@Steph1710 sorry to hear that it's the most evil shit I have come across.
Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Thanks @Leila curious when did yours start improving? I'd give anything to hear music or TV again. Or just to be able to mask temporarily
I have fluctuating days now, I see that as progress. Some days it's much less noticeable, other days, the reactivity is in your face type loud. Still a work in progress, I'm guessing as the sound sensitivity gets better, so will the other stuff (reactivity). Very slow and non linear progress though.
@ZFire happy to hear it sounds like uve made some progress, have u had T since August? Hoping 6 mo is the turning point
I had mild T since 2011, it got severe in April 2021. I finally saw progress in late September.
@ZFire ur story both terrifies me and encourages me. Wish we knew how these pathologies happen. Was there a trigger event in April?
I keep thinking about Kent Taylor as of late. There really is no viable treatment when the rich can't get it. RIP to a good soul.
The reactivity started a little over a year ago. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a sporting airplane taking off in my good ear. I tried to go back to sleep and hoped for the best, but over the course of the next couple of days my left ear started to react to all kinds of sounds.
It was so painful, it pretty much turned me into a hermit overnight. I pissed off a lot of people because I just stopped communicating in person and over the phone, because my own voice was causing my pain.I got away with it because of Covid and self-isolation.
I noticed an improvement about half a year in. No idea why, though. With the volume on very low, I can listen to some music and watch a bit of TV again. But the moment my ear gives as much as a twitch, that's it for the day. The same goes for people, which doesn't win me any popularity contests, but it's the best I can do.
So, not a lot of good advice, really - sorry. But maybe a little hope, that the reactivity may lessen over time. Fingers crossed!!!
@Leila thanks for sharing ur story that's still encouraging that reactivity can go down to enjoy low level sound that's all I'm looking for since being able to mask etc would change my life. Even better to hear that occurred 6 mo in. It's the insane time scales of 2 yrs+ that drive me crazy. Hoping with Susan shore we won't have to wait that long.
What's funny is I never cared for silence before. I've always been the kind of person who needs noise to sleep or function. That tragic irony is playing out not for the best now.
Don't let my story frighten you. I'm slowly getting better through improvement and habituation. I thought I was never going to get better, but it's happening. Give yourself time, and I'm sure you will get back to normalcy. I see no reason why it shouldn't happen to to you as well.
Also to answer your question what led to my onset. I think it was multi factorial, like a minor barotrauma event in April but the main culprit was excessive earbud usage at maximum volume levels the months prior to onset.
Thanks @ZFire appreciate the encouragement. I'm finally coming across the success stories that are similar to mine and it's really helping. I feel silly but I really didn't believe the headphone usage issue until now. So u think it could have been loud noise exposure over time from the buds?
While I have cervical issues I was using my headphones more than ever for 6 months prior to my T onset as I was walking 3-6 miles per day and lost over 50 lbs. Seems I may have paid a very heavy price for that tho. @ZFire
Yes, Very probable for me due to how extreme it was. I was going to the gym everyday listening to my own music full blast for hours while the gym also plays their own loud music through speakers at the same time. I was using shitty iPhone ear buds too and they don't block outside sounds…so imagine that.
Wow sorry @ZFire i really have to study headphone use. My T is still a strange pattern that doesn't seem to fit acoustic Trauma but good to know moving forward anyway it will be bone conduction headphones only over here
You shouldn't be up this late...