The only thing worse than Tinnitus is a Tinnitus spike. Dealing with Tinnitus spikes will need you to understand potential causes, to then make some helpful changes to your lifestyle. We show you how and more, below.
What is a Tinnitus Spike?
A Tinnitus spike or flare up in any adverse changes to your Tinnitus condition. This can be characterized by; an increase in volume, an increase in duration intensity or the oncoming of new sounds that you have never heard before. Please also read this post we wrote about how to cope with Tinnitus, in general. We provide 26 tips there.
What is Your Tinnitus Handicap Score?
Calculate your THI Score in about 2-3 Minutes
Sudden Tinnitus Spike Causes
Please read the following section very carefully. It will be very important for you to identify what might have caused your Tinnitus spike. Give yourself about half an hour. First, read through the following items. Then, go back to the time of day when your Tinnitus hadn’t spiked and think about what might have triggered it. Also, please remember that Tinnitus triggers are never instant. For example, if too much caffeine has caused a Tinnitus spike, the spike might have come on only several hours after your 4th cup of coffee. So, try to correlate your spike with a trigger after working in possible time delays for the trigger to kick in.
- Loud noise or sound – Did you hear something that was unexpectedly noisy or loud, suddenly. A Tinnitus spike after loud noise is the #1 trigger most people report. Here’s a very detailed scientific explanation of how loud noise exposure leads to a Tinnitus spike. We recently wrote an article about Tinnitus ear plugs. Please give that a read to learn how you can always protect your ears, without cutting out sounds altogether.
- Stress and anxiety – The second most common reason for a sudden spike in your Tinnitus is usually stress or anxiety. Did something happen at work, with your family or maybe in the workings of your own mind. Have you begun to worry more than usual? Be mindful and honest about how stressful you are. Sometimes, you might just find a very strong connection between a Tinnitus spike and some new stress that has begun to bother you. The solution then of course is to try to de-stress. Easier said than done. But, meditating, talking to someone about it or taking action to get out of a stressful situation can all help.
- New medications – Did you take any form of new medication? Simple anti inflammatory drugs like Aspirin and Ibuprofen can cause a spike in your Tinnitus condition. Antibiotics, diuretics (pills that cut body water) and anti-depressants are other common culprits. If medications are a possible trigger, try doing without or talk to your doctor about alternative medicines that don’t result in a Tinnitus spike.
- Dehydration – How has your water intake been? If you have been skimping out on drinking water lately, it could very well explain why you are experiencing a Tinnitus spike
- Caffeine overload – Have you had more caffeine than usual lately? Even if you haven’t necessarily had more, did you have it at a time you usually don’t drink a caffeinated beverage. If Tinnitus spikes at night have come on recently after you introduced caffeine into late evenings or even late afternoons, it’s time to nip that problem in the bud, by cutting out those drinks.
- High sugar or High Sodium food – Did you recently indulge in a meal that was either too salty or too sugary. Many people have reported a sugar Tinnitus spike after going a little too far with their sweet tooth. The same applies for excessively salty food. Be more mindful about how much of such foods you consume in the future.
- New Environment – Did you recently move? Or, did you travel to a new environment before your Tinnitus spike came on. Many people have reported a Tinnitus flare up after moving to a new location. Allergens, pollution or just a simple change in altitude levels (barometric pressure changes) can also cause a Tinnitus spike.
- Onset of jaw problems – Has your jaw started to hurt recently. Are you experiencing problems like pain or tightness while opening your jaw wide or while chewing. You could be suffering from TMJ that might in turn cause your Tinnitus to flare up. TMJ disorders will require either a visit to your dentist or Tinnitus chiropractor help.
How long does a Tinnitus spike last?
There is unfortunately no specific answer to this question. Everyone’s case is different. Some have reported a spike for a few hours while some have reported long Tinnitus spike episodes. Tinnitus spikes for a month have also been reported. Very long episodes of Tinnitus are unfortunately not episodes that are caused by triggers. It is more likely that your Tinnitus could be getting chronically worse in such cases. You might want to consider taking a Tinnitus test at your audiologist’s office.
If this isn’t the first time you are experiencing a Tinnitus spike, your spike history could also give you a good reference point to tell you how long your spike will last. Think of the last few times you experienced a spike and when it subsided. There’s a good chance that history will hold good this time around too.
How Severe is Your Tinnitus?
Find out by using this THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) Scoring Calculator
How to cope with Tinnitus spike?
Successfully dealing with Tinnitus spikes will require you to change your reactionary mindset. What we mean by that is – Change how you to react to a spike. Don’t start stressing about whether this spike is here to stay forever. That’s the number #1 reaction people have to a Tinnitus spike. Unfortunately, its the worst thing you can do to yourself. Worry and anxiety spikes up your stress level that in turn can possibly (in most cases definitely) worsen your Tinnitus condition. It’s a vicious cycle.
It is best to maintain a positive attitude and try to go on with your life. It is easier said than done but you can do it if you put your mind to it. Don’t ask yourself questions like “Why is this happening to me” or “How am I going to deal with this”. Go for a run, do your errands, listen to some masking music or do anything that stops you from thinking about your Tinnitus, or at least your Tinnitus spike! Will your Tinnitus spike go down? Yes, it most probably will. But, there’s no point worrying about it until it does. Worrying might in fact just be prolonging your spike!
We hope we were helpful in helping you deal with your sudden Tinnitus spike. While there is no quick-fix solution, identifying a spike trigger can save you a lot of trouble in the future. So, as already said before, try to take some time to mindfully think about and identifying a potential trigger or cause for your spike. Sit down and do it like an exercise, with pen and paper. In most cases, you will be able to put your finger on one trigger, helping you avoid it in the future.
We also wrote a very specific post that might be helpful if you are dealing with loud and clear Tinnitus.
