Forgot to mention - I definitely had/have hyperacusis but that has improved. Back in May I was at the kitchen table with my aunts and my cousin and their voices were hurting my ears. I didn't have ear plugs and I stupidly didn't leave right away. I ended up leaving because I got physical pain from it. That made me very upset - thinking I can't be around my family because of this. But that has not happened since.
My Ear Ringing Is Never a Single Tone...
- Thread starter Tara Lyons
- Start date
Member- Jan 17, 2020
- 372
- Tinnitus Since
- 01/2020
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Probably noise, stress and a neck injury.
I do agree that thinking about it too much makes it worse. I've slowly gone back to some old activities but taking great care to protect my hearing. While it still fluctuates, it's not as intense and the quiet I previously only enjoyed in the morning can now be present any time of day.
It takes a very long time. Hopefully we both continue to improve.
It takes a very long time. Hopefully we both continue to improve.
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
Another example of defying the paradigm that the #1 concern is overprotection. I've seen more examples of underprotection ruining people than the opposite.
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
I guess what I'm suggesting is that no one's an expert on this stuff. If you are seeing results with protecting, you shouldn't question it because the literature says you're mentally ill. We should listen to our bodies.
Hi @Tara Lyons
Do you mean that it's quieter / less intense now with earplugs than it used to be? Or that it's quieter with earplugs in than without?
If it's the first, then yes, I would say that means it is fading. If it's the second, it sounds like you may still be dealing with hyperacusis or reactive T.
Mine is actually the opposite. Mine sounds louder with plugs in, because there is no other noise to mask it. So that is very interesting that yours gets quieter.
It could mean that once your hyperacusis & reactive T subsides your noise will be quieter. Which would be good news!
Curious - does your T stabilize when you have plugs in, or is the noise still fluctuating?
Do you mean that it's quieter / less intense now with earplugs than it used to be? Or that it's quieter with earplugs in than without?
If it's the first, then yes, I would say that means it is fading. If it's the second, it sounds like you may still be dealing with hyperacusis or reactive T.
Mine is actually the opposite. Mine sounds louder with plugs in, because there is no other noise to mask it. So that is very interesting that yours gets quieter.
It could mean that once your hyperacusis & reactive T subsides your noise will be quieter. Which would be good news!
Curious - does your T stabilize when you have plugs in, or is the noise still fluctuating?
PS - it's pretty common for it to take many months for tinnitus fade (especially after initial onset). I say that not to depress you, but to give you hope. It's very easy to lose patience and get depressed with lack of progress. Stay positive and keep believing that it will fade.
I started wearing ear plugs and the ringing was really intense. After about a month of doing this I started having quieter days/nights, but definitely still had some flare ups. Like last night. I went to get my hair done and I had my ear plugs in and she was blow drying my hair. I came home and took my ear plugs out and I just had this horrible loudness in my ears. I started crying and just went to bed because it was so uncomfortable. I was supposed to go away today with friends and I just can't from dealing with this.
When I put the ear plugs in now, the ringing isn't the way it was. But I think I'm still dealing with hyperacusis. I've never been so uncomfortable in my life.
When I put the ear plugs in now, the ringing isn't the way it was. But I think I'm still dealing with hyperacusis. I've never been so uncomfortable in my life.
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Yes. You need to be wearing earplugs 24/7 for months to do any harm, and you can cure hyperacusis due to this within a week. If you make a mistake and Underprotect, that can end up actually being serious.
I don't mind if it takes many months, as long as it fades and goes away. This is the worst experience of my life. August 1st I'll be 6 months in.
My right ear has begun to spike with pulsatile tinnitus since I had mirtazipine (sp?) for sleep. What's so weird is when I stick my fingers in my ears, the tone is uniform and the same as it has been for years and years. I only experience the pulsatile tinnitus when I have my ear uncovered. I've been using an old white noise generator in my right ear to help with distraction. I also have every environmental sound going that I can find on my smart speaker, laptop, and phone.
@Theresa A
Are the new sounds rhythmic to your heartbeat? I believe pulsatile T is commonly associated with something physical that can be treated. (ie increases blood pressure, etc). Could it be that you are more stressed and have higher blood pressure due to lack of sleep?
@Theresa A
If it helps, I have pulsatile tinnitus as well as normal tinnitus. However the two for me aren't related in anyway. The PT is due to a blockage in the artery.
Like @Ryan Jones said, it's normally to do with blood flow/pressure.
Fundamental question - is it in sync with your heartbeat??
Steph
If it helps, I have pulsatile tinnitus as well as normal tinnitus. However the two for me aren't related in anyway. The PT is due to a blockage in the artery.
Like @Ryan Jones said, it's normally to do with blood flow/pressure.
Fundamental question - is it in sync with your heartbeat??
Steph
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
Just by basic physics, wearing ear protection is going to increase tinnitus as it increases pressure. I believe in an empirical approach. If you often find that you think something will cause a setback and it never does, then you may want to consider not over protecting for normal noises. If you have evidence that a certain level of noise sets you back, protect. For the life of me, I don't know why the literature insinuates that people want to live their lives with hearing protection. Most people's instincts is to deny the issue and underprotect. It's very weird to me that over protection is what's assumed.
Then again, Jastreboff thinks that patients like be victims and get rich off of tinnitus so this is consistent with an assumption that most people would over protect.
During the first few months of my problem, I went full denial and wore no protection. During that time, I didn't do anything particularly loud. But it kept getting worse. hmmm.... I know others on this forum who have said the same thing. Again, most people want to live.
And by the way, this is coming from someone with diagnosed OCD. I know all about irrational fears. This ain't it.
Then again, Jastreboff thinks that patients like be victims and get rich off of tinnitus so this is consistent with an assumption that most people would over protect.
During the first few months of my problem, I went full denial and wore no protection. During that time, I didn't do anything particularly loud. But it kept getting worse. hmmm.... I know others on this forum who have said the same thing. Again, most people want to live.
And by the way, this is coming from someone with diagnosed OCD. I know all about irrational fears. This ain't it.
@Zugzug so why tell me to continue wearing protection if it increases pressure and makes it worse? Or am I seeing results by not being exposed to noise because I really have hyperacusis and whenever I'm around a lot of sound my ears flip out?
Really tired of all of this and not knowing what to do regarding this issue.
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
Sorry, I meant the pressure makes one notice it more. The idea is to take one step back to take two steps forward. But really you should listen to yourself over me.
@Zugzug I don't know what to do because I hear so many different things and I am not an expert at tinnitus. I don't understand these weird sensations I get in my ears usually after being exposed to noise. Is that hyperacusis? I feel like my ears react to noise. So is this all hyperacusis? I really don't know anymore!!
- Oct 19, 2019
- 862
- Tinnitus Since
- 2016/2017/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Unknown
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
My personal opinion is that reactive tinnitus is highly related to hyperacusis. The person may or may not have true hyperacusis, but this element is related. Tinnitus and hyperacusis -- though different -- are cousins, so it doesn't surprise me.
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
None of us know what we're doing. The standard I have with reactive tinnitus is if something makes it spikes for a few hours, but then settles back completely or when I wake up in the morning, then it's not a dangerous noise. If it gives me a setback for days or weeks, it required protection. Some may disagree and I wouldn't fight them. For better or worse, these conditions require an unhealthy amount of trust in ourselves. It's a sad state of affairs.
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
I was talking about the hyperacusis that might develop if one overprotects. In that case, you gradually expose yourself to noise (e.g., find the volume on a TV that is on the edge of bearable, and then try to listen to that volume for a couple of minutes and after an hour or two slightly increase the volume and listen to that for a couple of minutes, etc.
@Ryan Jones Are the new sounds rhythmic to your heartbeat? I believe pulsatile T is commonly associated with something physical that can be treated. (ie increases blood pressure, etc). Could it be that you are more stressed and have higher blood pressure due to lack of sleep?
Forgive my formatting, I am still learning how on here. I think it is associated with my heartbeat. I sometimes get a faster pulse and it seems to react to that. But I had an EKG done recently and that was fine as well. It goes up and down all day. The WNG helps with distracting me a bit though.
Forgive my formatting, I am still learning how on here. I think it is associated with my heartbeat. I sometimes get a faster pulse and it seems to react to that. But I had an EKG done recently and that was fine as well. It goes up and down all day. The WNG helps with distracting me a bit though.
- Aug 5, 2019
- 1,852
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Autoimmune hyperacusis from Sjogren's Syndrome
Actually, your point inspired me to read
https://www.audiologyonline.com/art...eracusis-phonophobia-tinnitus-retraining-1105
again. There are several glaring things that bother me about this case study.
1. Never at any point do they talk about whether or not the patient had evidence that his precautions were necessary. They keep talking about "phobia" and how he needed reassurance. Reassurance of what? Did he not have evidence that sounds made him worse? This is super important. I don't think anyone on here disagrees with the fact that you should expose yourself to sound if your body doesn't get a setback from it.
2. In the Discussion, the authors write "It is difficult -- if not impossible -- to determine the particular contributions of physical vs psychological components to this patient's condition."
But it really shouldn't be unless you don't believe the patient. Again, what was his evidence for his precautions? Was he like, "I just know sounds would make me worse." Or was it more like, "I tried living without putting bricks over my windows, and noise X gave me a massive setback"? None of this is discussed.
3.
where is the discussion about under protection? Maybe the patient got that way in the first place because of under protection. Why is his past evidence so irrelevant to this problem?
Also, this is about extreme as over protection can get, and he still saw improvements after decades of isolation. You would think the conclusion of this case study would be...maybe we should look at under protection? After all, a guy who isolated from all sounds for that long still came back from it. The idea that this same principle is being advised to new people -- and taking precedent over not making the problem worse -- is ridiculous.
I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm clowning the patient. I don't blame him for any of his decisions. I just wish the study didn't take the approach of "TRT is going to help this guy. Let's work backwards from there."
Attachments
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Goes without saying that I agree with all of your points. Another problem is that they assume that everyone who protects ends up having to protect against quieter and quieter sounds. My experience has been the opposite of that. They assume that protecting leads to being unreasonable about it, despite only a handful of people experiencing these mental problems and the vast majority not ending up like that.
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