Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

@Bill Bauer also, what about a change in tone to a buzz?

@Bill Bauer oh wow. So sorry. You've had it awhile now. Is it still bothering you to that level? All I can pray for is that I'll adjust to this madness someday.

As ears heal, T changes from a high pitch tone to a buzz and then to a high-pitched hiss and finally to a soft hiss. When it stops being a high pitch tone, it's a major milestone.

@CAgirl I am not a superstitious person, but I don't want to take any chances when it comes to T. I confess that I am worried about jinxing it, so I prefer to not talk about it.

Let's just say that the first 2 years were the worst.

@Bill Bauer I don't blame you there at all! I'm the same way. I'm pretty sure that's why there aren't more success stories too.

@Bill Bauer just saw this about the pool. It was a few people only but there was a radio although not on high. When I left and got into my car I had this crazy "loudness" in my ears. Like the minute I shut the car door I heard it. I DEFINITELY have hyperacusis so I don't want to overprotect. But I think I should have protected maybe. Ugh. I'm so tired of this nightmare.

"I DEFINITELY have hyperacusis so I don't want to overprotect."

You can get hyperacusis as a result of harming your ear. In that case the cure is to protect your ears. That was my case, and protecting my ears helped my H, whereas being exposed to noises set both T and H back.

Another way to get H is to wear earplugs 24/7 for many months, until eventually one becomes more sensitive to everyday sounds. In that case one would want to gradually expose oneself to progressively louder and louder sounds. I don't think that's your case.

@Bill Bauer when this first started happening I remember being with friends and their voices just seemed so loud. I think this was before the ringing even really ramped up. I'm so uncomfortable every day I don't know what to do. Maybe see an audiologist. I have no idea how to tackle this anymore. I just read a horror story about a guy who has severe H and hasn't left his house in 2 years. Now I'm really freaked out.

@Bill Bauer i got an electric shock of pain in my ears back in April after I had the tv on for a while on a higher volume. I also got physical pain where I had to leave my cousins bc my aunts voices hurt my ears. That hasn't happened since but I have no idea if I'm improving.

>I remember being with friends and their voices just seemed so loud

I (and most on this forum) can relate. I remember the shower sounding too loud (forcing me to take baths), and having to wear muffs to wash the dishes. In my experience, the way to end this problem is to listen to the signals sent to you by your body and protect your ears from all of the noises that don't feel right.

>I just read a horror story about a guy who has severe H and hasn't left his house in 2 years.

Just because there are people who feel compelled to wash their hands 200 times a day, doesn't mean that you shouldn't wash your hands.

By the way, you don't need to worry about becoming like that. This is like someone breaking a leg and then continuing exercising "because it is healthy to exercise". It makes sense to get your body to heal first. Right now you need to focus on healing. Protecting your ears promotes healing. Normally, as your ears heal, regular sounds stop bothering you.

If once you heal several years from now, you think you have a problem with H, then you could just set your TV volume to the maximum that doesn't bother you and listen to that for two minutes. Then the next day make it 3 minutes, keep increasing this time and then after a week increase the volume and repeat. Within a month your H will be gone.

@Bill Bauer this is so hard. I'm fine all day at work and it's like the minute I get home my ears flip out. It's so draining. I just want my life back. I feel like I can't travel or do anything. Although the tone has been turning into a buzzing so maybe that's a good sign. Still some high pitched tones. I don't know how I'm going to get through this chapter of my life.

"the tone has been turning into a buzzing" It's on the right/good trajectory.

I feel like I basically lost two years of my life. But it could have been worse!

@Bill Bauer noticing some hissing, "sss" sounds...

If the hissing has replaced a high pitch tone, then that's a Major milestone!

@Bill Bauer its diff every day but it's never had these tones before. It's a
quiet hissing, sss sound ive been hearing today. I still have reactivity with the H though. Back in April I turned off my TV and got a shock like pain in my ears. I was on the floor crying. That's when I knew something was really wrong. Have you ever heard of anything like that?

@Bill Bauer that hasn't happened since with the TV and I can tolerate most voices now. I think I'm just traumatized and keep thinking about all of this.