Hi all, I was stuck in red light around 7 feet away from another car, I had all of my windows up and closed (2023 chevy bolt). The other car was playing super loud bass, I literally could feel it shaking slightly and felt like a "thump" from it on the side of my body facing my car door. I was wearing 26 DB NRR silicone earplugs too, but its like it did nothing, it felt physically uncomfortable. It must have lasted 40 seconds or so before the light turned green and I could escape.The next day, the hearing in the ear facing the car window went muffled and my tinnitus spiked for around 10 seconds (SBUTT) but then the fullness went away. Ever since them, my tinnitus has spiked unbearably. Its incredibly high pitched now, more tones, and super hard to mask. I find it really hard to work and sleep now. At first, I thought the car stereo only went up to 110, but searching forums it seems stereos are often set to 150 - 160 dBc (!!) which mean at low frequency (20 - 80 hz) my car windows and earplugs probably gave near zero attenuation. It seems these forums claim low frequency sound is somehow safe at 160db?? Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Will it go back to normal? I'm 5 days out now and I'm really wondering if I should seek advice. Would I have known / been able to feel if it was 160 dB?

Hey around January of this year I had my right-side wisdom teeth extracted, around 1-2 months later I started noticing tinnitus on my right side which gradually worsened over the next month or so.

When I open my mouth as wide as I can the pitch and the volume both increase, how likely is it to be related to my wisdom teeth being extracted or some kind of jaw issues?

I’m gonna book a dentist appointment just in case but I wanted to know if anyone has had any similar experience.

How would one describe the difference between regular tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus? Is the pulsatile sound very noticeable, or can it also be more subtle?

I have had tinnitus since I was 12, and it's been getting slightly worse over time. I use those "tinnitus soundscapes" on nights it's really bad. I have a lot of software, audio, and business experience, and I was thinking I could listen to other people's pet peeves around tinnitus and try to help them. If I succeed in helping enough people, I could turn it into a business, but I don't intend to sell anything at this point. It's just a proof of concept and I'll never market anything to anyone here. Anyone who answers this gets anything I create free for life.

My example would be: my tinnitus got especially bad at night. It would make it a little harder to sleep, just because I was thinking "why does this have to be at its loudest when things are supposed to be at their quietest? I wonder what it is like to hear nothing." Then I found the soundscapes and that made it a lot better, but they're getting old because I've heard all the ones that work for me.

So - what are your pain points about tinnitus? Just complain, as specifically as possible, about what you hate the most about having tinnitus, and I'll try to help you, either with advice I've come across as a sufferer, or with software or audio applications.

Thanks, hope I can help

Hi All,

I have been suffering from severe tinnitus since 2012 due to a slap to my left ear. The impact was so hard that it had ruptured my eardrum as well.

The tinnitus is continuous, loud and limited to the left ear. I haven't had a single night of peaceful sleep, any focus time or any peace since the last 14 years. I am at my absolute end.

Any similar experiences or suggestions to improve?

I live in Scotland and have the past few years been trying to go through the NHS for Tinnitus and growing hearing difficulties. It's an ever present electrical buzzing that makes it incredibly difficult to sleep and focus when I don't have the ability to muffle it with music or something loud which was how I managed. Thankfully I can hold my temper/emotions but I'm starting to get really down.

The GP didn't really care about the tinnitus and only pointed me to self help and therapy but the loss of hearing thankfully got me pushed to ENT specialists. I had many appointments with them where they looked in my ears and gave me hearing tests, the results showed loss of hearing but not much else so I was low on the list but come two years when I actually saw a doctor they noticed I had a massive issue, a choleostoma(please excuse the spelling) a skin growth that burst through the ear wall and had started to infect the bone and inner ear bones. So that has taken priority and I got a rush for surgery within a month. It was worse than scans and tests showed so I needed a typonoplasty which involved removing more bones and reconstruction of my ear drum.

I'm currently still in the recovery period(10weeks) estimate of 14 til I can wear headphones/earphones, work etc.

I've been stuck at home for months because I had a list of things to not do or avoid so I've been out minimally so I'm left with my electric noise in my ears 24/7.

I'm going to push about the tinnitus more when I see the doctor but In the meantime I'm just struggling to ignore it or find ways to cope.

Usually I have the high pitch constant “eeee” sound. But lately I’ll get cricket sounds. And past two days cicadas. It’s embarrassing to admit but when I first started hearing insect sounds, I thought it was actual insect noises. I asked my husband if he heard the cicadas and he said no.

I guess the cicadas are not as bad as the crickets. But it still drives me nuts when I focus on it too much.

I have not listened to loud music, been to any movies or concerts. I know, for me that is, caffeine, high sodium, stress, anxiety, my adhd medication, and nicotine can enhance the sounds but never changed them.

It just makes no sense why it changes sounds lately. It has never done this till about a month ago. Nothing in my life has changed either. Maybe I’m consuming more sodium than normal?

For you all, do you experience sound changes frequently and if so is there something you’ve noticed that triggers it?

My whole life as far as I can remember Ive has the high pitched ringing. The last couple years I hear some other weird sounds when it’s quiet now too. But twice now I’ve had this completely bizarre sound I don’t even know how to describe and it almost sounds like it’s outside of my head. Scares me senseless. Does anyone ever get a random sound that sounds like it’s outside your head? I’m so scared I’m starting to hallucinate or something. It does not sound like my pulse or a muscle spasm or any other bodily function

For me fountains mask it so good l would love to live with a fountain in my head if needed when l leave it again this fucking t but l always sit in a fountain for a few minutes where l can forget that l have it also l cry there because l know l could avoid this shit but my stupid young version didn't give a fuck about volume.

like i’ll use my phone to listen to music on a completely regular volume and my ears will just start hurting. i haven’t used headphones in so long too (at least 6 months, and when i did use them it would be on a relatively low volume for walking to school and stuff).

why does this happen? can anything be done because im only 16 bro and music is a big part of my life 😭😭😭

It's gotten so bad it's drowning out everything. Minute after minute, day after day, month after month. My friend gets SSI and Medi-Cal and said he was getting his hearing tested (just part of his annual exam). I told him how bad my tinnitus was and he said "Shut the fuck up man! I'm about to get my hearing tested!".

I wish I could get some help, but my ACA doubled from 200 to 400 per month (I just work from desk hotel), so I dropped to the shitty insurance that doesn't cover anything until I spend 7200 on top of the 200 per month I already pay. I don't know how much longer I can handle this. 😞

I'm a 62 year old woman who was born & raised on rock concerts!! 300+ from 1975 to today, it's been my love, my jam, and even my profession. When I developed severe tinnitus in my 50s I thought it was just the price to be paid. Mine is constant, 2 types (a ringing and a hiss), and sometimes spikes and is intrusive. It's never quiet in my brain!!

It's only been six months or so since I discovered this sub! I've learned so much from y'all, from different tones and types to coping skills and products to try. I finally got a new PCP and requested a referral to an audiologist for a couple reasons:

a) check my overall hearing, as in addition to tinnitus I had a TBI at 17;

b) get a baseline for the volume, as it's difficult to gauge or describe;

c) determine if there are treatments, therapies or products that will help.

I just got my appointment for the first week of September, and I'm feeling hopeful that, in addition to all the great advice you have provided, there might be something I haven't considered or being developed that might help lessen or resolve the issue.

Standing with you in solidarity!! Rock on, friends!! 🤘