Increasing Sound Sensitivity Over the Past Few Weeks — Why?

[aot]

So, over the past few weeks or so my sound sensitivity has been getting worse. Loud voices (my family all talk loudly despite my protests), dishes clattering, the rolling of DnD dice, all awful. Not painful, but causes some discomfort that ceases when the noise stops.

I have TTTS and miso/phonophobia, but it's never really been bad enough for me to justify considering it hyperacusis. But it's been getting more prevalent lately with nothing to trigger it. It's worse in the mornings and then softens throughout the day, but I'm scared it's going to end up becoming full blown hyperacusis if I don't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

No earbuds/headphones use, a quiet work environment (probably no louder than 70 dB on occasion.) No acoustic traumas, no ear infections or impacted wax (at least as far as I can tell.) I don't take any supplements.

The only two possible culprits are over protection and too much sound enrichment: I use musician's earplugs when on the bus and while waiting at the bus station (both of which can range from 70 dB to 80 dB.) Sometimes I wear them at work also if my misophonia is bad.

And I use sound enrichment throughout the night to help me sleep. No colored noise. Just rain, thunder, and wind.

Am I over protecting? Should I cut down on the sound enrichment? Or is it something else entirely?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

 

[nikkinikki]

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this shite. If I may pass on some advice from my ENT that helped me, maybe it can help you?

My situation sounds similar to yours: I was/am uncomfortable with certain sounds like dishes clinking and paper crinkling; didn't have any pain but did have a twinge or a flutter in the eardrums. The advice my ENT offered was this: those sounds are unpleasant, but they really aren't loud enough to be objectively harmful. Once I let go of the that anxiety, the flutters lessened or stopped. I don't know your sensitivity level, but letting go definitely helped me. (My T is noise induced BTW, 8 weeks in.)

He also told me to make sure I'm checking my posture at least every 30 minutes. Shoulders down, separate the teeth, because muscles in the ear are all connected to the jaw and neck, and tightness can cause feelings in the ear. I'm a jaw clencher for sure, and relaxing certainly can't hurt.

Lastly I started taking magnesium as well. Anecdotally speaking, I made all of these changes a week ago, and my fluttering is better and even my T is quieter this week. Maybe these little changes can help you too? Best of luck!

 

[aot]

Thanks, Nikki. I know the sounds aren't causing me actual damage, but they still cause discomfort. But not the burning pain many people describe, thankfully.

I've never tried Magnesium. Any side effects?

 

[nikkinikki]

I jumped straight into 1 x 500 mg tablet per day, taken in the morning. The first couple of mornings I felt a bit nauseous, but no nausea any more. TBH I have no idea how much or how little to take.

 

[aot]

I cut down the sound enrichment. Instead of throughout the night, I have it set for an hour, long enough for me to fall asleep. That way, I'm getting a good few hours of actual silence. (My tinnitus has improved enough able to comfortably spend time in silence while awake.)

Too early to tell, but I'm hoping it'll improve things for me.

Is it possible that I have ETD, and that's what causing this? My ears pop super easily. I won't even try, I'll just yawn or open wide and they'll pop. Sometimes it feels like there's liquid in there, but it's actually dry. Signs of ETD? How do I treat it?

Still feeling very anxious. Bad hyperacusis is a death sentence for me because of my housing and financial situation.