New to the group but not the noise!

[Charcoalcharlie]

Hi, I've just been fitted with Oticon 'engage' hearing aids by my local audiology dept. after a referal from my GP. This was following being in a motorcycle collision in July 2021. I hit the side of a large car that pulled out of a line of stationary traffic. Luckily I was not seriously injured and was released from hospital. However on the way home I developed symptoms of concussion and very loud tinnitus in my right ear. I have had very 'quiet' tinnitus in both ears following an ear infection back in the 1990's but this was so low in volume it could only be heard in quiet rooms or in the dead of night. Having read up a bit I have not been able to find any information on why the tinnitus should have got considerably louder following my accident. The noise has also increased in my left ear but nowhere as much as the right. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice as to where I might find any information/research into this increase following an accident?

TIA

[Happyrosie]

Your best bet is the British Tinnitus Association website. Here you will find that T is a very common phenomenon and often has a cause. Here also are lots of ways to help yourself deal with it. Just done believe any “cures” you may see advertised.Hearing aids will help you with the T in that the real world is louder therefore the T fades into the background more.

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

Hi CharcoalCharlie

Traumatic brain injuries like concussion often have tinnitus symptoms associated with them and they can vary in the time that they become apparent - some are immediate, others may take a few months to develop.

It seems from your description that you habituated to the previous tinnitus issues you experienced after your ear infection, so this change in tone shouldn't be any exception.

As Rosie suggests, hearing aids are a good way to manage any hearing loss and to give yourself the opportunity to focus on the sounds that you want to notice, which is a good way to help shift your mind's attention away from the irritation and frustration which tinnitus can create.

The majority of research on the issue appears to be within the field of combat injury suffered by military veterans, amongst whom the rate of TBI, hearing loss and symptoms like tinnitus is said to be the number one cause of disability.

This Google Scholar search is a good place to start research - scholar.google.co.uk/schola...

I'm only being slightly snarky when I say that many of these papers could help people with sleep problems to conquer them...

😉