Neighbours Tumble Dryers Driving Me Insane at Home

[Laurac1960]

Over the last year I have been able to eliminate devices in the house that buzzed all the time. Unfortunately I'm having a bad episode of hyperacusis at the moment and the bathroom fans, boilers, tumble dryers and fridges in my neighbours houses are the main cause. Saying that, I can hear and feel vibrations from a cooling unit 30 metres from my house on a bad night. I have a spinal injury too which may contribute to the constant tingling in my spine but I can sit 10 metres from something electrical and "feel" it hum.

I live near the sea and luckily don't work so get some respite but with being paralysed and reliant on a wheelchair, I can't even stay over at a mates for relief. I find when I'm out the shops and cars are too noisy and I'm not socialising outside of the house much.

I just wish I could sit in peace again and listen to birds singing again.

Currently getting 3/4 hours drug induced sleep before the buzz is there again, using an iPad for distraction but wondered if anyone out there has found a way of blocking these particular noises. I'm waiting for an ENT appointment, been on the phone to my doctors everyday who know I'm desperate as going on holiday in a month where I won't be able to cope with AC everywhere.

Reading various forums and websites, it's quite scary too see how many people are suffering yet no cures?

Good to see the support is there though

 

[linearb]

what's your relationship with these neighbors like? If it's aimiable, you might want to consider getting something like this (https://acousticalsolutions.com/product/vibration-isolation-pad/) and then stacking pads a couple layers thick underneath the legs their washing machine is standing on. That can go a long ways towards reducing the vibration -- at one point I lived in a top-floor apartment with roof-mounted HVAC units right over the bedroom; I bought about $300 worth of pads like this, and installed them under all the units, which radically reduced the sound.

Other than that, earplugs are really the only thing I can think of, which will not do a whole lot for the "whole body" vibrations you're describing.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. Hyperacusis is really tough to live with as it puts so much limit on what you can do and where you can go. I remember, as if my ultra high pitch dog whistle T not enough suffering, severe H started to attack soon after T, causing all normal sounds so loud and so piercingly hurtful. I had to wear ear plugs but the ear plugs blocked off all outside ambient masking sounds, making the T shriek so unbearably dominant. Ya, H on top of T is such a pain in the neck. But luckily, my H faded within the year it started. It seems to be the case with many members' H too. Hopefully your H is of this type so it will fade over time. Perhaps you can wear musician ear plugs to lessen the impact of outside sounds and yet they allow enough sounds to come through so you can still hear things.

Have you used some supplements on helping the ears, things like NAC, Magnesium, Zinc, B12, D3 etc. Also you may want to reduce intake of salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, MSG etc. Be prudent so you can still enjoy eating foods but just cut off the excesses. For sleep, if you need the natural stuffs, you may want to check out this site. Melatonin seems to be a common one for sleep for many members. Take care. God bless.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/herbs-and-natural-remedies-for-insomnia/

 

[TeresaD]

@Laurac1960
I use noise cancelling headphones for my H which sounds a lot like yours. I can't have anything vibrating (Ac, fans, refrigerator, my husband's voice which is gravelly). It's seriously devastating! Does yours come and go? Mine does so when you do get a break, you live in constant fear waiting for it to come back. The noise cancelling helps with the H but then all I concentrate on is my T, so it's a never-ending cycle. It's exhausting.

 

[Laurac1960]

Having finally seen another ENT consultant NHS uk, 15 months after another diagnosed hyperacusis, I have been advised it's probably a jaw problem and also I need to look at some antidepressants as I have not had more than 3 hours max sleep in one one go since February. It wouldn't surprise me if I am depressed as going out is impossible and I don't have many friends with wheelchair accessible homes so I am lonely and isolated at the moment for sure.

I am on very strong sleeping tablets that do nothing and was put on Gabapentin to try and alleviate the 24 hour buzzing through my body but I can't say that they have helped. I'm also being referred for in ear sound generators, CBT and a review of medication with another consultant.

Outside, everything is very loud and the fridges and AC units in shops kill me. I'm off to a small island off the coast of Belize for some scuba diving so I'm hoping the company and diving will cheer me up and tire me out. I am already dreading the AC units but at least no cars for two weeks.

Thanks for all the support