Hello everyone,
This is my first post about tinnitus, and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on and what I should do.
I know these questions are often similar, but I can't help myself—I need to ask.
About Me
I'm a 25-year-old male, and I developed tinnitus two weeks ago. It started after a prolonged headache and feeling unwell (possibly from a latent viral infection). Around the same time, I also did some neck stretches.
Initially, I read a bit about tinnitus and decided to let it be, thinking it was mild and that I'd probably adapt over time. When it started, I had a constant ringing in one ear, while the other ear was fine on some days and had two irregularly changing tones on others.
At that time, I didn't know what reactive tinnitus, dysacusis, or hyperacusis were.
What Happened Next
Six days after the tinnitus began, I went back to school to take an exam. I was extremely stressed. That's when I noticed that certain sounds, like the hum of a refrigerator or running water, sounded distorted. Worse, those sounds triggered a new, high-pitched tone that was louder than the external noise. That's how I learned about hyperacusis, reactive tinnitus, and sound distortion.
Now, two weeks in, everything feels worse. Three days ago, I developed a new reactive sound that resembles Morse code. It reacts to any noise at home in real-time and then stops when the sound ends. Even something as subtle as external heating systems causes this reactivity—on top of my normal ringing tinnitus.
I also feel hypersensitive to sounds now. I'm not sure if it's true hyperacusis, my mind playing tricks on me, or even misophonia caused by the stress of this situation.
How I'm Feeling
During the first week, I had a panic attack, as many of you might relate to. After that, I felt slightly better for about four days, managing to relax with soothing rain sounds. But now, I feel like I'm slowly slipping into depression.
It feels like I have two terrible options:
I've tried to stay positive, focusing on encouraging stories and maintaining a hopeful mindset, but I'm struggling.
My Questions
I've tried to live my life without dwelling on it too much, but it feels impossible right now. So here I am, stuck again…
Thank you so much for reading and for any advice you can give.
This is my first post about tinnitus, and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on and what I should do.
I know these questions are often similar, but I can't help myself—I need to ask.
About Me
I'm a 25-year-old male, and I developed tinnitus two weeks ago. It started after a prolonged headache and feeling unwell (possibly from a latent viral infection). Around the same time, I also did some neck stretches.
Initially, I read a bit about tinnitus and decided to let it be, thinking it was mild and that I'd probably adapt over time. When it started, I had a constant ringing in one ear, while the other ear was fine on some days and had two irregularly changing tones on others.
At that time, I didn't know what reactive tinnitus, dysacusis, or hyperacusis were.
What Happened Next
Six days after the tinnitus began, I went back to school to take an exam. I was extremely stressed. That's when I noticed that certain sounds, like the hum of a refrigerator or running water, sounded distorted. Worse, those sounds triggered a new, high-pitched tone that was louder than the external noise. That's how I learned about hyperacusis, reactive tinnitus, and sound distortion.
Now, two weeks in, everything feels worse. Three days ago, I developed a new reactive sound that resembles Morse code. It reacts to any noise at home in real-time and then stops when the sound ends. Even something as subtle as external heating systems causes this reactivity—on top of my normal ringing tinnitus.
I also feel hypersensitive to sounds now. I'm not sure if it's true hyperacusis, my mind playing tricks on me, or even misophonia caused by the stress of this situation.
How I'm Feeling
During the first week, I had a panic attack, as many of you might relate to. After that, I felt slightly better for about four days, managing to relax with soothing rain sounds. But now, I feel like I'm slowly slipping into depression.
It feels like I have two terrible options:
- Listen to the screaming tinnitus in silence.
- Turn on soothing sounds but endure the reactive beeping, even at very low volumes.
I've tried to stay positive, focusing on encouraging stories and maintaining a hopeful mindset, but I'm struggling.
My Questions
- What should I do? Should I stay in silence for six months, even though I didn't have an acoustic trauma or verified infection? Or should I endure the reactive beeping and continue using soothing sounds?
- Is it possible to develop hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus after some time, even when the original cause is unknown?
I've tried to live my life without dwelling on it too much, but it feels impossible right now. So here I am, stuck again…
Thank you so much for reading and for any advice you can give.
