Musician with Reactive Tinnitus and High-Frequency Sensitivity from COVID-19

[remixedcat]

Hi, I'm remixedcat. I've had reactive tinnitus since I got COVID-19 around Christmas 2023, and it's been driving me up the wall. As a musician, this has been especially challenging.

I'm extremely sensitive to high frequencies, like clanging, AC noise, hissing, rustling papers, fridge hum, crickets, and even the sound of bags. My tinnitus is often triggered by these sounds, making it feel like double the torture.

That's why I'm here. I'm looking for help. I can't escape sound because I create music and absolutely love doing it!

 

[Benjamin Greenberg]

I have a similar set of issues. I have been dealing with tinnitus for 25 years and hyperacusis for about 20. This past April, I contracted COVID, which has caused near deafness in the higher frequencies, making my experience even more challenging.

I was a professional musician but had to change careers due to my audiological issues. After eight years of education and training, I have been working as a psychologist for over five years.

I'm sorry to hear how challenging it has been for you. These issues can be truly brutal. I am one of the most severe cases I have come across, but most people can adapt remarkably well.

 

[benjd2016]

COVID-19 has been an absolute menace. It nearly destroyed my life too. I struggled with severe mental health challenges, even feeling suicidal, because of the ongoing audiological problems it caused me. I believe these issues include Meniere's disease, which developed shortly after a very mild COVID-19 infection in February 2020.

Fast forward to December 2022: on the 21st of that month, I experienced the best hearing I had in years. The next day, I felt tired, and by the evening of the 22nd, it seemed like I was coming down with a nasty cold. I had to cancel my Christmas plans and could not see my family because, on the 24th, I tested positive for COVID-19 again.

Then, in January 2023, my right ear was severely affected once more. Even treating it with steroids did not yield significant improvement, leaving me with lingering problems, just like the episode in December 2020, which I suspect was also linked to COVID-19, even though I contracted the virus much earlier that year.

COVID-19 has caused immense suffering. Beyond the widely known loss of taste and smell, it can affect ears, fingers, toes, and even other areas of the body. I suspect this might be due to autoimmune inflammation, which could restrict blood vessels and nerves, reducing oxygen delivery to vital areas, or from direct nerve damage caused by compression. It is devastating, and I truly hope we can find better ways to prevent and manage these impacts before more lives are affected.

 

[sspencermo]

I developed tinnitus after a COVID-19 booster; seems like it might have been because of the inflammation resulting from the vaccine, but who knows? I play the piano and also have plenty of sound sensitivity now. I've found it very helpful to keep a pair of "musician's earplugs" by the piano; I often wear them if I'm playing something loud or for a long time. They reduce the volume by ~17 decibels, but still allow you to hear what's going on. The ones I use are Loop Experience, but I think there are many types out there.

Best of luck to you!

 

[BeepBeep]

Hi, I'm remixedcat. I've had reactive tinnitus since I got COVID-19 around Christmas 2023, and it's been driving me up the wall. As a musician, this has been especially challenging.

I'm extremely sensitive to high frequencies, like clanging, AC noise, hissing, rustling papers, fridge hum, crickets, and even the sound of bags. My tinnitus is often triggered by these sounds, making it feel like double the torture.

That's why I'm here. I'm looking for help. I can't escape sound because I create music and absolutely love doing it!

I have the same experience with reactive tinnitus. I use a treble-cut EQ unless I absolutely need to listen with treble, toggling it on and off as necessary. I also keep the volume as low as possible.

For listening to music, I find that in-ear headphones paired with a treble-cut app work great for me.

It's definitely a challenge, but it's manageable. Be especially vigilant about wearing earplugs in any potentially noisy situations.