How Rare Is Severe Hyperacusis?

[Juan]

You were smart for wearing earmuffs. In my case, airbags turned moderate loudness hyperacusis into the worst case of noxacusis ever. I'm surprised you got fined but that is better than making your ears worse.

I challenged the fine, but my appeal was turned down and the fine increased and increased over time. In the end I had to pay it but it was worth it to protect my ears.

If I did not have any money or property, in the end the Spanish government would not be able to charge me that unfair fine, but in Spain if one does not pay an administrative sanction, a fine, a parking ticket or whatever, and one has work income or property, then either the fine is deducted directly from wages or property is encumbered and could ultimately be auctioned to pay the fines, sanctions or taxes due...

Actually in Spain sometimes the person who commits an "infraction" does not even know, because the notification procedure can fail, but there is a way for the government to recover the money without the infractor being notified. And after a certain time elapses, they just take your money, usually from wages.

 

[Juan]

If I choose to make the decision to drive a far distance, does the tinnitus have a limit? A better way of asking this is, will a drive across the state permanently increase my tinnitus if I have severe hyperacusis?

It's not possible to answer that question accurately, as hyperacusis and tinnitus are very individual. They can change permanently, that's for sure, they can get worse or they can morph into other hearing problems. In my case over time I got a bit more tinnitus, less hyperacusis, and more hearing loss. The sensitivity to sound is still there, the hyperacusis, but it's not so extreme as it was.

If you can, drive slowly, take frequent breaks, and go somewhere where you can feel relaxed, and spend time outside home at quiet places, without hearing protection if that's possible. If your ears can cope with sea sounds, I suggest going to a quiet beach town. I did that at the very worst of my condition, and moving to a quiet place improved my hearing condition.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

It's not possible to answer that question accurately, as hyperacusis and tinnitus are very individual. They can change permanently, that's for sure, they can get worse or they can morph into other hearing problems. In my case over time I got a bit more tinnitus, less hyperacusis, and more hearing loss. The sensitivity to sound is still there, the hyperacusis, but it's not so extreme as it was.

If you can, drive slowly, take frequent breaks, and go somewhere where you can feel relaxed, and spend time outside home at quiet places, without hearing protection if that's possible. If your ears can cope with sea sounds, I suggest going to a quiet beach town. I did that at the very worst of my condition, and moving to a quiet place improved my hearing condition.

My ears are fkd, I'm going to try to get to the desert. Thanks for your help Juan.

One last question, were you ever in constant pain? Did you drive during these periods?

 

[Juan]

One last question, were you ever in constant pain? Did you drive during these periods?

The pain lingered for weeks after a single noise exposure (and with this I mean things like 10 seconds of loud sound, like someone using a power tool at a 100 m distance, a car honking close by and the stuff like that).

The hyperacusis was constant but the pain came and went. The worst period of continued pain was round 3 months non-stop, getting a bit better after the 6-week mark.

Sometimes I had to drive, there was no other option. I would just use earmuffs or earplugs, or both. But if in deep pain, I would avoid driving as much as possible, and taking any risks around possible noise. You never know when and where you are going to run into unexpected noise.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

The pain lingered for weeks after a single noise exposure (and with this I mean things like 10 seconds of loud sound, like someone using a power tool at a 100 m distance, a car honking close by and the stuff like that).

The hyperacusis was constant but the pain came and went. The worst period of continued pain was round 3 months non-stop, getting a bit better after the 6-week mark.

Sometimes I had to drive, there was no other option. I would just use earmuffs or earplugs, or both. But if in deep pain, I would avoid driving as much as possible, and taking any risks around possible noise. You never know when and where you are going to run into unexpected noise.

Thanks Juan.

 

[Hardwell]

My ears are fkd, I'm going to try to get to the desert. Thanks for your help Juan.

Do you mean camping in the desert?

 

[BrysonKingMe]

Do you mean camping in the desert?

Yea, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life anymore. I'm gonna try to drive short distances across CO and make it out to Utah.

Bought this before my psychiatrist completely disabled me.

 

[Hardwell]

Yea, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life anymore. I'm gonna try to drive short distances across CO and make it out to Utah.

I wish you all the best and I believe some 'silence' will do you a world of good. But do make sure you're always able to charge your phone and have access to internet etc. Being cut off from family and a support network may not be beneficial.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

I wish you all the best and I believe some 'silence' will do you a world of good. But do make sure you're always able to charge your phone and have access to internet etc. Being cut off from family and a support network may not be beneficial.

What support network? Lol.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

The pain lingered for weeks after a single noise exposure (and with this I mean things like 10 seconds of loud sound, like someone using a power tool at a 100 m distance, a car honking close by and the stuff like that).

The hyperacusis was constant but the pain came and went. The worst period of continued pain was round 3 months non-stop, getting a bit better after the 6-week mark.

Sometimes I had to drive, there was no other option. I would just use earmuffs or earplugs, or both. But if in deep pain, I would avoid driving as much as possible, and taking any risks around possible noise. You never know when and where you are going to run into unexpected noise.

Hi Juan,

Can I ask how loud your tinnitus is? I'm asking because you said it was a trade-off between louder tinnitus but less sound sensitivity.

My tinnitus can range from a 2 out of 10 to a 7 to 8 out of 10. I'm wondering if yours was ever fluctuating this drastically when your hyperacusis was at its worst. It is the most distressing part of my tinnitus.

I also wanted to add that I am seeing improvements and I need to add A HUGE WARNING FOR BENZOS.

Please people, take these sparingly. I cannot believe how much shit this pill has thrown at me.

 

[Juan]

Can I ask how loud your tinnitus is? I'm asking because you said it was a trade-off between louder tinnitus but less sound sensitivity.

My tinnitus is not loud. My hyperacusis was severe. Tinnitus was not a big issue for me, although sometimes it would go up unexpectedly (lack of sleep or bad sleep affects it a lot). The hyperacusis is a big issue, much worse than tinnitus, I think. My hyperacusis decreased as hearing loss increased.

Hearing loss, when it progresses to the level of it making difficult to understand speech, is a bad thing too. So I think from now on, hearing loss will be a problem for me if it progresses further, and most likely it will.

 

[Merlin L]

Hi Juan,

Can I ask how loud your tinnitus is? I'm asking because you said it was a trade-off between louder tinnitus but less sound sensitivity.

My tinnitus can range from a 2 out of 10 to a 7 to 8 out of 10. I'm wondering if yours was ever fluctuating this drastically when your hyperacusis was at its worst. It is the most distressing part of my tinnitus.

I also wanted to add that I am seeing improvements and I need to add A HUGE WARNING FOR BENZOS.

Please people, take these sparingly. I cannot believe how much shit this pill has thrown at me.

My tinnitus used to fluctuate a lot like this for the first couple of months! It was maybe 7/8 at its worst. I couldn't understand if the noise was in my head or if there was an actual fire/EMS crew outside of the house. Mine seems to be more stable these days. Does yours fluctuate on a daily basis or even hour by hour?

I've been also reading that you've been dealing with lots of ear pain, and wanted to ask if you're able to tell/guess what part of the ear seems to be causing you the pain? Does it seem more like muscle pain or nerve one? Does the pain feel very deep in the ear or more in the middle ear/close to the outer ear canal? Does your pain radiate to your jaw/neck/eye area?

Sorry, lots of questions, but I'd be grateful if you can take the time to tell me a little bit about your situation. I'm wondering about this because since my setback I've been getting more pain, but I'd still think my ear pain is not noxacusis, but rather TTTS-related due to my middle ear muscles spasming and throbbing. Does that make sense to say that one can have loudness hyperacusis with some pain without actually having noxacusis?

I know you've been homebound too. I was at first for 2 months, then I got better and was able to go out, but now I'm back to staying at home. Take care

 

[BrysonKingMe]

My tinnitus used to fluctuate a lot like this for the first couple of months! It was maybe 7/8 at its worst. I couldn't understand if the noise was in my head or if there was an actual fire/EMS crew outside of the house. Mine seems to be more stable these days. Does yours fluctuate on a daily basis or even hour by hour?

I've been also reading that you've been dealing with lots of ear pain, and wanted to ask if you're able to tell/guess what part of the ear seems to be causing you the pain? Does it seem more like muscle pain or nerve one? Does the pain feel very deep in the ear or more in the middle ear/close to the outer ear canal? Does your pain radiate to your jaw/neck/eye area?

Sorry, lots of questions, but I'd be grateful if you can take the time to tell me a little bit about your situation. I'm wondering about this because since my setback I've been getting more pain, but I'd still think my ear pain is not noxacusis, but rather TTTS-related due to my middle ear muscles spasming and throbbing. Does that make sense to say that one can have loudness hyperacusis with some pain without actually having noxacusis?

I know you've been homebound too. I was at first for 2 months, then I got better and was able to go out, but now I'm back to staying at home. Take care

Hi,

I am not completely homebound anymore, I have gone to sit outside with friends at a bar, although that may have been pushing it a bit much.

Mine fluctuates by the second, hour and day. It can be very loud but is such a low tone I usually don't hear it outside unless it changes to a high-pitched tone in which case I can hear it clearly outside.

Yes, this was all caused by a benzo, my reactive tinnitus was imperceptible up until getting hyperacusis and it can go to a very low level with rest, so I think I'm going to rent an Airbnb and hunker down for a while.

The pain used to be fucking impossible in January. I couldn't speak, couldn't drive, couldn't watch tv. It was my entire face and jaw and deep in my inner ear. Both my ears usually ache but the jaw and face pain seem to have gone away and I can now drive with double hearing protection for long distances and just earplugs for shorter distances.

I'm really hoping by the end of the year I'll be back to normal, the tinnitus from the benzo has faded a lot which I won't get into, and once the hyperacusis settles I think my reactive tinnitus will be more stable and fade back to imperceptible, because when I rest it for a few days, it goes super low.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

My tinnitus is not loud. My hyperacusis was severe. Tinnitus was not a big issue for me, although sometimes it would go up unexpectedly (lack of sleep or bad sleep affects it a lot). The hyperacusis is a big issue, much worse than tinnitus, I think. My hyperacusis decreased as hearing loss increased.

Hearing loss, when it progresses to the level of it making difficult to understand speech, is a bad thing too. So I think from now on, hearing loss will be a problem for me if it progresses further, and most likely it will.

Severe hyperacusis is indisputably worse.

What's crazy is I was in Korea or just coming back this time this year, never wore earplugs anywhere and now I can barely socialize and can't work.

The problem with benzos seems to be kindling.

 

[chinup]

Severe hyperacusis is indisputably worse.

What's crazy is I was in Korea or just coming back this time this year, never wore earplugs anywhere and now I can barely socialize and can't work.

The problem with benzos seems to be kindling.

I dunno, I go back and forth. Severe hyperacusis is more painful obviously and it's more debilitating, it destroys your life and traps you at home. But when my tinnitus was 10/10 after the Pfizer vaccine, it was a legit struggle to stay alive. I guess it just depends on how bad each condition is. Thankfully my tinnitus is way down to 2/10 these days, I only hear it putting my head on a pillow at night or if I'm in a totally quiet room. Hyperacusis is still bothering me a lot though, just can't sustain any progress and keep hitting plateaus only to have setbacks over and over.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

My tinnitus is not loud. My hyperacusis was severe. Tinnitus was not a big issue for me, although sometimes it would go up unexpectedly (lack of sleep or bad sleep affects it a lot). The hyperacusis is a big issue, much worse than tinnitus, I think. My hyperacusis decreased as hearing loss increased.

Hearing loss, when it progresses to the level of it making difficult to understand speech, is a bad thing too. So I think from now on, hearing loss will be a problem for me if it progresses further, and most likely it will.

How long did it take for you to get from very severe to functional?

Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? I seem to be getting better but extremely slowly and it's very up and down.

 

[Juan]

How long did it take for you to get from very severe to functional?

The first 3 years were hell on earth. The following 3 years were very, very bad, and after that my hearing started to get slightly worse, with some sudden dips. Sometimes it would pick up after the noise offences and recover fully or almost fully.

Over time noise damage made my hearing drop and the situation in terms of hyperacusis got better.

Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? I seem to be getting better but extremely slowly and it's very up and down.

It's best to avoid setbacks caused by excessive noise exposure. After all I think so far I have been lucky considering the initial severity of my hyperacusis. Maybe things stabilised a bit overall these years because the damage happened slowly and I tried to avoid excessive noise exposure at all costs, and anyway it happened...

It's very important to eat healthy (anti-inflammatory foods) and exercise.