Worried about my hearing

N

NameK

Well known member
So I've been worried about my hearing ever since a party i went to on Wednesday. I had to sign waiver right by the speakers where the DJ was and it was decently loud I was there for 10 -20 seconds and ever since I've been super worried about my hearing. I had ringing after the party but I was there for an hour or so

Even just for my job since I drive all day I'm worried that over the last couple of years of listening to music at 30 volume that's halfway on the stereo system,bass max etc. That I've damaged my hearing also I use a gaming headset when I play video games. Plus over the last 4 or 5 years I've been to a few concerts per year. At the moment my left ear has been hurting all day

Any advice or help it's been a rough day I haven't eaten yet today and my body is super tense. Last week I was worrying about my eyes again and had left eye pain now it's my ears.

My tms always seems to be on my left side
 
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Relax - you have a long history of anxiety, and focusing on your ears and having anxiety over the concert is going to stress you and your nervous system right out. Rest assured your hearing was not damaged.

Ear symptoms are not uncommon. Anxiety alone can cause disturbances in hearing: https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms/reduced-hearing-deafness.shtml (Reduced Hearing, Deafness, Diminished Hearing - Anxiety Symptoms)

Tinnitus is another popular one commonly seen around here: https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety/symptoms/tinnitus-and-anxiety.shtml (Tinnitus, Ringing In The Ears, and Anxiety)

Personally, my ears constantly popping and feeling like they were full of pressure at one point, so I know the ears can definitely be affected: https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms/ear-popping-and-pressure-anxiety.shtml (Ear Popping; Ear Pressure Anxiety Symptoms)

So what to do from here? Calm down, eat something you enjoy (because you say you haven't eaten today and that certainly doesn't help anxiety), take a few deep breaths, and go turn on Netflix or call up someone you like. Most of us have been to concerts and listened to loud music many, many times. Personally, I've been blasting music since I had a Sony Walkman back in 2000, and I listen to my iPod way too loudly these days. Now, I've been working on not turning the volume up all the way because I recognize that it's not great, but I had my hearing tested about a year or so ago and it was pretty damn good. There is absolutely no way you've damaged your hearing.

It's very telling that your pain went from your left eye to your ears. Take this as a sign that it's nothing more than anxiety affecting the mind-body connection. Go have some fun and a nice laugh. You're OK. I'm glad you went to the concert and had fun - don't sabotage yourself for having a good time and enjoying life. That's so important! Make sure you tell your therapist about this (I know my therapist was a lifesaver when it came to helping me implement coping strategies for anxiety). :)
 
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Yeah I am pretty sure the ringing is gone so I shouldn't be worried. So is tinnitus considered tms if it persists or it's a symptom of anxiety ?
 
That was one of those symptoms I realized I had looking in retrospect at my TMS history. In one particular case it involved a loud concert where the speaker was pointed at my right ear. The imbalance when I got the ringing later in only the right ear was maddening and I carried on with that suffering for far longer than everyone said the ringing should last. Ear candles and lots of other insanity followed.... of course, I had just been fired from my job for no good reason and was struggling with all kinds of personal issues at the time.
 
Yes, for people who don't have anything structural going on (and you previously said your doctor plus your former paramedic therapist have already given you clean bills of health), it's TMS, which is a symptom of anxiety or some other type of emotional distress. TMS is nothing more than the mind-body connection that is affected by stress, anger, discontent, etc. You're OK.

I know what it's like to have health anxiety, and it's evident that you definitely do. Work on that with your therapist and continue to do things you enjoy in life! See how your ear symptoms decreased, as well as the other symptoms you've mentioned on these forums? That's because the symptoms were caused by emotions, not a structural problem. Just like when I thought I had gotten alcoholic neuropathy after one weekend of drinking too many drinks - absolutely impossible! I didn't understand why DOCTORS thought I was having a nervous breakdown because my symptoms were clearly triggered by something and felt so real. Ultimately, they were all 100% correct when they said that nothing was physically wrong with me.

The same goes for you thinking you've damaged your ears, been harmed by antibiotics, hurt your muscles, etc. You are healthy, and you only need to learn how to manage your anxiety and love life again.
 
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