Following Tinnitus Onset, What Causes Hyperacusis to Appear?

FrontRoomFanatic

Member
Author
Oct 6, 2019
67
Tinnitus Since
June 2019
Cause of Tinnitus
Noise Damage (Music)
Question as title above.

Tinnitus appeared 5 months ago or so following what I believe to be noise damage from headphone use.

I'm seeing a lot of people telling me to protect my ears and be wary of hyperacusis. Which is obviously now causing me a little concern. I can't really wear in ear earplugs (other than in an emergency) due to the narrow shape of my inner ear canal on the left side. As this would risk compacted wax due to the canal taking a turn inside my head making removal awkward.

Is it mainly high volume places that cause hyperacusis, or is it another case of not enough being known about it? I'm already planning on not going to noisy bars/restaurants and also sports venues.

I bought new speakers and I'm planning on listening to music every second weekend to allow my ears to heal a little. I do feel that my tinnitus spikes a little following listening to music. But now I'm a little worried to listen at all in case of causing hyperacusis. I only listen around 50-60 dB but I'm looking to know if music is a risk?

Someone mentioned that it's not the volume but the frequencies that are the problem? But most speakers go up to (and often far beyond) 20 kHz. E.g. my speakers go up to 26 kHz... But an Amazon Echo is around 24 kHz so not much difference. I appreciate 20 kHz is the limit of hearing, but I'm not well versed in what frequencies above this can do to the ear, if anything? My speakers do have soft some tweeters and wood pulp woofers.

Anyway, what can cause hyperacusis following onset of tinnitus from noise/music damage? Thanks.
 
I believe it has to do with hearing loss. You've lost some hearing so your brain attempts to turn up the volume to compensate for what you've lost when all it actually does is make average sounds feel louder and painful. Sucks for sure.

For me 11 days into my spike now, the ringing isn't the shit part it's the sound sensitivity. I can hardly leave the house.
 

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