Acoustic Shock Sufferer in US — Not Just Hyperacusis

[Karibu]

Greetings, I am joining your blog after reading a very critical point: hyperacusis and ongoing ear pain (ache) are not the same.

Plus, ASD is specifically relevant to call center operators, of which I am and where my injury occurred.
.What might be a unique feature is that I am also Hard of hearing (have been since childhood) and use two behind-the-ear hearing aids while working, otherwise, I can't hear well enough to interpret the calls. (I interpret English/American Sign Language calls--so its set up like Skype + phone/headset.)

Anyways to give you the quick details (because, yes we know its important), I was interpreting a conference call.

So the Deaf caller had a table top conference microphone/speaker next to their videophone, so that the hearing members of their committee who were also in the same room with the Deaf individual could be heard (by me) so that I could interpret for the Deaf individual. Ok, that's the set up.

So like a regular call center operator, I'm using a headset, my hearing aids are set on "telecoil" (which is designed to enhance the sound quality/volume particular to my loss and direct it into my ear canals, not just on the outside of my ears, like normal headset users.)

Ok, so I'm interpreting, but having to ask the hearing members to repeat or speak up because they are moving or mumbling etc.

Well, one person (who I believe was really trying to be helpful) walked up to the conference microphone, bent over, and YELLED her statement. I jumped out of my chair, threw off my headset, and then, being "a good employee" continued the call but it serious pain.

For the next five days I felt like I had a concussion. Pounding headache, ears burning, with a pinch/twist feeling, "torn muscle" feeling (I didnt' realize ears had muscles at the time), nausea, and every sound hurt, even my own voice caused vibration that was painful.

That was 7 months ago. It has gotten a lot better, but I still have a mild heat/burning sensation in my ears, increased tinnitus, strange muscle stiffness "in" my neck/head/jaw as if my head was impaled on a pike, with an interesting sprinkle of Phantom sounds. When my ears get aggravated for whatever reason, I get an increase in these symptoms, plus headaches.

Because it happened at work, I am beholden to the system for treatment, and have seen an ENT (I have no idea-try Prednisone-no effect), a neuro-otologist (no occlusial disheasance, just wait), neurologist (its migraine, cervicogenic headache, hyperacusis may be forever--try Topiramate--instantly got pounding headaches, nausea, "sick"--stopped after three days), and am waiting for PT to the neck and audiological rehabilitation to begin.

The Audiologist that was recommended has a waitlist of several months and doesn't accept workers' comp claims.

So I'm asking out there, and will post again more specifically, does anyone know of someone in US familiar with ASD?

Thanks for listening.

 

[AdrianV]

I am also waiting for an aswer here. I live in Dallas, TX and i think I might also have ASD but i don't know who to see. I went to an audiologist and the 8kHz hearing test was fine, then I saw an ENT. They both told methe tinnitus can resolve itself or not. That's it. And right after I read about ASD which could be the culprit here since it all started with the fire alarm in my apartment during a time of severe enotional stress.
After readinn a lot comments I have a feeling that nervous people might be more suceptible to developping tinnitus.
Anyways... if someone knows of a doctor who treats ASD it would be nice.

 

[Karibu]

Hi Adrian, yes, it's quite frustrating, isn't it. The first thing you need is to have the audiologist do a Hyperacusis Assessment. They test you at multiple frequencies (Hz) because it can be that specific. You can have no hearing loss, and still have hyperacusis, tinnitus, acoustic shock trauma. My hypothises is not "anxious people are more prone" but more specifically, "when the trauma occurs, the person may already be in a heightened state of alertness, focus,--(postive or negative!) and the trauma is unexpected." I hate to see the anxious label because it can so easily be misinterpreted as the SOURCE of the symptoms and readily dismissed with a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. Some excellent resources I have found are: Dineen Wescott Moore Audiology, www.dineenandwestcott.com.au in Australia, Dr. Neil Bauman at www.hearinglosshelp.com, and Dr. Erin Walborn from Audiologic Solutions, erinwalborn@gmail.com in PA. All three are willing to email with you directly. They may be able to direct you to someone more local, but as you know, not many are familiar with this condition. I found their research very helpful to print out and hand to the medical professionals I am working with. Best wishes, and you are not alone!

I should UPDATE: My original audiologist, whom I suggested at the time of the injury and the "professionals" said they wouldn't be qualified, WAS able to do the assessment 7 months after the injury. My LDL (lowest discomfort level) was about 65-70 dB BUT because of my moderate to severe hearing loss (that I've always had) my actual window of comfort is about 10-15 dB. So using my hearing aids are out of the question at the moment. This causes additional stress, trying to follow conversations, locate source of sounds etc. I started the PT for my neck, which was (as I described initially) very tight in new areas. It is quite slow since my muscles seem to want to splint back to the tightness for "protection" and there seems to be a vestibular component as well. Audiotherapy is on hold for now. Burning, ringing continues to varying degrees. Thanksgiving was quite painful.