Noise induced anxiety

A week ago i had my smart phone in my hand and downloaded a news app and on that app there was an option for "radio" i pressed that button (i dont know why) and a loud screeching shrieking noise irritated my ears and made me panic that i got permanent tinnitus. My ears were already sensitive before the phone. I shut it off in less than 10 seconds, is it possible the phone could have damaged my hearing or caused permanent ringing?.

I been worrying about this for days because i dont know if the ring came from the phone or from some antacid drugs i took previously. I already had ear problems before the phone incident, the phone irritated me more. I dont know how many db i was exposed to for those few seconds but i would say between 80-90db.

What do you guys think? am i panicking for nothing or could that few seconds have caused hearing damage permanent tinnitus?.

I seriously doubt that few seconds loud noise  will cause permanent damage,

I have suffered from tinnitus since my thirties but nothing like the intense noise I am experiencing since tapering and post taper , 

It might be your ears are more sensitive to the loud sound ,but I think it will settle, 

Have you looked on the tinnitus support groups online? 

They might give you some reassurance .

Jen 

Tinnitus is a stress response and part of the fight or flight mechanism.

This website is brilliant http://tinnitus.org

I've had plenty of experience with tinnitus and what they discuss on this website is spot on.

I had it extremely loud and now I barley hear it. It's natural for us to be in a heightened state when withdrawing. It take many hours of a prolonged loud noise to damage your hearing.

Good luck

Thanks for the responses. I tried that tinnitustalk forum but unfortunately it does not work, the pages download super slow not even on my phone does it work. That website has some major problems.

You are right my ears are sensitive from the damage that occurred from the benzos and AD's i took and then the antacids and severe stress and anxiety from  acid reflux. I hope this will settle.

Thanks for the responses. I tried that tinnitustalk forum but unfortunately it does not work, the pages download super slow not even on my phone does it work. That website has some major problems.

 

 

You are right my ears are sensitive from the damage that occurred from the benzos and AD's i took and then the antacids and severe stress and anxiety from  acid reflux. I hope this will settle.

Hi Scooby, Don't worry, the noise isn't damage. Your in a hyper sensitive state and picking up all noise. It's a protective mechanism. I will settle down. I made the most progress when I stopped listening to it. Hard to do, but once you do that your brain stops monitoring things and you move into a less alert state. Inbox me if you want any info.

Thanks for the responses. I tried that tinnitustalk forum but unfortunately it does not work, the pages download super slow not even on my phone does it work. That website has some major problems.

 

 

You are right my ears are sensitive from the damage that occurred from the benzos and AD's i took and then the antacids and severe stress and anxiety from  acid reflux. I hope this will settle.

 

Hi Scooby, Don't worry, the noise isn't damage. Your in a hyper sensitive state and picking up all noise. It's a protective mechanism. I will settle down. I made the most progress when I stopped listening to it. Hard to do, but once you do that your brain stops monitoring things and you move into a less alert state. Inbox me if you want any info.

You dont believe the phone caused it right?. I was concerned because it was loud and irritating but i shut it off quick. Before this incident i had days where my ears plug up it rings for a few seconds then fades away. I guess that is genuine tinnitus not what i believe i hear 24/7?. Maybe i'm freaking out at normal noise?. I think we all hear a ring when in a silent room it's just that we habituated to it and is normal.

I am so angry and what these psychiatrists/doctors do giving these dangerous mind altering drugs out damaging peoples brains and nervous systems for life for some life's problems and they are not held accountable . If i didn't take these drugs my brain and nervous system would have been normal and  could i have resisted any antibiotic if i needed one or any pharmaceutical for medical treatment. Now i'm screwed if i take any pharma or OTC drug in the future.

Thanks for the responses. I tried that tinnitustalk forum but unfortunately it does not work, the pages download super slow not even on my phone does it work. That website has some major problems.

 

 

You are right my ears are sensitive from the damage that occurred from the benzos and AD's i took and then the antacids and severe stress and anxiety from  acid reflux. I hope this will settle.

 

Hi Scooby, Don't worry, the noise isn't damage. Your in a hyper sensitive state and picking up all noise. It's a protective mechanism. I will settle down. I made the most progress when I stopped listening to it. Hard to do, but once you do that your brain stops monitoring things and you move into a less alert state. Inbox me if you want any info.

 

 

You dont believe the phone caused it right?. I was concerned because it was loud and irritating but i shut it off quick. Before this incident i had days where my ears plug up it rings for a few seconds then fades away. I guess that is genuine tinnitus not what i believe i hear 24/7?. Maybe i'm freaking out at normal noise?. I think we all hear a ring when in a silent room it's just that we habituated to it and is normal.

 

I am so angry and what these psychiatrists/doctors do giving these dangerous mind altering drugs out damaging peoples brains and nervous systems for life for some life's problems and they are not held accountable . If i didn't take these drugs my brain and nervous system would have been normal and  could i have resisted any antibiotic if i needed one or any pharmaceutical for medical treatment. Now i'm screwed if i take any pharma or OTC drug in the future.

Hi Scooby, No I don't think the phone caused it. Tinnitus is very complex but once you understand the mechanism of it, it starts to make sense. It's al about your reaction to it.

I cut a pasted this article that I wrote a few years ago for my website. Hope it helps.

TINNITUS

Tinnitus is a condition that affects a staggering amount of people. For most it is an insignificant noise that may be heard while going to sleep at night in very quite environment, some people may also experience it temporarily after a loud concert. However for some it can be permanent, loud and can interfere with the quality of an individual’s life.

I have experienced severe tinnitus and have been told there is nothing that can be done to treat it. This is untrue which is why I have included this information on my website. I am happy to say that I no longer experience severe tinnitus or the sensitive hearing that accompanied it. I may occasionally hear it in quiet environments, or it may re-appear in times of stress but generally it’s no longer there. In order to treat tinnitus you must first have the correct information.

Unfortunately many doctors and health practitioners are working on the presumption that tinnitus is the result of hearing damage. This is untrue. Tinnitus does have a connection with loss (or partial loss) of hearing but it isn’t the result of damage to the inner ear. I am a musician with perfect hearing and I still experience tinnitus. Previous tinnitus treatments have failed because the condition has never truly been understood.

So what is tinnitus? Everybody has tinnitus - it’s just that not everybody hears it. The question is, why do some people hear it and why can it become a problem?

In 1953 Heller and Bergman performed a simple and classic experiment. They placed 80 tinnitus free individuals (university members) in a sound proofed room for 5 minutes each, asking them to report on any sounds that might be heard. The subjects thought they might be undergoing a hearing test, but actually experienced 5 minutes of total silence. 93% reported hearing buzzing, pulsing, whistling sounds in the head or ears identical to those reported by tinnitus sufferers. This simple experiment shows almost anyone can detect background electrical activity present in every living nerve cell in the hearing pathways as a sound. Although some areas of the auditory system may be more active than others, every neuron will contribute to some extent to the final perception of tinnitus. These electrical signals are not evidence of damage, but compensatory activity that occurs all the time in the auditory system of each one of us. This information was taken form www.tinnitus.org

The ringing, whooshing and variety of strange noises that people experience are natural noises generated by electrical signals in the hearing pathways. The brain normally filters out a lot of this unnecessary noise because it is not essential to our survival.

Complete dead silence is unnatural, and when in a quiet environment the brain has the ability to turn up the volume (auditory gain). This is a survival reflex; a defense that the body developed millions of years ago when predators hunted humans. In times of danger the body’s nervous system can go into a state of red alert, also known as the fight or flight response. This reaction readies the body for action and this can also cause our hearing to become super-sensitive. It’s thought that a certain amount of hearing loss can be enough for the brain to compensate and turn up the volume and this is when tinnitus may be experienced. Other life events such as trauma, a car accident or a death of a loved one can cause the nervous system to go into a state of red alert, again making our hearing super sensitive. Tinnitus becomes a problem for some people purely because of their reaction to it. Being told there is nothing that can be done to treat it, or worrying that it may be a symptom of a serious illness, very often leads to a vicious circle were the tinnitus is constantly monitored and as a result it is perceived even louder, causing even more worry.

Pawel Jastreboff, a neuroscientist worked out exactly what tinnitus is and how it may be treated. Tinnitus retraining therapy is a very successful treatment that is based on Pawel Jastreboff tinnitus model. Although the NHS will refer people for this treatment many health practitioners still don’t recognize its value and are still stuck with their old outdated beliefs regarding hearing damage. More information on tinnitus retraining and Pawel Jastreboff can be found at http://www.tinnitus.org/

This essential reading for anybody who is troubled by their tinnitus. With Pawel Jasreboff’s tinnitus model in mind, there are a few different approaches to treatment. They all have similar goals and one of these goals is to change a person’s reaction to their tinnitus. First tests are done to make sure all is well with the ear function. It is important to rule out other conditions that may cause tinnitus such as medication or a simple build up of earwax. Once this is done time is taken to explain to the patient what tinnitus is. The aim is for the person to realize that the noise they are hearing is perfectly natural and not the result of irreversible hearing damage. It can take time but it makes all the difference. Once a person stops perceiving tinnitus as a bothersome threat they began pay less attention to it and in turn things start to get quieter. This is part of a process that can also involve counseling, it can take months, even years but it truly works.

I was treated by Julian Cowan Hill, a cranio sacral therapist who previously suffered from tinnitus for twenty years. The therapy slowly brought my body out of red alert and gave me a sense of well being. It was really valuable to talk to someone who had shared my experience. I slowly started to let go and eventually started to get better. Making other small changes like making sure I had a good night’s sleep, eating well and exercising helped. Julian’s approach was not to focus on getting rid of the tinnitus but to focus on being well and really looking after yourself. Once I stopped listening to my tinnitus and started focusing on being well I made great improvements. My treatment has taken time and naturally it has been a very ‘up and down’ process. Now I treat my tinnitus like a barometer. If I look after myself it’s not there but if I over do it, drink excessively (very excessively), have lots of late nights and stress it will re appear until I calm down again. Tinnitus truly wants the body to be well and happy so a lot of the treatment involves relaxing, self pampering and enjoying yourself. How bad is that? Cranio sacral therapy is one of the most incredible therapies I have experienced and I would recommend it to everybody. I am eternally grateful to Julian for his help and treatment.

You can find more information on Julian’s site www.cst.eu.com 

There is a lot of information about tinnitus, associated symptoms and treatment that I have not included. If your tinnitus is a problem I would strongly recommend thoroughly reading all the information available on these links. www.tinnitus.org www.cst.eu.com

Matt Man Thanks for that. You may be right maybe the phone didn't cause it it was very short time and also how loud can a phone get when the media volume is at max? 80-90db at most?. I read over 85db over prolonged period can damage hearing.

Though it was irritating to the ears. Tell me why you dont think the phone caused tinnitus?. Maybe i have severe anxiety thinking i have tinnitus and maybe dont?. I am confused.

Matt Man Thanks for that. You may be right maybe the phone didn't cause it it was very short time and also how loud can a phone get when the media volume is at max? 80-90db at most?. I read over 85db over prolonged period can damage hearing.

 

Though it was irritating to the ears. Tell me why you dont think the phone caused tinnitus?. Maybe i have severe anxiety thinking i have tinnitus and maybe dont?. I am confused.

I think you are just confused from the last weeks and the med you had taken. It really takes time to recover from something like that. Anxiety hits us from time to time... I have 5 tinitus tones at the moment and do not care any more. When I have more stress, one of them tends to become 10 times louder than usual. It takes about 5-7 weeks for it until its back to the normal scale. It does not leave, but it becomes less intense again.

I can relate to this. I agree, you are so super sensitive right now.

I had a similar experience. This has occurred maybe 4 times now. I will be on my computer (laptop) and suddenly this ear-splitting screech starts up. The I hear a canned voice saying something like "your computer has been infected by a very bad virus, and if you do not call us immediately, your computer will crash and burn." Oh please, what utter hogwash. I learned to turn the puter off when this occus, wait a while and turn it back on.

Ever since Covid 19 I am getting WAY more scam emails and phone calls. Thank god for Iphones that TELL you if a call might be from a scammer!

east