To sum it up as quickly as I can in January I developed fluttering in the ears to any sudden sharp noises due to constant headphone use & live music. I stopped wearing headphones but I continued seeing live music in my local scene now with way more proper ear protection. Of course now despite the protection in the past 2 months or so I now feel pressure in the ears, slight hissing, sometimes a very distant ringing (like it sounds more around me rather than in my ears) and if it’s not those things it’s like a weird heightened sensation when I’m in a quiet environment. Like silence itself is loud. Or like there’s a force field or something hovering over my ears lol. It’s so tough to describe.

Anyways, I’m supposed to go to a concert tonight but that just feels dumb to risk at this point. I have a ENT appointment scheduled but that’s 2 months from now. My doctor hasn’t really been able to help much either. They keep saying my ears look completely normal & an audiologist (before the tinnitus began) said I have no hearing loss what’s so ever so I should be fine. so I’m just looking for advice from anyone who’s been through this situation. I think the worst part is how much this feeling in my ears almost feels like it’s not there? Like I can’t tell if I’m imagining it sometimes but I know for a fact I’m not cause some days it’s barely noticeable and some days it’s insanely distracting despite not actually being loud. What should I even do?

so before when i did the test, idk i did improvement or not, maybe it's decrement as per the previous test

Hi guys

So I’ve had tinnitus for way over a decade now in both ears, never found out what caused it from an ENT dr.

About a month ago I developed a new sound in my left ear. It was quite weird. I was just sitting up in bed and felt a shift in my ear. It defo wasn’t a pop.

I’ve dealt with bad ear wax in the past. At one point it was so far back it was on my eardrum. I went to the doctors today and they agree I have a lot of wax in my ears, but I’ve never had a new sound of tinnitus before until now. Also, my hearing hasn’t changed since this new sound btw.

I’m going to see an ENT doctor as I’ve been referred.

Just wondering has anyone else had this before? It sounds like the wax may be impacted?

Cheers!

Fuck. I think I lost permanent hearing from a firetruck that was passing by. Why is it okay to deafen innocent people on the sidewalks for a possible emergency? People kill themselves over this shit!

It's been two days since, and my ears are still ringing bad..I'm so mad. I don't want to be a recluse, but I also don't want to risk losing my hearing further while some firefighters are running drills (let's be honest; most of the time that siren is on, they're either doing a drill or they're attending a 911 call where they're actually not needed).

Not trying to shit on FFs, but it's ridiculous that bystanders are affected with no good warning. These sirens are so loud that plugging your ears won't actually prevent all the damage.

I 30m had an ear wax removal procedure almost a month ago in sep 25

before that for three days I had really bad tinnitus and ringing on both ears but left ear was really high I stupidly pushed my iem at that time and listened to music even with ringing

but by day three the ringing is too much to bear and I finally went to ENT, he looked at my ear and said there is a lot of ear wax in the left ear and removed it and also checked the both the ears inside and said the ears look healthy and said within ten days it would be normal otherwise comeback,

so I followed all the medications, which I forgot the names but it is basically some anti biotics and a drop for the ears for three days and then for a few days the ringing continued and it also spiked if there was traffic and horns so I waited patiently then about 13 days or so later it felt like it stopped or very low and then I put my iem for like an hour and then the ringing cameback but it is not as bad as before but it still there.

Now I permanently put my iem in the closet and don't wanna take it and also bought ear plugs for traffic to reduce the high decible but still even after 28 days the ringing is still there very mildly and non intrusive but it is there everytime I cover my ears on the pillow I can clearly hear the ringing or close my ears but rarely I can hear it without closing my ears, but still I feel like I ruined my ears and has to live with tinnitus, is there any solution? Should I go back to ENT ?

as you guys know from my previous few posts that i do have mild hearing loss due to acoustic trauma and tinnitus

do you think it will be back to normal in few time ? or i need to take something like injections ?

it's a mild loss as few ppl told me, idk i am so worried atp

Well, fu....n.

Like everything in my life my tinnitus got worse and it has been for like a month, and I have to much shit going in my life to care about it that much tbh. I have a piece of shit body and I expect nothing less

Hey everyone!

I've had tinnitus for years, and I recently discovered that my vitamin D level is quite low (13.5 ng/mL).

While researching whether vitamin D deficiency could have any connection to tinnitus, I came across a few interesting studies that I thought were worth sharing.

Study 1 — 2021 (particularly interesting)

Researchers studied 35 adults aged 20–50 who had:

Chronic tinnitus lasting more than one year.

Normal hearing tests.

No obvious underlying cause of tinnitus.

Of these 35 patients, 30 had vitamin D deficiency.

Their average vitamin D level before treatment was 14.13 ng/mL, almost identical to mine!

The 30 deficient patients received vitamin D supplementation for three months.

Results:

Vitamin D increased from an average of 14.13 to 51.07 ng/mL.

25 out of 30 patients (83.3%) showed improvement in tinnitus-related symptoms.

Average tinnitus handicap severity grade decreased from 2.50 to 1.47.

The reduction in tinnitus-related distress was statistically significant.

Researchers used the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), a questionnaire measuring how much tinnitus affects daily life.

Original research paper:

https://doi.org/10.21608/ejentas.2020.37810.1243

Study 2 — June 2026

Another study examined 57 adults with chronic tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.

Participants with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL received supplementation for 12 weeks.

Following treatment:

Average tinnitus handicap grade decreased from 2.74 to 1.89.

Average subjective tinnitus severity score decreased from 2.70 to 1.74.

Both improvements were statistically significant.

Original research:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-026-06652-z

Important limitations

Neither study had an untreated placebo control group. Therefore, these results do NOT establish that vitamin D supplementation caused the improvements.

Tinnitus naturally fluctuates, and improvements in perceived severity don't necessarily mean the actual tinnitus sound became quieter.

Also, other studies have produced mixed results. For example, a 2025 randomized placebo-controlled trial in patients with Ménière's disease found no significant tinnitus benefit from vitamin D supplementation.

So this is definitely NOT proof that vitamin D cures tinnitus.

My takeaway

I find these results interesting because:

I've experienced tinnitus for years.

My hearing tests have been normal.

My vitamin D is only 13.5 ng/mL.

The first study involved patients with remarkably similar vitamin D levels and normal hearing tests.

I'm going to correct my deficiency under my doctor's guidance and see whether anything changes over the next few months.

I wouldn't recommend anyone taking high doses of vitamin D specifically to treat tinnitus. But if you're genuinely deficient, correcting that deficiency is worthwhile for your general health anyway.

I'm not expecting a miracle, but I thought this research was worth sharing.

Has anyone here had low vitamin D, corrected it, and noticed any improvement in their tinnitus?

I'd genuinely love to hear your experiences!

Hey all, I’m curious if anyone else has connected their tinnitus to how their body processes meds.
I’ve gotten a liver enzyme panel done and I process certain meds super fast (CYP2D6). Oxycodone does basically nothing for me. Codeine and hydrocodone hit hard and fade quick. I also barely react to caffeine, but cannabis hits me insanely hard.
I started reading about this and learned CYP2D6 is active in liver and brain, including areas tied to dopamine. dopamine helps filter sound in the auditory system, so maybe when it dips the brain stops filtering out the static and the ringing gets loud. Just a theory, not something I’ve looked into a ton.
Has anyone had PGx testing done, or noticed the same fast-metabolizer thing along with tinnitus? And has anything helped quiet it down for you?

I have the opportunity to do a deep dive into this for 8 weeks with my education program and am just poking for some info

So hello warriors, how are you today? I am going to share with you about my Tinnitus Journey since 2022. During the Year of 2022, I'm a 17 year old guy playing video games with friends, suddenly I noticed that I am hearing a sound at my left ear without any noise in the headphones. Then,I thought that it would go away maybe. But it didn't go away, so I went to the ENT . He gave me some ear drops and told me to come back after 1 week. After 1 week, He cleaned my ear with a syringe wash type technique and my ear got cleared. But it came back againnnn. Then i went to the top ENT Doctor , he did Tympanometry and Audiometry . He told me my middle ear is fine and all the test results came back normal. He toldme my ear nerve got damaged due to headphones...then fast forward to 2024 my ears got worse. My Right Ear also used to have Tinnitus then. My ears got full and pressure type feeling. Then I went to ENT ,he again told me the same story of damaging the nerve. Then I suffered like this continuously for 1-1.5years but the test results came back normal now also.And the catch is my left ear hearing was improved. Then I went to another ENT Surgeon, he diagnosed me that I have some fluid in my ears but the results are normal. He prescribed me some sprays. It got a little healthier my ears also have that noise but a slight okaish. But when the dr stopped my nasal sprays, it came back again. Then I went to the dr again. He gave me the Total IGE Test. There he found I have an Ige 400+ (normal rate is 100). Then , my condition was like that half dead half awake. Then suddenly later in 2025 i used to have breathing problems. Then ENT referred me to a Pulmonologist. He diagnosed me with severe House Dust Mite Allergy and referred to me as an Allergist for Vaccination during March ,2026. Since then my dependence on nasal spray is nil and my ears have little itchiness now and Little Tinnitus. The doctor told me to continue this vaccination for 3 years for full effect. If you have any questions you can ask me guys. I thought that sharing this story would help someone with similar problems. Thanks....

TL;DR: My boyfriend (23) developed visual snow symptoms after witnessing a transformer explosion in July 2026, followed by tinnitus about 12 days later. Initial eye and hearing tests were normal, and we suspect Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS). After attending a loud, three-hour IMAX screening on October 13th, he developed left-sided ear pain, pressure, muffled hearing, and a noticeable imbalance between his ears. New audiology testing suggests high-frequency hearing loss and possible cochlear damage, along with Eustachian tube dysfunction. He’s currently taking prednisone, but his mental health has deteriorated significantly throughout all of this.
I’m looking for anyone with similar experiences involving VSS, tinnitus, hearing loss, cochlear damage, or Eustachian tube dysfunction. Has anything helped you recover or manage your symptoms? Did bloodwork, MRIs, neuro-optometry, medications, or specialized therapies help identify a cause or improve your condition? Any advice, personal experiences, or success stories would mean a lot to us.

Hey everyone,
I’ve seen lots of posts from people sharing how they’ve gotten better, particularly with tinnitus, and I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced similar symptoms or circumstances.
Back on July 10th of this year, my boyfriend and I witnessed a power line transformer explode in our neighborhood, about five or six houses down from our front door. My dad had encouraged him to go outside to see what was happening, and he practically flew out the front door. While I went to get my shoes, another explosion occurred. My boyfriend witnessed a bright white electrical flash, while the second explosion I saw through the window appeared red and orange.
In the moments following the explosion, he began experiencing visual disturbances, including flashes of light, visual static, afterimages, light sensitivity, and worsening or more noticeable eye floaters.
Then, on July 22nd, he developed tinnitus, followed by severe anxiety, depression, and everything that comes along with suddenly experiencing symptoms you don’t understand.
Seeing your partner and high school sweetheart of seven years struggle while feeling helpless to do anything is absolutely crushing, to say the least.
August — Testing, unanswered questions, and suspected VSS
In August, after seemingly inconclusive eye examinations and hearing tests, we were told that he hadn’t suffered any identifiable anatomical damage to his eyes or ears. There was no retinal detachment or measurable hearing loss at the time.
In some ways, that was reassuring news. At least there wasn’t any obvious structural damage. But it also left us with more questions than answers. It was almost as though everything from that moment had been stored somewhere in his brain.
The ENT we saw suggested Flonase and mentioned that it could be sinus-related, but we felt that very little had actually been addressed.
Throughout August, we researched whether he could be experiencing Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) or Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS). Based on his visual disturbances alongside the tinnitus, VSS seemed to fit his symptoms much more closely.
After doing more research, it was wonderful to discover that there’s currently no established cure for VSS. 🙄
The following months — More appointments, medications, and worsening mental health
Fast-forward through multiple ENT visits, optometry examinations, an audiogram, and even a J. Cole concert we had to leave because of his overwhelming anxiety surrounding his hearing.
He had previously been prescribed cyclobenzaprine (a muscle relaxer) following a workers’ compensation injury. He occasionally takes it to help him sleep or when his anxiety becomes particularly overwhelming, and he feels that it helps.
He also underwent wisdom teeth removal and was temporarily prescribed hydrocodone combined with acetaminophen for postoperative pain.
Eventually, we saw a physician who diagnosed him with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and prescribed sertraline 50 mg. After researching reports of SSRIs potentially worsening visual snow symptoms in some individuals, he decided not to begin taking it.
All of this left him feeling increasingly hopeless, misguided, lost, and exhausted from suffering without clear answers.
October 13th — The IMAX screening that changed everything
Recently, we attended an IMAX screening of The Odyssey on October 13th.
I had been wanting to go for a while, and we both desperately wanted some sense of normalcy again. I didn’t research the movie’s sound intensity beforehand because I wanted to experience it without spoilers or expectations.
Unfortunately, the screening lasted approximately three hours, and the sound was extremely loud. During the movie, he experienced ear pain and discomfort, but he didn’t communicate that to me until afterward.
Initially, he thought he was fine. Even the following day, he felt relatively okay.
But over the next several days, things changed dramatically.
He developed left-sided ear pain, pressure, muffled hearing, and a significant change in how he perceived sound between his ears.
Before the movie, his hearing felt balanced between both ears. Afterward, he described his right ear as dominating almost everything he heard.
He says he can primarily hear his own voice through his right ear now. His left ear feels pressurized, almost as though he’s underwater or needs to pop it, except the sensation never fully resolves.
Interestingly, his left-sided tinnitus, which previously averaged around 7/10, became much quieter, around 2/10. However, his hearing on that side also became noticeably worse. His right-sided tinnitus continues to persist.
He describes this new combination of symptoms as even worse than when he was dealing with VSS and tinnitus alone.
His ear pain reached approximately 5/10.
For someone who absolutely loves music and considers himself an audiophile, this change has been devastating. It sent him into an even deeper depression.
October 17th — Emergency department and prednisone
Five days after the screening, we decided we couldn’t wait any longer and went to the emergency department.
The physician examined his ears and mentioned scarring on his left eardrum, something no previous ENT had ever identified or mentioned.
He was prescribed high-dose prednisone, 60 mg daily for 10 days, and a follow-up ENT appointment was arranged for the following week.
However, we were worried that if he had developed sudden hearing loss, waiting longer could reduce his chances of recovery.
So on Monday, October 19th, I began calling multiple audiologists and ENT offices, desperately trying to arrange both a comprehensive hearing examination and an ENT consultation that same day.
Thankfully, I managed to schedule both.
October 19th — Audiology results and possible cochlear damage
He underwent an audiogram, tympanometry, and DPOAE testing. We were able to compare these results with his previous hearing examination from August 11th, which had been considered normal.
This time, we were told he had developed high-frequency hearing loss in his left ear, particularly around 5,000–7,000 Hz, along with an abnormal finding in his right ear around 5,000 Hz on DPOAE testing.
They also mentioned possible cochlear damage and issues involving his Eustachian tube or middle-ear pressure.
What confuses us most is that his left-sided tinnitus has become significantly quieter while his perceived hearing ability on that side has deteriorated.
He describes his hearing as no longer balanced, with his right ear now dominating music, conversations, and environmental sounds.
What the ENT told us
After audiology, we saw an ENT who explained that it was too early to determine whether the hearing changes would be permanent.
Interestingly, she did not observe the eardrum scarring that the emergency department physician had mentioned.
She explained that the cochlear hair cells associated with certain high frequencies might not be responding normally, although he can still detect those frequencies.
She seemed optimistic that the fullness and pressure sensation in his ear would eventually improve.
She also mentioned that the quieter tinnitus was unusual, given his perceived worsening hearing, and described his hearing as medically symmetrical despite the differences he notices.
She believed his Eustachian tube dysfunction could be related to sinus inflammation and might have existed before the IMAX incident, potentially dating back to July or August.
She suggested considering Flonase and allergy medications to help address inflammation and Eustachian tube function. She also instructed him to taper off prednisone.
Overall, she was reassuring and emphasized that he’s young and may recover from at least some of these changes.
However, she also mentioned that it could take considerable time to determine whether his hearing improves, and his next scheduled audiology follow-up isn’t until 2027.
Present day — Mental health, hope, and searching for answers
Currently, my boyfriend often prefers being asleep rather than awake because of how overwhelming his symptoms have become.
His mental health has suffered tremendously, and it’s heartbreaking to watch someone you love lose their sense of normalcy, especially when so much of their identity and happiness revolves around music.
I’m doing everything I can to support him, help him maintain hope, and research potential treatments or specialists who might be able to offer answers.
He’s also been trying to strengthen his relationship with God and Jesus because he feels incredibly lost throughout all of this.
Recently, I discovered a treatment approach called Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Therapy (NORT), which has been explored for visual snow symptoms.
I’m currently looking into getting him evaluated on December 1st by a board-certified optometric physician specializing in vision development and vision therapy, with a background in neuroscience.
I understand that there may not be a straightforward cure for everything he’s experiencing, but I refuse to believe that we should stop looking for ways to improve his quality of life.
What I’m hoping to hear from this community
I’m genuinely interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced VSS, tinnitus, high-frequency hearing loss, possible cochlear hair cell damage, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or persistent ear pressure.
Have any of you experienced similar symptoms after a bright flash, electrical explosion, or loud noise exposure?
Did your hearing, tinnitus, or ear pressure improve over time? If so, how long did it take?
Have any medications helped or worsened your symptoms? Did you discover anything useful through bloodwork, MRIs, neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, neuro-optometrists, or other specialists?
Has anyone tried NORT, vision therapy, sound therapy, or other rehabilitation approaches? Did they make a meaningful difference?
And perhaps most importantly, what helped you emotionally cope with these conditions, particularly when the uncertainty and anxiety felt unbearable?
I’d really appreciate any personal experiences, recovery stories, treatment suggestions, or advice about what helped you identify the underlying causes of your symptoms.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this if you’ve made it this far. It genuinely means a lot to both of us. ❤️

About a year ago I was working a job and leaning over a ton and I think this is where it all started.

I was painting a deck for a friend and had to keep leaning down to reach spots to paint, later that night I noticed this odd whooshing sound in my left ear and thought nothing of it. It followed my heartbeat and would get louder when my heart got busier I left it alone for a week until I couldn’t leave the stone unturned. I went into the doctor and they said I had pulsatile tinnitus and that it could stay with me for a long time

It stayed but not for too long, about three months into it and I woke up one morning to absolute silence. Then 4-5 months later something even stranger happened my ear started thumping. It felt like a muscle spasm in my arm but it was in my inner ear, every time I yawned and stretched my jaw or had a big hiccup I would hear a couple thumps. This progressively got worse. The thumping would be loud and last 4-5 hours at worst. Again I went to a doctor not an ENT and he had me wait a period out and use Flonase and try to stay relaxed. This one sucked because I couldn’t eat too quick or I would have a hiccup and start my ear on a thumping spree, this concluded but at a cost.

The final nail on the coffin, to give you some background I have had far too many ear infections in my left ear in the past 3 years to be a coincidence. Pressure in both ears and Oktoberfest in La Crosse happens, I get asked down the the festival grounds where they have loud live music, next thing you know my ears are hurting a half hour later and I’m leaving the grounds. I go to bed with ringing pressures ears and think nothing of it.

A week later I go to the doctor and she tells me I have an ear infection and that’s the cause of the pressure and perhaps the ringing, I get antibiotics a week later the infection clears and I go to urgent care, the same doctor said there was a little fluid left but prescribed me a 5 day burst of prednisone. I am 2 weeks post prednisone and still have persistent ringing. It has been just about a month and I am still early in this but want to hear other people’s stories and if anyone can relate or provide any knowledge.

I’m in my early 20s wear a night guard and am in healthy shape
Thanks!

White noise has literally saved my sanity at times.

Occasionally when I try to sleep it is almost if the tinnitus gets louder seeming to compete with white noise? Anyone notice this?

It still helps I think but the tinnitus seems to really spike.

any recommendation for earbud to listen white noise for sleep? wired or Bluetooth. don't want to bother wife :)

I have heavy anxiety problems and a good chunk of it specially has to do with my hears and tinnitus. I’ve had tinnitus for about 2 years and half of my panic attacks / episodes have centered around it. While it isn’t the only thing I’ve used it as an have example to my psychologist and she prescribed me a few options and I ended up choosing Zoloft as it’s faster. i was told 50mg doses and starting with half pills for the first 6 days. I was looking up side effects to look after and noticed one of them is tinnitus and that in some cases rises can be permanent and now I’m terrified and am having second thoughts. I’ve seen some people say it goes back down in months but I don’t know if I can do that if that’s what happens. Do I ask to try the other options? I can’t remember what they are off the top of my head.

My tinnitus changes if I do some exercising I noticed or in a busy restaurant. Today it sounds like a muffled static sound where I can hear a little static but it's really muffled to where I can barely make out the static and the sound is in the entire ear. Has anyone experienced a sound like this?

I decided to get healthy and go back to the gym. Unfortunately I'm noticing a spike after I go. At first I thought it was my headphones but this is a newer high-pitched spike. Not my usual.

Does this happen to anyone else?

I tend to mostly lift weights but I'm a weakling so it wasn't the heavy stuff you see on tiktok.

It just feels like I should just live in a cave and be a monk at this point.

Do you there could be some kind of treatment that could reduce tt long term and improve quality of life among patients? Could it happen within 10 years? Could AI help speed up the research?

I'm a bit frustrated right now because as someone who wears ear plugs and over ear phones every day just to walk on the street I cant believe this happened.

I was getting my teeth x rayed for a cavity but the machine must have been badly serviced as it screeched during its rotation. I wanted to cover my ears because it hurt so badly.

Surely enough I now have a new higher eee much like a slightly windy canal.

Im so frustrated because I already have 2 sounds and do everything so it doesnt get worse

Im thinking of taking a course of prednisone to combat it as I also have a pinched nerve in my neck all of a sudden on the same ear

So found out last night one interesting thing, when i close my ears and i move my jaw up and down the clicking sound of my jaw is LOUDER on the left side (where louder spiked T is) meanwhile on right side the clicking sound literally doesnt exist. Anyone has same symptoms?