In-Ear Maskers Exacerbated My Symptoms of Pain Hyperacusis

[Sointu]

Is there anyone else here who feel like in-ear maskers exacerbated their pain hyperacusis symptoms?

I tried in-ear maskers with amplification.

My pain hyperacusis had improved so much that I could live my life more normally. I used earplugs outside but at home I tolerated normal everyday sounds better. My hyperacusis did not feel as severe and I did not experience constant pain anymore.

After trying in-ear maskers, the pain hyperacusis symptoms have returned and my tolerance of sound has dropped.

 

[Michael Leigh]

My pain hyperacusis had improved so much that I could live my life more normally. I used earplugs outside but at home I tolerated normal everyday sounds better. My hyperacusis did not feel as severe and I did not experience constant pain anymore.

Sorry to know your hyperacusis got worse using the in-ear sound generators @Sointu. You probably believed your hyperacusis was improving but it would only be a matter of time before your oversensitivity returned and likely increase. Using earplugs is not the solution as they often make the situation worse the longer they are used. They lower the loudness threshold of the auditory system which will result in the ears being more sensitive to sound.

Sound generators must be introduced slowly to prevent aggravating the tinnitus and hyperacusis. This is not a quick fix and usually takes 6 to 18 months, sometimes longer, to notice sustained improvement. Counselling with an audiologist, trained in tinnitus and hyperacusis management is advised but not always essential.

The sound generators should be set below the tinnitus and worn for just 1 or 2 hours, then taken off. If the tinnitus or hyperacusis are irritated, reduce the wearing time to 30 minutes keeping the white noise low. After the elapsed time put the sound generators on again and do this procedure throughout the day for 1 to 2 weeks.

After this time slowly increase the wearing time but always keeping the white noise low to avoid irritation. One will have to experiment to see what works best. Patience is required with this treatment because it takes time for the auditory system to get used to white or pink noise. If necessary one might have to wear them in increments of just 5 or 10 minutes and slowly increase the wearing time.

I have helped people who believed they would never be able to wear sound generators because their hyperacusis was severe. However, when they tried my suggestions, they slowly made improvement to the point they were able to wear the sound generators continuously for 8 hours and eventually the hyperacusis improved.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Michael

 

[Sointu]

Thank you @Michael Leigh for your response. Yes I know that there can be a lot of help from in-ear maskers and they are not a quick fix. I met an audiologist and a regularly see a therapist specialized in tinnitus and hyperacusis. The plan was to slowly increase the sound levels of the maskers. The white noise was supposed to be increased slowly over months.

I used the in-ear maskers for an hour every day for only few days and it spiked my symptoms. The first day when the maskers were programmed I already experienced issues. The maskers made feedback sounds during programming that felt uncomfortable and I got ear fatigue because the hearing test and programming took some time. Maybe I should have started using the maskers more carefully, only minutes at a time at first. My in-ear maskers had amplification and I am not sure if that was a good idea in my situation. I also felt like the white noise was not the best type of noise for my ears.

My starting point was really poor many months ago. I did not tolerate sound of TV or masking noises. Even normal everyday sounds felt uncomfortable. I had a pair of earmuffs I had to use every time I went to kitchen. Even a trip to grocery store (with earplugs) caused ear burning and pain. I spent a few months in silence and I noticed improvement slowly. When my hyperacusis felt more stable I started to slowly increase sound levels. Slowly during next few months I was able to mask my tinnitus, watch TV on a normal volume, go to grocery stores and quiet restaurants (using earplugs), go for a walk (with earplugs), drive a car (with earplugs) and listen to a bit of music. It was like a miracle after my severe hyperacusis. I could go to kitchen without using ear protection and the sounds of glasses tinkling does not hurt my ear anymore. I only protected my ears at home if I did something louder like use a vacuum cleaner. I did not tolerate earbuds or headphones at all, even at lowest volume. I avoided using them. For the last six months my hyperacusis had been better and I experienced no pain anymore. Sometimes I experienced setbacks when I pushed my limits too much (nothing really loud though) or there was louder sudden sounds. Usually it meant that my tinnitus spiked or sounds felt louder for a couple of days. But everything felt stable, I did not have constantly setbacks.

I was listening to quiet sound therapy a lot from speakers. Gentle pink noise, certain type of gentle rain sounds, nature sounds etc. I found some sound therapies that did not irritate my ears. I used sound therapy for months without issues. My plan was to stop using my earplugs outside slowly because I really do understand the harms. First I had a plan to try filters with less decibel protection. Then my plan was to slowly stop using earplugs outside.

I experienced some fluctuations in my tinnitus (reactive tinnitus), sound distortions and ear fullness but there was no signs that this will happen. I have no idea what to do next.

 

[LilCC]

I wouldn't follow the advice from Michael Leigh tbh, I would really try to stay away from those noise generators if you have true pain hyperacusis. That advice might work for loudness hyperacusis, but it will definitely exacerbate your symptoms if you have pain hyperacusis.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I wouldn't follow the advice from Michael Leigh tbh, I would really try to stay away from those noise generators if you have true pain hyperacusis. That advice might work for loudness hyperacusis, but it will definitely exacerbate your symptoms if you have pain hyperacusis.

I visit this forum to help people that are having difficulty coping with tinnitus and hyperacusis, particularly when they are caused by noise trauma. This is my area of interest and have 26 years experience living with it. I have counselled and corresponded with many people affected by it.

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion, you haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about. One of the best ways to treat hyperacusis, whether one has pain with it or not, is using sound generators and having counselling. If you read @Sointu's post, you will see that she is under the care of an audiologist and has been advised to wear white noise generators. This is the correct treatment although the way the white noise is delivered to auditory system may need to be modified which I will give further advice on.

Sointu, please ignore @LilCC's comments. Using sound generators is one of the best ways to treat hyperacusis and tinnitus although some people do have difficulty using them. However, taking things slowly and with lots of patience often times this is resolved and they are able to continue using them.

If possible try and follow the advice that I have given to you earlier. That is to slowly introduce the sound generators. Keep the volume below the level of the tinnitus and leave it there, don't increase the volume as you have been advised by your audiologist. Often this causes irritation and will spike the tinnitus and hyperacusis. This should be possible providing your sound generators have an adjustable volume that you can control and is not pre-set by your audiologist.

Many people have contacted me that were told by their audiologist to slowly increase the volume to treat the oversensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) first. Unfortunately this often spikes the hyperacusis and tinnitus. When they have followed my suggestion, to slowly introduce the sound generators but always keeping the volume low, they have been able to use them.

Please don't give up or listen to people that have no experience with this treatment.

Take care,
Michael

 

[DaveFromChicago]

I wouldn't follow the advice from Michael Leigh tbh, I would really try to stay away from those noise generators if you have true pain hyperacusis. That advice might work for loudness hyperacusis, but it will definitely exacerbate your symptoms if you have pain hyperacusis.

You made a very good, common sense point; Gee, if hyperacusis denotes pain sensitivity to sound, then maybe it's not a good idea to use a noise generator that increases the pain level, even if the volume is kept "low."

Notice that Michael Leigh's typical arrogance extends to claiming that he has (with virtually no medical training whatsoever) methods that are superior to those of all of these trained audiologists.

You should be commended for having done your best to alert others to the perils inherent in Michael Leigh's advice.

Now, just leave them alone. If they still want to take his advice and cream themselves into agony, then so be it.

Just remember the "Answer a Fool According To His Folly" advice from the Bible. Because, My God, is Michael Leigh ever wise unto his own conceit.

 

[LilCC]

You made a very good, common sense point; Gee, if hyperacusis denotes pain sensitivity to sound, then maybe it's not a good idea to use a noise generator that increases the pain level, even if the volume is kept "low."

Notice that Michael Leigh's typical arrogance extends to claiming that he has (with virtually no medical training whatsoever) methods that are superior to those of all of these trained audiologists.

You should be commended for having done your best to alert others to the perils inherent in Michael Leigh's advice.

Now, just leave them alone. If they still want to take his advice and cream themselves into agony, then so be it.

Just remember the "Answer a Fool According To His Folly" advice from the Bible. Because, My God, is Michael Leigh ever wise unto his own conceit.

That's my issue with Michael, in all his posts he seems to claim to know exactly what treatments will work as if he has actual medical studies under his belt. He's just another charlatan in my eyes.

 

[Michael Leigh]

That's my issue with Michael, in all his posts he seems to claim to know exactly what treatments will work as if he has actual medical studies under his belt. He's just another charlatan in my eyes.

If you knew anything about tinnitus and hyperacusis, then you would know one cannot gain experience of these conditions or know how to counsel people affected with them purely based on medical knowledge. Tinnitus and hyperacusis cannot be learnt from a book to any significant degree. One has to have experience living with them.

ENT doctors treat underlying medical conditions that cause tinnitus but they don't treat tinnitus. Most of them don't know anything about tinnitus, because this is not their area of expertise.

Most audiologists that treat tinnitus patients with or without hyperacusis, were either born with tinnitus or acquired it at some time in their life. By treatment I mean administering counselling, not just issuing hearing aids or white noise generators and telling a patient how to use them or testing their hearing with an audiogram, this does not make you a tinnitus specialist.

Michael

 

[David S]

We might be 50 people active here on Tinnitus Talk with really severe tinnitus. It must be at least 100,000 people with that diagnosis per year in the world. Would we be the few unlucky ones immune to standard treatment for severe tinnitus, meaning sound enrichment and counseling? I am not too sure about that.

It might be true that my tinnitus would have stayed minimal and lower if I continued to overprotect which I did for many years. To me it was a dead end. I need to regain my life.

To me there is far more other risky treatments that people try here on the forum like LLLT, intratympanic injections, certain kinds of medication etc.

As to a lot of things in life, there is a risk and reward element. Sound enrichment should be one of the ones with minimal risk profile if done properly.

 

[kingsfan]

It might be true that my tinnitus would have stayed minimal and lower if I continued to overprotect which I did for many years. To me it was a dead end. I need to regain my life.

This has been my philosophy. Do I want to live a life of isolation or should I try and live a little while I still can?

 

[LilCC]

This has been my philosophy. Do I want to live a life of isolation or should I try and live a little while I still can?

I wish I only had severe tinnitus, maybe I'd be more willing to live, but when you have noxacusis and tinnitus, it makes it impossible to leave the house

 

[Brian Newman]

Hey man, read up on my story about pain hyperacusis. My case is definitely one of the worst and most painful ones I have read ever of pain hyperacusis. I'm a little better from acupuncture and exercise, but man was it the worst pain imaginable. I won't go too much into it but let's just say stuck a knife all the way through my hand and it made me laugh.

Don't do those stupid TRT maskers , they don't work for noxacusis if that's what you truly have, and not loudness hyperacusis. If you have nasty nerve pain like a knife in your ears, acid, stuff like that, stay away from sound therapy. Noxacusis is from an irritated nerve that gets more irritated from noise. Now sound therapy using a fan and an air purifier brought my severe loudness hyperacusis from a 10 to a 4 in a few months. I overdid it and the pain hyperacusis went from severe to catastrophic. True pain hyperacusis is not to be messed with, it acts entirely differently from loudness hyperacusis.

Rest up, if you can tolerate a little background noise, whatever it is, that's ok just make sure it doesn't hurt, and let things calm back down. Don't listen to TRT lovers who say that sound therapy can treat noxacusis. It doesn't. If you were at the point of being ok leaving the house with earplugs in, be happy and do not take advantage of it. I know it sucks but it can always get worse and there's no easy fix right now. Quite a few of us pain hyperacusis sufferers got bad quick this last year. If you are feeling pain, get away. That is the golden rule with this. Anyone who pushes through the pain always gets worse. I'm trying to be able to leave the house again with earplugs in and be ok, that's my goal.

Good luck man. I wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[Brian Newman]

I visit this forum to help people that are having difficulty coping with tinnitus and hyperacusis, particularly when they are caused by noise trauma. This is my area of interest and have 26 years experience living with it. I have counselled and corresponded with many people affected by it.

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion, you haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about. One of the best ways to treat hyperacusis, whether one has pain with it or not, is using sound generators and having counselling. If you read @Sointu's post, you will see that she is under the care of an audiologist and has been advised to wear white noise generators. This is the correct treatment although the way the white noise is delivered to auditory system may need to be modified which I will give further advice on.

Sointu, please ignore @LilCC's comments. Using sound generators is one of the best ways to treat hyperacusis and tinnitus although some people do have difficulty using them. However, taking things slowly and with lots of patience often times this is resolved and they are able to continue using them.

If possible try and follow the advice that I have given to you earlier. That is to slowly introduce the sound generators. Keep the volume below the level of the tinnitus and leave it there, don't increase the volume as you have been advised by your audiologist. Often this causes irritation and will spike the tinnitus and hyperacusis. This should be possible providing your sound generators have an adjustable volume that you can control and is not pre-set by your audiologist.

Many people have contacted me that were told by their audiologist to slowly increase the volume to treat the oversensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) first. Unfortunately this often spikes the hyperacusis and tinnitus. When they have followed my suggestion, to slowly introduce the sound generators but always keeping the volume low, they have been able to use them.

Please don't give up or listen to people that have no experience with this treatment.

Take care,
Michael

Don't claim this man, do not claim sound generators is good for pain hyperacusis, they absolutely are not. I got catastrophic because I thought sound therapy was a good idea for noxacusis. It is not the brain turning up the volume like loudness hyperacusis. It is a nerve that gets set off and gets more irritated the more noise it is exposed to. More noise is not a good answer. Irritates the nerve more. I don't know, everybody is different but any person with true noxacusis gets worse from TRT. Almost every single person I talked to. Sound therapy greatly improved my loudness hyperacusis which is what you're probably referring to. People with loudness hyperacusis think it's painful. Noxacusis is true pain, and acts very differently. I don't think you had noxacusis from reading many of your posts before.

So just be cautious giving people advice to try it when they say they have pain hyperacusis, find out more if it's loudness or pain. Because I would hate to anybody else to end up me and @LilCC. I have read a few testimonials of mild noxacusis sufferers improving from TRT, but that's a big difference from severe too. This person in the post was getting worse from it so probably not the best idea to keep going.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Don't claim this man, do not claim sound generators is good for pain hyperacusis, they absolutely are not. I got catastrophic because I thought sound therapy was a good idea for noxacusis.

I am sorry to hear about your discomfort @Brian Newman, and hope in time your health improves. Please know I was replying to @Sointu and giving advice based on my experience with tinnitus and hyperacusis. I had TRT for two years with regular counselling and wore white noise generators. At the end of treatment the tinnitus reduced to a very low level my severe hyperacusis was completely cured.

I surmised @Sointu was under the care of an audiologist being that she is wearing white noise generators and was suggesting to introduce the sound generators slowly to avoid spiking her tinnitus and hyperacusis. @LilCC has had noise induced tinnitus for a relatively short period of time and think his comments to Sointu, regarding my advice and mentioning my name was rude and disrespectful.

I appreciate that some people are unable to wear sound generators. However, I believe every avenue should be explored before throwing in the towel and giving up on them. As I have previously mentioned, many people have contacted me that were told by their audiologist to slowly increase the sound generators to treat their oversensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) first. A lot of these people had noise induced tinnitus with painful hyperacusis. Unfortunately their tinnitus and hyperacusis increased.

When they tried my suggestion to introduce the sound generators slowly and keep the volume below the tinnitus, they were much more successful and able to wear them continuously for up to 8 hours. The feedback I received was positive, as many reported their hyperacusis was either cured or reduced to very low levels.

Take care,
Michael

 

[Shizune]

I am in the opinion that TRT can help some cases of hyperacusis, including pain. Read how I say some though.

TRT still being pushed is exactly why hyperacusis treatment remains in the past, and exactly why people like Bryan Pollard founded Hyperacusis Research Limited Inc to make strides in this corner of medicine.

Simply put, if TRT was a cure-all, nobody would have hyperacusis. There are cases where I think people psyche themselves out from reading stuff online, don't try TRT when it could maybe benefit them, and then never improve. Or some where the over-protection thing applies to them.

But really, so many have the same story of hyperacusis being a chronic, incurable condition. Or recovering, and then getting worse later. That's why online communities exist to begin with. Why are these people ignored? I never think that pushing through pain is a good idea, because for some there is no limit to how bad hyperacusis can get. I say this as I'm dealing with my latest permanent collapse in tolerance and losing more things I was ok with just a few months ago.

There is a lot more going on in our ears and brains than meets the eye, but sadly we don't have enough evidence yet. It's attitudes like "TRT is all you need" that have kept research in its place for so long and caused so many doctors to have no curiosity or openness when approaching this issue.

Remember how pain fibers were found in the cochlea just a few short years ago? To think that doctors have had it all figured out since TRT's inception and to discredit the hard work researchers have been doing is plain ignorance.

 

[Nobody19]

You seem extremely confident in your advice Michael. Do you have any actual proof backing up your claims?

 

[Michael Leigh]

You seem extremely confident in your advice Michael. Do you have any actual proof backing up your claims?

I understand your reasons for doubting my veracity @Nobody19.

All I will say is that I have nothing to prove. I have helped people in this forum who have contacted me by telephone and others beyond UK shores.

I wish you well,
Michael

 

[kingsfan]

I wish I only had severe tinnitus, maybe I'd be more willing to live, but when you have noxacusis and tinnitus, it makes it impossible to leave the house

That's what I mean though. Who knows what mine will become, so maybe I should just try and live a little now. I have a huge fear of sound.

 

[LilCC]

I understand your reasons for doubting my veracity @Nobody19.

All I will say is that I have nothing to prove. I have helped people in this forum who have contacted me by telephone and others beyond UK shores.

I wish you well,
Michael

Seems like a lot of people in this forum doubt you, and for good reasons.

 

[Brian Newman]

I am sorry to hear about your discomfort @Brian Newman, and hope in time your health improves. Please know I was replying to @Sointu and giving advice based on my experience with tinnitus and hyperacusis. I had TRT for two years with regular counselling and wore white noise generators. At the end of treatment the tinnitus reduced to a very low level my severe hyperacusis was completely cured.

I surmised @Sointu was under the care of an audiologist being that she is wearing white noise generators and was suggesting to introduce the sound generators slowly to avoid spiking her tinnitus and hyperacusis. @LilCC has had noise induced tinnitus for a relatively short period of time and think his comments to Sointu, regarding my advice and mentioning my name was rude and disrespectful.

I appreciate that some people are unable to wear sound generators. However, I believe every avenue should be explored before throwing in the towel and giving up on them. As I have previously mentioned, many people have contacted me that were told by their audiologist to slowly increase the sound generators to treat their oversensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) first. A lot of these people had noise induced tinnitus with painful hyperacusis. Unfortunately their tinnitus and hyperacusis increased.

When they tried my suggestion to introduce the sound generators slowly and keep the volume below the tinnitus, they were much more successful and able to wear them continuously for up to 8 hours. The feedback I received was positive, as many reported their hyperacusis was either cured or reduced to very low levels.

Take care,
Michael

Damn man, discomfort is an understatement for my noxacusis, a hacksaw going through your ears is a different story. If I had discomfort in my ears, I wouldn't even be on here tbh.

Yeah I mean it's not like nobody should ever try TRT, I'm not going to sit here and be like they never worked for anybody. It's just when it comes to pain hyperacusis, TRT usually doesn't work. I'm glad you have lived 25 years cured because I've had loudness hyperacusis for 6 years and never called myself cured. I think people who benefit the most from sound therapy are the ones whose brain is turning up the volume to compensate for hearing loss. You can't cure inner ear damage with more noise. Whenever I'm not in extreme pain I try to sit in my living room and get a little noise from my fridge, and get a little noise. I think you and I have very different versions of hyperacusis for sure.

I don't even care when I get pain from noise but severe lingering pain that lasts for days after noise exposure gets me. I think this form of hyperacusis is much more rare. And yeah man of course I'm not going to sit here and be rude to you because for some cases that is good advice. You can see some of us more severe cases get frustrated because mild or moderate cases improve from TRT, then doctors and audiologists think oh it should work for everybody, the people who don't improve are stupid or have mental issues holding them back. I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from.

Because I'm a strong ass guy man, tinnitus didn't stop me, severe loudness hyperacusis didn't stop me, but pain hyperacusis did, and it's so bad I rate it a 10/10 on the pain scale. I mean for Christ's sake, I got stung by dozens of bees, sat there, laughed and went back inside. If that doesn't express my pain, not sure what does lol. I've broken bones, torn ligaments, torn my peck, gotten teeth pulled with no medicine or numbing. I am no stranger to pain and can take a lot. Pain hyperacusis just put me on my ass begging for mercy. Being around low level noise helps my loudness hyperacusis, though not the pain.

I wish TRT worked for me. I wish it was as easy as going to an audiologist and playing pink noise in my ears for a few years. If only my brother.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I wish TRT worked for me. I wish it was as easy as going to an audiologist and playing pink noise in my ears for a few years. If only my brother.

My hyperacusis was very severe Brian. So bad I had to ask people to lower their voice during conversation as my ears were in pain.

Hope you are able to get some help in the future.

Take care,
Michael

Seems like a lot of people in this forum doubt you, and for good reasons.

I have nothing to prove to anyone, least of all you.

Goodbye,
Michael

 

[LilCC]

I have nothing to prove to anyone, least of all you.

Goodbye,
Michael

Seems like someone got their ego hurt, it's ok bud, you'll be just fine

 

[Brian Newman]

My hyperacusis was very severe Brian. So bad I had to ask people to lower their voice during conversation as my ears were in pain.

Hope you are able to get some help in the future.

Take care,
Michael

People lower their voices? Dude I was in so much pain I didn't talk or leave my house for 6 months! If I heard a door squeak or bird chirp through double protection I would be in severe pain. I couldn't shower for months. My pain never went away. I would sit in silence and still be in pain. I still can't tolerate any noise from my phone, can't go grocery shopping, lost my job, can't leave my house during the day, only at night with hearing protection. Seriously man, I'm not here to undermine what you went through. You don't know what bad is. Asking people to lower their voices, I couldn't have a conversation with anybody for more than half a year.

How long were you homebound for? How many times did you throw up from pain? No offense, your hyperacusis at its worse seemed like mine at moderate. Again I'm not here to argue or undermine you. And again sometimes people in this community think they have it bad, then say oh well I had it bad too so you can't be much worse than me, or they think to themselves hmmmm, that person is exaggerating, it can't be that bad. There's no bar to this stuff.

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

My hyperacusis was very severe Brian. So bad I had to ask people to lower their voice during conversation as my ears were in pain.

I'm sorry but this is not very severe hyperacusis, Michael.

Very severe hyperacusis is not being able to breathe, touch your bedsheets, or your ears are in insane pain from merely touching a bag through double protection.

Lowering voices is bullshit, I couldn't even tolerate the sound my saliva made in my mouth. That's very severe.

Time and relative silence was the only thing that helped me, as I'm sure it did for you too. Not blasting my hurt ears with MORE noise.

Most people recover on their own, and TRT hogs all the credit for doing nothing.

 

[LilCC]

Most people recover on their own, and TRT hogs all the credit for doing nothing.

"Tinnitus retraining therapy with conventional sound generators is no better than tinnitus retraining therapy with placebo generators or standard of care." AKA it's pretty much useless lol.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

I think Brian and Anthony are 2 of the worst cases I've seen pretty much anywhere.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I'm sorry but this is not very severe hyperacusis, Michael.

No need to be sorry because you have no I idea what I felt mentally and physically.

Hyperacusis like tinnitus can be a very debilitating condition, that no two people will experience the same and therefore, it's impossible to know what another person is enduring, purely because of the way it affects their mental and emotional wellbeing.

White noise generators used correctly and with counselling is not noise, it is sound therapy and I hope Sointu tries my suggestions and is able to use them.

Seems like someone got their ego hurt, it's ok bud, you'll be just fine

On the contrary, I have no ego to bruise. I am not going to engage in a slanging match which is clearly your intention.

You don't know what bad is. Asking people to lower their voices, I couldn't have a conversation with anybody for more than half a year.

I endured a lot of what you experienced but admit I wasn't confined to my home for 6 months. I was also affected by the sound of my shower so had baths instead. All this happened 26 years ago and thankfully I was able to move on.

In 2008 I suffered a second noise trauma that resulted in 4 long arduous years habituating to tinnitus for the second time. It was the lowest point of my life and there were times I seriously thought my life was over. When I asked my ENT consultant to be candid about my condition, she said I was the second worst tinnitus patient she had treated but vowed to carry on treating me. Believe me when I say I know how distressing tinnitus and hyperacusis can be and the impact they can have on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

We all have problems because life is problematic and some people have more than their fair share. I am not saying one shouldn't express the way they feel or the difficulties they are going through but everything needs to be kept in balance, otherwise a person's life will be consumed with negativity.

This is certainly not helpful to them or the people they associate with because very few of us live in complete isolation.

Michael

 

[ZFire]

Time and relative silence was the only thing that helped me, as I'm sure it did for you too. Not blasting my hurt ears with MORE noise.

Time and silence didn't do particularly much to help me because the quietest noise would set me off.

I actually got better after a huge noise exposure for no particular reason at all (my extended family called the ambulance with EMTs that shouted and dragged me to the hospital) so by all logic I should have gotten worse but I didn't, and got better over time.

I've noticed inconsistencies in your posts lately. I thought it was after "huge" noise exposure that miraculously turned the tide in your favor. You went as far as to say that the pain aspect was gone in that recovery thread of yours. So which was it? Was it silence OR noise (along with time for either or) that resulted in significant improvement during the week where you saw a 90% recovery in tinnitus and hyperacusis symptoms? Maybe both? You seemed flabbergasted yourself that noise exposure made you better back in April.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have a huge fear of sound.

This can be difficult for a person to overcome on their own. If possible try and see a therapist that is skilled in the treatment of tinnitus and phonophobia.

Hope you are able to get some help.

All the best,
Michael

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

I've noticed inconsistencies in your posts lately. I thought it was after "huge" noise exposure that miraculously turned the tide in your favor. You went as far as to say that the pain aspect was gone in that recovery thread of yours. So which was it? Was it silence OR noise (along with time for either or) that resulted in significant improvement during the week where you saw a 90% recovery in tinnitus and hyperacusis symptoms? Maybe both? You seemed flabbergasted yourself that noise exposure made you better back in April.

Yeah, because I absolutely 100% understand what's happening to me, like most of us do. I obviously have no idea why I suddenly improved. Noise exposure started making me worse again after that.

What I do know is I hadn't stabilized until I moved to a much quieter apartment, so yeah, time and silence.