Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

It gets better. I managed the grocery store for the first time since this started without ear plugs today.

Try not to over protect is what I am told

@Tryn2BHopeful Thank you. I really hope it does get better. And congrats to you for venturing to the grocery store like that! I'm very new to all of this, so may I ask you a question? Is it okay to not wear earplugs/earmuffs at home?

You should probably never wear earplugs at home unless you're running the vacuum cleaner or doing dishes, etc, at least in my experience. The only thing I still wear protection at home for are vacuum and using the shredder.

Enrich your sound environment with low level sound from a fan, sound machine etc. Over time, you'll find your tolerance gradually increases but over protection can actually make you more sensitive.

I by no means am a medical export, or even an expert at tinnitus. However my understanding is that overprotecting your ears may actually make them more sensitive to sound. You are not giving your ears the ability to adapt. So if the sound is not dangerously loud then perhaps try not protecting your ears.

@Watasha Thank you for the advice! This makes me hopeful. I had the habit of wearing eargplugs (not for long) while studying, but i've stopped now and haven't worn them in 2 months. Because it's summer, we have the AC on alot, does that count as sound enrichment too?

@Tryn2BHopeful Thank you! I'll try not to overprotect, and not worry about sounds that are not actually dangerous to me.

AC can definitely be sound enrichment, so can bathroom fans. Just take it slow with other stuff. Keep some foam earplugs with you for tight spots. If you have to turn loud tv shows down or step out when kids are screaming do so...and by all means do not wear earbuds ever again. Just keep some low level sound as much as you can and you should be surprised overtime how things can improve.

@Tryn2BHopeful Sorry, yes, I have ringing in both my ears as well. Each ear sounds different. Both have a EEEE sound, but the left has a clinking sound, and the right has a humming sound . But the humming in my right ear used to be really loud at various times, but it has decreased and stayed the same volume recently.

Also, while many concerns remain over the effectiveness of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) for tinnitus, it can be quite helpful for hyperacusis, so nice to have that in the back pocket. Just try to get some nice neutral sound around you as much as possible. There's tons of resources online too. There may be a compilation somewhere here as well.

@Watasha Thank you so much for all the helpful advice! I have a fan that i plan to use downstairs so I'll have a neutral sound there too. Will do, and now I carry my earmuffs with me whenever I go out. I have three different tinnitus sounds and I noticed over the past week that one dissapeared!

@Watasha Sorry, I have another question! In time, will the facial pain associated with hyperacusis go away?

I can't say I know much about facial pain related to hyperacusis. I definitely experience hyperacusis/sensitivity and have ear pain and fullness but that usually subsides.

@Watasha Thank you for answering! My ears pop alot and lately the pain has been concentrated in my jaw.