern, or can it vary from that time-frame. Can you relate the louder days to anything you are doing differently–perhaps eating a different food that causes your tinnitus to spike?
What does you tinnitus sound like–a high-frequency sound? or a middle or low frequency sound?
Tinnitus has its own timetable. You are doing well since in 11 weeks your tinnitus has reduced by about 75%. If it is still slowly getting softer, I think that in a couple more months, it will be at a low level. It may never go away, but the level should be so low that you can easily ignore it. I would consider that success.
Regards
Neil
George Pikoulas says
Dr. Neil,
I am a 65 yr.old male that has been suffering from T. in my left ear for over ten years. Sometimes it gets so loud that it louder than any other sound. Recently, while recovering from a head cold I blew my nose and felt air being pushed up to my ear. Miraculously, my T. went away and my hearing went back to normal, equal to my right ear. This lasted for about 10 min. and then slowly went back to its previous state. Considering that my hearing loss in my left is significant I’ve been considering hearing aids. My question is, if my inner ear is supposively damaged to induce T. why did my left ear return to what it was 10 years ago when I sneezed. When I was very young I had my ears lanced quite a few times. Is it possible from treatment of ear infections that I have incurred permanent ear damage like a detached ear drum?
JoJo says
I had idiopathic sudden sensorioneural hearing loss in one ear since Sept 13 and had oral steroids and also shots which helped bring back some of my hearing. I also have a white noise type tinnitus in that ear 24/7. About 6 weeks ago, I started getting a truck motor type tinnitus in my good ear. This is also there most of the time and it seems to be both reactive and non-reactive (ie, it is still there in the middle of some very quiet woods). That ear was also tested for hearing loss when that tinnitus started, but the hearing is still perfect in that ear. Why do I now have tinnitus in my good ear and do you think that could be temporary?
ryan says
Hi Neil,
At one point which was about 4 weeks ago I was cleaning my ears out with cotton buds a lot, I then randomly got a fullness in my ear one day and then the ringing began. It was very very loud, then got lower, then got lower, then I slept it off and there was nothing. After that I then could hear the faintest static sound in my ear then poof and it went one night. Then recently (the last week) I have come down with a regular head cold and as a cold does it affects your ears. I have been meaning to get my ears checked for wax by the doctor, but as I’m slowly getting better day by day a faint ringing sound came this morning and I’m still awake. It went fast, it’s now almost diminished. I’m a generally an anxious person and am on beta blockers which are propanolol hydrchloride. I was just wondering what your thoughts are?
Dr. harpreet singh says
Dear Dr Neil, thanks for reply.I am an eye surgeon and obcessive personality.may be the vibrations were due to resonance due to low frequency but volume was less.Other thing is spl meter measures low frequencies very poorly.
I take gingko 40 mg tds ,but even that causes insomnia so I am planning to discontinue it.
T fluctuations;some times quite for two days ,some times one day but not consecutively for 3days. No relation with any food but something in sleep pattren triggers it eg begining of REM sleep in early morning.Always more in morning even in quiet days also.
regarding frequency;I matched it ;it is about 16 khz high frequency hissing.
what medicine should I take now ,because any medicine described make me alert and produce insomnia. what is you advice regarding vinpocetine or piracetam again? or should I discontinue ALL MEDICINES?
Neil says
Hi George: (#96)
If your hearing returned to normal, even for 10 minutes, that shows that you do NOT have a sensorineural hearing loss. Rather, you have a conductive loss, presumably caused by a malfunctioning or blocked Eustachian tube.
The reason your tinnitus went away is because often tinnitus accompanies hearing loss, so when your hearing briefly returned to normal, your tinnitus disappeared then too.
The fact that after a number of minutes your hearing dropped again and your tinnitus returned, indicates that your middle ear was blocked again.
You need to have a complete audiological evaluation with emphasis on bone conduction testing and a tympanogram. This should immediately show an “air-bone gap” indicating a conductive loss, and your tympanogram should not be normal (Type A).
If that is the case, your ENT should be able to help you. He may have some tricks to make your Eustachian tube work properly, or even put a tube through your eardrum to equalize the air pressure–which should restore your hearing IF your middle ear isn’t filled with “gunk”.
So that’s what I’d do and see if these professionals can help you in the long-term.
Regards
Neil
Neil says
Hi JoJo: (#97)
I don’t know why you now have tinnitus in your good ear. There are many, many factor that can cause tinnitus and I don’t know your history well enough to say.
One cause is that you don’t have perfect hearing in your good ear. Did your hearing test just stop at 8 KHz? Or did they test you to the upper limits of your hearing–normally around 20 KHz? You can get tinnitus from hearing loss in the high frequencies, even though you have been given a clean bill of health in the testing to 8 KHz.
Does your motor truck tinnitus sound like a truck or bulldozer or heavy equipment working nearby? Some people have this kind of tinnitus and also FEEL the ground or house shaking (when it’s not).
I consider this a form of Musical Ear Syndrome. I’ve experienced it from time to time. The good news is that for me at least, this is a temporary kind of tinnitus that typically only lasts for less than an hour.
Regards
Neil
JoJo says
Hi Neil, thanks for your comments. I don’t know what the hearing test range was. I don’t know how to read those reports. On the chart at the top it has 0 then 250 and on up and the marks by the audiologist start at 250. It doesn’t say what those numbers represent. On the left side is starts at -10 and goes up to 110, is that what you mean? It looks like the audiologist marked something in the range between 0 and 10. I guess I would have to ask her. It sounds like a truck and I feel vibrations in my ear only. Musical ear syndrome sounds nicer than it is! I wouldn’t mind so much, but at times I do not know if there is really a truck or it’s my ear. Here is something interesting: a fellow sufferer told me that her chiropractor told her to put her palms over her ears backwards and drum her fingers on the back of her head for one minute. It lessened the tinnitus for a while. I tried it and it worked for me too. Even less than a minute helps for a bit.
Earl says
My tinnitus started about four months ago. It is a high pitched squeal in both my ears. It sounds like there is a slight frequency and phase difference between each ear resulting in some strange “stereo” effects.
I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the ringing started as I was discontinuing Cymbalta over a two week period. I perhaps worry a little too much, but I was taking the Cymbalta primarily to treat tingling in my hands and feet. Will the Tinnitus eventually go away as the drug leaves my system or will it be permanent?
I have also had some wax packing but only in my right ear which has been flushed many times. I am 58 years old.
Jan says
Dear Neil,
This past weekend I was rehearsing for a performance of a small choir with around 7 brass instruments. We rehearsed for about 2 hours on Saturday evening and performed on Sunday morning.
I stood about 3 feet away from the trumpeters and blocked my ears for about an hour and a half until I could go and buy some basic silicone earplugs, which I wore in the performance. I was very interested in Harry’s comments above. I don’t know what the average decibels coming from the brass would have been, but it was physically uncomfortable. I guess my question is, assuming I have some temporary threshold shift,at what point should I expect my hearing to return to normal? My ears are feeling uncomfortable and ‘full’, around 24 hours since the performance. Naturally I am concerned as I am only 25 and work in the arts, so my hearing has to be good. Other information about sound exposure on the Internet seem to concern industrial noise, the kind of volume which would (I suspect) fluctuate much less than a piece of brassy classical music with characteristic peaks and troughs.
I’m also interested to know whether the pain could be from jamming the silicon plugs in my ear.
I rarely attend discos or electronic performances so I just have no idea how long I should expect this feeling to last, and whether the feeling could be permanent. I’m trying very hard not to stress.
Thanks in advance.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jan:
Well, around 120 dB is when sound gets painful for the average person.
This depends so much on the person. Each of us are different. Some ears are more robust than others. I would give it a week or so before I’d start worrying.
The pain could be from the results of the loud sounds, or as you say, it might be because you jammed the ear plugs in your ears. I rather think it was from the former, though.
Regards
Neil
New says
Was dealing with stress, lack sleep, nervous disorder when one ear starts pulsing in one ear and in the head there is high frequency pitch.
Pulsing come and go. But the high pitch in head constant. Does it mean the pitch is likely permanent type of tinnitus?
Dr. Neil says
Hi There:
When you have a pulsing kind of tinnitus, that is often the result of high blood pressure or clogged arteries.
If you also have high-frequency hearing loss, your high-pitched tinnitus may be permanent. Or it many be temporary and will drop in volume as you get your stress under control.
Regards
Neil
Drew McDonnell says
Dear Neil,
I went out to a night club last night and was exposed to some loud music for about 6 hours or so. After I left i had that muffled feeling in both of my ears but did not concern myself with it because i have had the sensation before, Normally after a situation such as this, my hearing feels much butter the next morning. It has been about 10 hours since I left the night club and right ear appears to be fine but i am still having trouble with my left ear. I would go see a doctor but I am currently out of the country and will be for at least another month. Is this something that I should be worried about? Will my hearing return on its own over time?
Jonson says
Dear Neil,
I’m in the idf army
and after a some shooting ranges i started to feel rings and problem with hearing. it started about 6 weeks ago. i was than given better ear plugs, but still was near loud noises. now in the last 2 weeks or so i try to keep myself away from loud noise and i’m going to change a path in the army that doesn’t invole more shooting frequently. i did some of the things that are not so recommended like worrying, and over protecting when ever i was in the near the area of the ranges. i now feel Sensitivity to noise and Tinnitus. the hearing test at first showed my hearing was fine, but i felt it wasn’t so much and also they don’t test over the 8000 ‘hertz’. in the army they didn’t really treat me well at first, i was near loud noise a few more times, just now i got time to rest.
how can i get rid of this problem. thanks.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jonson:
As I’ve said many times in previous comments, you need to protect your ears from loud sounds (and not that easy when you’re in the army). At the same time, don’t overprotect your ears. There’s a fine line in there you have to find that works for your ears. You want to protect your ears enough from louder sounds that they don’t make your tinnitus worse, but at the same time let your ears hear enough that they don’t turn up the internal gain.
Also, your ears need time to rest and recuperate–but that is not going to happen in the army either.
As you know, you mustn’t obsess or worry about your tinnitus since that will also make it worse.
Regards
Neil
Mike says
Dear Neil,
Almost two months ago I went to a clinic to get my ears irrigated because I had some blockage from an ear wax buildup. I had this done once before, years ago, and it worked like a charm. The nurse irrigated my right ear with no problem at all. She was having a lot of trouble with my left ear and tried numerous times with irrigation as well as with some sort of ear pick. When she used the ear pick, about 4-5 times, it was extraordinarily painful! She tried irrigating one last time after one of the painful ear pickings and I ended up getting super dizzy and passed out. A bunch of wax ended up coming out within the next couple days when I used some drops that she gave me.
However, from this moment forward my left ear has been ringing constantly and I have never had a problem with that before. For the first couple weeks, I even had spells of getting dizzy and feeling “spacy” but, thankfully, that has gone away. I am worried that the painful ear picking might have caused some permanent damage though.
Do you have any idea as to what happened, what I could do, or if you think the damage/ringing might be permanent?
Thanks,
Mike
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mike:
What I think happened is that with the picking, the person grabbed the wax and pulled to try to pull it out. Depending on whether the wax was attached to your eardrum or just sealed off the ear canal doesn’t really matter. What essentially happened is that by yanking at the wax, this distended your eardrum back and forth just like a very LOUD sound would–and this was transmitted to your inner ear as though it WAS a loud sound. The result can be tinnitus as you have discovered. Also this can exert pressure in the balance system part of your inner ear and cause balance problems.
Irrigating (syringing) using too much pressure can do the same thing.
The secret to getting wax out is to do it GENTLY–no matter what method a person uses. Thus it is wise to soften the wax first before trying to get it out.
Even better, is to not let it build up in the first place. I clean out my ears every morning so I NEVER have any wax build up and thus no problems. I’ve been doing this for a couple of decades now after I had a similar experience to yours–not as severe–but it did affect my balance for a bit.
You tinnitus (ringing) may be permanent, just like exposing your ears to a loud noise could cause permanent tinnitus. However, you can do a lot to change how you perceive your tinnitus so it won’t bother you. The first thing is to consciously focus your attention on other things and thus away from your tinnitus. As you focus on the loves of your life, you won’t be aware of your tinnitus so much and it will tend to fade into the background. Over time, it may fade to a very low level so you won’t notice it unless you actively listen for it.
Regards
Neil
Evan says
Hi Dr Neil,
my situation is this:
about ten days ago i began to experience a very slight discomfort in my ears, primarily my right ear, there was no tinnitus at the time. a short while later, on the 24th of Feb 2013 i was walking down the street and a truck drove past me with some sort of machine that produced a really loud noise in the back (there had been a football game and i assume this was part of the celebrations). I was carrying things and thus was unable to cover my ears in time. When the truck drew near i immediately regretted not putting my things down and protecting my ears. As soon as it passed me i felt my right ear “pop” slightly. All in all it must have been less that ten seconds of intense noise. I didn’t think much of the event that evening or the next day, as i only stil felt the previous discomfort and still no tinnitus. On the evening of the 27th of Feb there was an intense ringing in my ears and i found myself unable to sleep untill exhaustion took me. I immediately went to the ENT. He used a syrringe to clean my ears of wax – there was quite a bit built up in my right ear. He tested my hearing and found that my right ear was fine and my left ear suffered from mild hearing loss from 6000-8000 Hz. The ENT seemed happy with the results and said my tinnitus should subside within 15-20 days.
I do not attend concerts and the like, the only loud noise exposure i find myself in is listening to music in my car, although hardly ever to the point where i can’t converse easily with another.
In conclusion, I am terrified that the tinnitus may be permanent as it is now been three days of near constant ringing and I have resorted to melatonin to get some sleep. The fact that it did not appear right after the noise incident is also worrying to me and feel that the ENT may have been trying to sooth me by giving me such a solid figure.
I guess my question is: does this sound like a case of temporary tinnitus? is there any way to tell? I am 22 years old and I cannot imagine living with this incessant ringing for much longer – though I imagine most people feel that way in the beginning.
Please, any help is appreciated. I feel emotionally drained and can’t seem to focus on anything else during my time awake.
Thanks in advance.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Evan:
Typically, you would expert instant tinnitus after exposing your ears to loud sounds like you experienced.
However, I could build a case for delayed tinnitus. You see, loud sounds can cause your inner ear to produce a lot of free radicals. These free radicals then “zap” the hair cells over the next few days. So the damage doesn’t occur instantly. So that is one possibility for having the delayed tinnitus.
There is no way to tell whether your tinnitus will be temporary or not. Only time will ultimately prove whether your doctor is right or not.
Since you have not exposed your ears to really loud sounds in the past, I’d like to think that your tinnitus will be temporary–but there are no guarantees.
As I have said many, many times, you will do yourself a disservice if you focus on your tinnitus. That will only make it worse and strengthen the tinnitus neural pathways–something you DON’T want to happen.
Since there isn’t much you can do about your ears now–except to protect them from loud sounds as they “heal”, you should, as much as possible, learn to ignore your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life. When you do that, your tinnitus will tend to fade into the background.
Regards
Neil
Stu says
Hi Dr Neil. Six days ago(17 March) I attended a rock concert in London. It went on for 3 hours. I was very close to the front near the speakers and it was very loud. I haven’t been to a concert for many years(I am 42 years old)Upon leaving I noticed normal sound was muted. I had the whistling ears the next morning but a fullness in both ears,more right than left. Six days on it still feels the same,normal volume sounds hurt a little. I have been to my doctor who said I had evidence of an ear canal infection and gave me some otosporin drops. I fear I have done permanent damage to my hearing. Prior to the concert I have been suffering with awful sinus trouble and bloody sinus leakage,which is still present now. On top of the ear fullness,sensitive hearing I also have a terrible headache. Do you think I should get my Dr to refer me to our ENT department for a hearing exam?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Stu:
The muted sounds you notice are what is called a temporary threshold shift. This typically occurs after exposing your ears to excessively loud sounds. Typically this goes away in a few hours as your hearing returns to normal. However, if you do this too much, eventually, it doesn’t go away and you are left with a permanent threshold shift–i.e. a permanent hearing loss. Your hearing should have come back in the past six days.
It is also common for loud sounds to make your ears more sensitive to sounds in the future. This is known as hyperacusis. It may go away in time IF you protect your ears from loud sounds in the future as they “heal”. This could take several months.
It’s good that your tinnitus is not permanent at this point.
The headache could be the result of your clogged sinuses. The sound pressure could have caused more problems there. It wouldn’t hurt to see and ENT about this.
You should get an audiogram done to see where your hearing stands. If you have a conductive loss, the effects could be temporary, but if your audiogram shows you have a sensorineural hearing loss, I would expect the hearing loss to be permanent.
That is why it is so important to protect your ears where you are in loud venues. You should have worn ear protectors with a factor of 30 dB or so.
Regards
Neil
Stu says
Forgot to mention also that I do have some tinnitus still but it isn’t there always. The ear fullness,however,doesn’t seem to subside.
Stu says
Thankyou for the prompt reply Dr. I am worried that I have indeed done permanent damage because six days after is way too long to not have had an improvement. The tinnitus comes and goes and I try to ignore it. There is definitely a noticeable change in my hearing.
Stu says
Hi again Dr. Its been a week now and the tinnitus has kicked in. Big time. Can hardly hear anything apart from the high pitched whistle. Think I did some major damage here…
Neil says
Hi Stu:
Unfortunately, you may be right. Our ears are delicate organs. They are not made of cast iron. So we have to treat them with respect, or pay the consequences.
There are a number of things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under control. My book, “When Your Ears Ring” gives a number of things. All help some people, but no one treatment works for everyone.
Regards
Neil
Lee says
Hi Dr. Neil,
First, please let me thank you for taking the time to continually respond to so many different peoples’ concerns. As for me, I’m 23 and woke up about 2 weeks ago with my right ear feeling stuffed up and experiencing a persistent ringing. I haven’t been around loud noises at all so this seemed odd and I assumed it was an infection or something along those lines. After a week, I went to an ENT, who barely examined me at all and then sent me in for a hearing test. My hearing was perfect, so he said I should be fine. It’s now a week later and my right ear still feels stuffed up (like I’m on an airplane except I have trouble getting it to “pop”) and the ringing hasn’t subsided. I’ve kind of prepared myself at this point for this to be a permanent condition, but wanted to get your opinion on if this stuffed up feeling is likely indicative of something else, and if I should go to another ENT for a second opinion. I will add that I have been on citalopram for over 3 years and I understand this can cause it, but it seems odd that it would take 3 years to show up. I’m really doing my best not to stress too much about this because I know that makes it worse, but I want to know if I should be taking proactive steps (i.e., getting my ear cleaned out) before just accepting it and living with the condition.
Thanks, Dr. Neil, for any input.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Lee:
You’re welcome!
At the time this happened, did you have a cold, virus, flu or active virus? It could be a virus that attacked your ear.
Even though you got a clean bill of health on your hearing, I’m almost certain they only tested you to 8,000 Hz. Your tinnitus could be the result of hearing loss above 8,000 Hz. That is one reason they need to test hearing all the way to the highest frequency you can hear (usually around 20,000 Hz before they can rule out tinnitus as caused by hearing loss. The stuffed up feeling is often a psychological feeling caused by hearing loss rather than a really stuffed ear. Since the doctor couldn’t find evidence of an infection, that’s my guess.
Sometimes drugs can cause funny side effects to appear after you have been on them from 3 to 5 years, so you can’t entirely rule out drugs–but it does seem unlikely, given the drug you are taking.
Why would you get your ears cleaned out? They should have been clear, or else they wouldn’t be able to do the hearing test.
In any case, as you already know, you don’t want to stress over it, or you’ll just make your tinnitus worse.
Regards
Neil
Sherri says
Hello Dr Neil
Thank you, for being here and for answering and helping so many distraught sufferers.
I got tinnitus 3 weeks back due to aspirin overdose, I had been taking extra strength aspirin for a blood condition for a long time now. The day my tinnitus began I felt a migraine coming on , I panicked and took at leas 4/5 aspirins.plus I was going through some stress and physical exhaustion at the time too.sine the tinnitus I’ve been eating lots of pineapple, garlic and turmeric, also taking gingko biloba , zinc and b 12. The tinnitus volume has gone down quite a bit some days are good some bit bad. I’ve been so sad and miserable about this. Please doc let me know if my tinnitus will go away ? Thank you so much.
Sherri
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sherri:
Tinnitus due to taking Aspirin is almost always temporary–so they say. So I’d expect if you are off the Aspirin for two weeks, you should notice a decided drop in your tinnitus, if it doesn’t go away completely. However, stress can bring on tinnitus by itself, or make the tinnitus worse, or keep your tinnitus going, even after the cause (Aspirin) is gone.
So you need to work on “hanging loose” and reducing your stress. You seem to be doing everything else right.
Regards
Neil
Sherri says
Sorry forgot to mention I’ put 1drops of hydrogen peroxide 3 % strength 4 times a day for 3 weeks now I’m putting castor oil 4 drops. The noise level has reduced considerably , from a million crickets sound it’s now a swooshing sound mostly. Please help !
Thank you
Jessica says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I got tinnitus in 2007 when I flew from the U.S. to Malawi with a sinus infection. It wasn’t ever bad until this last year. Over the last year I’ve flown about once per month to once every other month between the U.K. and U.S. and my tinnitus is always loud after flying. Lately (after flying on azithromycin recovering from strep throat) it hasn’t gone away and I wake up at night unable to fall asleep again right away because it’s so loud. Is there anything I can do to make it better? Unfortunately (or fortunately since I love to travel) there is a lot of flying in my future too.
Many thanks.
Jessica
Neil says
Hi Jessica:
In the 2007 flight incident, were you taking any medications at that time? I can’t see the tinnitus as a direct result of the flight, but I CAN see tinnitus resulting from medications taken at that time.
Constant louder noise (like you find on many planes) can make your tinnitus worse for a time–but airplane noise should not CAUSE tinnitus.
It can also be that if you have a sinus infection, that the differences in air pressure during takeoff and landing can force “gunk” up your Eustachian tubes. This blocks your middle ears to some extent resulting in temporary hearing loss. This hearing loss can result in tinnitus or louder existing tinnitus.
Azithromycin by itself can cause tinnitus in some people, but I think more often the tinnitus is tied to the hearing loss that can result from taking Azithromycin.
Some people won’t fly when they have a cold or sinus infection so they don’t end up with middle ear problems. Others take a decongestant before and during the flight to prevent this.
I’d be careful about taking drugs that can cause hearing loss and or cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. (That’s a LOT of drugs.)
Regards
Neil
Dr. harpreet singh says
Hi Dr Neil
I am having tinnitus for the last 7 months[started with headphone loud music].Few days back I did online high frequency test with tones lasting 2 sec [using computer speakers] no head phones.It seems my tinnitus has become worst 2 days after that.The tones were not loud at all and 16 khz was hardly audible.Is it possible?
2. Of late my tinnitus has migrated to the head from ears and is audible variably at both places at differant occasions and it is changing its character since begining what may be the reason?when will it stablise?
3.Iam getting dipressed and having sleep disturbances. which medicine I can take which is not ototoxic.Presently I take diazepam 7.5 mg sos.Iam considering to take mirtazipine.Is it ototoxic or increases tinnitus.what about ssri ‘s like escitlopram.Please advise urgently.
thanks
harpreet
Dr. Neil says
Hi Harpreet:
1. I’m sure anything is possible–especially if you were worrying about your tinnitus–but it may not be likely. I’d think that your tinnitus resulted from listening to loud music and then decided to flare up at that time as you thought about it.
2. Some people hear their tinnitus in one ear, some in the other ear, some in both ears and some just in their heads. I don’t know why that happens and whether it will stabilize at some point or not. That is just the way it is.
3. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably take a non prescription drug instead. My choice would be the herbal Valerian. Or I might use music to help me sleep or use a CD of environmental sounds. However, if you insist on taking drugs, my first choice would NOT be drugs in the Benzodiazepine class as they can be dependence forming and you could go through “hell” trying to get off them in the future. Better not to become hooked in the first place. Diazepam can cause hearing loss and tinnitus among other things. Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic anti-depressant and can cause hearing loss and hyperacusis (when sounds become too loud). Again, not something you want to experience, not to mention all the other ototoxic side effects. Escitalopram is an SSRI and can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus among other ototoxic side effects. If I were depressed, I’d take the herbal St. John’s Wort. It works as well as most antidepressants according to a number of studies and it is NOT ototoxic.
I”ve had tinnitus for more than 60 years now and I’ve never taken anything for it. I’ve learned to live with it and it is no big deal now–although my ears are ringing away fairly loudly as I write this.
Regards
Neil
Dr. harpreet singh says
Dear Dr Neil
thanks for your input.Is there any difference between homeopathic and simple hebal st johns wort.I donot know if herbal one is available in india. Iam scared of homeopathic one because these are prepared in alcohol leaving no medicinal content and their principle of action like begets like[may not increase my depression].Is passiflora incarnata [homeopathic] safe for ears.It is available here in india and is anxiolytic and hypnotic.
thanks
harpreet
Dr. Neil says
Hi Harpreet:
Yes, homeopathic treatments are totally different from herbal treatments. In the USA homeopathy is considered a quack treatment by many people. Herbals command much more respect. I can understand your skepticism of homeopathy as it doesn’t seem logical. I haven’t used it myself, so reserve judgment on whether it works, and how well it works if it does.
I’ve never heard of any homeopathic formulations that are ototoxic so they are all probably safe for your ears if you choose to try any of them.
If you want to try herbals such as St. John’s Wort–if it isn’t available in India, it certainly is available on-line, so you could order it and have it shipped to India if your customs allows it into the country.
Regards
Neil
Barb C. says
Hi Neil,
A question for you. I’m originally from Ohio in the USA, moved to Denmark 8 years ago. Developed tinnitus about 5 years ago, I believe it started on a flight back to Denmark after visting home in Ohio. Now, here is the weird part. When I go home to visit my tinnitus all but disappears, when I come back to Denmark it returns full force. Denmark is below sea level, Ohio is far above sea level, can this possibly be the reason the tinnitus goes away when I’m back home and returns when I come back to Denmark? Also was wondering about ‘Baro-Trauma’ as a possible reason for the tinnitus. Thanks!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Barb:
I find it curious that it took 3 years AFTER you moved to Denmark before your tinnitus began. Was it on your way back after your FIRST trip back home after you moved to Denmark that your tinnitus began?
I’m also curious when exactly your tinnitus appears and disappears–is it in the plane? and if so exactly when–what elevation are you at at the time? Is it after you got off the plane? If so, how soon after?
As for barotrauma, the difference in elevation between Denmark at close to sea level and Ohio is less than 1,000 feet. The lowest point in Ohio is 455 feet and the highest is 1549 feet, with the average around 850 feet. When flying in a plane the air pressure change is much more–in the neighborhood of 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
I could see the flying causing the tinnitus, but not the change in elevation between Denmark and Ohio. Perhaps it is because you are so glad to be home that you don’t notice your tinnitus and you are more anxious, stressed or depressed when in Denmark.
Regards
Neil
Jack says
Hi Dr. Neil,
My situation seems to be different than most of what I’ve read. Bear with me while I explain.
Out of nowhere, I suddenly got a high-pitched ringing in my head. You need to know that I have NEVER exposed myself to loud sounds, even as a rock-n-roll loving teenager. However, in my car I have an adapter that allows me to play my MP3 player through the cassette deck. A few weeks ago, I ejected the cassette deck and got a very painful ear blast from the FM radio. (For some reason you have to turn up the cassette player a lot louder, so when it ejected the radio was up extremely high.) You’d think I would have learned the first time, but it happened again. I’m only telling you this because it’s the ONLY thing I can think of that would be ear-damage related. But I heard no ringing whatsoever at the time; it was probably at least one or two weeks later when the ringing appeared. My head has been ringing for a week now.
I guess my question is, is there a chance this will fade since the exposure was not over a long period of time?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jack:
There is always a chance your tinnitus will fade. But in order for this to happen, you need to learn not to focus on your tinnitus, but focus on other sounds and thus ignore your tinnitus in the process.
I’m not sure your tinnitus is related to the sudden loud racket you heard–the timing seems wrong. I would have expected your tinnitus to start almost immediately.
There are lots of other causes of tinnitus. Drugs would be a very common one, but you don’t mention any medications you have or are taking.
Regards
Neil
Scott says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I recently experienced something similar and was wondering if I could ask your opinion.
I was recently listening to Youtube videos through my car speakers while driving. I went from a very quiet video to an extremely loud video, and I had turned the volume up. The sudden noise hurt briefly, and I immediately turned it down. I forgot all about it until two days later when I noticed a high-pitched ringing when everything was quiet.
I’ve been to the doctor twice. The first doctor told me I had signs of ETD (negative ear pressure, sinus drainage, etc.). My ears click every time I swallow, especially the left one that rings.
The second doctor did not think I had hearing-loss tinnitus and advised me to take Aleve for inflammation.
That was a week ago. Since then, my ear ringing has begun to stop for longer and longer periods, sometimes for all or most of the day. I still have frequent ear popping and ear pressure that briefly resolves when I swallow, accompanied by clicking. The ringing does return, but it seems to fade away again more quickly and stay away for longer. I’m now 3 weeks in.
So I suppose my questions are:
1. Does the car stereo incident sound like it could have caused the ringing that began 2.5 days later?
2. Does it sound like my ringing will go away?
I should also mention that I went through an extremely stressful divorce 7 months ago and have been under considerable and constant stress. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you so much.
-Scott
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Scott:
The sudden loud CD with the sound way up–even though it was for just a brief time–could have caused acoustic shock that resulted in tinnitus 2 or 3 days later.
Since your tinnitus is going away for longer and longer periods of time, I see that as good news and that hopefully in the not to far distant future, your tinnitus will entirely disappear (unless you expose your ears to loud sounds again).
Are your ears congested at all–hence all the clicking and ear popping, or not? Depending on your answer, there are different treatments. Your doctors seem to think it is congestion, but I wonder. Let me know.
Cordially,
Neil
Ramya says
I have the same problem..its been 5 days now.Should I go to the Doc immediately or wait for it to fade away? I haven’t been exposed to any loud noise..but I have had it after I took a long shower last week..so could it be an ear infection or ear wax and not tinnitus? but my ear is not just blocked..I can hear this static sound…
Pls advice.
Thank you !
Dr. Neil says
Hi Ramya:
If you go to the doctor, what do you expect him to do? Prescribe drugs? or what? If your problem is a middle ear infection, it typically will clear itself in a few weeks without any treatment.
Is your tinnitus a continuous staticky sound, or an intermittent crackley sound? The former would likely be tinnitus, while the latter could be a middle ear infection or gunk in your Eustachian tube.
Regards
Neil
Ramya says
Hi Dr Neil,
I asked since I wasn’t sure if it was tinnitus or ear infection.The static sound has been continuous and it seems to have become more or its just that I sense it better because I’m conscious of the sound now..I’m not sure. But its starting to annoy me.I assumed it to be just water that got into my ear and possibly an infection but after 2 days I started to hear this static sound and got worried as I was aware about the tinnitus condition.
So, to answer your question..yes it is a continuous sound.What should I do ? I don’t usually expose myself to loud sounds and I’m startled and worried that I could suffer with tinnitus for the rest of my life. Thanks!
Sadya says
Hi Dr Neil,
I am 34 years old. Three years back, i felt a continuous ringing sound in my ears,and my right ear was blocked for sometime. On consulting the doctor and undergoing audio-gram test, i discovered that there was a mild loss of hearing in both the ears. I was not given any medicine and my doctor told me to ignore the ringing sound as nothing could be done about it. In these three years the problem decreased and i forgot about ringing sound.
In last three weeks, the ringing sound came back, but this time, the sound was high causing me a lot of disturbance. My doctor repeated my audio-gram tests to see if hearing loss had increased, but the hearing loss is almost the same as in the past i-e hearing TSH is 23.3db for right ear and 20 db for the left ear.
Doctor says there is no eardrum damage, only the audionic nerve has got weak. doctor gave me multivitamins, Neurorubion forte as well as BetaSerc 16 mg for use.
With the use of medicines the sound has reduced, but the problem is my anxiety. I feel very scared as i don’t want the sound to get loud again. At times, for an hour or so, i feel no sound at all. But as soon as i start hearing even a mild ringing sound again, i get scared of it getting increased again. My fear gets control of my body, my blood pressure goes low, my shoulders start aching, i feel unable to do anything at all.
I am very scared of having permanent tinnitus, and don’t wanna spend rest of my life hearing ringing voices. Please guide me if this tinnitus is permanent or not? Is it a big problem, or will it fade away just as it did 3 years back when i had started ignoring it. Why am i feeling so scared of it this time?
waiting for help. Thanks
Nik T says
Hello Dr. Neil,
9 Month back i was experiencing heavy piercing sound on my right ear. I was prescribed some medicine like vertim-16.. But on the 22nd Jan 2013 i totally loss the hearing sensation. After all the test ( Blood,MRI of ear & brain,Etc) shows normal then i was given Intra-Tympanic Steroid injection 4 times ( start on the 11 February 2013) in a span of 1 week besides some capsule & tab of vitamins. Now also the condition is same. Besides total hearing loss i also experiencing some some sound in it ( rt ear). For 2 Months no more medication ( i hv given up). Suggest Please…
Dr. Neil says
Hi Nik:
If I understand you correctly, you got loud piercing tinnitus about 9 months ago. Do you have any ideas what caused it? How much later did you notice you were losing your hearing? Sometimes tinnitus is the only warning that you are losing your hearing.
I don’t understand why you were given Vertin-16 (Betahistine). It is normally given to people experiencing vertigo–which you didn’t have.
Since you lost your hearing several months ago now, the chances of doing anything that will give you your hearing back is almost nil. Much better to now focus on learning how to successfully live with a hearing loss. If a hearing aid will help you, get one, but if you have total loss in the one ear, a standard hearing aid won’t help.
The sounds in your ear are tinnitus sounds and often accompany hearing loss. I’m not surprised you hear these sounds. The best thing to do is totally ignore these sounds and let them fade into the background. The more you focus on them, the worse they will become.
Regards
Neil
Greg says
Greetings Dr. Neill. I’ve now had tinnitus for just over 2 MONTHS. It all started when I had fluid(mucous) fill both my ears during a cold. I went to the doctor and he said I had otitis media and gave me some drops and zithromax. which to me kinda sounded like a weird diagnosis because I had to pain or fever. the fluid remained in my ears for several weeks before it seemed to clear out, but now it is several weeks later and both my ears are still ringing. when I went to an ENT a couple weeks ago she said it will self resolve and not to worry, it was due to inflammation. but it isn’t going away. I had no pain or vertigo, or fever/ vomiting so in at a loss how this could happen. Ive had some dizziness but that’s about it. is there a good chance this could still go away cuz I’m losing hope and the docs I’ve been to seem to be worth next to nothing. thanks doc.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Greg:
When you get a cold and it gets into your middle ears, it causes a conductive hearing loss. Typically it can take 2 or 3 months or more for the “gunk” to drain out via your Eustachian tubes–and hearing returns to normal and any associated tinnitus fades away. Doctors like to give you antibiotics to treat this–but doing nothing is a better choice according to the latest research–just let nature take its course and drain away naturally.
Ear drops and antibiotics such as Zithromax (Azithromycin) can cause more problems than they solve. For example, Azithromycin can CAUSE tinnitus, hearing loss and otitis media, dizziness and vertigo–the very things you have and want to avoid.
Given time, these symptoms may go away–and hopefully they will–but side effects from such drugs can be permanent in some people. That is why you want to be so careful when taking any drugs. You don’t know whether they will be temporary or permanent in your particular case.
My policy is only to take drugs for serious things–such as a matter of life or death, and let nature take its course for minor things (or use alternate treatments such as herbals, etc.). That way I avoid the side effects of drugs.
Regards
Neil
Janet R. says
Dear Dr. Neil,
Three years ago I flew overseas when sick and congested and developed severe barotrauma when the plane was descending. I couldn’t hear very well in my left ear for almost a month. I have suffered from pulsatile tinnitus in that ear ever since. The pulsatile tinnitus has definitely improved, and now I only hear it when it is very quiet. It does not affect me or majorly upset me.
Two weeks ago, I slipped on a wet floor and hit my ear on the bathtub. My ear was numb and throbbed for about an hour. I went to bed and upon wakening, noticed a very annoying sound in my ear. I can describe it as the sound a light fixture makes when going bad or the sound of crickets heard in the evening. I’m afraid that damage has been done, and this sound affects me greatly. I even hear it when the tv is on, or when other noise is present. I am very distressed about this. Do you think that the tinnitus is permanent, or could it go away?
Looking forward to your input.
Thanks,
Janet
Dr. Neil says
Hi Janet:
Ouch! That’s not the way to treat your ear! A nasty blow to your ear like that can cause tinnitus that may or may not be permanent. Only time will tell. I’d give it another month before you worry that it might be permanent. I have no way of knowing what the outcome will be. However, I can tell you this–if you remain neutral emotionally towards your tinnitus and focus on other things, it will tend to fade into the background and not bother you much. So even if it never goes away, it may become like your other tinnitus–just there, but not a source of annoyance. This will take time–a number of months or more, but it will happen if you don’t focus on it.
Regards
Neil
Bekah says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve had tinnitus for 8 years, a result of TMJ and fibromyalgia. Recently my tinnitus changed pitch, it changed from a ringing to more of a staticky hiss. Today though my right ear is ringing much louder than the left. I’ve been doing really well at ignoring the noise but recently it’s been a struggle.
I’m now masking with a fan, which helps, and the changes started after adding vitamin B12, zinc and melatonin to my daily routine.
My TMJ is mainly on the right side. It is possible for the pitch to change/increase on the TMJ affected side? It’s definitely in both ears but the right side is now louder.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Bekah:
Yes, TMJ can affect tinnitus on either side. If your jaw joint is out, just clenching your teeth should make your tinnitus change in pitch and or volume. So can turning your head all the way left or right.
Have you gone to a dentist or chiropractor regarding your TMJ? If so, are any treatments they do helping?
Regards
Neil
Bekah says
Also forgot to note that my TMJ has been flared up the last couple days as well.
bastian says
Hi, one week ago i was in a loud nightclub. I had low tinitus and some hearingloss from the past. But after the nightclub ny hearing and tinitus is much worse. I didnt were plugs, but i took lots of earbreaks outside and tryed to be carefull. Is there any hope of recovering? Im spesially conserned about my hearing, because it got alot better in the past and i was happy, now i am relly sad.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Bastian:
You can only abuse your ears so much before you do permanent damage. In loud situations you need to ALWAYS wear ear protection since you have damaged your ears in the past (both hearing loss and tinnitus). Taking ear breaks is good–but in your case, obviously not enough to prevent damage.
Since it has been a week now, and since temporary threshold shifts typically revert to normal hearing in a few hours, it is not looking all the good for you. The tinnitus may take longer to fade away (if it does), but hearing should have returned by now if it is going to. I wouldn’t give up hope until a month has passed.
In the future you ALWAYS need to protect your ears from loud sounds (ear protectors, not just ear breaks) or your hearing will just continue to get worse and worse.
Regards
Neil
bastian says
Thank you for quick reply. So you think that my hearing will stay like this and not improve? What could happen in a month? Could my hearing improve or just my tinitus? Sorry for asking so much, but this is making me depressed.
Monica Streat says
Dear Dr Neil,
I am very worried about my son Michael who is far away from home in Australia. He went to an audiologist in Australia as he was suffering badly with continues high pitched ringing in both ears. He was told that his hearing was slightly off. However he was told there is no cure for tinnitus and to learn to live with. Sadly he suffers from OCD and this is compounding it and he is saying that he cannot live with it. He has had it now for two months and although I am doing everything to support him l cannot help feel helpless and any advice would be greatly appreciate.
Kind Regards
Monica Streat
Dr. Neil says
Hi Monica:
What caused his tinnitus in the first place? Drugs? Noise? ?? What changed two months ago?
OCD can make dealing with tinnitus ever so much harder as a person with OCD typically won’t leave their tinnitus alone and focus on other things. They typically keep on focusing on their tinnitus and this only makes it worse and worse. I’ve helped people with OCD before, but it can be a slow process–taking 2 or 3 years or so.
Regards
Neil
Monica Streat says
Dear Neil,
Thank you so much for your reply. Michael was on a course of antibiotics. Additionally he did notice it after going to a nightclub. In my heart I think he is better to come home as we can support him as the distance between is awful. I really appreciate your support. I am telling him not to focus but as you addressed it in your reply the OCD is not helping
Kind Regards
Monica
Dr. Neil says
Hi Monica:
Do you know which antibiotic he took? Some are much more likely to cause tinnitus than others. Also, taking some antibiotics and at the same time exposing your ears to loud sounds (nightclubbing) in the weeks or months afterwards can make the effect of noise much worse–sort of a double whammy.
If he is really having trouble with his tinnitus, he should get help. Neuromonics (which was developed in Australia) is one good treatment. So is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). I’d recommend the Neuromonics and see whether it helps him. It’s expensive and he has to take the time to do the necessary listening, but the results can be worth it, but ONLY if he sticks with the program. Ditto for TRT. Both are long term treatments–up to 3 years–but that is probably what he needs. There is no easy/quick treatment–especially with OCD.
Regards
Neil
Arlo says
I hope you are still monitoring this blog. Sadly, I now have tinnitius and it is usually accompanied with a minor headache. It started approximately May of this year when, I know you going to tell me this is crazy, I went into my office one day. My ears rang in my office and stopped when I left. It was literally on and off when I stepped across the threshold of my door. Despite the ringing, which was low and had a high frequency, I continued working for the most part and suffered it out in my office. After a week, the ringing never stopped when I left my office. A few weeks later, my throat started burning after being in there. I finally got them to test the air in my office they found moderate levels of formaldehyde(greater than 50 parts per billion). I have now abandoned my office for a cube, but sadly the ringing persists. Luckily, my throat feels fine. I have gone to several physicians and an ENT. They do not know what caused my ringing, but they all believe it was partially resulting from damage to my ears. I cant hear the higher frequencies well. I tried to explain to them that it would be difficult to hear anything at those frequencies at low decibels, because of the ringing in my ears. Furthermore, this doesn’t explain the ringing that was only occurring in my office. I had an MRI and it came back normal, which is a good thing. By my calculation, I would have been exposed to Formaldehyde for almost two years before I started complaining. Have you heard of a similar story to this or do you have any recommendations. I am scared and pray this goes away. I am now taking sinus and allergy medicines for the first time in my life too:(.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Arlo:
It sure sounds like you have some sort of pollution in your building that concentrated in your office. (Maybe you had you door shut.) If you are experiencing “sick building syndrome” it could be the formaldehyde, plus a number of other pollutants.
Formaldehyde is only listed as causing dizziness and vertigo, not tinnitus–that is why I also suspect something else. But formaldehyde is a poison and can cause lots of things to go wrong with your body.
Do your symptoms (headaches and tinnitus) go away over the weekends when you are away from your office for a couple of days? If so, think “sick building syndrome” no matter what they officially “find”.
Tinnitus should not interfere with hearing testing except at the frequency of your tinnitus. But if they tested you using a warble tone instead of a pure tone, you could readily distinguish one from the other. The solution is that easy–but few seem to care to do that.
Taking sinus and allergy drugs just compounds the problem as they may cause the tinnitus themselves. Just allergies alone can cause tinnitus. So you have some different possibilities–high-frequency hearing loss, pollutants, drugs, allergies–and likely more than one of these at the same time.
Regards
Neil
Monica Streat says
Dear Dr Neil,
Thank you so much for taking the time to offer such support.
I have passed on your messages to my son Michael and he is very grateful to you.
When Michael and I last spoke he mentioned that apart from the high pitched ringing he is now saying that he cannot talk with out constant popping/clicking in his right ear. He believes this is because he has damaged his cochlea.As mentioned previously his tinnitus does change pitch when he clenches his teeth. He also mentions that he cannot go into bars, clubs, parties and festivals and if he drinks alcohol it gets worse. Could you recommend a make of earplugs. I feel he will become a recluse as he has also lost his job which has compounded everything.
Kind Regards
Monica
Regards
Monica
Dr. Neil says
Hi Monica:
The constant popping/clicking is not damage to the cochlea. Typically is is caused by either the temporomandibular joint out of place (TMD) or “gunk” in the middle ear/Eustachian tube commonly from a middle ear infection, and when air exchanges–typically when you yawn or swallow, the air passing through the “gunk” makes a popping or clicking or crackling sound.
Not a good idea to go into loud venues like bars, etc with wearing ear plugs to protect your ears from the loud sounds. Loud sounds just make tinnitus worse and worse.
For some people alcohol is a tinnitus trigger–seems to be in Michael’s case. For other people it acts the opposite and quiets tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Monica Streat says
Dear Neil,
Thank you so much for your reply.
I passed on your message and Michael is very relieved that the clicking is not cochlea damage. I did forget to mention that Michael actually suffers from Pure O OCD and I am wondering how this will effect his recovery as it involves unwanted thoughts.
Kind Regards
Monica
Everardo says
Hello Dr Neil my tinnitus started like two months ago by listening to loud music with my earbuds first it was just my left ear but the next day I started noticing a high pitch noise in my right ear, I also hear a crackling/popping sound in both of my ears when I yawn or swallow, my jaw hurts too when I eat my hearing test was good an I had an MRI done just to make sure I didn’t had a tumor and everything was good my ENT doctor told me that my tinnitus is not permanent but they don’t know when is it going to stop I believe that I damaged some hair cells.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Everardo:
I think you have two different problems. The crackling/popping sounds you hear and your sore jaw indicates that you likely have temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). A dentist or chiropractor that specializes in this should be able to help you. This can also result in tinnitus. So treating this may help alleviate your tinnitus.
Exposing your ears to loud sounds, especially over a longer period of time such as when listening to music for hours via earbuds can lead to tinnitus too. Typically, tinnitus from this is temporary and lasts a few hours or days. However, the more you do this, the longer the tinnitus lasts until it becomes permanent and never goes away. This is one reason you need to practice proper listening habits before you ever get tinnitus. The proper level for listening to music (or anything else) is to adjust the volume so it is about the same volume as people talking. That may seem much too soft to you if you are addicted to loud music, but that is all you need in order to hear music well (after all you hear people well at that volume) and it won’t damage your ears–which could result in tinnitus, hearing loss, hyperacusis and other ear problems.
Regards
Neil
Vinusha says
Hi DR Neil
I have been doing some research as mine started ringing/hissing(feel like hot air is coming out of my ears) last week. It started with a throat infection and my GP was not very optimistic and he put me down by saying that i’ll have to live with it. I finished my antibiotics and my throat and right ear( bad ear) are both itchy. Obviously the antibiotics didn’t work. Do i get a repeat? There’s a girl Suzanna in the threat she says she has used a herbal ear drop. Do you have any idea which one is that? I am doing my final year at university and i dont want the noise to bother me. Please help.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Vinusha:
I’m not clear about the start of your tinnitus. Did your tinnitus start after your throat infection, but BEFORE you began taking the antibiotics, or AFTER you began taking the antibiotics?
I suspect that the antibiotics caused your tinnitus. If you tell me which antibiotics you took, I can tell you more about whether your tinnitus is likely to prove permanent or not.
Regards
Neil
Chris says
Hi Dr. Neil
I recently (3 days now)have the ringing in my ears. I know it’s not from loud music or noises or swimming so am curious to what it could be from and what/if I can do to make it go away. It’s been constant for 3 days now it’s not too loud but I notice it. Am 29 years old male and a smoker. I haven’t been to doctor for has long as I can remember. Am wondering if I change my bad habits like smoking and drinking Pepsi will I be able to get rid of this without having to go to a hospital. Any insight would be helpful, Thank You
Dr. Neil says
Hi Chris:
The first thing I’d like to know is what changed in your life in the two weeks preceding hearing your tinnitus. Often that gives a clue to your tinnitus.
For example, did you have any extra stress, anxiety or depression? Strong emotions can cause tinnitus.
Did you change any medications or drugs or start any–medical or otherwise? More than 450 drugs can cause tinnitus.
Is there any change in your hearing? Smoking can cause hearing loss. And hearing loss–even way up in the high frequencies where you typically don’t notice the loss can cause tinnitus.
There are some things to consider. Anything ring a bell?
Regards
Neil
Amelia says
Hi Dr Neil
I’m a 30 year old female who has been experiencing high pitched tinnitus in both ears for 2 weeks now.
For the past 7 months I’ve been battling a sinus infection which was diagnosed via CT scan. Ive been on quite a few courses of antibiotics (not in any list of tinnitus causing medication) trying to shift it.
3 weeks ago I saw an ENT who prescribed a nasal spray (fluticasone) and a nasal irrigation (Neilmed)
This worked for a few days – it felt as if whatever was blocking my sinusus in my forehead and behind my eye was moving down – I began to feel pressure under my eyes.
However when doing the nasal rinse one day as usual it hurt. It felt as if I was very clogged and took alot of squirting to get the rinse past my nose. After the rinse than night I started to hear ringing. My ENT told me to stop the rinse which I have but no change in the ringing.
Is it possible this is sinus related? Or could the pressure of the nasal rinse have damaged my ears from internally? At the moment my ears feel blocked on and off slightly – not impeding my hearing – and most of my sinus pain and symptoms have disappeared.
Would love your take on this,
Amelia
Dr. Neil says
Hi Amelia:
First, I’m surprised that you have taken several antibiotics and none of them are listed as causing tinnitus. I’d be interested in comparing them to my list of tinnitus-causing drugs.
I think you can get tinnitus from sinus congestion, but I don’t think you can affect your ears from too much nasal pressure when squirting, but I’m no expert on this aspect of ears. I’d give it a couple of weeks and see whether the tinnitus goes away.
Regards
Neil
Amelia says
Thanks for your prompt response. I truly appreciate it.
The antibiotics were amoxil and augmentin duo forte (Australian branding) while I was on them at no time did I have ringing. That only started with the nasal spray and rinse.
The specific name of the nasal spray is “Amamys”.
Unfortunately even with ceasing that treatment the ringing persists
Dr. Neil says
Hi Amelia:
Amoxicillin is the generic name of Augmentin. Typically it is not ototoxic, but the odd person may get tinnitus from taking this drug.
I think your nasal spray was Avamys (not Amamys). The generic drug is Fluticasone. According to my information, it is not reported as causing tinnitus.
I think your tinnitus is the result of your congestion somehow affecting your ears. I’d expect it to go away when the congestion all clears up.
Regards
Neil
Ehsaan says
Dear Dr. Neil,
I was having ear ache and i used ear buds to clear the wax in my ears. As i did it, it started ringing in my ears the next day. I went to ENT to get the ears checked and he said since i used ear buds it has pushed the ear wax further inside. My ears were blocked and i couldnt hear clearly.
He gave me soliwax drops to soften the ear wax post which he cleaned both the ears. My hearing became really good and the levels of sound in the ears had also dropped significantly, however there was a still slight whistling sound in both the ears.
Its been 2 weeks now and the sound levels are more or less the same. Obviously i was deeply stressed about it and keep thinking about it all the time and look for hearing.
I cannot hear it during the entire day now but i can hear it when i go to bed and put my head to the pillow. Obviously this keeps me thinking about it during the day and i keep checking in between whether its there or gone.
I went back to my ENT again today after 2 weeks of clearing my ears and he said you just forget about the noise in your ears and it will go gradually since your ears are clean and it takes few days for the noise to go after the cleaning.
Pls advise.
Regards,
Ehsaan
Dr. Neil says
Hi Ehsaan:
You are doing the worst thing possible by concentrating on your tinnitus. This is GUARANTEED to make it worse and permanent. What you need to do is just totally ignore it by focusing on other things. Don’t keep on listening for it to see if it is still there.
In time, maybe a few days or a few weeks or longer, it will fade into the background and you won’t notice it at night anymore than you notice it during the day when you are busy with other things.
Regards
Neil
Ehsaan says
Thanks Dr Neil
i will follow ur advise. i only come to know about it in the night time when i go to bed.
i also have cold,shall i take souna steam, will that help.
my audiogram shows my hearing as normal
since this is due to ear wax,will this go permanently.i hope i havent aggrovated the situation by checking frequently in the last two weeks.as i can say my sound levels have reduced than before
thank god,i found ur forum.you are doing a great service.god bless u
pls advise
regards,
ehsaan
Ehsaan says
Dear Dr Neil,
Thanks a lot for your advise.
I will surely keep this in mind now. I am not able to hear the voice the entire day. I can hear it only when i go in a silent room or when i am sleeping at night time. The whistling sounds is particularly irritating during night time while sleeping.
I am also having cold, the doctor has given me one table to bring down the cold and asked me to take steam bath.
Will the whistling sound go permanently since this was caused by ear wax and i hear a very mild sound.
I have not checked the entire day today and follow my advise. I hope i havent aggrovated the situation by checking the levels of sound for the past 2 weeks.
You are doing a great service to everyone.
Thanks,
Ehsaan
Nicholas says
Hello Dr,
I am 24 years old and in the Canadian military. Friday was my first shoot with the .50 cal sniper rifle. I was wearing the foam, orange ear protectors. After shooting my left ear was partially deaf, but I have gained a bit back now. But, ringing has continued and not stopped (it is now Tuesday). I have seen the military doctors who have documented it but have given me little to no information other than stay away from loud noises. At what point should I start to become concerned?
Thank you,
Nicholas
Dr. Neil says
Hi Nicholas:
Were your foam ear protectors in properly? You need to roll them up then insert them and let them expand. If you don’t do it properly, they won’t protect your ears. Next, what was the protection factor? I’m assuming that you were using a 30 db protection factor.
Now to answer YOUR questions. A loud sound can give you a temporary threshold shift–in other words a temporary hearing loss. Typically, the muffled feeling lasts for a few minutes to a few hours. I wouldn’t expect it to last for 4 days–unless you have abused your ears in the past so they are on their “last legs”. You could also expect the tinnitus to go away in a few minutes to a few hours too.
Don’t give up hope yet, but maybe it’s time to do something about it. If you go to an ear specialist (ENT), typically all he will do is prescribe Prednisone (a steroid). Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesen’t. If you want to try more natural ways, you could follow what I have written in a couple of my articles at
http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/loud-music-and-hearing-loss.php
and
http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/vitamins-a-c-e-combined-with-magnesium-help-prevent-noise-induced-hearing-loss.php
There are no guarantees in any case, but the alternative is to do nothing (and so far that’s not working).
Regards
Neil
Nicholaa says
I am not sure what type i was using and yes they were in correctly. I have been in the army many years and shot many guns but never experienced this. I saw my doctor today who said he thinks it will go away but has referred me to a specialist.
Paul says
Hello Dr.
I’m 40 and I visited an outdoor shooting range 8 days ago. Despite being outdoors the shooting booths were enclosed and pretty reverberant (almost like an indoor range). I doubled up with 28 NRR plugs and 26 NRR pads, and preceded to fire 25 rounds of .30 Winchester magnum caliber. At the time, I felt like my ears were well protected. I couldn’t hear much with the protection in.
Anyway, I think my left ear has suffered damage. I have done some testing of my ears at home, and I can only hear to 14KHz with my left, but to 14.5kH with y right. Plus I have a feint ringing in my left at ~14.5 kHz type pitch. Sometimes it’s quite pronounced, other times (like last night going to sleep) it is almost not there. I do have a slight bunged up feeling in my left ear. Coincidentally I do suffer with hard wax in my left ear.
I am really annoyed with myself that I didn’t think things through, and wear heavier protection and visit a more open range. I was too excited to fire my new rifle I guess.
I am having a professional hearing test this Tuesday.
Some questions I’d like to ask.
Is there any chance this tinnitus will go away?
Is it possible I just pushed wax into my ear canal with my ear plugs (maybe I’m just grasping at straws here)?
Should I visit a ENT doctor, maybe try steroids or something?
Do you think it be OK/safe to keep shooting this rifle if I wear 33 NRR plugs with 30 NRR muffs and shoot on open booth outdoor ranges? Should I stop all shooting for the short term?
Any advice appreciated.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Paul:
I think your ears were well protected with the plugs and pads. There is a limit as to how much protection you can add. That figure is somewhere around 35 dB or so. After that the sound just penetrates your skull and generates a sound signal in your inner ears.
I’d say the proof that you were well protected is that you state you couldn’t hear much of anything. If the shots didn’t sound loud to you, that is probably the truth and you didn’t damage your ears–or certainly not very much if you did.
I don’t see any reason why your tinnitus won’t go away, or at least fade into the background–BUT you have to make it happen. If you obsess about your tinnitus and listen for it to be sure it is still there, you can almost guarantee that it will never go away. However, if you totally forget about your tinnitus and get on with your life, there is an excellent chance that you’ll almost never notice it, and even if you do, it won’t bother you. It will just be there, like the noise of your fridge is “there” but you seldom notice it unless you specifically listen for it.
If you have wax in your ear, that could cause tinnitus by itself, as well as giving you a bit of a hearing loss. And the ear plugs could also push it in further. So when you get your hearing checked, make sure they take the wax out first so your ear canals are clean.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend using steroids at this point. You just need to see a person qualified to take out the wax. In some places that is a medical doctor. In other places, an audiologist can do it. So you need to check where you live.
I wouldn’t give up shooting–just use adequate protection–unless you notice that any more shooting aggravates your ears. But I’m betting getting the wax out and using high-protection fact earplugs/muffs will do the trick.
Regards
Neil
Paul says
Many thanks for the advice.
I have since learnt that my .300 calibre rifle could generate 170 dB SPL, and I guess in a reverberant environment that could climb to ~174 dB? If my protection could only ever be as great as 35 dB, then I think I could have exceeded 140 dB at my left ear. Classically my right has no issues, as it was shielded from the muzzle by my “head shadow” (I’m a right handed shooter).
The shots didn’t sound loud when I fired, but sometimes when you’re concentrating and pulling the trigger, you don’t notice the “bang” so much. But certainly I never thought, “damn, my ears!”. Not at all. In fact I took off the protection to chat with the range officer during cease fire.
I don’t recall any issues with my hearing later in the (Saturday) evening.
I shot trap (12 gauge shotgun) the next day, and that was in the open and noticeably less loud.
I’d say it was Monday that I started to notice this.
I’ll get some better muffs and only shoot the rifle in the open. I’m also thinking of knocking up a makeshift shield to put between the muzzle and the left part of my head.
I’ll ask the audiologist to clean my ear canals on Tuesday prior to the test, but I’m not letting them stick wires in or anything! I’ve read of a few disasters with that technique.
Anu says
Dear Dr Neil,
My 4 year old daughter experienced hear loss due to wax. A ENT doc used a hook to remove wax and hearing seemed to be slightly better. But even after 2 days of this episode, her hearing is not back to normal. I am totally scared. What are your thoughts please ?
TIA,
Anu
Dr. Neil says
Hi Anu:
First, how do you know that the hearing loss was due to wax? Second, how do you know the doctor removed all the wax?
IF the hearing loss was DUE to wax and the doctor got ALL the wax, hearing would return instantaneously.
So either her hearing loss was NOT due to wax (at least not totally due to wax), or the doc did a shoddy job of removing the wax.
You need to go to another doctor and have him tell you whether her ear canals are wax-free or not. That’s the first step. If they are wax-free, then you know that her hearing loss is due to other causes. Thus the next step is to go to an audiologist and have a complete audiological evaluation done. That will tell you whether her hearing loss is due to a conductive cause such as a middle ear infection, or sensorineural cause which would indicate hearing loss in the cochlea–perhaps from a virus, or from taking ototoxic drugs that can cause hearing loss, etc.
Regards
Neil
Esam says
I was near to bomb car accident just 5 meters on 6 august 2013,which led to the next:
Right ear small hole eardrum a few lost hearing and no tinnitus.
The left is the problem with greater hearing loss and ruptured eardrum(50% of it as the doctor said) and continuous tinnius.
For the ear holes they did not cure till now.
the specialist wants to make a paste operation by topical anesthetic to eardrum ruptured.
Are this operation affects on the strength of hearing or tinnitus in my case?
Thank you for help and advices.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Esam:
I think it is a good idea to get your eardrums fixed. It should help prevent ear infections as well as give you back about 20 dB of hearing in your left ear and may reduce your tinnitus too–although there are no guarantees.
You’ll still be left with a mild hearing loss in both ears though.
Regards
Neil
Esam says
Hi Dr.Neil
Then I will do it
I will let You know the result in few days I hope
Thank you Thank you
Michaela says
Hello, I have tinnitus for a month now and it started after I came back home from my holiday (two hours flight). I have to mention that I noticed it when I when to bed four days after my flight. Also I attended a few parties with loud music the days before I had to fly back home. After the parties I had the noise in my ear but by the morning it just went away. When I arrived home I felt some mild jaw pain that ended the day my tinnitus started( 4 days after my flight). Some days I still feel that pain. My doctor said I have no hearing loss and that I have to wait one more month for further investigation. I would like to hear your opinion on my situation and if you think this is noise induced or it is caused by something else. Thank you for all the insight provided so far.
Michaela
Jimmy says
Went to a show on Saturday night. Literally stood a foot in front of one of the speakers for around 3 hours straight. It was super loud but not completely unbearable which is why I stayed there (plus the view). Anyways, I haven’t gone to all that many loud shows/events in my life. This year I have been to about 10 shows and only 2 have I left with minor ringing in my ears the next day, which went away within 24 hrs. This time is different though. The day after it was worse than ever. I couldn’t hear others speak unless they really spoke up. It’s slightly subsided…at the 36 hour mark. But there is still significant ringing in my ears and now I’m getting quite nervous. I’ve read many different things. That because I really don’t have prolonged exposure to this time of noise, I should be fine and also that the one incident this bad could really cause permanent damage. I was hoping for some realistic feedback here. Also, how long before I can even think about going to a club/show (obviously positioning myself to where I’m not in too loud of a spot)? Thanks.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jimmy:
Each time you expose your ears to loud sounds, you risk more damage. This damage is cumulative. Standing 1 foot from a super loud speaker was not smart for any length of time. Standing there for 3 hours was just plain dumb. You have a significant threshold shift–meaning a hearing loss. Hopefully most of it will prove to be temporary, but there are no guarantees.
There are no guarantees that your tinnitus will go away now. The first few times it usually goes away as you have found in the past, but eventually, as you continue to expose your ears to loud sounds, it finally becomes permanent. You are “playing with fire” at this point.
Its time you stop abusing your ears and begin to protect them. It’s not that you can’t go to shows in the future, you just have to wear ear protectors. Even then, you can’t stand right next to speakers because the sounds will go to your inner ears via bone conduction.
A good rule of thumb is to limit your noise exposure to 80 dB or less and you shouldn’t hurt your ears. If you expose your ears to sounds above 80 dB, then you need to wear ear protectors and limit the time you expose your ears to louder sounds.
You can get sound level meter apps for you smart phone so you know what is dangerous to your ears and what isn’t.
Regards
Neil
Diana Rainville says
Hello. Im 44 y.o and as a kid I grew up with constant ear infections. So much so they were going to put tubes in. But over time I was fine. As a kid I was also diagnosed with 10% loss of hearing in my left ear. Once I burst an ear drum. But asI got older. No Iissues. But 3 yrs ago I had a motorcycle accident and landed on my head first. I did lose temporary consciousness and of course had a concussion. Among other injuries. While I was in hopsital for a month I never did notice any ringing and was on massive amounts of meds and which some I still am. But I did start noticing the ringing. But its in both ears. Now I can hear but its just that its muffled when I try to listen when people talk. I and them get frustratedbecause I have to ask them to repeat. My doc sent me to an ent. They gave me hearing test. The ringing just overrides sounds. They said have some loss Iin both. But said nothing can be done for the ringing and may need to use aids one day to help clarify people speaking. I cant believe how loud it is. It drives me crazy. I try not to pay attention. But when its so loud in both. It cant b done. Is there a way to help or cure or well anything to help. Its been 3 yrs now. Thank you for your time.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Diana:
Since so many drug can cause tinnitus–and you took massive amounts–I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your tinnitus is drug-induced, but it may also be partly caused by the head trauma you endured. It doesn’t have to be all one or all the other.
If speech sounds muffled when people talk, that is typically an indication that you have a significant high-frequency hearing loss.
Loud tinnitus makes it hard to hear speech through all the racket, doesn’t it? I remember when my tinnitus would get really bad I didn’t want to talk to anyone–just be by myself until my tinnitus toned it down again.
If you can learn to be emotionally neutral towards your tinnitus, you have a good chance at bringing your tinnitus under control so it won’t bother you. However, if you are high-strung and keep worrying about your tinnitus, you’ll fiind your tinnitus continues to bother you and get worse. If that is your case, you need to seek help from someone that treats tinnuts using either Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) or Neuromonics. Just be away that both of these treatments can cost you $2,500 to $3,000 and can take from 18 months to 3 years or longer to complete. But it can be well worth it in the end. You have to persevere with these treatments in order to succeed.
Regards
Neil
kamal says
dr for about 10 days from now i have some hissing kind of sound inside of my head.together with that i have redening of my ears as my doc said.i still have ear block,pain and difficulty of sleeping and nasal congesion.and i have chronic tronsilitis.my tympanogram and audiogram is normal.i started my antiobiotic course 2days back.will this hissing kind of thing will go away..thanks alot
Dr. Neil says
Hi Kamal:
There is no way to predict the future, but if you hissing tinnitus is caused by your cold/virus and middle ear infection, then as the infection goes away and the gunk in the middle ear drains away, chances are your tinnitus will also go away or fade into the background, but there are no guarantees.
Regards
Neil
Scott says
Hello Dr. Bauman,
For the past 6 months I have been experiencing fluctuating hearing loss/tinnitus in both ears. I’m more concerned with the hearing loss than the tinnitus as it is pretty quiet. The loss started after a night out at a club. I was in the club for no longer than 30 minutes, and far from the speakers. Upon leaving my hearing was diminished. It returned to normal over the next few weeks and stayed that way for a while. However the hearing loss has come and gone over the past few months. It will be normal for a few weeks, and then be clogged up for a week before returning to normal. I have also noticed that whenever I am in an environment with a moderate noise level (75-85db) and I return to a quiet environment I can’t hear as well as I did beforehand. When I return to the quiet environment it’s as if there is still background noise even though there is none. Any idea what could cause this? I saw an ENT at the onset of these problems and he seemed to think everything was okay. I’ve seen 2 audiologists and they have both said I am hearing normal.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Scott:
You say you are having fluctuating hearing loss, but when you are tested, your hearing is normal. That means either you are tested when your hearing is good, or you have the perception of hearing loss when you don’t really have a hearing loss.
When you say “clogged up” does this mean that your hearing feels muffled/blocked, or is it because you have congestion in your middle ears from a cold/flu/virus? When your middle ears get physically clogged up, that can cause a conductive hearing loss–but your audiologists should have picked that up.
When you go from a noisy environment to a quiet one and can’t hear as well, that is because you have a temporary threshold shift. In other words, you have a temporary hearing loss. You shouldn’t experience this if the worst sounds were only 85 dB, but maybe your ears are particularly sensitive for some reason now.
The “background noise” you “hear” is probably a form of tinnitus. Does it go away when your hearing returns to normalL
Regards
Neil
mick says
hello dr neil,
I first got tinnitus from fire alarm exposure, i was in a packed shed trying to find the alarm, i was in the shed for 2 minutes trying to find the alarm that was on the floor somewhere in the shed, my eardrums were beating like 2 heartbeats in my head, i got temporary threshold shift straight away follwed by mild tinnitus, the full feeling i got lasted 2 weeks before disappearing. i had mild tinnitus for 14 months until 6 weeks ago, i slammed shut a car bonnet/hood, thought to myself it was quite loud, but my ears felt fine after, but 6 hours later i believe i got temporary threshold shift again, the same fullness feeling i got with the alarm exposure last year. My ears felt extremely blocked for 5 days until disappearing, but a day after the noise my tinnitus has gone from mild to moderate, i can hear it in the day now, it has increased a fair bit.
Is this tinnitus increase permanent after 6 weeks?
Can temporary threshold shift be delayed? it took 6 hours for the stuffy ears to show up.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mick:
It’s entirely possible that you have a permanent increase in your tinnitus now, but if you learn to habituate to your tinnitus and focus on other things, it may fade into the background and not bother you. Typically, the effects of loud noise are cumulative so with additional loud sounds, you can make your existing tinnitus worse, especially if your ears are particularly sensitive.
I’m not sure how to answer your question about a delayed threshold shift. You’d think it would be immediate, and it often is, but I think I could build a case for a delayed threshold shift too.
Regards
Neil
mick says
Thank you Dr Neil,
I am completely shocked that shutting a car bonnet gave me TTS and increased tinnitus, all i thought would increase tinnitus before was sustained loud noise such as concerts or loud bars etc. This leaves me very uncertain about any unavoidable loud noises worsening me tinnitus again. Do you think me getting TTS means that my noise threshold has been lowered, what wouldn’t bother my ears before now have physically shown damage? The way im going i will have severe tinnitus in no time!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mick:
I’m not saying it did, you did. Is there anything else to which you could attribute your hearing and tinnitus problems instead? If not, we have to go with what we have–presumably the loud slamming of the bonnet.
You can get tinnitus and a TTS from a sudden loud sound like a rifle shot. It does not have to be sustained noise.
It is very possible that you ears are damaged and thus more sensitive to future loud sounds. Only time will tell how it will work out in the future. But I don’t think you have to be overly worried–just be careful of what you expose your ears to.
Regards
Neil
mick says
thanks Dr Neil,
I originally thought maybe it was a sinus infection causing the blocked ears for 5 days after. But then i thought about the car bonnet slamming shut, remembering before with TTS i got from the alarm last year.
But then i was doubtful because of the time it took for me to get the blocked ears, i slammed shut the car bonnet at 10am and it wasn’t until 4pm i got stuffy, blocked ears that lasted 5 days after. But maybe it is possible for TTS to be delayed for hours after?
Would a car bonnet slamming shut be enough to cause TTS? Or isn’t it likely to be the noise and could be something else such as a 6 week long sinus infection? i am confused to what caused the blocked ears followed by this tinnitus increase.
mick says
To Dr Neil,
Would a car bonnet slamming shut be enough to cause TTS to appear 6 hours later?
or is the blocked ear feeling for 5 days after something unrelated such as sinuses, congestion etc causing this increase in my tinnitus for 6 weeks now.
Thanks
Mick
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mick:
It’s sure hard to say–given the limited information–whether slamming the hood or the sinus infection is the cause of your TTS. Perhaps it was a combination of the two.
I think the only way you’ll know for sure is what happens in the future when you have no ear or sinus infections and a loud sound assaults your ears. If no harm results, then it was likely the infection. If you get a TTS and/or tinnitus, then you know it is loud sounds.
Regards
Neil
mick says
Thanks Dr Neil,
It must have been from the car bonnet slamming shut then increasing my tinnitus and giving me stuffy full ears for a week after.
The only reason i thought it was somethink else was because it took 6 hours for the stuffy ear feeling to come on.
Hopefully it will go back down soon.
Thank you.
Mick.
Mick says
Hello Dr Neil,
I wanted a second opinion from you,
I went to see my local doctor and explained to him I slammed shut a car bonnet and my tinnitus increased a day after, I told him I got blocked ears 6 hours after the noise, that I thought was temporary threshold shift lasting for 5 days after.
He told me it is not possible to get temporary threshold shift from a car bonnet slamming and if it did i would have got the stuffy, blocked ears straight away, not 6 hours later.
I am not sure what to believe, in your experience, could the car bonnet have caused TTS for a week after? Or was the blocked ears followed by the increased tinnitus for 7 weeks now from something unrelated?
I would be very grateful if you could give your opinion as you seem more of an expert in this area.
Thank you.
Raymond says
Dr Neil:
I was told I have a ruptured ear drum in my left ear most likely due to the ear infection I had, this was a little less then 2 weeks ago and I’ve had a ringing in my ear I’m assuming (tinnitus) I was wondering can the ringing stop once the ruptured ear drum is healed? Or will I have to deal with this for life? I’m currently setting up a date to meet an ENT specialist
Dr. Neil says
Hi Raymond:
Yes, the ringing may stop once your ear drum heals AND the infection that caused the rupture in the first place goes away. Your hearing should come back to normal and at the same time, your tinnitus should fade away. However, if you worry about your tinnitus in the meantime, you can cause it to get worse instead of better. So, basically learn to ignore your tinnitus and focus on the loves of your life.
Regards
Neil
Raymond says
Dr. Neil
I try to distract my mind from it but it’s easier said then done especially when you have a ringing in your ear all day every day for going on 3 weeks, I try to stay thinking positive thoughts but I’m sure everyone fears the thought of long term tinnitus I’m only 20 I cut down caffeine, smoking (marijuana) I’m just hoping for the best is there anything I should do that may help in the mean time?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Raymond:
You also need to protect your ears from loud sounds in the future. Some people find their tinnitus gets a lot worse when a loud sound assaults their ears. So wear ear protectors when you are around loud sounds (or better yet, avoid them completely). However, do NOT wear ear protectors when there are no loud sounds present or you can make matters worse since at that point your ears (brain) are starved for sounds and your brain can turn up its internal volume and THAT makes your tinnitus louder.
Regards
Neil
Raymond says
Dr. Neil
It now seems like I’m also starting to get the ringing in my right ear as well I’m starting to worry a little more now I don’t know if this is a process that usually takes place or not but I want to know is this bad? Does this mean it wouldn’t go away?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Raymond:
About half of the people with tinnitus hear their tinnitus in both ears at the same time. I’m one of them. So it just means that both ears have the same problem–probably because you have one brain that works with both ears–and since tinnitus is a “brain thing”, you shouldn’t be surprised tinnitus often affects both ears. Another 25% hear their tinnitus in their heads without it seeming to come from either ear.
Remember, you don’t want to listen for you tinnitus. That just makes it worse. You want to learn to ignore it and get on with your life and let it fade into the background. It can never fade into the background if you keep listening to it and worrying about it.
Regards
Neil
Raymond says
Happy New Years dr. Neil
I try to keep my mind focused on other things all day, but if it started in another ear does this mean the ruptured ear drum wasn’t the cause? I want to visit with a ENT. Is their any specific questions I should ask?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Raymond:
Not necessarily, but it could be. There are so many unknowns about tinnitus. I certainly don’t know all the answers. See what the ENT thinks.
Regards
Neil
Leonhard says
Hi Neil
Does listening to music at low volume but for 5-6 hours or more every day will make my tinnitus worse? Is it better with speakers or headphones?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Leonard:
Listening to sounds/music at low levels should not bother your tinnitus (or make it worse). That’s a general rule. However, some people are just “weird” and some people have “reactive” tinnitus. Thus, you have to monitor your own results. If low-level music makes your tinnitus worse, either turn the volume down more until it doesn’t, or don’t listen so long that it bothers your tinnitus.
Theoretically, earphones or listen via loudspeakers shouldn’t make any difference if the music is low in volume. Where a problem could come, as I see it, is if you were listening to classical music, for example. Let’s say the piece is generally softer, but at points there are crashing cymbals and loud drums or other sudden crescendoing louder sounds. If you are wearing earbuds/headphones, there is less room for the extra loud sounds to dissipate before they enter your ear canals, so I tend to like loudspeakers in such cases. (In my case, I need to have the basic volume very high to hear and understand it–close to or over the damaging level. Thus, ANY increase in volume can be harmful to my ears, so you always have to keep in mind your own situation.) But for music that is basically at a constant volume, then earphones/earbuds should not cause any problems.
Regards
Neil
Ishank says
Dr Neil,
My question is Should I wear ear protector when I go outside in traffic ?
======================================================
My Story—
I’ve recently developed T on 22 or 23 dec 2013( strange thing is is that I noticed hissing sound in Oct 2013 just for one or two day, at that time I ignore it and it vanished). Now its back. I am seeing ENT specialist.
I believe there may be 3 reasons for this ringing in my cases.
1. On 20th Dec (morning), I hit my head against wall while I was trying to sit on my bed. I was carrying a laptop, and wanted to sit in a comfortable position against wall. [now it cannot be the case, because head trauma at the back usually affect eyes, which are normal in my case]
2. On 20th Dec (evening), I had a Skype call with someone. But during the call there was a disturbing high pitch sound in the background which even made me to end the Skype call.
3. Stress, PTSD (My body react very strange when I go through a traumatic event/ stressful situations. I’ve gone through a difficult time, very stressful situations in the last 2 months, and I was not taking proper diet as well)
===============================================
I visited an ENT specialist clinic on 26th dec.
###First Visit to clinic###
Medicine Courses 1 ( 6 days)
a) antibiotic (amoxicillin, 625mg, 2 times)
b) Defstar-6 (Deflazacort)
c) Charge up capsule (Astaxanthin, Bilberry extract, Ginseng, Pine bark extract, Ginko biloba, lutein, Amino, Vitamins and minerals)
d) Solvein (for digestion or something)
###Second Visit to clinic###
Medicince Course 2
a) Tinnex (7 days)
b) Stoblan PV (Betahistine 24mg and Ginkgo Biloba 60mg, 10 days)
c) Antax (Alprazolam) 0.25mg (one time, 7 days)
c) ME 12 (Methylcobalamin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride I.P., Folic Acid )
==============================================
### Third Visit to clinic###
When nothing works. My doc said, Ishank I am not going to give you any medicine until we have hearing tests done.
IN the meantime, before I went for ENT checkup. He also prescribed me diamox (acetazolamide) for 2 days (2 times a day)
*** Good things is that my Hearing tests are Okay. No hearing loss.
===================================
### Forth Visit to clinic###
When I went to doctor and showed him hearing test report. HE said Ishank you would be fine and don’t need any medicine.
But seeing me in panic, he prescribed anatx (aka xanax) .25 for 10 days (2 time a day) and “charge up capsule” for 15 days.
Still no improvement. But I focus on my T, it become loud and if I stress and don’t take proper sleep, my T become louder.
=================================
I had a history of ear infection in past (in aug 2013, Eustachian Tube problem. I was hearing popping sound in my right ear which was treated using antibiotics). Amoxcyllin for a week which did not worked. Then doctor changed my antibiotic and it worked, and my clicking sound problem was treated very well.
I am still wondering it could be infection (which may cuase hearing in head, or it may be just stress. My body react strangely when I am depressed.
Going to visit my doctor again. Still baffled why I got T.
======================================
How bad is my T ?
Hissing sound ans sometimes low pitch buzzing which I hear in quite environment.
Sometimes in right and sometimes left. Louder in right.
Bad sleep habit make it worse.
=======================================
I shared my story to help those who are suffering from T and trying different medicines. I hope you may find some useful information.
Thanks
Ishank
Pete says
Dr Neil,
I have had Tinnitus on my left ear since I was aged nine or ten, when a girl in my class at school decided to scream directly in my ear. She was an unpleasant child, to say the least!
I am now 35. I recently went to a nightclub for the first time in a long time. There were some live bands playing and it was quite loud. A friend tried to speak to me and, unfortunately, I could not hear her. Being as she was quite drunk, she thought it would be a good idea to shout directly into my right ear. I actually felt physical pain when she did this!
Since then, I have had a ringing in my right ear, albeit at a lower level than the constant ringing in my left ear. To be honest, I have not really noticed the left ear for a very long time. I have also been left with the distinct feeling that my right ear is fractionally blocked, although I feel that I still hear better out of that than I do out of my left ear.
The night out was on 17th January and it is now 4th February. I am concerned that my previously significantly better ear has been permanently damaged by a moment of stupidity on the part of a drunken friend. Is there still time for it to improve and return to its pre-incident state, or am I likely to be left with this permanently?
Thanks for any assistance or advice you’re able to provide.
Kind regards,
Pete
Dr. Neil says
Hi Pete:
People screaming in your ear can certainly cause tinnitus, not to mention temporary (or some degree of permanent) hearing loss. That happened to you when that brat screamed into your ear in school. And it happened again with your drunk friend.
As you found with the earlier incident, by ignoring it all these years, it has mostly faded into the background and is not bothering you. You can hopefully expect the same thing to happen with the recent incident. These things take time.
You have some resulting hearing loss too–the blocked feeling indicates that. Your hearing may return, but I would have expected it to do that by now if it was going to. The blocked feeling will go away in time, but that does not indicate your hearing necessarily came back, just that you brain got used to the new “normal”. Normally, a temporary threshold shift only lasts a few minutes to a few hours to a few days. Since this is more than 2 or 3 weeks now, I’d say the hearing loss is permanent.
In order to manage your new tinnitus, there are a couple of things I’d do. First, protect your ears from loud sounds for a few months while your ear has a chance to “heal”. You may find that you are also more sensitive to sounds now too. That is to be expected. But over time 3 or 4 months, this may go away IF you don’t expose your ears to loud sounds in the meantime.
At the same time, you mustn’t overprotect your ears or you will just make things worse, so only wear ear protection around loud sounds. Take them out when the level becomes more normal.
Second, do what you did last time, and learn to focus on the loves of your life and ignore your tinnitus. That way it will slowly fade into the background and not bother you, even though it is still there.
If you had asked me the day after it happened, I would have told you to take a number of things that are good for helping ears damaged by noise, but you have to take them in the day or two after the incident. If you wait, it is too late. Two of my articles that talk about this are at
http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/vitamins-a-c-e-combined-with-magnesium-help-prevent-noise-induced-hearing-loss.php
http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/loud-music-and-hearing-loss.php
Regards
Neil
Pete says
P.S. I should have added that the pitch of the ringing in my right ear changes every minute or so and it can sometimes pulse slightly. The ringing in my left ear is constantly at the same pitch.
Bas says
Dr. Neil,
I have had tinnitus for the last month now. I am not sure if i had it before but atleast if so it was not bothering me. Now I wonder what antidepressants (zoloft) can do as my docktor described it and said it could lower the noise. But when I read about it it seems to cause tinnitus aswell and even make it worse. Do you know if people have been taking these meds and how it has worked for them? I am not really interested in taking zoloft and risk higher noise.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Bas:
Some people report that taking drugs like Zoloft help them with their tinnitus. Personally, I don’t think it really affects their tinnitus, just drugs them so they don’t care about their tinnitus any more. Much better to deal with your tinnitus in a constructive way rather than trying to drug it into oblivion.
You say your tinnitus began about a month ago. Any ideas what caused it? That’s the first place to start in trying to get it under control. For example, if certain foods or drugs caused it, then the solution is obvious–don”t take those foods/drugs. If noise is the cause, then protect your ears from loud sounds–it may not make it better, but it will stop it from getting worse. Etc.
Sometimes tinnitus is the result of anxiety, stress or depression. The solution is to get these emotions under control (by non-drug means) and hopefully your tinnitus will fade into the background.
The worst thing you can do with tinnitus is dwell on it as even thinking about it can make it worse (at least temporarily). Instead, you want to focus on the loves of your life and by doing so totally ignore your tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Sean says
Hi dr Neil.
Last week i was playing drums and i hit the drums too hard with no ear protection and my ear felt weird so i stopped got a constant ringing in my left and over the weekend it started in my right i have been to the doctor last week and this they said my ear is fine could go away in a week and also randomly it started in my right ear on the weekend what are the odds of this and is there hope for it to leave me alone? I’m only 16 years old.
thank you. Sean.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sean:
If this is the only time you’ve ever exposed your ears to loud sounds you could expect your tinnitus to go away as the doctor said–in a few days or weeks. However, I suspect that this isn’t the first time you’ve exposed your ears to loud sounds. The more you have done this, the greater the chances of developing permanent tinnitus.
I don’t find it strange that you have tinnitus in both ears. After all, both ears absorbed the loud sounds.
In the future, you NEED to protect your ears from loud sounds–either by playing softer, or wearing ear protectors. It’s just not wise to expose your ears to loud sounds. You have your whole life ahead of you and you certainly don’t want to have your ears ringing for the rest of your life.
Regards
Neil
Sean says
Thank you for your instant response i do expose my ears too loudness on the occasional time are the odds good like do u know of story’s of people having the same situation of me and if it did heal how long it took for them.
sorry too go on i do not stress about it just pops into my head.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sean:
Everyone is different. Sometimes the tinnitus goes away in minutes, sometimes it is hours, sometimes it is a few days, sometimes it takes weeks and sometimes it never goes away.
There are many variables such as whether this has happened before, or was your first time (typically the more you expose your ears to loud noise, the longer it takes to go away), how loud the noise was and how long you exposed your ears to the loud noise (the louder the sound level and the longer the exposure, the longer you can expect the tinnitus to last), what your emotional status is (if you are anxious and dwell on it, it can take on a life of its own so you want to remain emotionally neutral towards tinnitus and ignore it, rather than dwell on it).
You just have to be patient and see what happens. Just do not expose your ears to loud sounds while you still have tinnitus or it can extend the time you have tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Sean says
Thank you.
Sean says
If the sound is getting quieter is that a sign of healing? for me it is less noticeable now.
it does flare up every now and then like get louder for a sec in one ear. but what was weird is my right ear started ringing 3 days after the left and I was avoiding loud noises.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sean:
Any time tinnitus gets quieter, that’s a good sign–either your ears are “healing” or you are getting habituated to your tinnitus.
Flare-ups are common–as long as they get less and less frequent and don’t last as long as before, you know you are “healing”. It can be two steps forward, one step back–but over time you really notice the progress you are making.
Regards
Neil
Gem says
Hi Dr, I’ve been exposed to loud environments being that I’m a musician, and club host for quite sometime now. Just recently, I’m experiencing tinnitus, with some hearing loss in my left ear. My question to you is, ” will I be able to resume being a musician, and club host which would consist of about 1-3 times a week of exposure to loud environments wearing professional ear plugs, without my tinnitus getting worse?” Also, what are the Best brands of professional earplugs can you recommend?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Gem:
I see no reason for you to stop what you are doing IF you protect your ears. Professional ear plugs with a rating of 30 dB should do the trick IF you keep the peak sound levels below 110 dB. That would give you sound at 80 dB in your ears. Sounds at that level are not thought to cause ear damage and shouldn’t cause/aggravate your tinnitus. But you’d have to try those ear plugs to see.
At the same time, you should realize that you are harming the hearing (and causing tinnitus) in your patrons, so they should be wearing ear plugs too. However, that begs the question, why have the music so loud if everyone is wearing ear plugs to drop the sound to 80 dB in order to protect their ears? Why not just turn the volume down so the peaks are 80 db and no one will have to worry about their ears and won’t need ear plugs either?
Regards
Neil
Giselle says
Hi Dr. Neil:
I have had tinnitus for almost 2 months by now. It started when I cleaned my right ear with some qtips. I have done some audiometry tests, and otoacustic test, also, a computed tomography, and they were ok, they didn’t show any damage. But the tinnitus stay and I cannot sleep well. What is your opinion and recomendation in my case?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Giselle:
I’m assuming that your tinnitus is not the result of pushing wax back into your ear canal against your ear drum. Presumably, the ear professionals you went to checked for that. If so, then the only other cause of tinnitus from using Q-tips that comes to mind would be from pushing them in too far and too fast and “hitting” the ear drum with too much force. This would push the tiny bones in your middle ear together and make them rap on the oval window with the same force as if you had heard a sudden loud sound such as a gunshot. That could result in tinnitus, the same as a loud sound would have.
Does that seem like what happened?
If so, did the tinnitus come on right then, or was it later? Put another way, how do you know that the tinnitus is related to using the Q-tips and not to something else that happened around that time?
Regards
Neil
Gem says
Yes, I understand. Thank you for responding. I am grateful for your time. One more question please? Is there a time limit on how long I should stay in an environment, If I wear a pair of professional ear plugs of 30 dB, and the sound levels below 110 dB. Also, is that the highest amount of dB that I can get? Just thinking incase in an environment like a concert where the dB levels might surpass 110.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Gem:
The time you expose your ears to loud sounds without damage is related to the volume of the sound. For every 3 dB increase in sound level, you have to halve the time for safe exposure.
Current wisdom says that sounds under 80 dB are safe at all times. After that, for each 3 dB increase in sound level, the safe exposure time is cut in half. Thus:
Sound Safe
Level Time
85 dB 8 hrs.
88 dB 4 hrs.
91 dB 2 hrs.
94 dB 1 hr.
97 dB 30 mins.
100 dB 15 mins.
103 dB 8 mins.
106 dB 4 mins.
109 dB 2 mins.
112 dB 1 min.
115 dB 30 secs.
118 dB 15 secs.
121 dB 8 secs.
124 dB 4 secs.
127 dB 2 secs.
130 dB 1 sec.
So those are the “safe” times for normal, average ears. Your ears may be more robust or more sensitive than average, so you might have to adjust the times. However, don’t forget, your ears are now damaged (you have tinnitus) and you may find that even these volumes and times are too much for your ears. If it makes your tinnitus worse, it is too much–it’s that simple.
If you are wearing ear protectors with a factor of 30 dB, then if you were in 110 dB sound, your ears would only be hearing them at 80 dB. Thus, theoretically, you could stay in such an environment permanently without ear damage. As the volume goes over the 110 dB level, then use the above table to be safe. This is because ear protectors only reduce sounds up to 30 dB. After that, the sounds go through your skull and bypass your ear protectors. So you always want to be careful around sounds greater than 110 dB even when wearing ear protectors (but you do have more leeway than the table shows as your skull does not conduct sounds to your inner ears as well as your ear canals do.
It’s always better to err on the side of safety. Just remember, if it aggravates your tinnitus, it is too loud no matter what the sound level (or exposure time) is.
Regards
Neil
Gem says
Thank you sooo much Dr!
Monica says
Hello
I was wondering if you could give me any advice on my tinnitus. I am only 21 years old and I certainly don’t live a lifestyle where I am exposed to loud noises – I love silence hence why this has proven to be such a problem for me. My tinnitus just came on all of a sudden. I went to bed one night and had ringing in my left ear. I went to the doctors the next day and they said my left ear was inflamed and I had an outer ear infection. This cleared up within a week however the ringing remained. It has now been five weeks and I still have the ringing in the left ear. I have seen an ENT who is just as puzzled as I am as I have none of the usual causes of tinnitus. I also have no symptoms that go along side this- my hearing is perfectly fine and I have had no dizziness, pain etc.
It literally seems that tinnitus has started for no reason. I have another appointment with ENT next week to establish whether I will need further tests as by then it will have been six weeks since this began.
I just wondered if you could think of a probable cause for my tinnitus and whether you think this is likely to go away?
Thank you
Dr. Neil says
Hi Monica:
There are many causes for tinnitus. Some are obvious such as exposing your ears to loud noise, or having a hearing loss. Others are much harder to pin down. Have you been taking any drugs whether prescription, over the counter, or recreational? More than 550 drugs are associated with tinnitus. Are you anxious or depressed? These are two emotional causes of tinnitus. Do you have allergies? Have you had a recent active virus, cold, flu, etc? It could be related to certain foods you eat such as getting too much caffeine, for example. You could be sensitive to molds that result in tinnitus. There are just so many possibilities.
Like you say, it doesn’t just happen for not reason, although it can seem that way. So you have to dig to find the reason.
One clue is the kind of tinnitus sounds you hear–whether low-pitched or high-pitched. Is your tinnitus constant or does it vary throughout the day and night? A varying tinnitus has more chance of going away than a tinnitus that is constant day and night in my opinion.
And your emotional attachment to your tinnitus largely determines whether it will become permanent or not. Thus, you want to remain totally emotionally neutral towards your tinnitus.
Do any of the above “ring a bell” with you?
Regards
Neil
Monica says
I am anxious and depressed now that I have the tinnitus but I certainly wasn’t before. And as for all the other causes I don’t have any of them. I was in good health when it started and wasn’t taking any medication at all. The tinnitus seems constant although not too sure on this as background noise outside etc covers it up. The worst is at night I am currently not sleeping at all. I am struggling with regards not being emotional towards it as I am a lover of silence and it is really tormenting me.
Thank you
Monica
Giselle says
Hi Dr. Neil:
Thank you for your answer. Yes, the tinnitus came on after using the qtips. Nevertheless, I was in so much stress in that time (it wasn’t a good idea cleaning my ears), and also I was leaving behind a severe cold. So there were some circunstances behind the tinnitus.
Assuming that the cause of the tinnitus was pushing the qtip too far and too fast that hitted the ear drum with too much force, my doubt is howcome the audiometry, otoacustic test, and the computed tomography didn’t show that? could this kind of damaged be measured by these exams?
Regards,
Dr. Neil says
Hi Giselle:
The stress could have caused the tinnitus. So could a cold virus. Maybe it wasn’t the Q-tips after all.
The first two tests are going to show hearing loss. The CAT scan would show physical damage. But if you didn’t do any physical damage such as dislocate the bones in your middle ear, it wouldn’t show anything wrong. Tinnitus is subjective–only you hear it, so it doesn’t show up on tests.
Regards
Neil
Linda J says
Let me say – ever since going my first rock concert in my 20’s (I am in my 50’s now)- I NEVER-EVER go to a concert or listen to loud music without ear plugs – and you got it- I forgot them at just one concert 5 days ago. I am still suffering. It was one of them – you can’t re-enter after your leave and I was with my daughter and her boyfriend – I felt like I couldn’t leave, and I knew it was too loud for too long. If the ringing and the clogging feeling ever goes away I will praise the Lord – And I will ALWAYS keep a pair of ear plugs in all my wallets and purses I carry. Such a horrible feeling. Wish me luck!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Linda:
If this was just a one-time thing, you might find that your hearing comes back and the tinnitus goes away on its own–unless your ears just absorbed too much racket. You can only wait and see. The more you expose your ears to loud sounds, the less chances your ears have of getting away scott free.
I wish you well.
Neil
Sean says
Hi again it has been 4-5 weeks bow since i heard started hearing i am a gamer as well as a drummer and i have been wearing a headset for the past two weeks mid volume to help mask it. It can flare up from time to time but it can go quiet but it mostly flares up when in really tired. At school yesterday i found it really frustrating in drama it was loud and it flared up and in lessons which are quiet it was really loud but when i wear my headset it covers. And it feels like I have hearing loss in loud places such as drama i could would have to ask my classmates to repeat that so on. What im saying even if do have hearing loss will my i be able to get of this and can still wear the headset on low volume i never have on loud but the hardest thing of all not being able to play the drums or having a bus come past or truck and having definitely become permanent.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sean:
Tinnitus can flare up when you are tired or stressed. So when you’re really tired you should be in bed sleeping and let your tinnitus die down. When you get over-tired you may hear what sounds like a frieght-train about to burst through the wall and run you down. It’s scary. But hitting the sack solves it.
If you are around loud sounds that cause you tinnitus to flare up, that means those sounds are too loud for you and you should be wearing ear protection.
There is no way to know whether your tinnitus will go away or not if you have hearing loss. Most people with hearing loss have tinnitus accompany it–but the tinnitus does not have to bother you. It’s not important whether your tinnitus goes away or not, but whether you learn how to successfully deal with it so it is not a problem for you even though it is there.
As I’ve said before, you have to always protect your ears from loud sounds. You don’t have to quit your drums or gaming–just keep the sound down, or wear ear protectors when the sound is over 80 or 85 dB.
Regards
Neil
Giselle says
Thank you for your answer Dr. Neil. Nevertheless, I am in so mucho pain in the ear, like burning, it comes and go. And the fullness sensation also with the tinnitus. But the tests didn’t show damage, that makes me think if I have had any damage at all?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Giselle:
You never said anything about pain and burning. Tell me more about this.
The feeling of fulness can be from one of two things as I see it. First, you have a middle ear problem that has caused fluid build-up in your middle ear. A tympanogram should tell you right away if this is the case. Since you said everything showed normal, I assume your tympanogram was normal.
The other reason for a feeling of fulness is hearing loss. Your ear feels stuffed up or plugged because your brain can’t hear the sounds it once heard so gives you this feeling of your ear being blocked.
Regards
Neil
Giselle says
Hi Dr. Neil: Thank you for your concern. Well, I also took the tympanogram exam and it was also ok, it didn’t show anything wrong. But, I still have pain like burning that comes and go, and fullnes feeling. That’s why I can’t understand why the exams didn’t show anything.
Regards.
Giselle says
Dr. Neil, my doubt is that if all the exams were normal, what could I have, if they didn’t show hearing loss?
Sarah says
Hi so I’ve been sick for 12 days on the 6 day I got an ear ache on my right ear then i put water in my ear because it felf blocked the next day an ear infection then started taking antibiotics on the 9th day got the ringing in my ear and hasnt gone away since then I’m on 3rd day if straight ringing.. Will this go away??
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sarah:
I can’t say whether your tinnitus will go away or not. I’d need much more details about your episode. For example, if you had a viral infection that got into your inner ears it could cause the tinnitus (and other ear damage too). In addition, most antibiotics can cause tinnitus. And if you had a middle ear infection (your middle ear fills with fluid), this fluid can give you a temporary conductive hearing loss and tinnitus could accompany this loss.
So there are three possibilities. The first two possibilities could cause temporary or permanent tinnitus, while the third possibility typically causes temporary tinnitus.
Only time will tell whether you tinnitus ultimately proves to be temporary or permanent. Even if it is permanent, it may reduce in volume so you are not bothered by it.
Regards
Neil
Mike says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve had mild tinnitus for 20 years. Too many rock concerts in my 20s. I’ve habituated well. I’ve used hearing protection since in ANY environment marginally loud. 12 days ago I went to an indoor blues concert, with my 22dB NNR plugs in. Have noticed an increase in ringing since. I am anxious by nature and sleep is definitely off. Went today to an ENT (Otolaryngologist) who pulled out big chunks of cerumen from both ears. Hearing test showed loss of up to around 15 percent but no more at around 3 kHz. Doc said hearing not too bad up to 8 kHz and that between the cerumen and ear plugs I probably had around 30dB of attenuation during the concert. Concluded that it was unlikely the noise getting to my ears could have caused much trauma. He closed by saying that my brain was likely focused on the T the past week because of the wax impaction and associated loss of ambient sounds, plus stress, and that I’d likely drop back to baseline T level in a few days or week. Thoughts?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mike:
I tend to agree with your ENT. I think your tinnitus will drop back to its old level WHEN you stop thinking about your tinnitus. But if you keep worrying about it, It can tend to get louder even though there is no extra noise present.
Regards
Neil
JB says
Hello Dr. Neil-I came across your site and have found your insight and comments very helpful and encouraging. I got T in my right ear about six weeks ago, due to a concussion from playing hockey. The first two weeks were unbearable with the sound very piercing/high-pitched etc. Things have seemingly improved over the last two weeks or so, with the T still “there” but it is not as piercing/loud etc. That said, my main question is this: Tinntus is often cited as a post-concussion symptom. That said, have you heard or know of others that got T through a concussion, and if so, do you know how long they had it for? I have read/heard it can be 3-6 months or longer. If it is longer or does not go away, I can deal with it as I do think I am improving (or at least dealing with it better of late anyhow) but it would be great to learn more about concussion-related tinnitus. -Thanks! JB
Katherine says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I woke up on 10/30/13 with a hissing in my left ear/head area. I remember having it before for a few minutes on two ocassions but it went away. Now it’s permanent. I am 61 and have a high frequency hearing loss in my left ear but my ent said I am not a candidate for a hearing aid to relieve the tinnitus and that it is something that I am doing that is causing the T along with the HF loss. He actually said that I am the problem. I went to an audiologist who said that they can’t intervene until I have ‘scans’ meaning MRI or Cat. The audiologist said my exam was not thorough enough seeing as I have unilateral tinnitus. I think I got T because within two years my husband had cancer and we lost our business in hurricane sandy. I have always been anxious but the anxiety during that time was terrible. Now I feel I have a ruined life. Anyway, my question is this: my audiologist based her opinion on something she called ‘compliance’ of my left eardrum. She said it’s vibrating too fast. Is that something that can be fixed or will I still have T? Also, could the audiologist suspect a brain tumor?I am now seeing a CBT and another ENT next week. My GP gave me some med to get my anxiety under control and I am now sleeping and not too badly nervous. I have not missed work during the entire four months and I force myself to go out to family functions.
Mike says
Thanks for sharing your opinion Doctor Neil. You’ve got a fabulous resource here. I’ve learned a lot!
Cheers,
Dr. Mike (PhD – earth science)
Sarah says
Honestly I do not know if anything went in or if the infection was in the inner ear I myself had someone look in my ear n snap a photo and saw the infection so figured it was just in my outer ear so went from there still till this second the ringing still there even louder so it’s time to head to the doctor and find out if the inner ear is damaged.. Pretty freaked out about this thought it would go away but nothing. But Dr.Neil thank you for the information you gave me it really did help.
Keidar says
Hello Doc. Neil
I have this ringing since the bug enter my ear.
I don’t know if my eardrum has been damage or the insect goes inside the inner ear..
I don’t really listen to very loud music.
Honestly my house is very boring(Very Silent)
And I also avoid Shouting at my ear or Listening to But. I’m confused that they say this ringing will be your life. And my head hurts every time I tried to sleep. That’s why I need MentolRelieft to sleep.
Is there a way to recover my Tinnitus or it this just an temporary because insect go to my ear. By the way. Tomorrow I go to ENT clinic for Check Ups.
(Bad Grammar.)
Keidar says
PS. It’s been 3 days since my right ear start ringing..
Mike says
Hello again Dr. Neil,
Here’s a few additional observations and info you may find interesting. I’ve noticed in the past several days that if I turn my head to either the left OR the right, my tinnitus increases considerably in my left ear only. Today I went for run. Noticed with every footfall, the ringing pulsed. As for history, I have been told I am a teeth grinder at night. Dentists always mention this to me. Last year this time I lost the mouthpiece I’ve worn at night for almost 10 years. Haven’t used one since. Lastly, I experienced a modest whiplash injury skiing around 8 years ago. I wake up with a stiff neck about once a year, most recently 3-4 weeks ago. I’ve read a few posts here on somatic tinnitus and TMJ. Suspect a consult with a neurologist and/or chiropractor is in order. Can’t help but wondering about the relative influence now of past noise exposure, ongoing neuromuscular issues, and recent anxiety.
Dr. Mike
Keidar says
Hello Dr. Neil.
Today ENT check my Ear. then they found Flem that block my Tube. So that’s why I can hear tinnitus.. But I hope this make me feel better..
Pete says
Dr Neil,
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to reply to my post (your reply 219). Things seem to have improved a bit, but that may well be because I am becoming accustomed to matters. Certainly the whistling is still noticeable when it’s quiet. I have, however, tried to stay away from loud noises and avoid headphones wherever possible.
Thanks again,
Pete
Keidar says
Hello Again Doc.Neil
Today It’s kinda bothering me now because in past 2 days. My Ringing became quite low. but yestterday at my school. Some Tricycle has a loud noise and I protect my ear till I arrived at the school.
My left ear became bothering me because I hear it ringig.(I don’t know if I’m over Protected or It just my Imagination)
By the way. ENT check me last time. My eustachian tube is blocked. I think this ringing is just temporary..
What do you think Doc. Neil?
Keidar says
Hi again Doc. Neil.
Today I notice that my Left ear is start ringing..
I don’t know why. But I suspect that yesterday at the tricycle. I hear a very loud noise. And I don’t know if my left ear got affected to that noise..
By the way. This day, I always spit my saliva because my Mucus always bothering me..
Sorry for many messages. I tell you more..
Regards
Keidar
Beth says
Hi Dr Neil
I have recently noticed tinnitus in both of my ears which, along with the other constant noise where I live, affects my sleep at night.
I have been very stressed and anxious for many and varied reasons recently (as well as on and off for many years), which I am, of course, trying to attend to. I also work 1-2 days a week in a bar where I am exposed to loud music for up to about 4 hours, longer still if I decide to go for a drink elsewhere afterward. I should also say I have been working (and socialising) in such environments for 7 years.
Presumably, you recommend ear protection whilst at work and attending to the issues causing stress and anxiety, but do you think I need to avoid work until the tinnitus subsides, or perhaps that it is permanent?
On top of all that, my hearing still seems to be very sensitive, I’m a very light sleeper and often struggle to sleep due to the sound of ny neighbour’s talking at a normal volume. Because of this I wear earplugs (earpeace) at night as and play natural sounds to drown out the sounds of my locality- could this make it worse?
Thanks
Beth
Dr. Neil says
Hi Beth:
As you know, stress and tinnitus often go together, so getting your stress under control also helps keep your tinnitus under control.
All the noise you’ve exposed your ears to over the past 7 years is also taking its toll. You need to wear ear protectors when you are in noisy venues. Just the cheap foam ones for a few bucks from any drugstore will do the job. Your ears will thank you for wearing them.
If you are wearing ear protectors while in the noisy venues, I don’t see that you need to quit your job, unless the job is also causing an inordinate amount of stress.
I don’t have a clue whether your tinnitus is permanent or not. You’ve certainly exposed your ears to enough racket that it could prove to be permanent. In any case, if you do not form any emotional attachment to your tinnitus, I think you have a good chance of your tinnitus never being a problem–just being “there”, but not causing you distress from it.
Wearing ear plugs at night could be a problem. It is so easy to overprotect your ears in relatively quiet situations and then your brain turns up its internal volume control and your ears become even more sensitive. I think a better approach is to play your natural sounds to give your brain something real to listen to so it doesn’t feel it needs to turn up the volume. And these sounds will help mask any other sounds coming into your bedroom.
Are you sure you are hearing real neighbors talking, and not hearing phantom talking? The two can be very hard to tell apart. The difference is that one is real and the other is all in your head–yet you blame the poor neighbors as though they were talking too loud. This happens more than people realize. This is not a psychiatric problem, but is a benign thing–called Musical Ear Syndrome. Listening to real sounds (your natural sounds) is a good treatment for it as well.
Regards
Neil
sk says
i have a problem in my left ear that continuously sounds(non-stop) like beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep since 12years…i am getting irritation…please solve my problem with your valuable advices
ea says
Dr. Neil,
I have been going to the gym since Dec. 2013. On March 7, 2014 I noticed about half way through the class that the sound was too loud. I felt a crackle in my left ear and almost immediately after the class I noticed almost immediately with pressure. Now I have continuous ringing in my left ear. I went to my GP who said my left ear looked alil red. She prescrbed me antibiotic ear drops wbich i did not take bc it was very costly. The name of the drops start with a C. I still have dimished hearing slightly in my right ear and cracking but the left ear ringing is driving me crazy. I’m a 41 year old woman, never had depression but now I’m deeply depressed. I can’t eat or sleep!!! I just can’t believe that me trying to do the right thing and lose weight by goeing to aerobics classes has caused all this trauma. Please tell me will the ringing go away? Its almost been 2 wks so I’m losing hope fast. HELP
Tabby says
Hi dr.Neil
Sorry for my English. I’m a medical student. I got my tinnitus after 5 hours in a loud night club with live music about 3 months ago. My ear started ringing after I went out I hurry saw a doctor the day after. They gave me serc and vitb1 6 12. My tinnitus went away after 4 day but unfortunately it came back about a week after that it made me crazy. I also got the hyperacusis which terrible I can’t stand loud noise or even an ordinary noise like the teacher speak with the microphone, door bang, the song in the restaurant, car break etc. I think every time I hear the noice which I think it too loud for me for a period of time it make my tinnitus worse even the noise isn’t, too London for the others. What should I do about it. Can my tinnitus get better ?now I hear it when I put my ear on the pillow or in a very quiet room . My hyperacusis is a nightmare. I’m now study in the pediatric department. When the kid scream I feel like an explosion. My doctor said it will get better by time? But I didn’t see any improvement.Will my condition can get any better? it almost 3 month now. I still take gingo and the vitamin. My last audio gram is normal. Thk you so much
Dr. Neil says
Hi Tabby:
As a medical student, you should know that exposing your ears to loud sounds is just asking for trouble. You need to wear ear protectors if you are in loud venues.
As you have unfortunately found out, tinnitus is bad enough, but hyperacusis (also commonly the result of exposing your ears to excessive sound) can be even worse. Now your ears are supersensitive so that you perceive normal sounds as being much too loud and often hurting. In actual fact, these normal sounds do not hurt your ears, but you perceive them as hurting and making your tinnitus worse.
The “cure” is a slow process. Your doctor is right–it should get better in time–but it can be a LONG time, but you have to do your part too. You now have to protect your ears from louder sounds as your ears heal–so you need to wear ear protectors so everyday sounds don’t “blow the top of your head off”. But at the same time, you walk a very fine line. If you overprotect your ears, your hyperacusis will get even worse. Your ears NEED sounds for proper operation and to heal from the hyperacusis–so NEVER wear ear protectors unless the sounds are too loud and are beginning to hurt. You need to slowly (emphasis on the slowly) permit your ears to hear louder and louder NORMAL sounds. As you do this, your collapsed dynamic range will begin to expand again and over time your ears will (hopefully) return to normal.
This may take 2 or 3 years or more. Don’t expect instant results. But things will continue to improve if you do the above. If you expose your ears to loud sounds (maybe a baby unexpectedly screams in your ear) you will suffer a setback and your hyperacusis will become worse again–ditto for your tinnitus–but just accept it and continue on with the program and you will continue to improve. It will just take that much longer.
With tinnitus, you need to learn to ignore it–treat it as some unimportant background sound–and focus on what you are doing–your studies, etc–and in time it will begin to fade into the background and not bother you so much. You will find that typically your hyperacusis and tinnitus will improve hand in hand.
I can’t stress enough that going to loud venues without adequate ear protection is just plain stupid. You might have fun for a few hours–but then you have to pay the piper for the next few years or longer. It is just not worth it! I’m saying this to others reading this that think it will never happen to them. It happened to Tabby–it can happen to you too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Regards
Neil
ea says
I’m not sure when you will get back to this site Dr. Neil because you help is truly needed. I’m having bad thoughts just thinking about this lasting forever. When you return please look at my issue of possible hearing loss and tinnitus from loud music in my aerobics class. Thanking you in advance.
Tom says
I’ve got sound sensitivity and high pitch tinnitus after going to a night club with rock band. Now it’s almost 3 months without any improvement and a little setback for the sound sensitivity. I try to avoid loud noise by wear an ear plug while I walk in a noisy street or in the big department store. But in soMe situation I can’t avoid an unpredictable loud noise like car horn or a baby scream near by and it make a setback for me. Do I have a chance that my tolerance will be back to normal that I can enjoy my life at the restaurant or go to the movie sometimes , but I will not go to the night club once again for sure. Do I have the hope and how long usually I will see the improvement or do I will got this condition permanently please help! Have you ever seen someone that can go back and live normal live. Thank you so much
Dr. Neil says
Hi Tom:
You are doing the right thing by wearing ear protection in louder places. But those sudden loud sounds when you don’t expect them and thus are not wearing ear protection can get you. If your hands are not “full”, clap your hands over your ears as fast as you can to limit the exposure to the loud sound until it stops or you can get to a quiet place. Yes, it will set you back, but this setback does not have to be permanent.
I can’t predict the future, but if you slowly and surely work towards decreasing your sound sensitivity, it can happen. Whether you can get back to your old normal or not, I don’t know, but you can keep improving. It is just a long, slow process for many people.
The trick is to proctect your ears when you need to, but to never overprotect them, or you can make the situation worse. In order to get over your sound sensitivity, you have to slowly expose your ears to louder sounds and as you are able to bear them, to still louder sounds. (By louder sounds, I’m meaning everyday normal sounds, not LOUD sounds.) Over time you should be able to lower your sound sensitivity. Don’t expect miracles in a week or a month. It could happen, but be prepared for the long haul–2 or 3 years or more. Generally, these things take time.
At the same time, don’t focus on your tinnitus and sound sensitivity and dwell on it, or have negative emotions/feelings towards it, or you can make it worse just doing that. Instead, focus on the loves of your life and enjoy life again–just being careful about exposing your ears to sounds louder than you can comfortably stand at whatever stage of the recovery program you’re at at that time.
Regards
Neil
maria says
Hi dr. I had a really bad cold for almost two weeks I didnt take any medicine becuase I was pregnant. The cold clearedafter the cold cleared iI started getting rining in my left ear. I went to a ENT and he said it was my eustachian tube that was blocked. I went again and he did a hearing test and said iI had some hearing loss in my left ear. But i also feel its full and itchy my question is will the tinnitus go ?
Thanks
Maria
Dr. Neil says
Hi Maria:
IF your tinnitus is caused by a clogged Eustachian tube/middle ear, then, as the gunk drains out, your hearing should come back and your tinnitus should go away. Ditto for that feeling of fulness.
Your audiogram should show an air-bone gap if this is the case. This means that your hearing loss is conductive and not sensorineural. You only stated you have a hearing loss, so I don’t know if this is the case or not.
If you have a sensorineural hearing loss, then that is a different matter and your hearing loss will be permanent and thus most likely will be your tinnitus. So let’s hope your hearing loss is conductive. Give things time (a month or two or so) and you should be back to normal.
Regards
Neil
darryl says
Hi Dr.Neil,
I went shooting rifles at an outdoor range 4 days ago. 6rounds without earplugs and then 12 with. That evening i the stuffy full ear feeling and tinnitus (very loud) has not subsided. I also have the broken speaker effect when people talk to me. How long do you think I will have the broken speaker sounds, hyperacusis I believe this is called? Ive only shot firearms once before. I am very concerned this is permanent. What do you think?
-d
Dr. Neil says
Hi Darryl:
It is certainly possible that you have caused some permanent damage to your ears, but I think you’ll find that over time your tinnitus will go away or at least be greatly reduced in volume and that your hearing will return to normal or near normal. You have to give your ears time to heal from the acoustic trauma to which you exposed them. This could easily take a couple of months. During this time, make sure you protect them from loud sounds or you’ll just prolong the healing period.
The broken speaker effect is not hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is where normal sounds are now much too loud for you. Noise damage can certainly cause hyperacusis too. I’d just call it distorted hearing rather than hyperacusis. However, tinnitus, distorted hearing, muffled hearing and hyperacusis are often part and parcel of severe noise damage.
Regards
Neil
Joe says
Hi Dr.Neil,
Back in January 2014 I had a lumbar puncture due to a headache I’ve never experienced before. A couple of days after the tap I developed tinnitus on my left ear. At the time I was experiencing spinal headaches therefore I got a blood patch done which helped with my spinal headaches. At first I thought I had an ear infection because my ear felt full but no pain. Since then my ear continues to ring. Is it possible that I may have csf leak still?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joe:
I’m no expert in this area at all so can’t give you a good answer. However, I’d think your tinnitus is related to the lumbar puncture as csf circulates in your inner ears too.
Regards
Neil
Sammy says
Dear Dr. Neil.
The day before yesterday I went with some friends to test out their 12 gauge riffle which I’ve never done before or fired a fire arm before and none of us wore protective gear not thinking as we live out in the country. Anyways, one of my friends fired one round and the noise was loud. After that my friends sort of pressured me into firing the fire arm. I did so and the bang was extremely loud. As soon as the gun was fired I felt a rush of wind from the sound wave push into my right ear. Both ears were ringing but the right one seemed worse as it was the ear on the side where the fire arm was fired. At first right after the gun was fired both ears were ringing and my friends voices seemed sort of muffled. There was and is no pain at all luckily.The muffling cleared up over a few minutes and the ringing started to die down. Now a couple of days later My left ear is now completely normal but my right ear however has a slight low ringing or hum to it now. Its a low tone in my right ear that I hear in a quiet room. I don’t think it was as loud as it was before. But the tone in my right ear gets temporarily louder when I yawn, hiccup or stretch. I’ve read some of your earlier comments about the lowering of the tone and how it could be “healing” so I guess that’s what’s happening right? I was scared at first that maybe it could’ve been permanent and that the tone will never diminish from the low tone to absolutely gone becoming normal. I also read in your comments earlier about focusing on other things such as hobbies, activities and sounds as focusing on it causes stress levels to rise making it BE or SEEM worse than it actually is as so much attention to one small thing becomes big worries making it bigger than it is. My inquiry is, will the slight low toned hum leave over time from my right ear over time judging from my situation or does it sound like a permanent case to you? I know different people going through many different levels of ear trauma can deliver different results for all of those different people. It just depends on the person I am assuming. Throughout this all I have learned a valuable lesson which is not to take the care of my hearing lightly and will try to be more careful in the future due to this experience.
Thank you ever so much!
Sammy
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sammy:
I’m like you–only ever fired a 12 gauge shotgun once–and also like you, without ear protection. That experience was enough. Boy are those things LOUD. In fact, a shotgun blast is about 165 dB–loud enough to cause instantaneous hearing damage.
The proof of it is that you had instant tinnitus and muffled hearing (what is known as a temporary threshold shift). Fortunately, your hearing came back (at least most of it although you may have lost some hair cells, but not enough to notice with this one incident. However, it you were to continue to use a shotgun without ear protection, each of those “little bits” would soon add up to a significant permanent hearing loss.
Give you ears a few more days to heal and hopefully your residual tinnitus will fade away. I can’t promise you it will fade away totally, but if you learn to ignore it, it will not bother you, even if you do hear it in quiet place. Also, protect your ears from louder sounds for the next two weeks as well.
Regards
Neil
rohit says
hello doctor,
I am a Marine engineer and I work in ships and i am only 22 this is the first time i joined the ship, after about a month suddenly one day a constant sound started in my left ear and now its the fifth day but still its the same and I have no pain in my ear and I can only hear the sound in my ear when everything around me is silent, here we have lot of machineries which make lot of noise, but we also use ear muffs at the same time, I am very much worried about my condition I would request you to kindly help me out from this situation.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Rohit:
Assuming that your tinnitus is from the noise exposure you are receiving, then it would appear that either you are not wearing ear protectors all the time you should be wearing them, or the protection factor is not strong enough. If that is the case, then wearing foam ear protectors in addition to your ear muff protectors should do the trick.
You could also cause tinnitus if you overprotect your ears by wearing ear protectors when you do not need them and thus starving your ears for sound.
The easy way to tell is if the sound level is higher than 80 or 85 dB, then you need to wear ear protectors, and if it is less than 80 dB, then you should NOT wear ear protectors.
If you don’t have a sound meter, you can download sound meter apps for your smart phone and after you calibrate it, you can tell quite accurately what the sound level around you is. Two such apps for the iPhone are “SoundMeter” and “SPL Meter”.
On the other hand, your tinnitus may be caused from other causes–taking ototoxic drugs for example. But if you suspect excess sound is the culprit, that is what I’d do.
Regards
Neil
rohit says
Good evening doctor,
I am very much thankful for your reply at the same time I really appreciate for the pain that you have taken in giving me reply I’m presently onboard a merchant vessel and dont have a doctor nor any ear drops available and it would take nearly 10 days to reach our next port your advice meant a lot to me sir.
but i’m afraid whether I should continue going to machinary spaces or not and yes you are right sir I even used the ear muffs when not required as just it became a habit of always wearing them, It would be very great of you if you kindly tell me whether the continous sound in my ears will stay forever or fade away with time.
Thanking you sir,
Rohit.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Rohit:
You need to do your job–just wear double ear protectors if it is excessively noisy, and one set if it is moderately noisy. When the sound level is below 80 dB, you don’t need ear protectors at all.
The tinnitus may be permanent, especially if you are anxious and obsess over it. If you totally and completely ignore it and don’t worry about it, then there is a good chance it will fade into the background and not bother you–even if it doesn’t go away.
Regards
Neil
Mark says
Hello,
Two days ago I went to a rockconcert where a few artists performed. I forgot to bring me my earplugs. I go to a lot of shows and more often than not I forget to bring my earplugs. Because of this I always get the buzzing noise, but it never takes this long to recover. It’s been almost two days and it seems like it hasn’t reduced. Could this still be normal or should I go to a doctor? I got a busy schedule so I can’t visit my doctor anytime soon. Thanks in advance.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mark:
There’s nothing a medical doctor can do about your tinnitus except tell you to learn to live with it. The truth is, if you expose your ears to excessive sounds, sooner or later you have to pay the piper as you are now finding out.
If you want to avoid making your tinnitus worse, in the future you NEED to protect your ears when in noisy situations.
To help yourself now, you could try taking NAC and other things that help your ears. Read my articles at http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/vitamins-a-c-e-combined-with-magnesium-help-prevent-noise-induced-hearing-loss.php and http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/loud-music-and-hearing-loss.php and if you so choose, try those supplements I mention.
Also, and this is very important, you need to learn now how to ignore your tinnitus and not form any negative feelings about it–e.g. anxiety, anger, annoyance, etc. and let it tend to fade into the background.
When you do all the above, maybe, just maybe, your tinnitus will fade away. But the next time you don’t protect your ears in noisy venues, it will probably come back with a vengeance. You have been warned.
Regards
Neil
vinay says
Good evening doctor,
I work in a very noisy places and about from 9 days there is a continous sound in my left ear, I am very much afraid that I may be deaf, the noise which i can hear is of very low volume and can only be heard in silence, I need to take an AUDIOMETRY TEST for every 6 months as a requirement for my job, I am very much worries whether i will be able to get through the next AUDIOMETRY TEST.
It has become a very big question of my life doctor all my carrer is at stake…please help me out doctor.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Vinay:
You don’t say whether you wear ear protectors or not. If you are not wearing ear protectors around loud noise you are just asking for hearing loss and tinnitus and distorted hearing and hyperacusis. Your ears can only take so much punishment from loud sounds before permanent damage occurs. That is the first thing you need to do.
There is no reason you should fear the audiometry testing. It just tells whether you are damaging your ears or not. And as I said, the solution is to wear hearing protection whenever you are in noisy areas. Noisy is defined as anything above 80 to 85 dB.
Regards
Neil
Keidar says
Hi Dr. Neil.
It’s been two months since I got my Tinnitus.
I don’t know if My Eustachian Tube is Dried up or not. I remember the day when I got my Tinnitus. Something Pop into my right Ear. After 2 days. My tinnitus start ringing. I got checked up by the ENT and he said that my Tube is blocked.After two months,Tinnitus still exist.
I don’t know if this a permanent or not. But this night. My Left ear is starts to ring. I don’t expose my EARS to loud noise. I don’t go to Concert or any events.
Thanks In Advance.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Keidar:
If you have a middle ear infection, or have colds or allergies, your middle ear and associated Eustachian tube can become filled with “gunk” which blocks some sound and the result is that you can get tinnitus. When the condition goes away and your middle ear and Eustachian tube drain so that air exchange takes place normally again, then your hearing comes back and the tinnitus usually goes away.
If a virus gets into your inner ear, it can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus (and balance problems too), but this is different from middle ear problems. Middle ear problems are typically temporary, whereas inner ear problems tend to be permanent. Middle ear problems can take up to 3 months to clear up unless you have a chronic condition for some reason. But your doctor should be able to treat those.
Regards
Neil
ROHIT says
Good evening doctor,
As you have advised me not to wear ear protectors when not necessary, I am following your advise from the day you have given and now i feel like the sound in my left ear has reduced.
and doctor on 9th of this month I will be reaching a port in Australia, would you advise me to make a visit to any shore (ENT) doctor.
with regards,
ROHIT
Dr. Neil says
Hi Rohit:
If your problem is just that loud sounds in the engine room have caused you to hear tinnitus, then as I see it, wearing adequate ear protection is all you need to do. You can go to a doctor if you so choose, but don’t expect him to do much because there is really nothing medically he can do for you. He will probably tell you the same things I have–protect your ears and learn to live with it. If you suspect you are losing some hearing, then it would be a good idea to have your hearing tested. That way you have a base line so you can compare it to future hearing tests.
Regards
Neil
Keidar says
Thank you Dr. Neil.
Past few days my Tinnitus become Quiter than the last time. I think this is the sign the my Eustachian Tube is Dried up..
I’ll let you know if I become fully Recovered.
Thanks Again..
Kelan says
Dear Dr. Neil,
Firstly thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
On April 30th, I noticed a slight “beep..beep beep…beeep” sound in my left ear. I kept thinking it was a fan or something. But realized it was following me. I put my finger in my ear and could hear it pretty loudly – like a Morse code beeping.
Several things could have caused it, I think. In April, I had a virus at two different times with fever and chills. My sinuses and ears felt a little plugged up. I also took ibuprofen to help with the aches, but had taken it before with no problems. (I’ve since read where it can cause tinnitus.) And the last thing that might have contributed to my beeping is that these past few weeks my 4 yr old son has taken to squealing with happiness or anger. But one time he did it right in my ear and it hurt for quite a while…However the ringing didn’t start right after that.
I went to our family doctor and he checked, but no infection. Said he could see some fluid on my ears and prescribed Zyrtec. He said that should clear it up and not to worry. But I AM worried because I haven’t slept in the past 5 nights and am getting anxious. (Not good I know.) Is there any hope for me? Or is this permanent? Seems like going to an ENT has been a waste for many people. Should I wait and see if it’s still ringing/beeping in a month? Or go right away to an ENT? So anxious. Thanks so much for any suggestions.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Kelan:
Like you say, several things could have caused your tinnitus. I agree that the virus could have been the culprit, so too could have been the Ibuprofen and the loud noise of your boy screaming in your ear.
Since your ear didn’t start ringing right away after the screaming episode, I don’t think it was this. Besides, I’d expect that your ear would have been sensitive to sound as well. You don’t mention this so maybe this wasn’t the cause.
You’ve taken Ibuprofen before without problems, so unless you took a higher dose than you’ve taken before, I’d think this is probably not the cause either.
That leaves you with the virus and congestion as the most likely culprit. If so, as your ear drains and thus relieves the congestion, I’d expect the tinnitus to fade away. You need to give it time.
In the meantime, you need to quit worrying about this new sound in your ears. The more you worry about it, the louder and more intrusive it will become. So learn to ignore it totally by focusing on the loves of your life. If you don’t do this, you could make the tinnitus permanent, whereas otherwise it would have faded away in time.
As for going to an ENT, what do you expect him to say/do? Your GP already gave you a prescription to clear up your congestion. I’d give it time to work. Ear congestion can take up to two or more months to drain away–depending on how bad it is. Apart from that, there is basically nothing MEDICALLY that a doctor can do for your tinnitus, so he’ll tell you to “learn to live with it”, charge you the big bucks and send you home. If it was me, in this case, I’d save my money.
Regards
Neil
KeLan says
Thank you so much, Dr. Neil. I will do as you suggest and just give it time. Meanwhile, I’m relieved to report that I got some sleep last night by listening to pink noise on my iPhone at the lowest setting and taking half a Unisom. This helped me to relax and drown out the beeping.
I really appreciate your responding so quickly. You’ve helped me so much.
ROHIT says
good evening doctor,
According to your advice I started practicing all the safeties as you have suggested to me and now exactly aftetr 16 days the sound in my ears has totally gone but at the same time I am afraid doctor that it may come back what woyld you suggest me to do doctor, i have been to an ENT in AUSTRALIA and he has told that your ear drum is good and better I organise an audiogram after 6 months after i reach INDIA(hometown), will the tinnitus goes and comes or what i dont understand doctor please suggest me sir.
regards,
ROHIT
Dr. Neil says
Hi Rohit:
You did what I suggested and your tinnitus went away. Why are you afraid it will come back if you continue to do what I suggested?
Your tinnitus appeared to be the result of exposing your ears to loud noise, and/or overprotecting your ears from normal sounds. If you continue to protect your ears when around loud sounds and not wear ear protection when you don’t need to, there is no reason for your tinnitus to come back.
If you worry your tinnitus may come back, the worry alone could cause more tinnitus. So get on with your life and be happy you no longer have tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
ROHIT says
Thank you very much doctor,
For your kind support, this page is very helpful for all the people like me who are/had being suffering from tinnitus.
thank you once again for such unconditional support that you are providing to humanity.
regards,
ROHIT.
mick says
Hi Dr Neil,
I have had noise induced tinnitus for almost 2 years now, I’m having root canal treatment in a few days because of a tooth abcess and I’m unsure if I should wear earplugs or not?….I heard that wearing earplugs will increase the bone conduction noise of drill from the “occlusion effect”, internal noises sound louder when you block the ear canals, but without earplugs i worry about the external drill noise, I’m going to ask the dentist to do the drilling in 10 second bursts, 10 second breaks and so on.
Does wearing earplugs actually increase the drilling noise from bone conduction (noise can’t escape) or does it only sound louder?
My tinnitus has permanently got worse once already from a loud impact noise and I’m nervous about making thinks worse again.
Thank you for your help,
Mick.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Mick:
Good question. I’ve never come across this question before and don’t know the definitive answer. My gut feeling is that wearing earplugs only makes sounds seem louder via bone conduction–not that they are actually louder.
But one thing you didn’t mention is that there are two drills dentists use–the high-speed drill and the low-speed drill. In my experience, the high-speed drill doesn’t produce near the amount of bone conduction as does the low speed drill. Thus, wearing earplugs when the dentist uses the high-speed drill should be beneficial as it will block out much of the sounds from the high-speed drill (as the air-conduction component is greater than the bone-conduction component). When he is using the low-speed drill, I think the bone-conduction component is much greater than the air-conduction component, so wearing earplugs may not work.
What kind of tinnitus do you have? If it is high-pitched tinnitus, then wearing earplugs will help cut down the racket of the high-speed drill that probably would affect your existing tinnitus.
If your tinnitus is low-pitched, then the low-speed drill probably would tend to aggravate it.
At least that is how I see it.
Regards
Neil
mick says
Thanks for your reply Dr Neil,
My tinnitus is a hissing noise so I guess its high pitched tinnitus. I’m not sure which drill the dentist will use but I will feel more comfortable wearing earplugs, it makes sense that the noise via bone conduction only sounds louder with earplugs, its doesn’t actually increase the noise.
I have worn earplugs while cutting my hair with clippers and that produced quite a loud occlusion effect (especially the back of the ear) and that hasn’t had an affect on my tinnitus, so it shouldn’t be too bad at the dentists tomorrow (touch wood).
Thanks again Dr Neil,
Regards,
Mick.
Jonn D says
Hi @Dr Neil
3 days ago, I was passing by the street and some people were launching some fire works, one went the wrong direction and blew up about one metre / two meters from me, and the left part of my head. I was very lucky it didnt struck me i guess, but anyway, i got my left hearing in a bit of a shock. I am a Dj and requently go to nighclubs to work and have fun, and, although i now have my care, using when needed ear plugs, i didn’t have this care 8 or 7 years ago. I remember going out of night clubs or concerts worse than I was when this happened. However , I don’t recall how long this feeling was gone, and worried a bit if it can be permanent. I don’t feel any high or medium frequency ringing, I only feel as if my left ear was with wax on it. Howerver I did some heaphone test and aparrentely i can ear both the same, and specially the high frequencies seem to be matched. For instance, when i talk, I feel its not the same, I feel a dull impression in the left ear, but from the outside I seem to ear right, alhoutgh there’s like a shock feeling, Could this mean something? Can it be still the “shock” feeling? Thanks Dr
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jonn:
Exposing your ears to loud sounds such as the errant fireworks can cause sounds to sound flat–the result of a temporary threshold shift (temporary hearing loss). Each time this occurs, you probably lose a few more of your precious hair cells and the hearing that goes with them. Ditto for all the DJing you’ve done in noisy venues without wearing ear protection.
Now, since there are fewer hair cells working, each additional noise exposure seems to result in more problems than you had several years ago. Thus, you NEED to ALWAYS protect your ears from loud sounds.
I think you still have some temporary (or perhaps permanent) hearing loss giving you that flat feeling. Hopefully, it will go away, but don’t count on it–given the amount of abuse your ears have absorbed in the past.
Regards
Neil
Kim says
Hi..im writing from New Zealand. Four days ago in the middle of the night I woke with a high pitched constant noise in my right ear. I struggled to go back to sleep and only finally fell asleep at 6am ( not long before I had to get up up for work) by watching television to drown out the squeal…the noise continued all day ..and again I was up in the middle of the night with the television.
I went to the doctor that afternoon and she said I didn’t have an ear infection but that inside both ears look a bit ” dull” . I have a lot of allergies , like hayfever so I sneeze/blow my nose a lot and for the few days before the noise started
( but not on that day) I had been sneezing heaps.
The doctor prescribed antihistimes and a nasal spray to help with my allergies and amoxicillin incase I do have an infection since the eardrum was dull.
I haven’t listened to loud music for many years , im 39.
Could all my sneezing/nose blowing have caused this and will the annoying noise go away ???
Im a person who has always needed total quiet to sleep so the last 2 days have relied on sleeping pills…if I don’t sleep im one very grumpy mother/kindergarten teacher !
Regards, Kim
Dr. Neil says
Hi Kim:
Were you on any medications in the days before your tinnitus began? Also, did you have any viral activity in your body prior to this–colds, flu, herpes, shingles, etc., etc.?
I don’t think the sneezing and blowing your nose caused it directly, but perhaps if the blowing clogged up your Eustachian tubes, you’d have some degree of conductive hearing loss and that might have resulted in the tinnitus.
Has there been any improvement in the past few days?
Regards
Neil
Chris says
Hello Dr. Neil,
I am 43 and have had tinnitus for 2 months now after a loud concert. I have some mild hearing loss in the 6K-8Khz range. My ENT says she can inject my ears with steroids and that might help (oral steroids did not help.) I am considering this. What are the chances this could actually lessen or alleviate the tinnitus at this point?
Also, the past few days my tinnitus has changed. Instead of a constant, high-pitched tone, it oscillates in volume slightly, about every second. What does this mean?
Thank you!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Chris:
Since oral steroids didn’t help and now two months has passed, I’d be VERY surprised if the intratympanic steroids will make any difference at this point. To me it would be a waste of time and money.
If your tinnitus is changing, this could be a good sign–that it is trying to fade away. I don’t take this as something bad. The more you ignore your tinnitus and focus on other things, the more likely that your tinnitus will fade into the background.
Regards
Neil
vinay says
Good evening doctor,
I have been suferring with tinnitus from last one month and the sound has reduced considerably after 15 days of tinnitus but I continously work in very noisy environment and I use ear plugs also but i am very much afraid that i may be loosing my hearing…though I am suffering with tinnitus I do not feel any type of hearing loss…when in a noisy environment I do not hear my tinnitus but when i plug in my ear plugs into my ears the sound gets louder is it a good sign or should I try any other way to protect my ears…but when I am in normal environment like at home,park or other places outside I do not hear this sound at all…sometimes its there and sometimes not I am totally confused doctor plese suggest me on my problem.
regards,
VINAY
Dr. Neil says
Hi Vinay:
When you plug in your ear protectors, you say your tinnitus seems to get louder. This could just be from the ear protectors cutting out much of the background sounds that are masking your tinnitus, thus letting it “stand out” more–and to you it seems to be louder. I doubt it is actually louder. Rather, you are more aware of it because of the lack of other sounds.
Wear your ear protectors when in noisy environments and take them off as soon as you leave such environments. You NEVER want to overprotect your ears or you can make your tinnitus worse.
I don’t see anything wrong with what is happening. You generally seem to be doing the right things. Learn to ignore your tinnitus so it doesn’t get worse as focusing on your tinnitus tends to make it worse.
Regards
Neil
Jeanne says
Hi Dr. Neil,
About 3 months ago I noticed Tinnitus in both ears. Its was a week after my Fathers death and many years of stress caring for him. I also care for my multiply handicapped son and tend to be a person that suffers from anxiety. My son is very loud and I must confess I did block him out with ear buds at times.
I have been a group Fitness instructor for 30 years and have also exposed myself to loud music through the years. I went to the ENT he did all the necessary blood work and hearing tests and told me I have very slight hearing loss in left ear. I am 49 so I wasnt to surprised. He sent me home with advice to take Lipo flavoniods and good luck. I quickly spiraled into depression and anxiety, I took a leave from work because I am worried about the continued loud music even with ear protection and that has made me sad also. I have seen a Psychiatrist who prescribed Xanax for sleep and that helps. I am hesitant to take SSRI’s as I also have TMJ and they elevate my jaw clenching. The Xanax has improved my sleep as has a white noise machine. I have ordered a Widex Dream Device from a Hearing center here in town but it hasn’t come in yet. I also was thinking of trying acupuncture and someone told me a course of oral steroids might help. I find the calmer I am the Tinnitus is less, but still willing to try anything to help better this. What are your feelings on acupuncture, The Widex and the oral steroid?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jeanne:
Anxiety and chronic stress can certainly cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. Compounding this was exposing your ears to loud sounds over the years.
Why is it that you exposed your ears to loud sounds as the fitness instructor? You were in control. You could have turned the music down to a reasonable level. It is NOT a requirement of exercise that you have to listen to loud music (or any music at all for that matter). This is just a CHOICE (and not a wise one to be sure).
Depression is common when you see yourself as the victim. Then taking drugs doesn’t help matters in the long run as it doesn’t treat the underlying problem–it just puts a temporary bandaid on it, but never resolves the issue. Thus when you try to get off the drugs the original problem is still there, plus a host of new ones cause by drug side effects. Not the way to go in my opinion.
It’s much better to take control of your life and do the right things to get your tinnitus under control. One thing is to turn the music down. Another is to wear appropriate ear protectors if the noise is too loud.
As you noted, as you calm yourself down, your tinnitus calms down too. So you know what to do. Work at “hanging loose”. Drugs are not the way to do this (maybe for a short time–a week or two in the beginning). Learn how to relax–find out what works best for you.
Now, to answer you questions. First, I’ve not heard success stories of acupuncture and tinnitus, so I don’t hold out too much hope for this. But if it works for you, go for it. Second, I can’t see how steroids are going to help your tinnitus. I think you were given bad advice here. The Widex Dream hearing aids can produce Zen music that can help you relax and forget about your tinnitus. It is an expensive solution, but if it works for you, great. You could get the same results by listening to similar kinds of good music–have in playing softly on your stereo or on your computer or MP3 player/phone/iPod, etc. JUst keep the music in the background. It’s not supposed to overpower your tinnitus, but give you something to focus on so you learn to ignore your tinnitus (and then hopefully, it will fade into the background and not be a problem for you.
Regards
Neil
ramz says
My ear was pretty good at 26. I was able to hear high pitched sounds that younger people usually does not… until I went to a Metallica live performance. After that I had a permanent and loud hiss sound even in complete silence. After a couple of months I went to the doctor and said that my audition was normal with loss of high frecuencies. That annoying hiss sound stayed there for a three years or so and finally went away. No hiss sound being in silence at all. I was able to hear perfectly and happily again for five years, until I bought studio headphones (Superlux HD668). In less than 10 hours of total use in a month or so I have now the same tinnitus problem. I don´t know what healed my ear before, but I think that was due to avoiding high noises, concerts, headphones, eating enough vitamines and also trying to forget the problem, not focusing it all the time. I hope I get better soon.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Ramz:
Exposing your ears to really loud sounds such as you get at heavy rock concerts is a good way to almost guarantee that you permanently damage your ears to some degree. The damage is cumulative. Each time you expose your ears to loud sounds, you do more damage whether you realize it or not. What that means is that in the eventually the damage becomes apparent and by then it is often too late to do anything about it.
There is nothing inherently wrong with listening to earphones, earbuds, headphones, etc. AS LONG AS you keep the volume to a non-damaging level. At present, that assumes that no sounds exceed 80 dB. Thus the average level will be well below that, probably about 55 to 65 dB–approximately the same level at which we normally talk.
The rule of thumb is that you should listen to all music at the same level as you talk. Then you won’t have to worry about damaging your ears. But so many people today act stupidly and crank up the volume so they can get the “musical experience” and thus at the same time, they set themselves up for the “ringing experience” (tinnitus) and the “deafness experience” (hearing loss) among other things.
I assume you had your headphone level set much too high that caused your ears to ring again. When your ear ring, that is an indication that they were exposed to levels MUCH too loud.
I thina you are correct in your assumptions as to what let your tinnitus go away last time. You need to continue to do the same with an emphasis on keeping the music down to speech levels and hopefully you’ll never have to worry about tinnitus any more.
Regards
Neil
ramz says
Hello, Dr. Neill, thanks for your answer.
I am always very cautious with the music volume. I have use the headphones very litte at a really low intensity, but the problem with many latest studio headphones is that the enhance the low-end bass and high-end highs. I didn’t know that before I bought them. When someone hears this kind of headphones at a low volume is not conscius that there at a lot of noise at a very high pith that cannot almost be heard but gives the feeling of clarity in the music. That is how the manufacturers tricks us with low prices and exceptional sound. That high noises are really enhanced (more dBs than the rest of frecuencies) and even being carefull many people’s ears can be damaged. I’ve looked for this kind of info and I have found the following page that explains better than me the effects of some of the top headphones in the market: http://www.policymic.com/articles/90361/what-beats-by-dre-are-actually-doing-to-your-ears
Thanks for this forum, it is very useful for the people, like me, that suffer this condition.
Regards.
francesco says
Hello doctor. my left ear started to hum after the use of wax cones. my symptoms are ringing in ears that are filled up when I blow my nose, nose always congested.
What could it be?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Francesco:
Ear cones (ear candling) does not work. I’ve written about it before. You can read this article on Ear Candling here.
More likely, the hum (tinnitus) you hear is a result of your ears being clogged up. When the “gunK” in your middle ear and Eustachian tubes drains out, the tinnitus will likely go away. This gunk is also why your ears pop so much when you swallow.
Your real problem is that you are congested all the time. You need to address that and your ear symptoms should clear up on their own.
Regards
Neil
francesco says
my ears are popping when I swallow. sometimes so strong that even people outside feel it.
francesco says
thank you, Doctor. but according to her. knowing the limits telematics. because they are congested ‘. I purulent postnasal mucus every morning. I also left eardrum twitching in the presence of certain sounds. For example, typing with the small buttons on the keyboard. its spasms of the tympanum.
Jordan says
I am 14 years old and I went to a shooting range yesterday. I accidentally had my ear protection off when someone shot. It was only one shot but now my right ear has been ringing for over 24 hours. Will It go away?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jordan:
How’s your ear doing now? Has the ringing gone away and everything is back to normal?
Regards
Neil
Jordan says
Things now sound different in my right ear when compared to the left one also.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jordan:
That is to be expected in cases of loud noise trauma. But it should go away too as your ear “heals”.
Regards
Neil
Frans says
Dr. Neil, about a week ago I was driving my forklift with a fan blowing on my face for about an hour. After I got off I could hear ringing and ear felt blocked or unclear in my left ear. I went to the ENT 2 days later and they said it was tinnitus and that my ear was fine. They have me medicine for my sinus. 3 days later my left ear went almost deaf for about 12 hours until it came back. Right now my left ear still sounds unclear but when loud noises come around it flares up my tinnitus. Since I wear hearing aids do you think I should not wear the left hearing aid for a few days or week to see if it clams down the tinnitus?
Thanks
Frans
Dr. Neil says
Hi Frans:
Were you wearing your hearing aids while you were driving the forklift? Obviously, the sound was too loud for you and you suffered a bit of a temporary threshold shift as well as tinnitus.
Were your sinuses clogged at that time? Did you have a cold? What drug did he prescribe for your sinuses?
You can try not wearing your hearing aid and see how it feels, or better yet, you could just turn the volume on it down a bit for a few days and see how that works. You don’t want your tinnitus to react to louder normal sounds, just loud sounds that typically cause tinnitus in the first place.
Regards
Neil
Marc says
Ive been suffering for 6 months. I have basically seen every doctor (General physician, ENT, Oral surgeon, Neurologist) all of which said there is “nothing” we can do, but “manage” it using medication. They performed MRIs, cat-scans of head, jaw and neck regions and all was clear. Also, ENT did sounds tests, and I have perfect hearing.
So I spent nearly 6 months, trying to figure out how can I lower the frequency of the pitch or remove it entirely! There has gotta be away!! I don’t believe I should suffer like this every day! Doctors were telling me to go on diazapam, which is an anti-anxiety med, but I didn’t suffer from this, so decided against it. Tried physical therapy, acupunture, exercise, diet changes (reduce caffeine alchohol) nothing helped.
I spent 4 months reading the literature, and finally came to the conclusion that I do need medication. Read some reports that Gabapentin (neurotonin), which is a prescribed drug that targets the GABA receptors. Gapapentin works by increasing GABA receptor excitation in the brain. These GABA receptors slow the firing of new action potentials and excitability of nerves. Thus, given that Gabapentin binds to the these GABA receptors, it basically slows the excitation of these nerve firings in the brain.
Gabapentin was originally developed to treat epilepsy, and currently is also used to relieve neuropathic pain. It is recommended as a first line agent for the treatment of neuropathic pain arising from diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, and central neuropathic pain.
Anyways, that being said, I went to the neurologist and said prescribe me Gabapentin. I have read pretty much every article and the general consensus was that that gapentin in some patients resolved the tinnitus completely or lowered the pitch.
My tinnitus is nearly gone! Well, really, I still hear it but sounds like it is 50 miles away in my brain. Now I’m really careful of taking this med. I take it twice a week, because I don’t want to mess with natural processes going on in my head. Also, when I first took it, it made my tinnitus worse. The pressure I felt in my ears was so severe (like I was underwater) for the first couple of hours. However, the next day, my tinnitus barely noticeable.
I have taken only 8 pills in 1 month (2 per week). I gotta say I finally have peace in my head. I must let you know that people suffering from tinnitus with permanent hearing loss, may not work, but may lower the frequency. Have a list of papers about this with mixed results. Google gabapentin fact sheet from the American tinnitus Association website. You will see the results
I’m a PhD in vascular surgery, just to include credibility.
Best
Dr. Neil says
Hi Marc:
Thanks for your report about Gabapentin. I like that you are using the minimalist approach–taking as few pills as possible to get the result you need. When you do this, you certainly reduce the risk of unwanted side effects. Glad it worked for you. Maybe this report will help others that might want to try the same and see if it helps their tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
Louis says
Dr.Neil,
I have recently been exposed to a 1k feedback loop in my studio at a very high spl (I believe around 85 to 100 dbspl) I was around a foot away from the speaker when a friend changed a setting on my audio interface and caused it to abruptly send out a feedback loop straight into my right ear. I froze in panic exposing my ear for around 3 seconds until I turned down the volume knob. This caused my ear to go to a temporary threshold shift making my right ear sound dull and very fatigued. My ear today (24 hrs later) still feels somewhat fatigued probably like a 2-3 on a scale from 1-10 but with no pain nor ringing (tinnitus). I am an aspiring audio engineer where my ears are my career and my tools of the trade. I do go out to night clubs but I wear -15db attenuating earplugs all the time. Although I still feel a bit muffled and I am wondering if this is something serious that I should have checked out by a ENT doctor or should I let my ear heal for a few more days before going to have it checked out?. How long should I not listen to music as this is my daily job in order to train my ears to become professional? Also do you think this was enough exposure or spl to rupture the ear drum?
Please write back when you have a chance Id greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Louis
Dr. Neil says
Hi Louis:
A three second exposure to a sound between 85 and 100 dB should not cause any permanent harm to your ears. I’d expect your ears to return to normal shortly. I don’t see any reason to go to an ENT at this point.
You don’t have to stop listening to music, just keep the volume down. If you keep the music to about the same level as normal speech (50 to 60 dB or so), you can listen to your music as long as you like without hurting your ears more.
Regards
Neil
Frans says
Hi Neil, yes I was wearing my hearing aid at the time.
Before this tinnitus happen my sinus was stuffed up a bit.
The Dr. gave me a prescription of Qnasl a nasal spray which has been working really well.
The ringing isn’t so bad right now. I can hear almost at full strength today. The sounds still aren’t as clear as before this started.
I’m going to lower the volume on my aids at work when it gets too loud. Right now in a quiet room I don’t have any problems. Only when it is noisy it’s hard to hear.
Jordan says
It is still going on. My mom is a nurse so she took me in and looked into my ear, she saw nothing wrong. We double checked with another person and she saw nothing wrong also and said it should go away in about two weeks. In two days it will have been two weeks, and it is still happening.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jordan:
There is no guarantee that you ears will quit ringing in two weeks. Some do of course. But for others it takes longer–maybe a month or two. And for others it never goes away. I think which class you fall into has a lot to do with your emotional make-up. If you just forget about your ears ringing and get on with your life, you’ll find it goes away MUCH sooner than if you keep thinking about it. And if you worry about it, and keep obsessing about it, it can take on a life of its own and never go away.
I sense you are worrying about your tinnitus–and this is bad. You need to focus on other things and treat your tinnitus as though it were a totally useless noise, such as the noise your fridge makes when running. You don’t constantly think about the fridge noise. In fact, you so ignore it that if I asked you if your fridge is running right now, you’d have to stop and particularly listen for it because your limbic system has filtered out that sound because you don’t listen to it.
Treat your tinnitus the same way and try not to think of it for 2 months. Then evaluate how loud and intrusive it is then compared to today. I think you’ll be pleased with your progress.
Regards
Neil
Jatin says
Hello sir,My self jatin and I am suffering from tinnitus since last 2 month.The doctor adviced me to take lincoln tinnex tablet for a month I got no relief so I have changed ENT doctor now another doctor adviced me to take ginko biloba 40,virtiron forte(cinnarizine IP tablets),trintal 400 (pentoxify),Inositol capsule(juvener),In silence the volume of ring use to increse what should I do and will my tinnitus ever go….
Raymond says
On June 27 I watched the new Transformers 4 movie at a movie theater in the mall. The movie to me was a bit louder than I was used to but not so loud that I would have to cover my ears. After I finished watching the movie which was 3 hours long, I noticed that everything I was hearing was quiter than normal, even my voice when I was talking to my friends. The next day I noticed tinnitus in my ears that was pretty loud. I have always had tinnitus but it usually comes and goes and isn’t very loud. My hearing returned to normal the same day (June 28th). It has been a week since the movie and 6 days since the ringing started. I do not listen to loud music or go to really loud places because I dislike loud noises. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: At school during fire drills I cover my ears because the sirens are considerably loud, while the rest of the people in my school do not cover their ears. The tinnitus ever since June 28 is continuous and does not come and go. Also I am going swimming tomorrow morning, do you think it would affect my tinnitus?
James Falzarano says
Dear Dr Neil
I been checking all your advise regard about tinnitus . In my case a was silly to clean ear all way deep on ears, so I got infection according with my Specialist on ears. He recommend this antibiotic which the name is. Neomy6cin-Polymyxin HC. I loss both hearing for a week. Then on the 3rd day. With the medication a bounce back 99%. Do I have chance to get 100%.??? I also did the excercise you advised to other people about the massage with finger and really work very well… Sorry for my broken English .
I forgot to tell you that due to my 10 days lack of sleep. I took medication on the first day of my treatment with antibiotic , next day I was 100%. But like I said I have tremendous headache . I took ibuprofen 200 mg . Then 15 minutes later I got the worst sound on both ears. Took me 24 hours to get 99% on my second time. I realize that Ibuprofen was in fact a problem. I hope this information also give some hope and help other people…. Thank you so much for your dedication to all of us… And GOD bless you.
Regards
J Falzarano
Dr. Neil says
Hi James:
I’ve been cleaning my ears every day for decodes without problems so it can be done without causing infections. Perhaps you had an infection and cleaning just made it worse. In any case, I sure wouldn’t use Neomycin on my ears. It is very ototoxic and can cause massive hearing loss. For infections in the ear canal I’d use non-ototoxic things such as hyprogen peroxide or vinegar or colloidal silver.
I hear from a lot of people that get tinnitus after taking Ibuprofen. So it is a good drug to stay away from.
Regards
Neil
James Falzarano says
Dear Dr. Neal. I forgot to tell you that due to my 10 days lack of sleep. I took medication on the first day of my treatment with antibiotic , next day I was 100%. But like I said I have tremendous headache . I took ibuprofen 200 mg . Then 15 minutes later I got the worst sound on both ears. Took me 24 hours to get 99% on my second time. I realize that Ibuprofen was in fact a problem. By the way I misspell the medication I taken. The name is : NEOMYCIN – POLYMYXIN-HC. I hope this information also give some hope and help other people…. Thank you so much for your dedication to all of us… And GOD bless you.
James Falzarano says
Dear Dr. Neil
This was actually my first portion of my post
I been checking all the post and al advise that you give to everyone on regard of tinnitus .
In my case I was cleaning my ears all way deep, duo itching on my ears which was very silly Everything start low noise progressive during 3 days. I have some pain; then pain when away but not the noise. When I went to Dr. Specialist on ears. Told me that, I have a minor infection on one ears. I was concern, because I hear noise from both ears and I was skeptical of the infection. Because Was not strong pain. I took a overdose of Ibuprofen 200 mg 3 pills for any headaches. For the last 6 moths
Another factor against me, was my blood pressure was a little be high, also I suffer from thyroid so, I was thinking and asking myself which one those provoke my tinnitus . I don’t go to concert or work on louder environment or listen music at all. On my 2nd day of using the antibiotic drops I bounce back 100% . Due to my lack of sleep on the end of 2nd day at night I decide to take ibuprofen 200 mg . Then, the noise went really BAD. I have to wait and Past 24 hours to get back to 99% . So I decide to stop completely the ibuprofen. I’m now not 100%. Another thing help very much was to do relax and do the advise that you recommend on relax and get anxious I will be able get 100%again ????
I put the palms of my hands over my ears
The fingers are on the back of the head. The middle fingers point towards each other and are on the base of the skull just above the point where the skull ends. Now lift the index fingers and place them on top of the middle fingers and then snap the index fingers off the middle fingers so that they beat the skull like a drum. In fact, with your hands covering your ears, the sound may be quite loud and may indeed sound like the beating of a drum.
I get this info on the internet and work pretty good for me. I feel to fragile still. I would we able get 100%. Sorry for my pour English . And again, Thank you again for your advice .
My regards
J Falzarano
James Falzarano says
Dear
Dr. Neil. Thank you so much for your advice.. This is my 5th day using this antibiotic . Do you think I have chance to bounc back. I will stop today then. You mention about St John wort. That will help me? There availble on whole food stores? For example on the 3th I was awfull due to Iboprufen, like I said before. On 4th wich yesterday I was 99% . Today I fell little behind I will say 50%. An getting right now at 60 %. What that means to you?
James Falzarano says
Dear Dr Neil.
I want to let you know, that I bough in Whole Food stores,the St. John wort in drops.(30 to 40 drops on small amount of cup of water – daily) also I got the SOVEREIGN SILVER. The dropper- top bio-active silver hydrosol (10ppm).
My question is this ……….when I can start using the St John wort,since I was in antibiotic????? I don’t know if I can do it right away ???. and the sovereign silver as well…if I can put on my ears right away too??. I’m also drinking complex-B with herb and also my DR prescribe me , Melatonin 1 MG for bedtime. Which I discontinue , because according with use instruction on melatonin, can’t use for more than 5 days consecutive. I read one of the comments from a PhD Dr. Marc, on your blog ; that mention GABAPENTIN- (GABA) to reduce the volume of noise. That it’s very interesting. if there’s not more choices than accept our condition; That will be one hope we can’t give up and I Agree with Dr. Marc… We shouldn’t live just accepting the horrible noise and mask it… With sounds.. But reduce it to a minimal if possible .What do you think about (GABA)…Doc? Can I use it as well too???
Anyway, I don’t understand why my DR prescribe me the —NEOMYCIN— knowing that I have already a condition of ear ringing & buzzing . You may know the answer better than me. We’ll I will try not to hurt myself thinking too hard and getting the best way to treat my condition and using the right tools and accept whatever comes to me . I will try also, to NOT give up and get better solution for my problem without getting anxious .
Last question Doc ……..Do I have at least any chance to comeback to normal again? ???? Since when I get 100 % I fell like nothing ever happens in my ears …Thank you for you reply And GOD bless you again…. Right now the noise on my ears going down at least 40%….. One day I do 100% next day 40% then comeback to a 100% …… Very tormenting. I will pray for everyone affected by this bad condition in this blog and hope that, at last We all can find a better way to reduce the noise…but Ignore the sound is not easy to accomplish , special if noise is too high…. at least we need to try to suffer the minimum possible.
PS: I recognize that I took my good Heath for granted. Now, I know better.
Hoping that is not too late…….
J Falzarano.
Grazie mille
Dr. Neil says
Hi James:
You can start the St. John’s Wort at any time since it has nothing to do with the Nieomycin. It won’t affect it.
You can also use the silver right away. Again, it doesn’t have anything to do with the Neomycin.
As for the Gabapentin, you’d need a doctor’s prescription to use it. I’m not one for taking drugs at all, but if you want to try it for yourself, that is up to you. Just don’t stay on it for more than a couple of weeks if you do.
Doctors prescribe Neomycin because they have been brainwashed into thinking it doesn’t cause all the harmful side effects it does. They think such side effects, if they ever occur, are very rare–and this is just not true.
If your tinnitus is fluctuating from 40% to 100% and down again, I take that as a good sign. If it stayed at 100% (bad), that would be a bad sign. I never said it was easy to ignore the sound, (it’s not), but it is necessary to do so if you don’t want your tinnitus to control your life.
Regards
Neil
Rosemary says
Dr Neil, I have had tinnitus since 1994. I had a sinus operation two years ago. I woke up and said my left ear was blocked. It was blocked on and off for the next year. For the last ten months, it has been blocked. My hearing has gone downhill with every hearing test and the tinnitus is so loud. I miss so much with people speaking and when there is noise, I have no hope. I have been told there is nothing I can do about the loss of hearing and I am wondering to get another opinion or not. Does hearing ever come back?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Rosemary:
If you had a sinus operation and had resulting hearing loss, the first thing I’d want to know is whether your hearing loss is sensorineural or conductive. Typically, doctors can do things to “fix” conductive losses, but basically there is nothing they can do for sensorineural hearing losses.
If you have a conductive loss, and it is corrected, then you may find your tinnitus goes away or at least becomes less. So that is the first thing I’d do–find out if there is a conductive component to your hearing loss and have that looked after.
Typically, if you have a sensorineural hearing loss, hearing does not come back because the hair cells die–and that’s permanent. However, there are cases when the hair cells (or other inner ear structures) are “blocked” from working properly resulting in hearing loss. In these cases, when the “blockage” is removed, the hearing returns. An example of this would be a heavy metal (or other toxin) blocking an ion gate so a sound signal can’t be sent to the brain. If you undergo chealation for the heavy metal and it is removed from your body, the ion gates are then “unblocked” and hearing can return to normal. So there are instances where hearing can return.
Regards
Neil
James Falzarano says
Dear Dr Neil
This part was write on 7-714
Today ….my day was quiet, compare with others days. the previous night I got that “eeee” annoying sound like a electric fields ; then shifted to a very low sound of
Cicada ” or cricket” sound. I wonder if this noise means that it will go away ….for once at all. But I just need to forget and continue my long endurance and not making false hopes in my mind ….. Sometime I feel alone, especial in the night when the sound is so strong or weak , and everybody at home go to sleep quietly.
What to expect tonight is a big question “?”…. and again, I will need to be strong, to go with my life and accept this terrible noise. Now at least I got an appointment with the ENT on Friday , since I told him, that; Neomycin give me the sides effects on Saturday . (Vomit, strong ringing ..)
I know that , maybe at the appointment , I will hear just from my ENT. “Is too early to determine your case”. So far I’m doing 59% free noise…
This I write on — 7-8-14
Dr Neil… I want to share with you and everyone in this blog ,how I’m doing at this point. because I want to give some hope to my self and to any person with T even if I’m not yet a 100% free noise ; and let it know to anyone that comes in this blog to read, ask and get some sort of emotional support like I do.
I wake up in the morning with very low noise and with a headache
since I got not much option anymore to take pain killers to stop it . how to battle the pain ???? I ask Because, any of this medication increase the tinnitus as you know . But I manage to put ice on top of my head and control the pain. I Went to work with 4 hours of sleep … Then . I feel the minimum noise from my T . I can’t believe it …Then I went to work . I’m very skeptical and that doesn’t help.. in fact by the time I arrive at work I got completely silent sanity 100%-no noise. this is lasting until this moment that came back to 78% no noise . So far I’m still Ok. But scare…..which don’t want to go back to the beginning of my T .I admit that I am scarecrow right now . This whole thing start on June 24. Until today July 8.This experience is taken me to another level of being more humble…..to understand others suffering of being on the same situation you have experience the same . well … I Still don’t know… if I will stay that way…… (Without Noise) permanently in the near future, But I will try to stay healthy. Sorry if I offend you by saying on the : “mask the noise it’s not enough.”…. But I read in every article; I don’t say it … because of you. And I understand that has been say, because we need to manage this condition and find a way to survive with tinnitus .
I do feel now more than never to committed to helps other with tinnitus, and I will do.
You save me , from my own ignorance of using the medications and not reading the side effects… You Give me a good advise. And I listen to you. I always will be graceful for that. I get much better went I stop the med.
Right now I’m 95% (free-noise )for more than 10 hours. Like ….. never before , and I don’t know, how long is going to last ????? I hope it will be more than few days …. Because permanent tinnitus can emerge quickly and ruthlessly ………and tinnitus definitely leaves a lasting memory for those who’ve got it for a week or more and then it goes away…. I’m not yet there myself… I heard that VITAMIN- D also make T worse that’s true????
My last question doc….. How I can stop my headaches without taken drugs like, ibuprofen , Advil , aspirin?? Can I take Tylenol ???? .. Anyway On July 11- Friday . I got an appointment with my ENT. To do a hearing test. Thanks again for your replay to me on the T , which give me peace of mind
….. And again sorry for my BAD English
JFalzarano ????
James Falzarano says
Dr. Neil
Hi. I just went to my ENT appointment . I ask me how I was doing?. And I told him not great, but really compare with other people, I guess I’ m great and lucky. Por example. Yesterday I was horrible high pitch sound. Bur of course. I’ been not sleep for 3 days.
I got problem with getting to sleep . A notice when I don’t sleep, my T increase 100%.
Last night I went to sleep really tired and with headache again. But I manage again to fell to sleep. 3 hours then I have to fight again and sleep from 5:00 to 8:00. Due to the strong noise. I wake up today with less than 1% of noise. That tells me if I dong to sleep I will have a comeback tinnitus . So now I know that I can probably better look a way to do something to get tired and go to when I got the sleep and not wait for later . According with Dr. My infection went away. and everything look good. He told me not to take St John Wort. He want me to be only on Melatonin 1 mg and B- complex. I’m scheduled for audiogram/tympani gram- test.i don’t think that my rearing is affect at all. I just curious to know why I get the noise as soon I lay to sleep. Right now in instant moment I got like “eeee”noise so far that I feel cure 100% . What do you think about that ??? Another question is true that St. John Wort can trigger high blood pressure and migraine ?
If you don’t mind to let me know I will appreciate for your reply…….. There’s and chance to be defenetely or at least 99%??? Do you think Tylenol also in not good with tinnitus ???
My regards
Jeff says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve been a tinnitus sufferer off and on for 3 years now. I always listened to loud music and never noticed any detrimental effects. Then I went through a period of intense anxiety about 3 years ago and that’s when I noticed the tinnitus starting.
As I slowly got my anxiety under control I noticed that I could block out the tinnitus to the point that I didn’t notice it anymore. If I listened for it I could still hear it but I learned to block it out to the point that it no longer affected my life.
After that success, I watched a movie yesterday on TV and turned the sound up really loud because it was an action/thriller. Yes I know that was very stupid of me but I honestly thought I had beaten the tinnitus. Since then it has returned with a vengeance. Both ears are emitting a loud, high-pitched squeal that is driving me nuts! Usually when I have a flare-up it goes away in about a day, but not this time 🙁
Logic tells me that my TV was turned up loud but not loud enough to cause hearing damage. I’m praying that the tinnitus returning is psycho-somatic and not permanent. Of course as you probably can tell, I’m freaking out here!
My question is this: my ears are totally blocked with wax according to my doctor and need to be cleaned out. She suggested a chemical ear wax removal kit but I’m afraid that will make my tinnitus worse.
What is a safe way to clean out my ears? I have read about a natural ear wax removal kit that only contains olive oil. Is that safer to use than the chemical varieties? How about the flushing syringe. Can that make tinnitus symptoms worse?
Any guidance or reassurance you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Is there any chance that there someday might be a cure for this maddening condition or are we all hoping in vain?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jeff:
Once you damage your ears and cause tinnitus, think of your ears as more sensitive to more damage in the future. Thus, listening to loud sounds–even though it doesn’t result in tinnitus to other people–may now cause further tinnitus, or louder tinnitus. So you have to keep this in mind and protect your ears from loud sounds.
You did the right things in the past to control your tinnitus. You’ll have to do the same again and hope it fades away, but there are no guarantees. You’ll have to give it time.
To remove ear wax safely, you have to be gentle, especially with the syringing method, and the wax picking method. Yanking on a piece of wax can pull your eardrum out and simulate a loud sound (which can make your tinnitus worse). So can using too much force in syringing. But when done properly, they are both safe methods.
You can try softening the wax with olive oil or baby oil. I’d choose that instead of chemical concoctions–but that’s me.
Some doctors like the wax softened up before they try to syringe it out–and I agree with this.
The best “cure” for tinnitus is prevention. If you protect your ears from loud sounds, don’t take ototoxic drugs and live a healthy lifestyle, the chances of your getting tinnitus is pretty slim. But people want to have their cake and eat it too–and it just doesn’t work that way.
Who knows what advances there will be in tinnitus management in the future? I’m not holding my breath for a perfect cure though, because they are looking mostly for a drug solution and that will just give rise to other side effects.
Regards
Neil
Jeff says
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you for your response. The thing that I have trouble understanding is why there isn’t more public awareness about tinnitus. This is no laughing matter. It’s a devastating, debilitating condition. Yet, I had never even heard of tinnitus before I started researching my symptoms online.
Even now, when I try to discuss my condition with friends/family/co-workers, 90% of the time I just get blank stares. And yet I read about what a common condition this is!
I know you said the best cure is prevention but it seems like we only learn this after the fact, when it’s too late. That’s the part I find the most frustrating. We’re warned about the dangers of smoking. We’re warned about alcohol. We’re warned about obesity. We’re warned about not exercising. We’re warned about unsafe sexual practices. But nobody warned me about this. I would have gladly lowered the volume on my earphones if I had only known that this could happen to me!
Reading online about all the things that can damage your hearing is unbelievable. How are you supposed to live? Who doesn’t go to bars? Who doesn’t go to restaurants? Who doesn’t go to movie theatres? Who doesn’t go to concerts? Who doesn’t mow their lawn? Yet all of these things can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus???
There really needs to be more awareness so prevention is an option before you develop this infuriating condition.
And the worse part is, no matter where I turn for comfort or help, the answer is always the same. Deal with it because nothing can be done. At least when I had strep throat the doctor could do something to help me. But not this time.
I understand this isn’t life-threatening but it severely impacts the quality of life. If someone had only warned me about this, I would have taken preventative measures.
Anyway I’m sorry about the rant. I just needed to get this off my chest! Thank you for the advice and I’ll try to get through each day while dreaming of a cure.
I know it won’t be easy but I supposed I don’t have any choice.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jeff:
There are various agencies that try to promote protecting your ears from loud sounds and tinnitus awareness. Unfortunately, it is mostly a case of “shutting the gate after the horse has escaped”–just as in your case. You were not aware of tinnitus because you didn’t have any cause to be–so even if you saw a public awareness ad, you probably so totally ignored it that you can’t even remember even seeing one. We are so constantly bombarded with ads that we cease seeing them.
Unfortunately, conditions pertaining to ears are not considered very important in the grand scheme of things in the medical field. Thus hearing loss and tinnitus get the short end of the stick in public awareness. For example, they warn about heart problems and liver problems and kidney problems that can result from taking medications, but how often do you read warning about ear problems from taking drugs? Not too often.
However, when you go to look for information on tinnitus and the dangers of loud sounds on your ears, there is no end of information about it readily available on the Internet (as you have found). For example, I’ve written about 90 articles on tinnitus and my book on tinnitus is in its 6th edition now.
Unfortunately, few people read these articles unless they are now suffering from tinnitus. This is just human nature at work.
It’s not true that nothing can be done. What is true is that there is no magic pill you can take to make it go away. You have to be actively involved in dealing with your tinnitus because it is a psychosomatic condition–and only you can control your “psychic” and this takes work.
So the basic choice you have is either to deal with it or not deal with it. You don’t have the choice of having it or not–at least not any more.
Regards
Neil
Julie D says
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve had tinnitus for 15 years. 4 1/2 years ago it got drastically worse and my Musical Ear Syndrome started. The past year I’ve developed a sensitivity to loud and high pitch sounds, along with what one ENT calls tensor tympani syndrome. I have a 50% hearing loss, most of it recently. After starting with Effexor I got T, and it got drastically worse after I discontinued it. I was wondering why no Doctor of any kind didn’t inform me about Effexor side effects, such as T and ototoxicity? Why would it get drastically worse after stopping the SSRI? I haven’t taken any drugs in past 2 1/2 years except for an occasionally Xanax for sleep or OTC meds. I wear earplugs all the time, even using blow dryer, vacuum , etc. My hearing is still getting worse and so is my T and H. Can lack of sound make T or hearing worse? Can we hear thru our skulls? ( I work in a loud mill for 27 years, and wear ear plugs even in quiet areas). I also started EMDR treatment for my anxiety, has any one got relief for their T, MES, H or tensor tympani from this or any other treatment? How can I prevent more T sounds from coming or hearing loss?? Thank you, Julie
Dr. Neil says
Hi Julie:
I’m not surprised that when your tinnitus got worse you also got MES. What happened 4.5 years ago–was that when you started on the Effexor?
Venlafaxine (Effexor) is not a SSRI, but a SNRI which is somewhat similar to an SSRI. Side effects of Effexor include hearing loss, hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound), tinnitus, ear pain, a raft of different balance problems and ear infections. So your hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis could be caused by the Effexor.
One reason your tinnitus may have gotten worse from stopping the Effexor is because these drugs basically mess up your brain so when you stop taking one all of a sudden, your brain can’t function properly and one result can be tinnitus. You need to taper off such drugs slowly–perhaps tapering down 1% a day for 100 days or even slower.
Why did your ENT say you have tensor tympani syndrome? You haven’t mentioned anything that would indicate you have this condition.
What OTC meds have you been taking? Numbers of them are ototoxic.
Now let’s address your hyperacusis. Certainly the Effexor could be partly to blame, but I think you are making it worse by wearing ear plugs all the time. When you wear ear plugs in relatively quiet situations, your brain is deprived of normal sounds (and moreso since you have a significant hearing loss). When this happens, your auditory system turns up its internal volume control to try to hear some sounds. And this makes all sounds correspondingly louder. The more you wear the ear plugs, the more sensitive you get to sounds as the internal volume is constantly being turned up.
You so ALWAYS wear ear plugs when sounds are above 90 dB or so, and you should NEVER wear ear plugs when sounds are less than 80 dB. There is a fine line you need to tread between protecting your ears from loud sounds, and overprotecting your ears from quieter sounds. You need to change your habits regarding ear plugs before it is too late and you can’t even stand very quiet sounds.
And yes, you can hear through your skull. It attenuates the sound by about 30 dB or so. That is why ear protectors only go up to about 30 dB. After that, the sounds go through your skull so you don’t gain any more protection. You could wear 60 dB ear plugs, but they wouldn’t help you much more than 30 dB ones do because of bone conduction.
Anxiety can make your tinnitus worse, and certainly won’t help your hyperacusis either, nor your MES. So you doing well to be actively working on getting your anxiety under control.
I wish you well.
Neil
Jason says
Hi Dr. Neil, about a year and a half ago I went out shooting guns with friends and didn’t use ear protection. ever since then i could hear a high pitched buzzing but after a few day it died down and i almost never noticed it. About 20 days ago I went to drag race track with friends. I didn’t bring ear protection and my tinnitus has been louder now. I guess my main question is how long does it take the ear to heal from temporary damage from loud noises and could my tinnitus die down again like before? Thanks so much for your time.
-Jason
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jason:
First, you NEED to remember to take ear protection with you when you are going to loud events. Your ears will only stand so much punishment before you will have permanent problems such as hearing loss and tinnitus.
You want to know how long it will take your ears to heal from temporary damage. What makes you think there is only temporary damage? In actual fact, you are causing damage each time–some of it temporary and some of it permanent. Did you get that? Each time you abuse your ears with loud sounds, more permanent damage occurs. The temporary damage typically heals in a few days to a month or more, but you may notice more and more effects of the permanent damage such as not hearing in the high frequencies like you did before, and having your tinnitus becoming louder and more intrusive and NEVER going away.
Unless you love being “deaf” and having loud, annoying tinnitus for the rest of your life, the time to act is now. ALWAYS protect your ears from loud sounds as the effects of loud noise is cumulative.
Regards
Neil
tasha says
hello,
I have a hearing loss in both ears since i was born, i also wear hearing aids for each ear, well one night ago i was listening to my music loudly, like i do every day im so used to it, but that time i wasnt wearing headphones at all and when i got up i could hear a constant beeping in my right ear sounding like when a microwave signals the meal is heated but its a little more drawn out, and it hasn’t gone away, it is starting to make me not be able to sleep. last night i got no sleep, i don’t know why i still have the ringing, i think i might have nor-apathy in my right ear wear its like a low buzzing i the left ear but it happens once in a while so it doesn’t bother me and it always lasts fro 3 seconds or less. i have never had this annoying beeping in my right ear nor any kind of beeping or buzzing noise in my right ear and listening to music always helps me relax and hlep me fall asleep, plz help!
Dr. Neil says
Hi Tasha:
There is nothing wrong with listening to music. Good music can help you relax and fall asleep. However, there is everything wrong with listening to music too loud. That causes permanent damage that insidiously creeps up on you over the years. When you listen to music, it should be at about the same volume as you hear people talking. If you are listening to music substantially louder, then you are asking for trouble.
And when listening to music to fall asleep, you don’t even need it that loud as there are no competing sounds to partially mask it.
What you are hearing with the beeping and buzzing, etc is tinnitus. Tinnitus is a sure sign that you are damaging your ears, and have damaged your ears. The tinnitus is only going to get louder and more intrusive the more you listen to loud sounds. You need to protect your ears from loud sounds from now on–unless you love listening to annoying tinnitus day and night.
Besides protecting your ears from loud sounds–and that means any sounds that are substantially louder than people talking (80 dB is the limit), you need to give your ears a rest so they can heal any temporary damage. This could take up to 3 months or so. You also need to learn to ignore the tinnitus sounds you have now. The more you focus on them, the worse they will get.
Regards
Neil
vinay says
hello doctor Neil,
Hope you are doing great…
Sir I started having the rining sound in my ears from past 4 months and now all of a sudden my left ear went almost deaf for about a second and then it returned back to normal I mean to tinnitus stage…I am very much afraid that whether this is the sign of loosing my hearing…
and in these 4 months i havent exposed my ears to loud noises sir.
Eagerly waiting for your valuble reply sir.
VINAY.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Vinay:
What happened 4 months ago that caused your tinnitus to start? Did you begin taking any drugs or medications or increase the dose on an existing medication? Having your ear suddenly go deaf is not a good sign, so tracking down the cause will help you know how to treat it.
Regards
Neil
Robert says
Hello Dr Neil. My Dad was diagnosed with Tinnitus 4 weeks ago. I was very concerned and researched online to find him some relief. What happened is I developed Tinnitus myself. I heard a high pitched sound in the car one day and latched onto it. Now it plays all the time in my left ear. I dont and never have exposed my ears to loud sounds. Do you think if I try and minimize my attention on this sound that it may go away based on how it started?
Thanks
Robert
Dr. Neil says
Hi Robert:
I’m wondering if your tinnitus began due to your anxiety over your dad developing tinnitus. Focusing on it only made it worse. Totally ignoring it is a good plan in any case. Hopefully it will go away.
Regards
Neil
mahesh says
i have problem with left year since 5 years. now i cont sleep 1 hour what i want to do please suggest me my no.09030925478
Robert says
Dear Dr Neil. I was wondering about the dentist. You could spend a year habituating to Tinnitus and have it settle down only to go to the dentist and have it flair up again due to the incredibly loud noise of the drills they use. Do you have a solution for dental treatment on patients with Tinnitus? Is there a solution?
Thanks
Robert
Dr. Neil says
Hi Robert:
For some people dentists drills are too loud and make their tinnitus worse. They never bother my tinnitus so it is not a given that it will make your tinnitus worse.
One way to try to prevent tinnitus from dental drills is to do as Jack Vernon suggested. Barry Keate wrote, “Dr. Jack Vernon, of the Tinnitus Center at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), states that the best way to avoid hearing loss and tinnitus is to ask the dentist to drill in short spurts. Drill for five seconds then stop for ten seconds, drill for five seconds and stop for ten seconds, and so on. “The exacerbation of tinnitus by sound is a time-intensity function and by reducing the time of each drilling episode, the degree to which this kind of insult will influence the ears is also reduced.” ”
If you are worried about drilling making your tinnitus worse, this is what I would do.
Regards
Neil
Sue says
Hi Dr.Neil
I have tinnitus about a week now due to loud music exposure. I went to see an ENT and they said my hearing is fine. But the ringing won’t stop, I can’t sleep at night due to this. It’s taking a toll on me. The ENT specialist recommended arches tinnitus formula to relief the tinnitus. Do you know anything about this? Do you recommend me taking it? Are there any medications you recommend? Also, do you think this will go away? I am praying it will go away…
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sue:
You just HAVE to protect your ears when around loud sounds such as loud music. You are just asking for trouble if you don’t. Your ears only stand so much abuse and then they give up and you end up with tinnitus and other ear problems such as hearing loss and hyperacusis.
Arches Tinnitus Formula works for some people so I’d try it and see. There is nothing in it that is going to hurt your ears. You have to give it time–take it for a month, or better yet, three months.
Whether your tinnitus goes away or not depends on several things. If this was the first time you exposed your ears to loud sounds, you may have a better chance of it going away than if you’ve exposed your ears to loud sounds a number of times in the past.
Also, much depends on your emotional attitude towards your tinnitus. If you worry about it, it may never go away and indeed, get worse. However, if you totally ignore it and for no negative emotional attachment to it, you may find it fades away and doesn’t bother you.
There are no medications approved for tinnitus–and I wouldn’t recommend them anyway as there are always side effects. That is why I like herbals such as Arches Tinnitus Formula.
Regards
Neil
Sue says
Thank you Dr.Neil.
I read that zinc may also help decrease tinnitus symptom, should I start taking zinc supplements?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sue:
You can certainly try zinc. If you are low on it, you may notice a difference. Just don’t take more than about 30 mg of zinc a day. Too much can be a bad thing.
Regards
Neil
Tyler says
Hi dr neil
I born deaf. But im 30 now.. I wonder whats costing buzzing my right ear? I play computer games with a headphones only my right ear . I only put headphone on top my hearing aid.. But my right ear feels like buzzing . I had it for 7 month it stops few times but should i keep my hearing aid out or what should i do?
Tyler says
Acually i see my specalist he said my hair cells are fine. But what costing feels like dizzing sound. Almost like buzzing.
Joe says
Hi Dr Neil.
I think I may have permanent tinnitus? I first experienced ringing in my ears after I left a new nightclub about 6months ago. This was the first time I had ever experienced this and it lasted 3-4days since then every time I go on a night out or to a gig which I do very often I experience tinnitus and this time I’ve had it for 2 weeks straight and still have it now.
I have no emotional stress or anything, I think it’s simply just noise induced but I don’t understand how all same people I go to these places with at the most only experience rining that very same night. What do I do? Stop going out socialising and ruin my current life? Or ruin my future life?
I have bought earplugs for future because I do have a lot of gigs coming up but I dont think I can put up with the rining any longer. It’s really only noticeable in quiet places but when it is noticeable its very loud and I dwell on it. I’m even thinking about it all day so even in louder places I can start to begin hearing it in the background.
David says
Dr. Neil,
I’ve had tinnitus since age 13. I’m now 67, and it’s getting much worse. When I play piano, I use 30db earplugs. I know you said not to, but when I use 15 the tinnitus gets much worse. Measured dB levels are below 75 and average around 70 with my electric piano. Also it gets worse when I sleep on my right side. My TMJ condyles are OK in a CT scan. Massaging my neck and TMJ area helps sometimes. Any suggestions on earplug use in my case? Thank you.
David
David says
I forgot to mention that the tinnitus gets worse even with the 30db earplugs, but not as bad as with the 15. It subsides usually in a few hours to normal (loud) levels.
David
crystal says
Hi dr
my symptoms started about two weeks ago. All of sudden gearing loss filling fullness in left ear. Went to er they cleaned my ear but they said there is wax buildup on my ear drum. The ringing is bad. Feels like my head has weird sensations too. My eye twinches and sometimes a headache in back of head where all this is going on on same side. I do gave anxiety problems and panic as well. Can u help? I’m 32 yrs old.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Crystal:
There is no way I can help you given the few details you have given. I’d need to know much more about your situation. Email me privately at neil at hearinglosshelp dot com and give me as much background as you know about your ears and I’ll try to help you. I’ll have a bunch of questions I’ll need you to answer.
Regards
Neil
crystal says
And I’m freaking out extremely now. Done been to the er 4 times. Nothing is changing. Cant go to a doctors have no insurance. And people telling me its something bad like a tumor. I freak out and pabic and go back to the er. My bp been running high but drops back to normal after a few mins. Please help.
Olly says
Hello Dr. Neil,
I have always been able to notice that my left ear had a greater range of hearing, being able to hear higher pitched noises. I did get diagnosed with tinnitus at a younger age (14-15) but it never really bothered me, i slept fine and got used to it so that i rarely noticed it at all! I’m not sure why this was, I was always a healthy sleeper and it didn’t seem to impede me in life..
The weekend just gone i went to a reunion party that was on both the Friday and Saturday night. I went home relatively early on the Friday with no changes to my hearing at all other than a feeling of a ‘muffled/ringing’ sensation that went away within an hour or so.
On the Saturday i had stayed in there for much longer, probably 5 hours or so and the music was quite loud. Again, i left with the same sensation and went to sleep. However the morning after i still had a persistent feeling of a ‘blocked ear’ or muffled sensation (hearing felt dull/clogged ear/water in ear) sort of sensation. This now only seems to be definable in my left ear, 30 hours later.
I very rarely go to music events that are loud and do not regularly experience such sensations..
It is quite worrying now as my hearing seems dull and nowhere near as ‘full’ or to have the same range of sounds! is this temporary? Baring in mind i have noticed improvement over the last 30 hours. Is this something you have come across before?
Thank you,
Kind Regards
Dr. Neil says
Hi Olly:
When you get that blocked feeling, muffled sensation, feeling of fullness or however you want to describe it, you are experiencing what is technically called a temporary threshold shift due to exposing your ears to loud sounds. This is just a fancy way of saying you now have a temporary (hopefully) hearing loss.
Typically, this seems to go away in a few minutes to a few hours to a few days depending on how long you exposed your ears to the loud sounds and the volume of the sounds themselves. As you have found, with the passing of time, your ears are recovering–at least to some degree. This is good.
At the same time, you may have also caused some degree of permanent damage to you hearing. This will never go away. Since this hearing loss often occurs in the high frequencies, often you are not aware of it right away. But the more you expose your ears to loud sounds, the more damage occurs, and eventually you become aware of it. At this point it is much to late to do anything about it.
That is why you NEED to protect your ears if you are going into loud venues. Otherwise, sooner or later, you’ll have to pay the piper–and in this case it means having hearing loss and tinnitus and also probably distorted hearing and sound sensitivities as well.
You can avoid all this grief by protecting your ears at all times. It may be too late now to avoid any damage that has occurred, but you can prevent more damage in the future by wearing ear protectors when the volume of the sound is more than about 85 dB.
This is your wake up call. Either wear ear protectors when in places with loud sounds, or get out. Those are your choices.
Regards
Neil
Krystyna Buchanan says
Dr.Neil, i have been reading your responses and it sounds to me u know your stuff.I was told to wean myself of effexor in 2 weeks time by a doctor. I had been on it for 4 months approx. Not knowing how dangerous these drugs are and that it takes months and not weeks i did just that. I ended up in the emergency room at the hospital because i couldnt stop throwing up for 3 days. I was very ill for about 6 weeks and then noticed this pulsating noise in both my ears and i could no longer sleep well at night. The two came together. I have this swooshing sound in my head 24 hours a day, and after going to the sleep clinic, the results being that i woke 60times in 6hrs of sleep. Since going off the medication i have not had one full night of sleep and not one moments peace from the noise in my head. Prior to this i have never had problems sleeping. How do i fix this and can I? Do i go back on the effexor for a while and get weaned of it properly, will that help. I dont know what to do, iam at my wits end. Help.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Krystyna:
Getting off Venlafaxine (Effexor) is very difficult for some people. Tapering off in just two weeks is MUCH too fast. A more reasonable time frame would have been 10 months or so.
You have two options. Stick it out and wait for the side effects to go away. This could take a year or more, but you have already gone 7 months so you should be about half way through the process.
The other option is to go back on the Effexor–get yourself stabilized on it–and then begin your a very slow taper over 300 days or so. You’ll be able to tell whether you are going too fast by the reappearance of side effects.
You need to decide which way to go.
If you choose to go back on and then taper off, I strongly suggest you follow one of two methods of tapering.
Either follow what “Sweettooth” did as explained at http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-drugs/tapering-how-effexor-method-1-a-32337.html, or use the following method.
To do this you need the tablet kind of pills. Get a mortar and pestle and a 100 ml beaker. Each day pulverize your daily dose in the mortar, then dissolve this in exactly 100 ml of water. When it is fully dissolved, you pour out precisely 1 ml of and drink the other 99 ml. Do this for 3 days. Then on the fourth day pour out 2 ml and drink the rest. Do this for 3 days, then pour out 3 ml and drink the 97 ml remaining. Continue doing this for 300 days and you’ll be off the drug. This will give you a taper rate of 1/3 of 1% per day which should be slow enough to avoid side effects. If at any time it appears too fast–stop at that level until you stabilize–then continue the taper. This is what Dr. Heather Ashton recommends.
Now, to address your pulsating noise–the swooshing sounds you hear. This is a kind of tinnitus. You don’t say whether this swooshing sound is in unison with your heartbeat or not. Particularly note whether it is or not. If it is, you have developed a type of tinnitus called pulsatile tinnitus. This has something to do with your vascular system and generally can be treated by doctors. If it is not in unison with your heartbeat, then you have another kind of tinnitus.
Let me know what kind you have and I’ll try to help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Krystyna Buchanan says
Dr, Neil i forgot to mention that this has been going on since May of this year. I have been waiting month after month for things to get better. It has been 7 months. Thank You for any suggestions.
Krystyna Buchanan says
Hi Dr Neil, thank you so much for getting back to me, i have been living a nightmare. My tinnitus is the pulsatile and af
ter going for a hearing test and a doppler test which came back ok, the ear specialist told me it would go away as soon as i sorted out my sleeping. The two came together from the withdrawal process. I need to know if my two problems will ever go away. Is there truly some way that my brain will compute sleep again. If you were in this situation which would u do. Iam beside myself and dont know what the better choice would be. Is there any garantees that by sticking it out that my tinnitus and sleep deprivation will go away?
abubasil says
Hi Dr Neil.
I am 45 yrs old man from Iraq. I lived with tinnitus since 1995 ,it increases over years, Now I wish if there away to remove my hearing totally if that will stop the noise in my both ears. I cannot live with it anymore.I am serious is there any kind of surgery to remove the hearing entirely? I read much about tinnitus in the internet and it seems no way to stop it.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Abubasil:
In the past, doctors cut the auditory nerve to try to stop intractable tinnitus. This leaves the person permanently and totally deaf in that ear. If you had it done in both ears, you’d never hear another sound as long as you live.
Unfortunately, when the doctors cut the auditory nerve, they were shocked that in at least half the cases, the tinnitus did not change at all, or got even worse. It was then that they began to realize that although tinnitus can be an “ear” problem, it ALWAYS has something to do with the brain.
Thus, I would NOT recommend having this surgery. You have a good chance of making your tinnitus worse on top of being totally deaf.
Much better to work on retraining your brain to ignore your tinnitus so it doesn’t bother you. One such program that has a track record of about 80% success is the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). I suggest you look into it. This program can take up to 3 years to get your tinnitus under control so it is not a quick fix, but it works for most people that stay with the program. You don’t have to wait 3 years for any results–you will see them as the months pass–your tinnitus bothering you less and less.
Another program that also has a high rate of success is Neuromonics. It typically takes about 18 months so is faster than TRT.
I’d try one of these programs and work to get your tinnitus under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Doug says
Dr neil,
Earlier today I was using a hammer drill on and off for a few minutes at a time.. I have tinnitus in my right ear.. it only feels stuffy if I fool with the ear (plugging it repeatadly, etc)… otherwise my hearing seems fine. ..is this likely a temporary loss? I don’t make a habit of loud noise or music..so this was definately a ‘one off’ Event… regardless of the outcome I have definitely learned my lesson.. I’ll never do anything like this again……
Dr. Neil says
Hi Doug:
Hammer drills produce high-impact noise that can certainly make your tinnitus worse and maybe cause a temporary threshold shift (temporary hearing loss). I would say typically that your threshold shift will be temporary as well as any increased tinnitus. But each time you do something like this, you move yourself closer and closer to the time where it will become permanent. That is why you should always protect your ears when around loud sounds–particularly impart sounds.
Just to show you, when I used to drive 5″ or 6″ spikes with a 2½ pound baby sledgehammer, even ONE good whack at a nail-head would give me instant worse tinnitus if I was not wearing ear protectors. And I always wear ear protectors when using skill saws or hammer drills, etc. I want to preserve the little hearing I have (and don’t want to make my tinnitus worse either).
Cordially,
Neil
Doug says
Thank you for your response. After causing myself a sleepless night of panic, the ringing is gone after about 36 hours ! My hearing seems fine as well…lesson learned, I bought 2 forms of hearing protection to be worn at the same time. I’ll never do something so careless again. I was LUCKY
Shekar says
Sir I was exposed to a loud dj in my college for more than 8 hours and tinnitus is still ringing in my ears after a long sleep in night will it gets off me or not. What must I do
Dr. Neil says
Hi Shekar:
It’s a bit late to do much now. What you SHOULD have done is either left the loud venue when you realized just how loud it was going to be, or worn ear plugs.
Once you have tinnitus, there are a few things you can do. One is to protect your ears from loud sounds to give your ears a chance to “heal” and this will also help prevent your tinnitus from getting worse in the future.
Another thing to do is to learn to ignore your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life. The more you focus on your tinnitus, the worse it becomes.
A third thing you might want to try is taking the herbal Ginkgo biloba. This may help you if you take it in a strong enough dose. The only place I know that makes Ginkgo with the correct level of standardized ingredients is Arches Tinnitus formula. You can get it online at http://www.tinnitusformula.com/store . There are no guarantees it will work for you, but it may be worth a try.
Cordially,
Neil
khalid says
Hi Dr Neil,
After 3 months , I think the the tinnitus got betteri hardly it However for some reason this may be stupid I have slight less hearing in my left than my right ear and I seem to have glue ear I think its due to pressure in my ear because whenever I try to blow out my ears I hear a crackling noise in my ear and somestimes I blow it OK and I can slightly hear better In my left ear? And BTW sometimes when im sleeping I can hear a high pitched hissing/squealing sound from my phone charger because when I get close to it I can hear it louder but no one else can hear it in my family . help plz ASAp
Dr. Neil says
Hi Khalid:
Glue ear is in your ear canal. If your ear canals are clear, you don’t have glue ear. When you say you can hear crackling when you blow out your ears, that tells me you have congestion in your middle ears because your Eustachian tubes are clogged, possibly from a middle ear infection or allergies.
When the congestion goes away your Eustachian tubes should drain and the crackling sounds should go away (and whatever degree of conductive hearing loss this congestion has caused should go away too and your hearing return to normal). This could take a few weeks to 2 or 3 months.
Cordially,
Neil
Robert Ancillo says
Dr u believe I have tinnitus I am so scared because I just found out not sure if this is true but I read that you could become deaf from this is it true I’m only 14 I’ve been crying my eyes out I would really appreciate some help and advice
Dr. Neil says
Hi Robert:
You can put your mind at rest. Tinnitus does NOT cause hearing loss. It’s more the other way around–hearing loss can, and very often does, result in tinnitus.
The most common cause of tinnitus apart from hearing loss is exposing your ears to loud sounds–typically listening to music too loud for too long. (And this also can cause hearing loss.)
Another common cause of tinnitus is many of the prescription and other drugs out there.
What brought on your tinnitus?
Cordially,
Neil
Robert Ancillo says
Dr thank you but I’m still scared I don’t want to have this it causes so much stress i don’t know wat to do with myself it keeps me up at night I’ve lost my appetite and still haven’t stopped crying I’m so depressed and I’m never usually I haven’t told my parents yet I’ve been to scared Do you have any more advice plz and thank you in advance
Krystyna Buchanan says
Hi Dr.Neil, if prescription drugs causes tinnitus is it possible that it could go away. I have had tinnitus now for 10 months. The last three weeks it has gone away for an hour or just several minutes. I also noticed that i dont hear it in one ear or the other it seems to be one or the other ear and most of the time both ears. Sometimes it gets really loud and other times i hardly hear it. This has been daily now for 3 weeks. Could it be that it may go away? or is it wishful thinking on my part. Iam using a mp3 player which i use to distract myself from the noise in my ears. I have the ocean crashing with the seagulls in the background playing. Do you think that this may be helping in the difference in the tinnitus?
Robert Ancillo says
Krystana mine does that too so dr Neil does it mean if could be going away mine is like on schedule I notice it for like an hour-hour and a half then gone till like 6:30-7
glenn says
hi doctor, i have ringing ears after flu my symptoms are muscle pain, cough, fever. after 1 day when going to sleep i hear a buzzing on my ears so i did go to sleep and ignore it, when i woke up i didn’t hear it anymore but when the night come suddenly it appears again, the next morning i went to the EENT in the city and then he told me i have ear fungal infection. he gave me antibiotics and anti bacterial and fungal infection eardrops. im suffering from ringing ears now for 1 week, by the way the doctor told me that it will go away but it will take time. i want to know if this will go away on its own. i am planning to see him again tommorow. god bless to all i will pray for all of us suffering from this. sorry for my bad english
Krystyna Buchanan says
Hi Doctor Neil, my tinnitus was caused by effexor. I was weaned off the drug in too little time frame. As i wrote Feb 11, 2015 my tinnitus has been changing. A week ago i was having back spasms from an old injury. I have been taking naproxen 500mg, and apo-cyclobenzaprine 10 mg, i have noticed a huge change in my tinnitus. It goes away for longer periods. I was wondering if when i am done my prescription if i should go back on the effexor and wean off it properly this time to see if it takes the tinnitus away completely. It will a year in may that i got my tinnitus. It will be a year in 5 weeks that i was taken off the effexor. I would really appreciate some feed back on this matter for i dont know what the right thing to do is.
thank you.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Krystyna:
How long were you on the Effexor? Your description above doesn’t make sense to me. The way I read the above, you were taken off it 2 weeks before you began it! I think you meant you began it TWO years ago in May. That would mean you were on it just under a year. Is that correct?
Since you have been off the Effexor for close to a year now, I really wonder whether going back on and then tapering slowly will do anything for your tinnitus. My gut feeling is that it won’t help.
I think you’d be better off learning to effectively deal with your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life and thus ignoring your tinnitus by default. Since your tinnitus is going away for longer and longer periods of time, I’m hopeful that in time your tinnitus will only appear occasionally and not really bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
Doug says
I wonder if my case is any different…. About 2 years ago I had a really bad cold. On the third day I had high pitched ringing in my ears. It’s was unbearable. After about a week, it went from an 8/10 to about a 5. I also noticed my ears were continually itchy and I thought it was ear hair growing and rubing inside the canal. My big mistake: I plucked this hair. After reading up, it looks like I may have damaged myself. How long does it take for this hair to grow back? Does it ever? Ears are still itchy and my tinnitus affects me at night mostly. I sleep with a fan to try to help. But I get mad when trying to sleep and cannot achieve REM as much as I should. Lack of sleep seems to worsen it.
Doug (again) says
I’m actually having s panic attack right now over this… I can’t sleep.. The ringing in my left ear is really bad tonight. I fear I will never be ok. It’s been 2 years and I saw two specialists and they said “sorry nothing can be done”. As for foods that contribute – I have maybe 1 cup of coffee in the morning (often I don’t have any). Sugar seems to be in everything we touch now… I rarely have a beer or wine… When I play my music it’s with an acoustic guitar. I’m freaking out… Mad and scared at the same time. Every article days to remain calm and deal with it; but that’s not easy to do.
What about those hearing aids I heard of that generate a noise on a frequency that cancels out the frequency I’m hearing? Or did I imagine this?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Doug:
Tinnitus varies from day to day in some people. Thus you can have good days and bad days. You are freaking yourself out by focusing on the bad days, and not on the good days. Also, your two specialists were wrong when they said nothing could be done. Maybe THEY can’t do anything, but there is lots that can be done–but by you–not them. You need to take charge of your tinnitus–not let it control you like you are doing at the moment.
The articles are right–you need to remain calm and deal with your tinnitus. I never said it was easy to do–but it is NECESSARY if you want to bring your tinnitus under your control (at least in measure).
Yes, there are hearing aids that have tinnitus programs built in. Some generate white noise, some pink noise, some zen music, some other music and so on.
If your tinnitus is a constant tone–then you can try the gizmos where you generate an exact replica of the sound you are hearing–and feed it back into your ears 180 degrees out of phase. The theory is that it then exactly cancels out your tinnitus and you hear nothing. Blessed quietness! I don’t know which, if any, hearing aid manufacturers are producing hearing aids with this feature.
But even listening to tinnitus sounds at the frequency of your tinnitus can produce residual inhibition. What happens is you listen to your tinnitus at the exact frequency of your tinnitus for a few minutes–then turn it off and you find your tinnitus has stopped completely. Wonderful silence. It works for some people and not for others. It also only works for a limited time–maybe a few seconds to a few minutes, but some people find it lasts much longer than that.
There is a new APP out that lets you tune you cell phone to your tinnitus frequency and then listen and see whether it will produce residual inhibition for your tinnitus. The APP is only $1.99 and is called WHIST – Tinnitus Relief. It is only for iPhones and iPads.
The blurb reads, “WHIST is designed to help tinnitus sufferers find and create the sounds that work best to mask or suppress their tinnitus.”
This may be something you want to try out as it it far cheaper than any hearing aids. If you find it works well for you, you may choose to use it, or find hearing aids that do much the same thing as wearing hearing aids would be more convenient for long-term wearing–assuming it works for you.
You can find out more about WHIST at http://www.whisttinnitus.com
Cordially,
Neil
Doug says
Thank you for the response – I know everyone appreciates it. I think I have figured something out. About 2 years ago I had strep throat and the doctor put me on antibiotics my tenitus shot up. It took a long time to go from an 8/10 down to about a 3/10. I’m sick now and the doc put me on similar antibiotics and WHAM I’m hit with this. So I stopped taking the meds and hopefully it will abate a bit, but how long will it take? If I could see some light at the end of the tunnel then I may be able to deal with it better.
I have in fact tried that app you mentioned along with about 3 others. Unfortunately, it did not help. But I will try again tonight.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Doug:
Which antibiotics are you on now? Almost all the antibiotics can cause tinnitus to spike. Let me know and I might have a clue how long you might expect your tinnitus to be elevated. And if it is the same antibiotic as last time, it may take just as long to go away as it did last time.
Cordially,
Neil
Doug says
Well right now I’ve taken myself off all antibiotics. I’ve cut out all sugar, all coffee any stimulant. It was Cipromycin which initially ramped up the tinnitus and clarithromycin was the latest one I was on.
The ringing in my left ear is much louder than the ringing in my right; which is why I thought there must be some sort of damage to the hairs in the cochlea. Can antibiotics cause this sort of damage?
Thanks again!
Ana says
Hello Dr,
I know reading through all this would definitely provide some answers but I am so weak & tired & anxious… I need to just ask away! If you’re kind enough to answer I do apologize for making you repeat yourself.
A week ago I came down with a nasty head cold which I am still recovering from. I’m in my 30’s and never ever experienced anything like this before! On the 2nd day of the cold my ears began clogging up (left first and more) and by the next day they were both completely blocked! Intense pressure, sharp/short loud ringing, occasional shooting pain, hearing loss, headaches, very mild nasal congestion and sore throat. I took pseudoephedrine (60mg/3x) for a few days. They stayed like this for 4 days. I couldn’t even perform the valsalva maneuver! Then I blew my nose one night and air got trapped (I heard it squeeze in) and I was physically in pain, it felt like an expanded balloon, like my left eardrum would burst! I began yawning and swallowing frantically but it would leave… I forced myself to go back to sleep and when I got up it wasn’t as painful… slowly, for the the past couple of days, it’s improved a little. I can now after so many days (occasionally) successfully pop my ears, which brings some relief… could I have done it excessively?? I can now hear a little better but still muffled and the fullness and pressure never go away, even after popping…
Problem now is for the past 36 hours I’m experiencing the most maddening constant tinnitus that kept me up all night crying 🙁 I had to call in sick and I’m just sitting here panicking, reading that it could be permanent… I have an appointment with the ENT tomorrow… help?!
I kept reading and now I feel hopeless and in despair
I guess I should also add that, in the past 48 hours, I’ve taken 6 doses of mefenamic acid (500mg) for my primary dysmenorrhea. I thought it was totally unrelated and now I can’t stop crying.
I don’t think i can live with this tinnitus for the rest of my life!
Thank you and sorry for the rant.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Ana:
Take heart. You probably don’t have to live with the tinnitus for the rest of your life. From what you have told me, you have a middle ear infection that has caused a temporary conductive hearing loss. When your ears unclog as the “gunk” drains out of your middle ears via you Eustachian tubes, your hearing should return to normal, and when that happens your tinnitus should also fade away.
When you do the Valsalva maneuver you are forcing air into your middle ears via your Eustachian tubes. If your ears are already full of gunk, then you bulge your eardrum out and that hurts. I wouldn’t do it any more–instead let the gunk drain out on its own. As soon as your Eustachian tubes are open even a bit, normal swallowing will let air in.
Note that Mefenamic Acid can cause tinnitus in some people. It is possible that the combination of reduced hearing from your cold and the Mefenamic acid you are taking are working together to make your tinnitus worse. (From what you said, I’m assuming that you’ve taken Mefenamic acid from time to time in the past without any tinnitus appearing, correct?) Maybe laying off the Mefenamic acid for a bit might help reduce your tinnitus. You can try it and see.
If it were me, I’d just be patient and wait until your ears naturally clear. This could take a week or two to a month or two. Then your hearing should return to normal and hopefully, your tinnitus will also disappear.
Cordially,
Neil
Martin Solomon says
Dr. Neil,
My 17 year old grandson screamed in my ear about six weeks ago. Since then I’ve had tinnutus, daily headaches, pressure in that ear, sensitivity to noise, and facial pressure. My ENT diagnosed my condition as acoustic trauma. I do not appear to have any hearing loss, based on audiometry. About a week ago another ENT packed my ear with an antibiotic ointment in order to “give my ear a rest.” Since then my tinnitus is worse (louder and constant instead of intermittent).
I am worried about two things: (1)Are facial pressure and headaches common with acoustic trauma? (2) Is packing the affected ear a common therapy for acoustic trauma. Thanks!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D.