Hyperacusis and Everyday Environment

[Kittytat]

Since I noticed my ringing ears, I have also noticed noise sensitivity--slamming cabinets, soda cans being opened, and dishes clanging, hurt my ears.
I went to the mall for a while today and felt like things were a little louder as well, though I don't know if I was just expecting that because I know it might happen... I feel really upset about this because I worry I won't be able to go out in the world like that without making my condition worse. Is it okay to go places like this with tinnitus and hyperacusis? I don't want to have to bring my ear plugs everywhere. I also might be working in a warehouse that ships chocolate berries on Mother's Day week. I did that before, but don't remember if it was extremely loud. Is a certain noise level okay?
For those of you who got over hyperacusis, how long did it take?

 

[Lauren 5]

i was sensitive to everyday noises. it tok me 2 months to get over.
using ear plugs too much won't help hyperacusis....

 

[mick]

I did not develop hypercusis initially. It was not until about 2 months after T started that I began to notice sensitivity to a lot of everyday sounds. Even the sound of someone crunching up a paper bag to throw it away would drive me nuts. It has settled down a lot after nearly 5 months of T, but occassionaly it comes back. It seems to correspond with the volume of my T. The higher the T, the worse the hypercusis.

 

[stantheman]

My tinnitus onset was 16 months ago. I also had a severe case of hyperacusis. For me, it took about six months for the H to largely become a non-issue. I can now even tolerate my 3 yo grandchilds screams which are similar to an air raid siren. I still carry a set of musicians ear plugs just in case.

 

[erik]

Took me about 6 months also to get over my hyperacusis.. I still have it now and then just not nearly as bad. Hyperacusis was probably worse for me than the T much of the time in the beginning.

 

[Chicken]

i wonder if the hyperacusis is caused by the tensor tympani and pallatini being affected. i wonder why they would be affected if the T is noise related - any ideas anyone? i could why mine developed, mine was from TMJ but noise related why??

 

[jazz]

I believe most things that cause tinnitus may also cause hyperacusis. The two diseases are different sides of the same coin--or so I've heard the analogy. Here's a link to hyperacusis from an ENT site. As with tinnitus, you will find ENTs are not terribly well informed. Sad to say, but true.

http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/hyperacusis-increasedsensitivity.cfm

 

[Kittytat]

Thank you for the responses everyone. I hope mine goes away soon.

 

[Fish]

I wonder how come some people experiencing tinnitus develop hyperacusis and others don't. Does it depend on the cause of one's tinnitus? I always were a bit sensitive to loud noises and certain frequencies but I would not call that hyperacusis.

 

[erik]

Fish, I too, have always been sensitive to certain loud noises and frequencies for years....I wonder if this was a prelude to developing T? Maybe my hearing was already somewhat damaged before leading up the time when the T appeared. Since hyperacusis is increased sensitivity in the central auditory system that can build up over time, maybe as the hearing is damaged or changes slowly over time, hyperacusis also slowly increases and not noticeable until one day it appears with tinnitus and one's hearing damage or changes are realized.

 

[Erlend]

i wonder if the hyperacusis is caused by the tensor tympani and pallatini being affected. i wonder why they would be affected if the T is noise related - any ideas anyone? i could why mine developed, mine was from TMJ but noise related why??

I think so, and I think it is caused by the huge amount of attention we suddenly start giving our ears. They get all tense and nervous, like a clenched fist.

 

[Erlend]

Sitting around a small table with my 3 family members all talking and laughing is unbearable, my hyperacusis is so bad is a setting like this.

This developed three of four months into having T.

Is this shit permanent? It is worse than the T. But I also think it is a result of the T, as I'm not able to fully relax.

Could it be because of cold climate? It's getting REALLY cold where I live now, and I haven't bothered to get an oven in my room yet.

It's so insane how those 3 hours have ruined my life I can't take this shit jesus christ

 

[Balthazar]

I had hypercusis straight after my T started. It mainly affected me when walking down a busy street or the clanging of plates in the kitchen. It got better after a few weeks. Then I noticed in my office which is quite quiet and somewhere previously where I had been fine that I was getting bothered by things like people typing and shuffling papers. This lasted for a few tortuous weeks and for the moment is virtually gone.

I just told myself to tough it out whilst I at work, as I figure it is just the brain overreacting to the injury. I did have intermittent pain throughout this period which also appears to have gone so that may be related.

 

[Erlend]

'I was allergic to sound' - Features - Health & Families - The Independent

This guy is describing, pain, I don't feel pain, just.. I cringe. The sounds don't seem louder, but my nervous systen reacts as if everything was louder.

I've also been feeling VERY anxious the last few days. I go to bed at 6 AM, wake up at 2 pm and just stay in my room until there's dinner.

Could this be the reason? Maybe I should start running or something.

 

[NeoM]

'I was allergic to sound' - Features - Health & Families - The Independent

This guy is describing, pain, I don't feel pain, just.. I cringe. The sounds don't seem louder, but my nervous systen reacts as if everything was louder.

I've also been feeling VERY anxious the last few days. I go to bed at 6 AM, wake up at 2 pm and just stay in my room until there's dinner.

Could this be the reason? Maybe I should start running or something.

Hey, Erlend, do you have spasms in your ear or ears that are affected by the hyperacusis?

 

[Erlend]

Hey, Erlend, do you have spasms in your ear or ears that are affected by the hyperacusis?

Yes. Touching my ear, clapping and often my own voice trigger it.

A different kind of spasm also comes at random times.

 

[NeoM]

Yes. Touching my ear, clapping and often my own voice trigger it.

A different kind of spasm also comes at random times.

For your different kind of spasm, do you mean that your ear kind of "flutters" at random?

 

[Erlend]

Yes
With hyperacusis, are things supposed to sound LOUDER to me? Cause they don't. They just trigger a cringe-feeling in my ears and body. And it seems to follow my level of anxiety.

And it makes me anxious. So my anxiety symptoms are making me anxious. Which is why I consider asking for xanax. To stop the cycle.

 

[NeoM]

Yes
With hyperacusis, are things supposed to sound LOUDER to me? Cause they don't. They just trigger a cringe-feeling in my ears and body. And it seems to follow my level of anxiety.

And it makes me anxious. So my anxiety symptoms are making me anxious. Which is why I consider asking for xanax. To stop the cycle.

No, I don't think they are supposed to sound louder. I think it's just the auditory system overreacting to the sound.

Do you have pressure in your ears from the hyperacusis also?

But for some good news. I remember having hyperacusis before I even knew what it was. I recovered 100% from it, I don't remember how long, but I remember that playing the piano was bothering my ears.

 

[yonkapin]

Yes. Touching my ear, clapping and often my own voice trigger it.

A different kind of spasm also comes at random times.

http://www.hyperacusis.net/resources/noiseandhealth2013.pdf - Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: A multi‑clinic prevalence study.

I have the same thing, I was told by my audiologist (Ross Dineen, worked on the linked study/paper) that it's tonic tympani syndrome. I'm in a rush at the moment but basically I get the same thing - certain frequencies trigger spasms in my left ear, and sometimes in my right. It's definitely linked to anxiety and stress IMO. I'll add more about my experiences when I have time. But running definitely helps!

 

[Erlend]

http://www.hyperacusis.net/resources/noiseandhealth2013.pdf - Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: A multi‑clinic prevalence study.

I have the same thing, I was told by my audiologist (Ross Dineen, worked on the linked study/paper) that it's tonic tympani syndrome. I'm in a rush at the moment but basically I get the same thing - certain frequencies trigger spasms in my left ear, and sometimes in my right. It's definitely linked to anxiety and stress IMO. I'll add more about my experiences when I have time. But running definitely helps!

You CAN cut the muscles if it gets too bothersome. Also, I've noticed this: It goes away when i fill my middle ear with air (vasalva maneuver)

 

[yonkapin]

You CAN cut the muscles if it gets too bothersome. Also, I've noticed this: It goes away when i fill my middle ear with air (vasalva maneuver)

Oh yeah, I've read about that - they also do it for people with middle ear myoclonus. I definitely wouldn't mess with any sort of surgery though, way too invasive and risky, and from what I've read some very mixed results.

Is yours pretty constant or does it come and go? For myself, some days it can be bothersome while other days it's completely gone, and it definitely seems to correlate with how stressed or anxious I might be but not always.

I also find that if I'm surrounded by other sounds, like if I'm listening to music or outside, it doesn't happen but if I'm sitting in my room and it's pretty silent, I'll be able to trigger it with the right sound or frequency. I can also trigger it when I put my contacts on, or touch certain parts of my head, but not always.

Be wary of doing the vasalva maneuver too many times, I caused myself all sorts of grief by doing it too much~

 

[Erlend]

What kind of grief? :S

Yeah it's the same for me, everything you describe.

But I feel it is to very different things in my ears. One is the random thing that suddenly happens sometimes, spasms, like wOOM, wOOM, wOOM. Three times. All that happens. Or once. This feels like it's my eardrum.

ANOTHER is the one that reacts to touching my ears, face or hear certain sounds, also my own voice many times.
It feels more like a deep rumble further into the ear.

 

[Hattukoira]

Sorry this is a bit off topic, but when I do vasalva maneuver I can feel air going only in my right ear. I can't feel anything in my left ear when I do it. Is that normal?

 

[yonkapin]

What kind of grief? :S

Yeah it's the same for me, everything you describe.

But I feel it is to very different things in my ears. One is the random thing that suddenly happens sometimes, spasms, like wOOM, wOOM, wOOM. Three times. All that happens. Or once. This feels like it's my eardrum.

ANOTHER is the one that reacts to touching my ears, face or hear certain sounds, also my own voice many times.
It feels more like a deep rumble further into the ear.

I did the vasalva maneuver one too many times one day and caused a a lot of pain in my left ear and a crazy spike in tinnitus, messed up things pretty bad! I think I might have some sort of ETD or something and must've caused a minor barotrauma. Most people can do the maneuver just fine, but just be careful and refrain from overdoing it.

I've experienced basically everything you've described - the random flutters, my voice being able to trigger it, touching my head, pulling on my ear lobe, etc. Those random flutters you described going woom 3 times is exactly what I experienced right at the start of my tinnitus but I haven't really had them since, sometimes I'll get a random flutter but it's quite rare now.

I keep forgetting but I actually started to experience all this before I actually got my tinnitus, maybe a year before - I'd be sitting working on some music and certain snare drum sounds would trigger a spasm in my left ear, didn't bother me though so I never really looked it up. I should've taken it as a warning sign.

I think it has to be definitely linked to my anxiety and stress levels though, I find that it'll get worse if I get lazy with working out but if I'm staying healthy and keeping up my cardio it becomes much less of a problem. Still annoying though!

 

[Erlend]

I am going to try xanax to break the cycle of anxiety-ear tension/sesnsitivity-anxiety-ear tension/sesnsitivity-

 

[yonkapin]

Sorry this is a bit off topic, but when I do vasalva maneuver I can feel air going only in my right ear. I can't feel anything in my left ear when I do it. Is that normal?

That's not normal but DON'T try to force it into your left ear, otherwise you might end up with a barotrauma - I would avoid doing the valsalva at all for the moment if I were you. You might have some sort of eustachian tube dysfunction, so I would probably head to the ENT and ask them for their opinion, get a tympanometry done and get them to see if there's anything causing an obstruction in your eustachian tubes!

 

[yonkapin]

I am going to try xanax to break the cycle of anxiety-ear tension/sesnsitivity-anxiety-ear tension/sesnsitivity-

Oh man, from experience, I would really tell you to avoid anything that messes with the GABA in your brain - most benzodiazepines are bad news and should only really be considered as a last resort imo. I sort of think that a lot of my ear troubles stem from my years of Stilnox/Ambien use, which basically works the same way benzodiazepines work. But I'm far from being an expert so do what you think might help, just be careful and don't develop a dependency! I'd probably try diazepam first before xanax. People seem to become dependent on xanax a lot faster because it has such a short half life and is apparently pretty euphoric.

 

[Erlend]

Ye I dno.

My nervous system is so tense that scrolling on my iphone sometimes causes my body to tighten up, the input from my eyes make my body freeze. Just scrolling on twitter, I can feel it in my ears..

It used to be like this, I'm not that sensitive anymore though

 

[Leopardi]

i was sensitive to everyday noises. it tok me 2 months to get over.
using ear plugs too much won't help hyperacusis....

Using ear plugs all the time actually makes it worse and worse. The sounds aren't more damaging your ears even if they act retarded so just try to ignore it the best you can.

I found that listening to white noise even at a very low volume gets rid of my hyperacusis while its on. If I stir a cup of coffee with a metallic spoon I get the symptoms but with little bit of white noise in the background it's like I never even had hyperacusis.