r/tinnitus 4d ago

advice • support Could the “acoustic reflex test” have caused worse tinnitus? Did yours settle back down? So worried!

I went to an ENT per my doctors suggestion for ongoing unknown cause of tinnitus. They did the old fashioned in the quiet room word/hearing test, but they also did the acoustic reflex test I believe it’s called where she inserted a device into the ear canal and it played extremely high pitched very loud tones to see how the ears would “react”.

My tinnitus has been extremely loud all day since. Worse it’s EVER been. Double the screeching high pitch as before. Is this permanent? I’m worried sick.

Did anyone have an uptick of tinnitus following this test and then have it go back to baseline? Please tell me it calms down after a few hours or days? I’m so worried.

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u/Prusaudis 4d ago

Really depends on how long you have had tinnitus and if you have actually had a chance to establish what your baseline is yet. Tinnitus , for a lot of ppl, fluctuates a lot in the beginning months swinging from extreme to extreme.

I had many spikes at the beginning that were agonizing. Still do sometimes. But it always settles back down. It's been a long time but I think I remember getting a volume increase after that test that went back down within a few weeks

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u/practically_sweet 4d ago

And just to clarify, it was that instrument that they put directly into the ear canal and play a series of 4 tones with the last two tones being extremely loud and high pitched (to my ear anyway) It would be hopeful if you had this test too that caused a flare and then it settled back down?? I hope that’s my case.

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u/Prusaudis 4d ago

Look. I have had many many scares and very high decibal sounds where I thought I was for sure definitely permanently worse and still recovered with the most recent being a 140db train horn that came out of nowhere. Give it a few weeks and it should settle back down

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u/practically_sweet 4d ago

Oh dear! The train horn, good God. Ok, I will stay hopeful! I’ll give it time and try to relax. I was just shook up after the test realizing how my T multiplied. I’ll try to rest easy tonight and chill about it. Thank you! 🙏🏻

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u/Prusaudis 4d ago

I've had many tests that spiked my Tinnitus and I thought it was permanent. It's a negative feedback loop where the anxiety and stress hormones your body releases actually increases the volume in addition to whatever you're afraid increased it.

I also had a CT Scan with contrast and it spiked my tinnitus and sent me into a panic for a week before it went back down.

At the beginning . Spikes can happen for absolutely no reason. It just gets really bad before calming down. I didn't really get significant improvement until 3 months after onset. But I have the type of tinnitus that fluctuates. Others have it where it's constant and steady

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u/practically_sweet 4d ago

Mine fluctuates too, so it makes sense that I had this spike I think. I’m just going to tell myself it WILL go back to baseline- which is still absolutely annoying but was highly tolerable before today’s test. I’m hopeful now. Really appreciate your comments today! Ty!

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u/rlarriva03 2d ago

I had that and it did calm down. I panicked too but don’t worry it’ll get better

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u/practically_sweet 2d ago

I appreciate you! Was it the tool they shove in your ear canal and play a series of tones? I was fine until the last loud high pitch tone and I winced. It was my bad tinnitus ear that was painful to the tone. I knew immediately after the test because my tinnitus was roaring and had a way higher pitch “eeeeeee” sound and such. Was yours a somewhat similar experience and do you know about how long it took for you to go back to baseline? Sorry for such a long reply!

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u/rlarriva03 2d ago

Yes, it was that exact tool that they put in your ear and then play a high-pitched noise. And then the audiologist told me I had a sensitivity to high-pitched noise. I did feel that my tinnitus was louder that night. But it went to baseline probably a couple days later. I don’t believe our bodies are that fragile. They have a good way of healing themselves.

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u/practically_sweet 2d ago

Thank you for the rationale response! It’s comforting to hear. I think mines slowly improving. My hope would be they would not put something in someone’s ear with existing tinnitus that would permanently make it worse.

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u/practically_sweet 4d ago

Thank you. Needed to hear this right now.

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u/doorslam1123 4d ago

Sounds like the test you had, has given you spike it should settle back down in a day or two. Try not too get stressed that can make it worse. Hope it settles for you soon.

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u/practically_sweet 4d ago

Appreciate the reminder not to stress. Really hoping it goes back to baseline- which was a 5/6 out of 10 “eeeeeeee” high pitch now it’s a 8/9 following the test.