Why did my tinnitus get worse after flu/covid ?

[Vscience]

In 2021 I first got bad tinnitus (I have had a rumble hum since 2002 but that only noticible when ill or in a quiet room and can be masked by a fan, so I don't consider that bad), it began around 36 hours after the C19 vaccine. I have no idea if linked, but I can't think of anything else that happened at the time.

I had grown used to it, a massive hissing and electric cicadas sound, by about 2 years, it took a long time to accept it. I even found I could finally sleep with my worst ear on the pillow. Then in May last year, 2024, I got hyperacusis after a toddler screamed in my ears unexpectedly. I imagine it began as acoustic shock and the progressed to hyperacusis within a couple of days. I now can't listen to anything above normal speech volume without big discomfort. So if anyone raises their voice or laughs then I find it uncomfortable. When I do the vacuuming I have to double protect my ears otherwise I find it almost painful. I can't use any power tools without mass hearing protection.

The scream only slightly effected my tinnitus, it became very slightly more high pitched, but generally tinnitus wise it was the same as before. I did find it harder though to use fans, as the noise of the fans became more irritating to me.

THEN in December last year, so 8 weeks ago, on 18th December, I went down with either the flu or COVID, my chest was heavy, I needed the toilet 6 times a day, lost my taste for a while, felt like I couldn't walk very far, felt like I was in quick sand, and just wanted to lie in bed all day as even sitting up was a chore. I didn't have any fever though. I wish I had tested for COVID as I have no idea what I had. It took until the 28th December to start feeling better.

During the illness I would sometimes wake up with my ears screaming at me, my existing tinnitus had got 4x worse, it was like waking up to jet engines, it terrified me. The sound would go down after a few minutes. This happened a few times. Then around the 1st January my tinnitus changed and became so erratic, if I didn't get enough sleep I would wake up with it so much louder than normal for the whole day and night. I would find when napping I would wake up with my ears going crazy, even after just a 2 minute nap.

Sadly a lot of this is still the same, 6 weeks later, but I don't even get quieter tinnitus now after a good night sleep. I still can't nap though as I wake up with my ears blasting.

My usual hissing has increased in pitch and is now like cutting glass combined with a constant frying noise. During the day the high pitch hissing adds a solid angry tone that stays, both ears are effected when before it was mostly in my left ear. I would say before I fell ill my tinnitus was like a relaxed closed fist, and now it is like a squeezed angry closed clenched fist.

This is a nightmare. Why has my tinnitus changed and got so angry sounding and loud, just because of having a viral infection ? I had 2 viral infections since 2021 and neither caused any increase. The only difference is this time I got an infection while also having hyperacusis, but I have no idea if relevant.

I can't mask it, I hear it above everything, if I try and mask it just gets louder. Everything I hear in my left ear sounds like someone tuning a old style radio. So if I try and mask it this radio tuning noise just gets louder, as though my ear can't process the noise correctly. This is on top of the high pitch hissing.

I can't believe how much I hate my ears since 2021. I just want peace, but I want to know what is going on. Was this made worse due to neuroinflammation ? Could my inside ear tubes still be blocked 6 weeks later ? I still have to blow my nose every day but I don't feel blocked when I sniff.

Any ideas what is going on ? I have been at my wits end this last month, the fact I can't mask it is devastating as I don't know what to do, I have tried over 150 white noises and sounds. Before December I could mask fairly well with a crackling fire sound, that doesn't work now. Even the binary beats zen sounds don't help.

Do I have any chance of returning to baseline after 6 weeks like this ? Or am I stuffed for life now ? If this ends up being caused by COVID then I got shafted by both the vaccine AND the illness itself, talk about bad luck, I get so angry about COVID now. My dad died in 2022 because the COVID waiting lists in hospitals made it go on too long so he didn't get help in time for his heart. I can't believe how much COVID has destroyed my life.

Thanks for any hope and support.

[happyrosie1]

you are going through a terrible time, V, and you are in the right place for a bit of understanding and support.

I expect you’ve done some research and now realise there’s no “cure” for T - but there are ways to get to the point when it doesn’t bother you. For example, my T can be heard at sixty mph on a busy motorway, so it’s loud, but I don’t hear it because I’m habituated. I am hearing it now because I’m writing about it - otherwise, this is the first time since I last wrote about it!

You can see through reading the posts here that you are certainly not alone, and if you then read through the responses you will see what others have said which you might find helpful.. what is NOT helpful is going back and looking at WHY it’s like this. T can be caused by nothing at all. And it is what it is.

The website of Tinnitus UK is a good resource and you could give their helpline a call.

[PTscotland in reply to happyrosie1]

hi Rosie

So even though yours is really loud, through habituation you don’t hear it for days at a time?

[happyrosie1 in reply to PTscotland]

I only hear it if I am reminded of it - like now!

Or if ive got a cold. Or when I’ve had a car/coach/plant e journey. When I’m home and relaxed, the brain is looking for the sound of the vehicle and so Mr T comes to the fore!

[PTscotland in reply to happyrosie1]

Hi Rosie

Sorry you confused me there lol.

So when your at home you still hear it as your brain is still looking for the sound of your vehicle?

[happyrosie1 in reply to PTscotland]

Indeed. Please, have a look at the website of Tinnitus UK and look specifically at the leaflet there which you can find under the section “understanding tinnitus.

[PTscotland]

sorry I’m even more confused now as you said you don’t hear it anymore as you have habituated? And that you hadn’t heard it since the last time you posted?