Don't say would've… you will survive it
Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
I think hyperacusis is a sign of gain calibration being off in your brain. Every time I've had it, T gets much louder. Good news is that H is curable though desensitization…and likely T will drop in volume as H resolved. Hang in there Freerunner…2 1/2 months is not long enough to throw in the towel.
A clarification about my agreement; I believe that theory is the case, because I've experienced it first hand, but I think some may have gotten a lot of damage quickly, and if so, I think desensitization may be counterproductive. It could be attempted at a later stage, but maybe not acutely. Especially if there's pain with the hyperacusis, to which I don't believe desensitization is the way to go.
What's desensitization just sound exposure?
@Wrfortiscue Yeah, just gradual reintroduction of sound to correct the abnormal tolerance. Doesn't seem to work for everybody though, but many with loudness hyperacusis seem to benefit from it. But we who spike to very low level sound are pretty much stuck in a Catch 22, since exposure to sound may give instant negative feedback in the form of spikes.
@Stacken77 im screwed aren't I? I have hearing loss + I spike daily.
I wouldn't say you're "screwed", @Wrfortiscue. I'm probably the one who's completely f**k'd lol. How much hearing loss are we talking about? How many dB's are your lowest dip?
If the spikes usually are short, then I think you'll be fine, but have you tried to use high fidelity ear plugs and just lower the volume slightly? I don't think that would cause any sensitivity, imo.
If the spikes usually are short, then I think you'll be fine, but have you tried to use high fidelity ear plugs and just lower the volume slightly? I don't think that would cause any sensitivity, imo.
@Stacken77 I used to have unbelievably severe H but I cured through gradual exposure to sound. Practicing piano scales by gradually working up into the higher octave ranges is what cured it for me.
No no.., you're definitely screwed @Wrfortiscue :)
Yeah, @Wrfortiscue go get an audiogram. Could be fun to know. I don't think you should lose hope yet for improvements, but what's most important is that you're managing quite alright, which I believe you are, right? Despite all the spikes.
@Stacken77 my right ear is the one with hearing loss and I've had it for years. Fireworks blew near my right several times and playing drums too. New onset left ear grinder they didn't see loss
As far as managing it I tend to ignore it for periods of time, then hyper focus (like now) lol then I obsess
@Wrfortiscue I remember that I too had times when I obsessed with mine, when it was mild. I think it may be part of the package. Now I've been obsessed with it full time for almost an entire year lol.
@Stacken77 absolutely…my T was in 2017 (and is again now unfortunately) totally reactive so it would go nuts when I exposed myself to sound and the H pain was excruciating at times. But, my brother has had T and H for close to twenty years and he pretty much constantly wears ears plugs. I didn't want to end up completely dependent on the plugs so I decided to try and work through it.
Interestingly as my H improved, my T became quieter. My theory is that hearing injuries are like other injuries in that they require some PT in order to make a recovery. The difference is that the therapy for the ears is about recalibrating the brain's perception of the signal from the ears.