Do Hearing Aids Help with Your Hyperacusis?

[spinnaker]

I have already asked if hearing aids helped with your tinnitus, now I would like to know about sound sensitivity.

With my ramp up in tinnitus, I have noticed a new thing, a ramp up in sensitivity to high pitch sounds.

Other loud sounds don't particularly bother me I think. Other than I am far more aware due to my current ramp up in mine tinnitus, I guess it is a much more aware thing with worry that it could make it worse.

But some sharp sounds are starting to bother me. I would not say pain, just overly shrill. Some examples:

Visited my mom in the hospital today (more stress I don't need ) . Anyway her extremely attractive nurse came in to give my mom her meds. I guess she is used to talking older people because she talked VERY loudly and she has a very shrill voice. I would not say it caused pain just discomfort.

Stepped on piece of gravel outside the hospital, guess I should be happy to hear it. But seemed very shrill.

Biting on something hard and crispy.

Putting down a plate.

Anyway I was wondering if hearing aids can help with that?

 

[BenzoMom]

I am also interested as I just came back from the audiologist and she said that some people get the TRT hearing aids for use for the hyperacusis and tinnitus. And that she has had one patient who continues to use the hearing aids to transmit the sounds, not as therapy per se, but just continuously at a low level to tolerate/even out the sounds that are bothersome. They cost about $3400 and are not covered by insurance. I don't know if this would work in my case since part of my issue is nerve related (I feel burning pain)/benzo wd related....but it's going to take 1-3 years to get off the meds and recover, if I even do completely. So if it's something that could help me tolerate the noise of my children and even regular speaking voices, etc, I would gladly spend it.

 

[spinnaker]

I am also interested as I just came back from the audiologist and she said that some people get the TRT hearing aids for use for the hyperacusis and tinnitus. And that she has had one patient who continues to use the hearing aids to transmit the sounds, not as therapy per se, but just continuously at a low level to tolerate/even out the sounds that are bothersome. They cost about $3400 and are not covered by insurance. I don't know if this would work in my case since part of my issue is nerve related (I feel burning pain)/benzo wd related....but it's going to take 1-3 years to get off the meds and recover, if I even do completely. So if it's something that could help me tolerate the noise of my children and even regular speaking voices, etc, I would gladly spend it.

Sorry I am new to this game. TRT hearing aids? Just googled it and came up with nothing.

And Is that $3400 a pair? Or each?

You actually feel pain? I am so sorry about that. I hope things get better for you or you find a solution that works.

 

[BenzoMom]

It was $3400 for the pair. I don't really understand it completely, especially if all sounds seem loud to me now, which was not the case until just recently. But I think the idea is that you transmit a low level sound in your ear to balance out the louder and annoying sounds that are difficult to bear and slowly, also you raise the level of noise to desensitize yourself. I don't know but I think I am going to have to try something to survive this. The problem is that for me, more and more sounds are becoming loud and distressing as time goes on.. Of course, silence is also with tinnitus. Here's an article I just read on it. I tried one on and it was quite comfortable, though i don't understand how it wouldn't fall off - also, I don't understand why you can't re-use them or why people couldn't re-sell them.

https://www.menieres.org.uk/informa...s-and-conditions/associated-symptoms#heading4

 

[spinnaker]

It was $3400 for the pair. I don't really understand it completely, especially if all sounds seem loud to me now, which was not the case until just recently. But I think the idea is that you transmit a low level sound in your ear to balance out the louder and annoying sounds that are difficult to bear and slowly, also you raise the level of noise to desensitize yourself. I don't know but I think I am going to have to try something to survive this. The problem is that for me, more and more sounds are becoming loud and distressing as time goes on.. Of course, silence is also with tinnitus. Here's an article I just read on it. I tried one on and it was quite comfortable, though i don't understand how it wouldn't fall off - also, I don't understand why you can't re-use them or why people couldn't re-sell them.

https://www.menieres.org.uk/informa...s-and-conditions/associated-symptoms#heading4

$3,400 is very doable for me. I am going for hearing aids for the first time on Thursday. I understand they can be $3000+ each. That scares me.

 

[Fabrikat]

It was $3400 for the pair.

TRT is a highly questionable therapy, with mounting evidence against its efficacy.

There are many conversations on TT discussing it. Before you spend a considerable amount of money, I would suggest becoming fully informed on the subject and the best way is to widely read the many experiences and stories on this site.

Tinnitus and sound sensitivity go hand in hand, particularly in the early stages, that is, one to two years. It may improve with time.

 

[spinnaker]

TRT is a highly questionable therapy, with mounting evidence against its efficacy.

There are many conversations on TT discussing it. Before you spend a considerable amount of money, I would suggest becoming fully informed on the subject and the best way is to widely read the many experiences and stories on this site.

But what is TRT!

Tinnitus and sound sensitivity go hand in hand, particularly in the early stages, that is, one to two years. It may improve with time.

Yeah ever since the ramp up and feeling of fullness in my left ear. Had tinnitus for years.

 

[Fabrikat]

But what is TRT!

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.
I sympathise entirely. I've had tinnitus for over 45 years, worsening with age and illness. It becomes the new normal and coping is a day to day challenge.

 

[Daniel Lion]

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.
I sympathise entirely. I've had tinnitus for over 45 years, worsening with age and illness. It becomes the new normal and coping is a day to day challenge.

I am sorry to hear you have had this illness for so long, you are very strong.

What do you do to cope? Are there any techniques that help you with the battle?

 

[Fabrikat]

What do you do to cope? Are there any techniques that help you with the battle?

Thanks @Daniel Lion. We all do whatever it takes to get through, don't we? But my coping strategies are much the same as most people's on Tinnitus Talk. Good sleep is the main one, always!

Exercise, getting outside, keeping busy is important. Maintaining some kind of low level background noise indoors, is helpful too.

And of course avoiding loud noise as much as possible. Earplugs always at the ready, even in seemingly benign sorts of locations. I've got no secret formula to dealing with this miserable beast, I'm afraid. I've learnt to be stoic. There's no easy way.

 

[Daniel Lion]

Thanks @Daniel Lion. We all do whatever it takes to get through, don't we? But my coping strategies are much the same as most people's on Tinnitus Talk. Good sleep is the main one, always!

Exercise, getting outside, keeping busy is important. Maintaining some kind of low level background noise indoors, is helpful too.

And of course avoiding loud noise as much as possible. Earplugs always at the ready, even in seemingly benign sorts of locations. I've got no secret formula to dealing with this miserable beast, I'm afraid. I've learnt to be stoic. There's no easy way.

Stoic... I am learning that too.
Take care.

 

[BenzoMom]

@spinnaker Just wondering if you got your hearing aids. I've been in contact with another company that can customize hearing aids and they have indicated that the audiologist can also program the aids to filter out some of the sound and reduce some of the more annoying or even background noises. Unfortunately for me, all noise is kind of loud but it would be helpful to make them more hellish. Just wondering if you had any luck with yours. They are quite expensive, these ones.....they are telling me up to about $7K for the pair.

 

[spinnaker]

@spinnaker Just wondering if you got your hearing aids. I've been in contact with another company that can customize hearing aids and they have indicated that the audiologist can also program the aids to filter out some of the sound and reduce some of the more annoying or even background noises. Unfortunately for me, all noise is kind of loud but it would be helpful to make them more hellish. Just wondering if you had any luck with yours. They are quite expensive, these ones.....they are telling me up to about $7K for the pair.

Not yet. Another week or so till they get here.

 

[BenzoMom]

You are mostly getting for tinnitus or your hyperacusis as well? Did the audiologist think that they could help with the hyperacusis? I assume you will be doing a trial?

 

[spinnaker]

You are mostly getting for tinnitus or your hyperacusis as well? Did the audiologist think that they could help with the hyperacusis? I assume you will be doing a trial?

Yes I will have a trial period. The hyperacusis makes me concerned that the hearing aides will make it worse.

 

[spinnaker]

Hyperacusis seems to be abating a bit, or maybe I am just getting used to it because it is new to me.

 

[BenzoMom]

I assume your hyperacusis was just pretty mild then? I think they can set the hearing aides to be "low gain", if you have a good audiologist - that's my understanding.

 

[BenzoMom]

@spinnaker You were getting yours for tinnitus then or do you also have hearing loss? Sorry, just trying to understand yours situation. There do seem to be some that have hyperacusis with their hearing loss. Can't remember what that is called.

 

[spinnaker]

@spinnaker You were getting yours for tinnitus then or do you also have hearing loss? Sorry, just trying to understand yours situation. There do seem to be some that have hyperacusis with their hearing loss. Can't remember what that is called.

Yes severe hearing loss. My own fault for being so stupid for so many years and not caring for my hearing better. I cared more about having fun than my hearing and I will keep it at that. It took getting this bad to be my wake up call. But now it has become unmanageable.

I wish I could go back knowing how bad it can really get but sadly I can't. The again there are millions of people that had poor behavioral issues and habits that did not really affect them when they were younger. Now they have diabetes, heart aliments, lung ailments and a whole host of issues that they caused themselves.

No way to know if my behaviors were the direct cause but they certainly did not help. But can't know that now.

 

[FrontRoomFanatic]

Then again there are millions of people that had poor behavioral issues and habits that did not really affect them when they were younger. Now they have diabetes, heart aliments, lung ailments and a whole host of issues that they caused themselves

Wow that line at the end really hit me. My hyperacusis and tinnitus were certainly after years of earbud usage. That's a really insightful way to look at things. Maybe even helps me deal with the fear of this affliction. I wasn't kicking myself for being responsible for the damage, as I'm able to rationalise that I was just living my life (in wilful ignorance) but this line helps me rationalise further somehow. So many people are living with terrible issues... some as a result of poor life choices as you say. I've been very healthy living for a long time. Never would have guessed this would happen to me, but I guess I can just add my name to the millions who have made one poor lifestyle choice that has ended up in harming themselves long term. It helps, dunno why. Thank you.