Do I get extra points for the punny title? No? Great. Here's my story and where I'm at.
I had a stereo installed in my car in the late 1990s, and apparently there was a major imbalance between the high and low frequencies. I turned it up loud and drove around like that for about a week. Afterward, I developed ringing in my ears and pain. Tinnitus.
I lived with it, mostly because I had no idea what it was. After doing some research, I realized what I had. It was bad. I saw an ENT who told me I would just have to learn to live with it and added that I would probably be deaf before I turned 30.
Well, I am now in my 40s. I always wear earplugs when I go to any loud venue or anywhere I suspect will be loud. Seriously, why do people blast music at kids' birthday parties? I ride motorcycles too, and for every ride I use a fresh set of 32 dB NRR foam earplugs, which I discard after one or two days of use.
I have not had any major setbacks, but over the years I have had some issues with either hyperacusis or recruitment, usually when I bought a new car. I am very careful to manage the noise levels in my environment.
Eventually, I started noticing pressure building up in my ears. In 2020, suspecting Eustachian tube dysfunction, I saw another ENT. He recommended placing a tube in my right ear, which was the worse one, to see if it would help. As soon as the tube was placed, sounds became louder in that ear and it felt better overall. I do my best to keep it clean and dry and use the prescribed ear drops if I suspect an issue coming on.
In January, I had a hearing test. Is audiogram the right word? There was no real change compared to 2019. My hearing is fine up to about 4 kHz, then it starts to drop off, and I cannot hear much beyond 8 kHz. The tinnitus is in both ears equally at around 70 dB, based on an unscientific at-home phone test comparing tones. It is pretty bad.
The person who did the audiogram suggested I have hyperacusis and also mentioned that I might be a candidate for hearing aids specifically tailored for tinnitus. That was the first time I had heard about that kind of hearing aid, and I am one hundred percent interested.
My tinnitus sometimes gets higher-pitched or louder, but it usually returns to its normal pitch and volume.
Four weeks ago, I had a bad gout flare-up. I was prescribed Prednisone and tapered down from six pills to one during the course of the treatment. There was no increase in tinnitus during or after the medication.
However, about three to five days after finishing the Prednisone, I came down with a bad cold. I still have some leftover chest congestion and nasal drainage, though it is much better now.
Fast forward to last week. I bought a new computer. I had been using the same laptop with the same EQ and sound profile for five years, and it never caused any problems with my tinnitus. I think my ears had gotten used to it, and they do not like the new sound yet. Or maybe they just need time to adjust.
I bought a set of Edifier MR4 speakers to go with the new computer. As soon as I started using them, I felt pain and fullness in my right ear, which I am familiar with. Usually, I can pop the right ear and things return to normal. Not this time. My phone showed decibel levels around 55 to 60 dB, though I know it is not very accurate.
I installed EQ software, but I could not get the same sound software I had on the old computer to work on the new one. I really love this new computer, aside from the speaker issue.
So I returned those speakers and bought a set of Logitech Z407s. I used the same EQ and sound profile software, and things seemed better. However, the speakers made a loud sound when switching modes, which triggered a flare-up of both tinnitus and pressure again, so I returned them too.
Then I found an old set of Altec Lansing VS2421 speakers and subwoofer in the basement and gave them a try. They were a little better, but still not great.
Last night, I bought a set of Logitech Z625 THX speakers and subwoofer. Sometimes they sound great, and other times they do not.
I spend a lot of time on the computer. I edit my own YouTube videos, watch YouTube, and stream Netflix. Volume is still at 55 to 60 dB according to my phone, but I keep getting fullness and sometimes pain. I always keep the volume at a reasonable level. It might sound slightly loud to my wife, who has nearly perfect hearing, but it is not extreme.
This computer time is a huge part of what helps me relax and escape the stress of daily life, so this added discomfort is definitely not helping.
Today I went on a 90-minute motorcycle ride with earplugs and had no issues at all. If anything, the earplugs actually reduced the fullness in my ears. I could hear the stereo clearly and enjoyed the ride. I was in a great mood until I got home and started watching YouTube videos.
Male voices, especially with M and N sounds, now feel like they are booming, even though my phone still shows 55 to 60 dB.
So, that is where things stand. I ordered a cheap pair of low-power speakers in the hope that they will be similar to the old laptop speakers. I am hoping I can go back to listening for hours without any problems at that same 55 to 60 dB range.
After reading dozens of threads on this site, I finally signed up. I also ordered Magnesium and Ginkgo Biloba to try and support my ears.
At this point, I feel like the tube in my right ear is making the hyperacusis worse, which then flares up the tinnitus, and I am seriously tempted to have it removed.
I am hoping that as this cold goes away, along with the head and chest congestion, things will improve, although I do not have much hope.
I already had a setback in the treatment process. Someone at my health insurance company canceled my hearing aid appointment and falsely noted that I was the one who requested it. I definitely did not. Now I cannot get another appointment for months.
I want to improve my quality of life. I already avoid a lot of things out of fear of further damaging my hearing.
Anyway, if you read this far, you have basically finished reading a book for the week. Thank you for taking the time. I really hope someone has some good suggestions or has been through something similar.
—John
I had a stereo installed in my car in the late 1990s, and apparently there was a major imbalance between the high and low frequencies. I turned it up loud and drove around like that for about a week. Afterward, I developed ringing in my ears and pain. Tinnitus.
I lived with it, mostly because I had no idea what it was. After doing some research, I realized what I had. It was bad. I saw an ENT who told me I would just have to learn to live with it and added that I would probably be deaf before I turned 30.
Well, I am now in my 40s. I always wear earplugs when I go to any loud venue or anywhere I suspect will be loud. Seriously, why do people blast music at kids' birthday parties? I ride motorcycles too, and for every ride I use a fresh set of 32 dB NRR foam earplugs, which I discard after one or two days of use.
I have not had any major setbacks, but over the years I have had some issues with either hyperacusis or recruitment, usually when I bought a new car. I am very careful to manage the noise levels in my environment.
Eventually, I started noticing pressure building up in my ears. In 2020, suspecting Eustachian tube dysfunction, I saw another ENT. He recommended placing a tube in my right ear, which was the worse one, to see if it would help. As soon as the tube was placed, sounds became louder in that ear and it felt better overall. I do my best to keep it clean and dry and use the prescribed ear drops if I suspect an issue coming on.
In January, I had a hearing test. Is audiogram the right word? There was no real change compared to 2019. My hearing is fine up to about 4 kHz, then it starts to drop off, and I cannot hear much beyond 8 kHz. The tinnitus is in both ears equally at around 70 dB, based on an unscientific at-home phone test comparing tones. It is pretty bad.
The person who did the audiogram suggested I have hyperacusis and also mentioned that I might be a candidate for hearing aids specifically tailored for tinnitus. That was the first time I had heard about that kind of hearing aid, and I am one hundred percent interested.
My tinnitus sometimes gets higher-pitched or louder, but it usually returns to its normal pitch and volume.
Four weeks ago, I had a bad gout flare-up. I was prescribed Prednisone and tapered down from six pills to one during the course of the treatment. There was no increase in tinnitus during or after the medication.
However, about three to five days after finishing the Prednisone, I came down with a bad cold. I still have some leftover chest congestion and nasal drainage, though it is much better now.
Fast forward to last week. I bought a new computer. I had been using the same laptop with the same EQ and sound profile for five years, and it never caused any problems with my tinnitus. I think my ears had gotten used to it, and they do not like the new sound yet. Or maybe they just need time to adjust.
I bought a set of Edifier MR4 speakers to go with the new computer. As soon as I started using them, I felt pain and fullness in my right ear, which I am familiar with. Usually, I can pop the right ear and things return to normal. Not this time. My phone showed decibel levels around 55 to 60 dB, though I know it is not very accurate.
I installed EQ software, but I could not get the same sound software I had on the old computer to work on the new one. I really love this new computer, aside from the speaker issue.
So I returned those speakers and bought a set of Logitech Z407s. I used the same EQ and sound profile software, and things seemed better. However, the speakers made a loud sound when switching modes, which triggered a flare-up of both tinnitus and pressure again, so I returned them too.
Then I found an old set of Altec Lansing VS2421 speakers and subwoofer in the basement and gave them a try. They were a little better, but still not great.
Last night, I bought a set of Logitech Z625 THX speakers and subwoofer. Sometimes they sound great, and other times they do not.
I spend a lot of time on the computer. I edit my own YouTube videos, watch YouTube, and stream Netflix. Volume is still at 55 to 60 dB according to my phone, but I keep getting fullness and sometimes pain. I always keep the volume at a reasonable level. It might sound slightly loud to my wife, who has nearly perfect hearing, but it is not extreme.
This computer time is a huge part of what helps me relax and escape the stress of daily life, so this added discomfort is definitely not helping.
Today I went on a 90-minute motorcycle ride with earplugs and had no issues at all. If anything, the earplugs actually reduced the fullness in my ears. I could hear the stereo clearly and enjoyed the ride. I was in a great mood until I got home and started watching YouTube videos.
Male voices, especially with M and N sounds, now feel like they are booming, even though my phone still shows 55 to 60 dB.
So, that is where things stand. I ordered a cheap pair of low-power speakers in the hope that they will be similar to the old laptop speakers. I am hoping I can go back to listening for hours without any problems at that same 55 to 60 dB range.
After reading dozens of threads on this site, I finally signed up. I also ordered Magnesium and Ginkgo Biloba to try and support my ears.
At this point, I feel like the tube in my right ear is making the hyperacusis worse, which then flares up the tinnitus, and I am seriously tempted to have it removed.
I am hoping that as this cold goes away, along with the head and chest congestion, things will improve, although I do not have much hope.
I already had a setback in the treatment process. Someone at my health insurance company canceled my hearing aid appointment and falsely noted that I was the one who requested it. I definitely did not. Now I cannot get another appointment for months.
I want to improve my quality of life. I already avoid a lot of things out of fear of further damaging my hearing.
Anyway, if you read this far, you have basically finished reading a book for the week. Thank you for taking the time. I really hope someone has some good suggestions or has been through something similar.
—John
