Getting Extra Ringing Sound with Other Sounds? Tinnitus or Hyperacusis or What?

[al3xisnic0le]

Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this all. I really appreciate it. I'm going so nuts I'm starting to have panic attacks and feel like I need to go to the ER or something. I have no idea what to do.

I'm 20 years old and I have battling with congestion since the Monday after Palm Sunday. At first it was in my left ear but I now feel it in my right. My voice sounded naisly and I had pressure in my sinuses but rhats ir.

2 days ago I started feeling burning in my eyes and said that maybe it was allergies (although I never had allergies in the past). I went to the store and bought Claritin-D. Next day, yesterday, I was sitting on the couch in the evening and noticed a high pitch ringing. I thought maybe it was one of my appliances in the house so I put my head against the pillow and still heard it, but assumed it was something not in my head. I then went upstairs to my room where I know that it is quiet and I still heard it. I naturally was freaking out because the pitch is so high. I was up till 4:30am last night because of the noise.

Today I woke up and didn't think of it for a few minutes. When I remembered I had it yesterday I refused to let myself hear it again (regardless of whether it existed or not) and played music on my iPhone speaker (low) while I got ready. I then proceeded on with my day, are something, drove to my neurologist (who I saw because I was getting chronic headaches in January which have since disappeared), went to the appointment, and drove back, all without hearing or acknowledging the sound. All the sudden I was waiting in the car while my mother ran into Walgreens when I noticed it. I again plugged my ear to hear if it was external or internal and sure enough it was internal. Since then, I have heard it all day and it's driving me absolutely crazy. I went to my GP who saw that I had fluid in my right ear (the ear I hear it in more).

Side note: sometimes, especially when I'm in the car, I hear a ringing and get nervous that it's a new T sound starting out. But when I get home and go into a quiet room, I realize it was external or in my head and not T.

Another strange thing: unlike my T that I had since November 2014 that I can mask, this I feel gets louder with minor background noise. For example, even listening to TV makes the beeping/siren noise louder. Also I went to Whole Foods and I could hear it over the general background noise in the supermarket. That's why I think it's in my head because when I'm in a completely silent room it's relatively low, but it raises in volume as my background josie raises in volume and decreases in volume immediately when my background noise decreases.

Do you guys think it's the congestion causing this sound? Or do you think it's a new T sound? Or I kinda feel like I could be imagining it more in my head and my brain thinks it hears it even when it doesn't because of the reason in the paragraph above.

Also, what can I do to not focus on it? I try so hard not to focus on it but everything just comes second to that noise. Thanks in advance.

 

[ryan1234]

@al3xisnic0le it is very likely the congestion. when you are congested it causes any tinnitus to increase in general because of the inflammation in the sinuses. also as you said it is very possible you are simply perceiving is as louder due to your focus on it. try your best to focus on other things and it will hopefully not be perceived as loudly!

 

[al3xisnic0le]

Note: what's in italics is merely background information and what's in regular font is relating to my question. Please feel free to read the background information if you think its necessary to answer my question.

I have had a high pitched sound in my ears since this past Friday. Friday it was an unbearable high pitched ringing, Saturday it was a high pitched hissing sound, then I got a random ringing in my ear (the kind everyone gets occasionally) and after that it was a minimal volume hissing sound. Sunday for about an hour after I woke up, there was a slightly louder but still minimal hissing sound and thereafter there was a high-pitched hissing sound. Today all day I've had a high pitched hissing/whistle sound. It's always minimal at the very least in both ears, but most times there is at least one ear that is extremely loud and it switches back and forth (usually it's the ear that I feel more pressure/pain/congestion in). Everything kinda has that annoying "tin-can" sound to it.

I had been congested since around April 9th; at first I heard it in my voice and then I started feeling pain/pressure in my sinuses and in my ears. I thought maybe I developed allergies so I started taking Claritin-D Thursday afternoon and took it again Friday afternoon right before the ringing started. I read online that Claritin-D can cause ringing in the ears so I made sure not to take it again.

I went to my GP Friday who saw fluid in my right ear and slight inflammation so she put me on amoxicillin to prevent it from becoming an ear infection. She also told me to take Sudafed which I began taking Saturday afternoon. Over the weekend, I felt constant pressure in my sinuses and the feeling of fullness/congestion in my ear would switch from ear to ear.

I went to an ENT today who did a hearing test and said everything seems fine. He didn't see anything "spectacular" in my nose or ears in terms of congestion and suspects it's maybe my TMJ. I'm not shutting this answer down completely, but I do still feel congested which started recently whereas my TMJ I've had for a while now and haven't done anything differently for it to start up. I have heard slight hissing before but it was extremely extremely minimal if there at all. He did say that congestion can make previous TMJ related ringing worse (which I think is the case here), but I don't know why the feeling of "congestion" won't go away and why my ringing hasn't stopped either. He told me not to take Sudafed because that can be a stimulant, and gave me a steroid pack to reduce some of the inflammation of my TMJ and anything else.
____________________________________________________________________
I feel like my heads about to explode. I have a constant headache and can't even think or focus. It almost feels like how it feels to nearly faint when you're on the ground and half-conscious and although you can hear and kind of respond, you're not focused on any sounds in particular and hear a high pitched ringing/hissing. Since that's not quite relatable to everyone, I guess you could say it also feels like when someone has a horrible head cold and their head feels like it's going to explode and all sounds (especially a dog barking, pots/pans/dishes clanking, etc.) feel amplified and make it worse - just minus severe severe congestion like coughing, inability to breathe through the nose, etc. I also feel tons of pressure and occasional pain in my sinuses by the nose and in/below my ear. It almost feels like I'm congested deep inside where the doctors can't see. It also kinda feels like there's a vacuum in my sinuses that's causing them to tighten and feel pain and pressure. Between the hissing and the pressure, I'm almost kind of dizzy and just want to lay down.

I've tried masking the sound but unlike my previous ringing in my right ear which can be masked with noise, this sound matches whatever sound I try and mask it with; that is, the louder the environment, the louder the hissing/whistling gets. In a sense I'm better off in silence because at least then the hissing is low, although I can clearly distinguish my ringing/hissing from the silence, but it's unrealistic to live in complete silence given I have to go out and pursue my day. Even when people talk to me and my own voice increase the hissing sound which thus gives me a headache.

This is not a way of living and I'm getting very upset and hopeless. I'm in college and have a ton of work to do as finals approach and its hard to focus when you have a more annoying version of TV static going off in your head and EVERYTHING sound wise makes it worse.

I'm writing to find out what you guys think this is coming from, and what I can do meanwhile (or from now on if this is permanent) to get through my day.
Is it possible that I have congestion deep inside that the doctors can't see? If so, what should I do to clear it out? And, is it possible that this hissing/whistling is coming from it? Or, Does congestion related tinnitus go away immediately after congestion has cleared, or does it take some time after the congestion has cleared to go away? Or, do you guys think this might be permanent?
Meanwhile, Given I cannot simply "mask" it given all sounds make it worse. Even when I'm not focusing on it in particular, its impossible to focus on anything else given how horrible and dizzy my head feels. I've tried taking Tylenol for it but it does not help much. What do you guys recommend I do?

Thanks.

 

[Khemicalburn]

I have the same problem, nothing else to do but suffer

 

[al3xisnic0le]

@Khemicalburn how long has yours been going on?

 

[Wojtek Kalka]

I have the same masking problems sometimes, as hard as it sounds I use full cover ear plugs to block all noise and program myself that the sound I hear is something like a positive lifestream, which sounds bs because I am a scientist and antireligious/antispiritual person, but as long you always program positive emotions to your noises, it makes them easier to bear. Very simple conditioning but it takes time, patience and persistence .. same thing if you hit someone when they see yellow, do that for a year .. they will always be afraid of yellow .. in my simple approach when the tinnitus interacts too much with the environment, I cut the environment off since I can't cut off the tinnitus ..

To be frank my dear @Khemicalburn ..

I have the same problem, nothing else to do but suffer

Suffering is always YOUR choice alone .. it may harsh and rude, surely not intended .. but it is a fact ... the biggest
lesson I learned from a good doctor over 23+ years of T ... actually it does NOTHING to you .. you can live a normal life with a loud T, mine tones are all above 4k and my hearing is fine .. but yes it can also be the biggest burden if you let it ..

Hopefully this

I've tried masking the sound but unlike my previous ringing in my right ear which can be masked with noise, this sound matches whatever sound I try and mask it with

will pass for you, for me it passes if my ears do not get used for a while at all .. and I am not afraid at all .. listening to my crazy noises inside my head ..

Hugs from Delhi
Wojtek

 

[al3xisnic0le]

Every time I hear a sound, such as the toilet filling back up with water after a flash, the water cooler, the refrigerator, a blow dryer, etc., in addition to the normal sound, I also hear a high-pitched ringing to bed. In general just everything I listen to I can hear the real sound, but it comes along with an additional high pitch sound, and then it's quiet I don't hear that high-pitched ringing. What could this be called, and what could it possibly be coming from?

Also in my ear I have a sound/feeling similar to that of a back window of a car open when you're sitting in the front. What could that be? Thanks.

 

[Flamingo]

I had this for 3 months after my noise induced trauma. It went away slowly. It's horrible I know, but it will pass. I got this weird symptom because I injured my ears, but as months went by I recovered from it. Have you taken ototoxic meds or do you listen to music through earbuds?

 

[al3xisnic0le]

I have tinnitus in my right ear for 2.5 years and learned to live with it. A week ago, I began hearing a hissing/high pitched ring sound which had been driving me insane and bothers me more with sounds and thus cannot be masked. It's worse in my right ear than my left.

Here are some examples of what I'm experiencing:
• When I flush the toilet and hear the water coming back up, I hear the normal refill sound but an additional higher pitched whistle/chime at the same time and the second the toilet is done, the sound restarts.
Another example: when the gardners are outside mowing the lawn and I'm inside, I hear the normal lawnmower sound, but I also hear a high pitched whistle/chime along with it.
Even with music I hear the normal song that I know is the real song, and along with it I hear a whistle/chimes going along with it. The second the music stops I don't hear it anymore.

Basically, every sound just produces this extra sound with it. It's like my brain telling my right arm to move and my left arm moving along with it.

Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone know what it's called? Does anyone know what it comes from or how to get rid of it? Thanks.

 

[Dr. Jay Hobbs]

@al3xisnic0le , You have me stumped.

I too would like to know if this has been named or how many others experience it. I would call it an accessory phantom sound, but I can't find any research related to that or similar names.

I will make a guess.

I don't think this is in the cochlea, because any malfunction that "crossed wires" in this apparatus would tend to affect neighbor hair cells first. And those neighbors would have VERY similar frequencies, unlike what you describe.

Yet, as we progress through the brain stem, thalamus, and cortex, there continues to be this tonotopic (organized map-like) organization, again making it unlikely to affect other frequencies that differ significantly.

Where we see similar mechanisms is in referred pain and referred sensations. The classic example of this is is a heart attack, where one perceives the pain in the LEFT neck/face/arm, even though the damage/toxicity/oxygen-debt/nerve irritation is in the heart, far from those symptomatic sites. A similar mechanism happens with somatic tinnitus, where toxicity/oxygen-debt/nerve irritation is in a head, neck, or jaw muscles, but tinnitus is perceived inside the head or at the ear. Both of these seem to happen because of either the proximity of synapses or interconnected accessory pathways. We do have clear and reproducible awareness of the connections, but we don't have clear and certain explanations of the mechanisms. Here is a decent explanation of the possible mechanisms (see section 7.2: http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/s2/chapter07.html).

So, as a summary of my guess, I suspect that it is a neurological "cross-wiring"/referral of sensation. If that is the case, the solution would be found in re-wiring, which is done through several techniques with variable results, including: ADT, TRT, Notched music (incl. Neuromod.), TMS, etc. It is also possible that irritation from other nerve networks promoted this sensation; in which case, you might receive benefit from trigger point therapy and/or CBT.

 

[Dr. Jay Hobbs]

@al3xisnic0le , Now that I have read all your posts,

...extremely loud and annoying and it's making me dizzy and nauseous
..I had fluid in my right ear (the ear I hear it in more).
...it raises in volume as my background noise raises in volume and decreases in volume immediately when my background noise decreases.
...I feel like my heads about to explode. I have a constant headache
...I also feel tons of pressure and occasional pain in my sinuses by the nose and in/below my ear.

I see that this 'accessory phantom sound' could be associated with the altered conduction associated with your temporary congestion.
The higher pitch may come from the irritation or pressure on the inner ear.

Stick with your doctor on this one, your prayer, and the good advice given by others about relaxing.

 

[vermillion]

I have the same.

 

[tiniturtle]

I believe this may be congestion related. Inflammation possibly or similar. This should be treatable or pass in time on its own. Stay positive. Stress messes up your immune system further. This may just end up being a distant memory at some point in the future.

 

[Coffeebean]

I have tinnitus in my right ear for 2.5 years and learned to live with it. A week ago, I began hearing a hissing/high pitched ring sound which had been driving me insane and bothers me more with sounds and thus cannot be masked. It's worse in my right ear than my left.

Here are some examples of what I'm experiencing:
• When I flush the toilet and hear the water coming back up, I hear the normal refill sound but an additional higher pitched whistle/chime at the same time and the second the toilet is done, the sound restarts.
Another example: when the gardners are outside mowing the lawn and I'm inside, I hear the normal lawnmower sound, but I also hear a high pitched whistle/chime along with it.
Even with music I hear the normal song that I know is the real song, and along with it I hear a whistle/chimes going along with it. The second the music stops I don't hear it anymore.

Basically, every sound just produces this extra sound with it. It's like my brain telling my right arm to move and my left arm moving along with it.

Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone know what it's called? Does anyone know what it comes from or how to get rid of it? Thanks.

I have almost exactly the same symptoms. I usually describe it as 'reactive tinnitus', although this is a bit of an ambiguous term as it is also used by some to describe 'regular' tinnitus which simply gets louder after sound exposure, and takes a while to come back down to baseline again. But what I mean is the whistle/chimes phenomenon that you describe perfectly.

The best guess I can make, on the basis of my own experiences and what I have read about it and discussed with others, is that these symptoms (the 'whistles' that overlay the source sound) are actually a symptom of hyperacusis. As one gets more sensitive to sound, particularly to high frequencies, you can get these strange whistles along with the source sound (similar to an amp being overdriven, it's sort of like a distortion in your auditory system).

I've been treating my hyperacusis, and as I did these symptoms went down as well, although not as much as the hyperacusis itself, that's the strange thing. My hyperacusis is not yet entirely gone, so I guess it's wait and see if these strange symptoms will go away further as my hyperacusis continues to improve.

One audiologist that I discussed this with said she could not give me a clear diagnosis, but suspected that these symptoms were more related to hyperacusis rather then tinnitus. Another speculated that it might be due to minor damages in the hair cells in the ear, whereby they would still pick up sound but alter it in a way, causing these strange whistles. Generally though, the people that indicate that they experience these whistles/chimes often also have hyperacusis, so I believe there is a clear link between the two, and I believe most people indicate that the symptoms will go down in time.

Edit: I realize I might have been bumping an old thread, I did not look at the dates. Apologies if I have broken any rules.

 

[Nathan McAlum]

I know this is a very old thread but I have the exact same symptoms, added high pitch ringing that plays over real sounds, for instance, my fan is running and I hear some weird fluttering whistle like sound playing over it, this only goes away when no sound is present and I'm in total silence...