Just when I think my tinnitus is improving, my 6 year old son yells in my ear and starts it all over again. I am so discouraged.

I humbly come here with what is probably a mild case—I have had persistent tinnitus for about 4 months now. It ranges from noticeable at all times to “the loudest thing in the room” at times.

It is worst after loud sounds that used to be reasonably loud, such as the powerful vacuums at the car wash, which re-ups it for the next day or more and leaves me with what feels like uncomfortable or achey ears.

My son is newly 6 and testing the world in every way he can, currently. Nearly everything is a negotiation, at a minimum. His indoor volume is extremely loud (teacher says so too, and especially loud after spending a week at grandma’s house)… and he uses his voice as a weapon. He especially seems to know how it affects me—between my current tinnitus and my adhd way of being easily overwhelmed by loud sounds… I just don’t know what to do.

I believe I triggered this tinnitus with a table saw, helping a friend cut a piece of metal that made an unusually awful noise. I wear ear protection for work religiously but I messed up this time. I have an upbringing of mechanic work, hunting, and being a careless dude that probably got me to this point.

Should I wear ear plugs all the time I am around him? I feel like he is imparting or reinforcing hearing damage for his own gain. Especially after he uses his volume against me, my ears’ extra ringing leaves the world sounding like it is thru a tin can.

He was with his grandma all week and just today he has used his falsetto-like little boy yell to leave my right eardrum pounding. I would have never been this sensitive to loud noises in the past but something seems to have changed. It’s usually him wanting to wrestle or crawl on me or me carrying him to his room when he doesn’t want to go to bed. Do you have any advice to give? I hate this ringing, it feels like he is out to hurt me, I don’t want early Alzheimer’s.

A few weeks ago he sounded off and I plugged my ears. My wife says “his behavior is like this because he knows he can win with you.” And I’m just feeling discouraged…I want to be a steady parent but I don’t always have earplugs or earbuds at hand and…it feels like I’m being given more and more hearing loss? Have any of you been here???