Can You Habituate to Hyperacusis?

[Mister Muso]

@Mister Muso, what was the timeline for you to get to where you are now? I'm really struggling with hyperacusis right now.

Hi there. My hyperacusis hit me hard in 2019. I hardly went out for around a year. Then came lockdown, which was a great excuse for me to continue not to go out much!

For the first few months I felt completely despondent. I listened to no music at all for 3 months, then for the next 3 months I could only tolerate low-level acoustic and ambient music.

Right now I'm listening to some power metal.

I've experienced improvements each year, but it's not always been a straight line. I'll go for months with seemingly no improvement, then over a few weeks things will improve quite dramatically.

I still take earplugs when I leave the house but I quite often don't need them any more.

Hang in there!

 

[slc]

I developed catastrophic hyperacusis and tinnitus more than 11 years back. We're talking closed storm windows in the summer without air conditioning because the sound of crickets and other people's air conditioners sounded like Boeing 747s. I'm happy to say that the hyperacusis has pretty much fully resolved. I'm just slightly more sensitive to sound than I perhaps was, but I believe that is mostly due to tinnitus which fluctuates between moderate and severe, and has even approached mild.

I don't know if this is what reduced the hyperacusis, but I'll share my approach. I took walks in the woods, tried to surround myself with nature, saw an acupuncturist twice a week (he is the only one out of about 7 acupuncturists I have visited able to reduce the hyperacusis and tinnitus), took Ayurvedic herbs and massaged myself with Ayurvedic oils meant to calm the nervous system. I did alternate nostril breathing and Bhramari breathing as well (pretty much standard Pranayama done in many yoga classes). I also played lots and lots of very mellow acoustic nylon stringed guitar. I did this for hours on end, sometimes the same song repeated 5 times over. For some reason, that was soothing while a CD could drive me to distraction as I also heard the inner electronic workings of the CD-player.

For whatever reason, things are way way better now. I'd say the hyperacusis began lessening within months and was just about gone within a year.

So, I'd also say, hang in there! Bottom line for me was reducing anxiety which was off the charts, getting a decent night's sleep (which was impossible for the first 3 months or so), and centering my mind elsewhere whether music or nature.

 

[Gateway]

Hi there. My hyperacusis hit me hard in 2019. I hardly went out for around a year. Then came lockdown, which was a great excuse for me to continue not to go out much!

For the first few months I felt completely despondent. I listened to no music at all for 3 months, then for the next 3 months I could only tolerate low-level acoustic and ambient music.

Right now I'm listening to some power metal.

I've experienced improvements each year, but it's not always been a straight line. I'll go for months with seemingly no improvement, then over a few weeks things will improve quite dramatically.

I still take earplugs when I leave the house but I quite often don't need them any more.

Hang in there!

Thank you man. I have been wearing custom molded ER-25 earplugs all day when I am out of the house, and can't control my sound environment. I feel like this has been helping my ears heal. Do you think it's okay that I am going to restaurants and hanging out with friends? I have the earplugs in, but do you think this too risky? Sometimes it gets uncomfortable if it is above like 75 dB in a restaurant, but with the earplugs in, am I okay? Is the reaction because I am just so on edge? And are custom molded earplugs closer to the actual noise reduction rating than non-custom ones, because the seal is much better?

 

[David S]

Hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus can get much better over time. I was so bad that I needed to use 3M Peltor earmuffs inside at home when the neighbor cut his lawn 3 houses away. My life was a complete mess. Now I just use 3M soft earplugs occasionally. I am still extremely careful with loud places but I can handle most everyday situations well. White noise generators help me a lot but it was a struggle to get started with them.

 

[AverageJoe12]

Hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus can get much better over time. I was so bad that I needed to use 3M Peltor earmuffs inside at home when the neighbor cut his lawn 3 houses away. My life was a complete mess. Now I just use 3M soft earplugs occasionally. I am still extremely careful with loud places but I can handle most everyday situations well. White noise generators help me a lot but it was a struggle to get started with them.

Thanks for the inspiration, David. And glad you're feeling better. How long would you say it took you to see that improvement where everyday situations started to feel okay? How did you get the point where 3M Peltors were no longer needed? Just passage of time or more gradual exposure, or did the white noise generators help you get there sooner?

 

[David S]

Thanks for the inspiration, David. And glad you're feeling better. How long would you say it took you to see that improvement where everyday situations started to feel okay? How did you get the point where 3M Peltors were no longer needed? Just passage of time or more gradual exposure, or did the white noise generators help you get there sooner?

It took me well over a year until I started to see signs of improvement. 2 years until I forgot my 3M Peltor earmuffs every time I went away from my home, and 3 years until I started to forget putting in my white noise generators every morning.

The white noise generators saved me. At first it was hell because just using them for a short period of time made my tinnitus very upset. I had no trust in them but what other choice did I have? In the end I had to put my faith in some well reputable doctors around the world and other people on this forum. I am glad that I did!

 

[AverageJoe12]

It took me well over a year until I started to see signs of improvement. 2 years until I forgot my 3M Peltor earmuffs every time I went away from my home, and 3 years until I started to forget putting in my white noise generators every morning.

The white noise generators saved me. At first it was hell because just using them for a short period of time made my tinnitus very upset. I had no trust in them but what other choice did I have? In the end I had to put my faith in some well reputable doctors around the world and other people on this forum. I am glad that I did!

Good to hear. I have honestly just worsened in the year I've had this so I'm wondering when it will turn around, if ever.

I am getting hearing aids next week to help lower some of the high frequency noise that causes me issues, and also to play gentle white noise.

 

[David S]

I am getting hearing aids next week to help lower some of the high frequency noise that causes me issues, and also to play gentle white noise.

I did turn this around 2 times with white noise generators and so can you. Unfortunately there is no quick fix. You have to give it time.

 

[Mister Muso]

Do you think it's okay that I am going to restaurants and hanging out with friends?

And are custom molded earplugs closer to the actual noise reduction rating than non-custom ones, because the seal is much better?

I think it's important to our mental health that we gradually find ways to return to doing some of the things that we enjoy, like going out with friends, using necessary hearing protection.

I can't comment on the difference made by custom moulded earplugs as I've not gone down that route myself. I guess my ears are on the small side because I don't generally have problems with finding earplugs that make a secure seal.

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

All improvements in hyperacusis come with time and silence. Nothing else (yet).

 

[Ant_BXL]

All improvements in hyperacusis come with time and silence. Nothing else (yet).

Are you sure about that? I think that only staying in silence won't help as you need to re-habituate to sound?

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

Are you sure about that? I think that only staying in silence won't help as you need to re-habituate to sound?

Being able to handle more sound when you have loudness hyperacusis must be done very carefully. It's a much simpler process when it's mild. Silence is what helps your ears/brain rest, and is the key to improvement in the beginning.

 

[Ant_BXL]

Being able to handle more sound when you have loudness hyperacusis must be done very carefully. It's a much simpler process when it's mild. Silence is what helps your ears/brain rest, and is the key to improvement in the beginning.

How long should you stay in silence? How does one know when there is no sound you are being exposed to?

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

How long should you stay in silence? How does one know when there is no sound you are being exposed to?

There's not really any way to know. I went through loads of cycles of worsening and improving before I found my comfort zones.