Are Hyperacusis and Trigeminal Neuralgia Connected?

[Taw]

@evrmre, thanks for the info, but I am curious: why did you want to wear earplugs at the weddings? Did you have ear problems before? I am asking because before hyperacusis, some of us never would think to ear protection during loud events.

Btw, my neurologist gave me Alpha Lipoic Acid and B-complex for the nerves, also.

 

[SD7]

My tingling on my face post sound exposure started the day hyperacusis spread to me left ear. There's no doubt a link, interestingly I've never had it on my right side.

 

[Taw]

I have not had a sharp pain (voodoo doll/ice pick) in my ear since that time (September 2020). I believe that was caused by my jaw, it as my ear/jaw were pressed on a hard wedge pillow on a very elevated level. I still have on/off dull ache in the same ear which I believe is caused by jaw or hyperacusis.

I see, how did you fix it? Did you change the pillow? Mine is similar, I cannot sleep on the side because of face pain.

 

[evrmre]

@Taw, weddings can get pretty loud where I'm from. The dance floor can get as loud as a nightclub! Plus I'm a musician/DJ so I usually wear earplugs and I got tinnitus from loud events. My hyperacusis is less than a month old.

 

[Lilah]

I see, how did you fix it? Did you change the pillow? Mine is similar, I cannot sleep on the side because of face pain.

I did not change anything. I sleep on a regular (sound) pillow, not that wedge pillow which I normally use for reading. I still sleep on my side but try not have my ear press on the pillow. Just recently (a few days ago) I had a cold and my ears popped when I sneezed, and I had some similar pain in that ear (but not the other ear). So, it could be caused by TMJ which could also be related to ETD.

 

[Blue28]

Hi everyone, I've read with interest this thread and all of your posts... And I can say I can relate 100%. All of my problems started following a bilateral microsuction procedure in 2016 that was extremely loud. I have chronic tinnitus, painful hyperacusis and hearing loss as well as all the trigeminal pain, facial numbness etc...

I'm not sure if you're all familiar with this study, but if not, it might be of interest:

A Case of Acoustic Shock with Post-trauma Trigeminal-Autonomic Activation

I just wish they could find some sort or treatment for this, if not a cure.

 

[Andrew01]

The past few days I have had strange facial pain, perhaps started by a very loud exotic car revving in a tunnel while I was biking the previous day when it started (going to be more careful about that in the future!), however I had visual snow start last week so maybe it is a progression that would have started anyway.

It started with a pain in my right ear and outside of neck swallowing, like a pulled muscle.

Next day was more just some pain swallowing so I got some lozenges.

Following day was very numb/heavy tongue.

And now the past couple days it's been aching in my jaw / cheeks / mouth, fairly constant. Fortunately, tongue feels ok and swallowing not as bad.

Seems there is a connection, but hoping it fades.

I'm only protecting from extra loud sounds or going to the gym, as other stuff is a tad uncomfortable but only fleeting and I don't want to overprotect (or listen to the tinnitus more!).

 

[Sointu]

I have experienced Trigeminal nerve pain after my hyperacusis got worse. I think they are connected. Last night was particularly awful.

 

[Daystar]

I have recently started noticing symptoms around my ear/face. I have recently (2 months ago) had a setback and I would say some things are getting better, some not.

At first I experienced burning sensation in the ear, but that sensation has become much better past the last weeks. I have not felt the burning for a week or two.

But for the last 5 days I have gotten new symptoms which I have not before experienced, these are:

- "Cold/freezing" sensation around the ear.
- Numbness around the ear and also towards my cheek (2-3 cm below the eye)
- Tingling sensation (almost the same sensation as when you get really happy?) around ear, back of the head and cheek.

So far these new symptoms have been relatively mild, and hopefully stays mild or disappears.

Do you guys think these symptoms originates from the Trigeminal nerve?

If interested you can read my full story on my introduction.

 

[Aaron91]

The side of my head... basically the branches of the trigeminal nerve are constantly trouble. Then neck and shoulder/arm which came later. I think there is a nerve trapped somewhere but it's like the trigeminal nerve is just so sensitive to sound... any music with a beat the nerve starts acting up, and I start getting a toothache. If I get startled I feel it in the trigeminal nerve.

But yeah I get jaw pain, TTTS, dizziness... A nice mix of things! Ha ha.

I guess the trigeminal nerve is connected with the ear...

This sounds to me like you could have thoracic outlet syndrome, particularly given the shoulder and arm pain. A CT angiogram and a skilled radiologist who knows what to look for might be able to spot this. I'm getting one next week as I fear I may also have the same issue, although it seems it can be treated.

 

[haha ear go eeee]

For me the symptoms started to subside when I started progressing towards hearing loss. So for me it was a trade off: lost a chunk of hearing, and now it is harder for me to understand sound in some contexts and situations, but wearing earplugs I am ok going for a walk etc, and the amount of pain and pressure has decreased a bit.

Before all that happened sound went through my body and head like a knife on butter. I could feel sound going literally through my head, like amplified bone conduction; it was just awful, and this was triggered by loud sounds that are commonplace.

Did you have noxacusis? I think I'm dealing with it and it's getting rapidly worse, it's only been more than a month and I desperately want to trade pain for hearing loss.

 

[Josh59]

A doctor told me that the trigeminal nerve could play a role in the tensor tympani muscle because it is innervated by the mandibular nerve which is a branch of the trigeminal nerve.

I wonder if my pain hyperacusis (and tympanic tensor muscle syndrome), is not exacerbated by the tensions of the jaw / neck and thus causing a chronic tension at the level of the tympanic tensor muscle. And the same with my somatosensory modulated tinnitus.

Do you think it is possible to have trigeminal nerve neuralgia but without the pain of those who have true facial neuralgia?