Is This Hyperacusis? Ears Pained, Full and Numb After a Car Passed By

[spikedears]

I usually wear earplugs and muffs when out and about. I have recently been wearing them to sleep as well as I'm sleeping at my family home which is opposite a main road.

I took the plugs out briefly this morning to clean them and as I did so a car passed by. The windows were shut. On my iPhone this sound registered as 50 dB, but my ear felt pained and now feels quite full and numb.

Will this settle? Was the noise dangerous? What can I do? Awful start to the day.

@Ed209 @Michael Leigh @Bill Bauer any thoughts or advice or shared experience on this?

 

[spikedears]

Someone, please please help me!

 

[Michael Leigh]

@spikedears

The overuse of earplugs and muffs is not a good idea as you will make your ears and auditory system more sensitive to sound. This practice is also causing you stress and anxiety. If you are not careful other problems can result: phonophobia and misophonia. Please click on the links below and read my posts which I think will help you .

My advice is to stop using the sound App on your iPhone. This reinforces the belief that you have a problem and increases anxiety and fear something that you don't need.

All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-complexities-of-tinnitus-and-hyperacusis.25733/

 

[spikedears]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for getting in touch and answering my pained call.

If someone has been overprotecting for months, in your opinion are sounds that most people would be ok with dangerous to them (before adjustment) or can you go cold turkey from protecting. Essentially, I have a new tone now and some fullness in my right ear from this sound.

Thanks for the linked posts, I shall read them now!

 

[Michael Leigh]

If someone has been overprotecting for months, in your opinion are sounds that most people would be ok with dangerous to them (before adjustment) or can you go cold turkey from protecting. Essentially, I have a new tone now and some fullness in my right ear from this sound.

HI @spikedears

You have been overprotecting your ears for quite a while. The first step to recovery is to stop sleeping with earplugs and learn to use a "sound machine" at night. I wouldn't say that you have damaged your ears but you have increased stress and anxiety. This will reduce in time so follow my suggestions in the links that I gave you to my two posts above. Try not to worry over this as you will improve.

Take care
Michael

 

[Contrast]

I usually wear earplugs and muffs when out and about. I have recently been wearing them to sleep as well as I'm sleeping at my family home which is opposite a main road.

I took the plugs out briefly this morning to clean them and as I did so a car passed by. The windows were shut. On my iPhone this sound registered as 50 dB, but my ear felt pained and now feels quite full and numb.

Will this settle? Was the noise dangerous? What can I do? Awful start to the day.

@Ed209 @Michael Leigh @Bill Bauer any thoughts or advice or shared experience on this?

How long have you had hyperacusis with pain? What set it on?

 

[spikedears]

@Contrast not really noticed it before today (with pain) as I've been wearing plugs and earmuffs pretty solidly for months. Basically scared to make the t worse, that's why.

Noticed the pain today and fullness on hearing the sound though so now worried ive damaged myself overprotecting and also through exposing myself to this noise.

Need to wean myself off the double projection, I think, but don't know where to begin or whether I am strong enough

 

[Contrast]

@Contrast not really noticed it before today (with pain) as I've been wearing plugs and earmuffs pretty solidly for months. Basically scared to make the t worse, that's why.

Noticed the pain today and fullness on hearing the sound though so now worried ive damaged myself overprotecting and also through exposing myself to this noise.

Need to wean myself off the double projection, I think, but don't know where to begin or whether I am strong enough

What do you think caused it?

You should protect your ears moderately but don't over do it.

 

[spikedears]

Pain and fullness was caused by a passing car (when indoors with windows shut) and not wearing plugs or muffs.

My tinnitus was caused by loud music and worsened by stress (possibly).

Where do you protect your ears @Contrast Do you protect in the home?

Also had a dog bark about 2 feet from my face whilst wearing earmuffs which has spiked my T as well

This misery is unending

 

[Contrast]

Pain and fullness was caused by a passing car (when indoors with windows shut) and not wearing plugs or muffs.

My tinnitus was caused by loud music and worsened by stress (possibly).

Where do you protect your ears @Contrast Do you protect in the home?

Also had a dog bark about 2 feet from my face whilst wearing earmuffs which has spiked my T as well

This misery is unending

Your ear pain literally began from cars passing in indoors below 85db that's not a dangerous volume?

No I don't anymore outside of 80-85db noises.


Did you get tested for hearing loss?

 

[spikedears]

Your ear pain literally began from cars passing in indoors below 85db that's not a dangerous volume?

That is correct. Was cleaning my earplugs by a window facing the road and car went pasta in wet and I felt pain in R ear and a fullness. Also got another low pure tone which sounds like a saw whirring.

Hoping all this subsides. Feeling anxious with it and want to be back to normal. Beating myself up for exposing myself to the noise, but had been in muffs and plugs for over 24 hours and though ears needed a relief from the plugs as they were feel wet and waxy. Praying for respite

 

[Contrast]

That is correct. Was cleaning my earplugs by a window facing the road and car went pasta in wet and I felt pain in R ear and a fullness. Also got another low pure tone which sounds like a saw whirring.

Hoping all this subsides. Feeling anxious with it and want to be back to normal. Beating myself up for exposing myself to the noise, but had been in muffs and plugs for over 24 hours and though ears needed a relief from the plugs as they were feel wet and waxy. Praying for respite

why did you wear ear plugs before you had hyperacusis?, did you get checked for hearing loss?

 

[spikedears]

@Contrast I wear earplugs as muffs as I have noise induced tinnitus with mild hearing loss at high frequencies.

I don't want to make the T worse so I wear plugs and muffs when out and about. Does that make sense? Stupid to do?

 

[Michael Leigh]

I don't want to make the T worse so I wear plugs and muffs when out and about

By using earplugs and muffs in the manner that you are doing you're making your tinnitus and hyperacusis worse. First, by lowering the threshold of your auditory system thus making it more sensitive to sound. Second, increasing stress and anxiety. As I have previously explained, you risk developing phonophobia and possibly misophonia if you are not careful.

Michael

 

[Contrast]

@Contrast I wear earplugs as muffs as I have noise induced tinnitus with mild hearing loss at high frequencies.

I don't want to make the T worse so I wear plugs and muffs when out and about. Does that make sense? Stupid to do?

it's paranoia without hyperacusis/pain , but with hyperacusis/pain it is understandable.


Recent research indicates one may have more hearing loss then they think, such as hearing loss outside of the human voice range that doesn't show up on tonal audiograms.

http://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/#hiddenloss

 

[Johan_L]

Your ear pain literally began from cars passing in indoors below 85db that's not a dangerous volume?

No I don't anymore outside of 80-85db noises.


Did you get tested for hearing loss?

Is 80 to 85 your discomfort level? (or do you feel discomfort but still avoid protection at those noise levels)

 

[dingaling]

The constant wearing of ear plugs also lowers the threshold of the startle reflex so that you become jumpy "earlier" to sounds that you perceive as loud. This will definately lead to being fearful of sound (phonophobia)

 

[Marc22]

Spikedears:

I am not quite clear here: How bad was your hyperacusis to begin with, and how close are you to car traffic? If your h. is bad, and you are constantly exposed to traffic then protecting is a must! If not, it depends on your particular situation.

I would say that, in most instances, you should eventually recover from such a short exposure.That is always what happens to me.

Marco

 

[Juan]

I usually wear earplugs and muffs when out and about. I have recently been wearing them to sleep as well as I'm sleeping at my family home which is opposite a main road.

I took the plugs out briefly this morning to clean them and as I did so a car passed by. The windows were shut. On my iPhone this sound registered as 50 dB, but my ear felt pained and now feels quite full and numb.

Will this settle? Was the noise dangerous? What can I do? Awful start to the day.

@Ed209 @Michael Leigh @Bill Bauer any thoughts or advice or shared experience on this?

Doesnt appear to be a dangerous sound.

The sound meter on your phone, on any smartphone, is not very likely to provide accurate readings of the real decibel level.

After removing earplugs you may hear for some minutes different, louder or weaker, distorted etc Earplugs can give you pressure if used for a long time.