Sharing four of my personal treatment methods for sudden hearing loss accompanied by tinnitus

I am writing this to share my personal treatment methods and preventive measures for sudden hearing loss and the worsening of tinnitus that I have experienced over the past five years. Since high school, I frequently visited music listening rooms and was exposed to a lot of noise, which caused tinnitus. However, five years ago, when I developed sudden hearing loss, my tinnitus worsened, and I have been working to alleviate it. Here are four of my own treatment methods and preventive measures.

 

When I was in middle and high school, I was deeply into heavy metal and somewhat hard rock music, and I used to visit a music lounge near my house about two to three times a week as a hobby. About 30 years ago, there were quite a few music lounges where you could write your favorite songs on a basket in front of a booth, and they would play recorded live performances or music videos on a large screen. At that time, it was similar to a small theater, but I always enjoyed listening in front of the speakers. After doing this for several years, my hearing started to deteriorate, and I developed tinnitus. One winter day, I noticed a continuous cicada-like sound in my ears, and I realized it was tinnitus. It wasn't too severe, and I could ignore it when I was thinking about other things.

 

 

Five years ago, I experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss for the first time, and when I started treatment at Dain ENT Clinic in Bupyeong, my tinnitus had become so loud that it was not only the sound of cicadas but also a humming noise, and my ears felt muffled due to the severity of the tinnitus. When the initial sudden sensorineural hearing loss occurred, I received treatment for about three weeks, and although the sudden hearing loss was treated, the tinnitus remained as a residual symptom. Each time I experienced the second and third episodes of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, my tinnitus gradually worsened.

 

 

Two years ago, when I finally finished my treatment, the tinnitus still remained and troubled me. It was so difficult that I visited many places, including other hospitals and Korean medicine clinics, trying various treatments, but nothing really improved. I tried to distinguish between situations where the tinnitus was decreasing and increasing to identify the cause. I applied my own treatment methods or ways to alleviate it, and now I am managing my tinnitus well (?) haha.

 

First, let's find out what tinnitus is.

 

What is Tinnitus?

 

It is a symptom of hearing sounds in the ears despite no external sound stimuli. Tinnitus manifests in various forms, and the treatment methods and preventive measures differ depending on the type and symptoms.

 

 

Types of Tinnitus

 

Subjective (perceptual) tinnitus: The most common type of tinnitus, heard only by the individual without external noise. It occurs due to issues inside the ear or nerve problems. It can sound like cicada chirping, cricket singing, flowing water, or high-pitched mechanical noises. These sounds originate from the cochlea or auditory nerve and are classified as sensorineural tinnitus, accounting for about 90% of tinnitus cases. Since only the patient perceives it, it is called subjective or perceptual tinnitus.

 

Objective (subjective) tinnitus: Tinnitus that can be heard externally, with a low occurrence frequency. It occurs due to vascular abnormalities or muscle spasms and can be heard by others using a stethoscope. These types of tinnitus can usually be treated effectively through medication or surgery once the exact cause is identified. Because both the patient and others can hear the sound, it is called objective or objective tinnitus.

 

Acute tinnitus: Tinnitus that appears suddenly and disappears after a certain period of time. For example, when exposed to a loud noise suddenly, a ringing sound may occur in the ear.

 

[Source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal]

 

 

Symptoms of tinnitus

 

Subjective (perceived) tinnitus: ringing, buzzing, hissing sounds, or sounds like waves or wind.

Objective (subjective) tinnitus: sounds like buzzing, clicking, or tapping noises typically produced by muscles.

 

Causes of tinnitus

 

Noise exposure: Prolonged exposure to loud noises can damage auditory cells.

Aging: It occurs as hearing function declines with age.

Ear, nose, and throat conditions: Otitis media, inner ear infections, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere's disease, and others can be causes.

Drug side effects: Certain medications such as antibiotics or diuretics can cause tinnitus.

Vascular issues: Can occur when there are vascular diseases such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis.

 

Treatment methods for tinnitus

 

Pharmacological treatment: Even when I go to the hospital and get prescriptions, I only receive sedatives at all hospitals.ㅜ.ㅜ The hospitals also said that there is no definitive treatment approved specifically for tinnitus. For cases of subjective tinnitus caused by clear factors such as muscle spasms, medication can be an effective treatment.

 

Non-pharmacological treatment 

 

Tinnitus retraining therapy: It is the treatment method that has given me the greatest effect, but it does not fundamentally eliminate tinnitus.ㅜ.ㅜ However, it helps reduce tinnitus by alleviating abnormal stimulation of the tinnitus. In simple terms, it is training to live harmoniously with tinnitus.ㅎㅎ This training method was developed by a team of professors in London, UK. Tinnitus occurs when the brain maladaptively responds to changes in external stimuli such as hearing loss, and this abnormal brain response can be blocked to improve tinnitus. The first step involves education about the entire process of tinnitus occurrence and worsening. It is also combined with psychological counseling therapy~~ and sound therapy using white noise and other sounds. I have been doing it for about three months and have seen many effects, so I am doing it alone at home. It’s convenient because I only need a phone and earphones to do it~

 

- Hearing aids and cochlear implants: Hearing aids are effective for tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss like mine. However, since my hearing loss is mild, they don't provide much help, so I am only undergoing the first tinnitus retraining therapy. For moderate to severe hearing loss, surgical treatments such as cochlear implants are effective.

[Source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal]

 

My four personal methods to prevent tinnitus

 

1. Noise Blocking: When loud sounds are heard in a noisy environment, ringing and humming sounds may cause dizziness, so earplugs are worn or noise-canceling earphones are used. Since earphones are also needed during tinnitus retraining, it might be a good idea to purchase one in advance. Earplugs are fine, but I find that wearing noise-canceling earphones better blocks high-pitched sounds, making it more effective. The caution is that you should not listen to music while the noise-canceling feature is active; you should just wear them passively.

 

 

2. Healthy eating habits: Similar to hearing loss, consuming salty foods or especially caffeine definitely worsens tinnitus. Therefore, it is recommended to follow a low-salt diet and limit caffeine intake. However, I really like coffee, so I often drink decaffeinated coffee, which I find acceptable. Decaffeinated coffee sold at regular cafes has a lower caffeine content, but it still contains some. This product tastes good and has almost zero caffeine, so I drink it frequently.

 

 

3. Healthy Lifestyle Habits: Engage in regular exercise and rest, and avoid overwork. In particular, when sleep decreases and fatigue sets in, tinnitus tends to worsen significantly. I make sure to rest regardless of the situation and avoid overexertion. I also limit exercise to a moderate level to prevent fatigue.

 

 

4. Creating an appropriate noise environment: The biggest problem was that tinnitus worsened during sleep, which is the most important time for rest. When I thought about the cause, I realized that it was because it was too quiet, making the tinnitus more noticeable, and when I focused more, it sounded even louder—creating a vicious cycle. So, I slept with my air purifier on at a low setting instead of silent, and surprisingly, the tinnitus sounds were less noticeable, and I didn't focus on the tinnitus as much, which was effective.

 

 

 

I have written my own tinnitus prevention methods so far, but I am not sure how helpful they will be. If you have tinnitus, I recommend you try tinnitus retraining therapy at a nearby hospital. The effectiveness was really good, and since it is a treatment you can practice on your own later, it was even more effective^^ I hope everyone can live in a world without tinnitus!!