Good afternoon, fellow sufferers,
I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis about a month after my second COVID jab (not saying it was the jab, by the way). It started as a low-pitched hum, like a car speaker playing deep bass. I searched my house and even the surrounding area, trying to find the source of the humming, until I read about tinnitus.
Over the following months, the hum developed into a high-pitched ringing, along with a splat-like sound in my left ear and the bass tone in my right ear. I was coping okay until the sound sensitivity kicked in. Even a distant tractor, a mile away, hurt my ears. Sounds became distorted, and my own voice felt like breaking glass. Cutlery rattling in a drawer was unbearable. It was shocking and possibly the worst time of my life.
I got through it by first confirming it was not life-threatening. I saw an ENT and a GP, had an MRI brain scan, and underwent a hearing test, which showed no hearing loss. Since I love music (I am a musician), I used it as exposure therapy, even though it hurt. I gradually increased the volume to get used to sounds again. I also went back to work and refused to hide from noise or overprotect my ears.
Slowly, over seven to eight months, the hyperacusis passed, but I was left with a constant tonal tinnitus in my right ear. It was manageable and not too noticeable during the day with background noise. However, I noticed that if I sat in silence for too long—two or three days—the hyperacusis would start creeping back. I believe my brain turns up the volume again when it lacks sound input.
That is how I lived for the past few years, sleeping with a fan on and keeping my tinnitus under control.
Now, jump forward to today. After my evening 5K run, it suddenly came back with a vengeance, and this time it is reactive. The sound is very high-pitched and in both ears. The TV sounds awful and distorted. I have to avoid the fridge hum in the supermarket, and even the bathroom fan drives me crazy, causing ear pain.
I also get an increasing headache that spreads up the back of my neck and head, worsening throughout the day. Surprisingly, when I lie down and sleep, it becomes slightly less bothersome, and I can still manage to sleep. In the morning, if I stay still with my eyes closed but remain conscious, I can delay the onset. The moment I open my eyes and sit up, a high-pitched hiss and ringing in both ears starts all over again.
Certain sounds aggravate it and make it louder. Silence, on the other hand, lowers and calms it, but then the hyperacusis starts creeping back again.
I hope everyone suffering from this horrible condition finds relief. My plan is to run every day, take Magnesium, vitamins B and D, CoQ10, and Lion's Mane mushroom, and keep playing music. I am hoping that, with time, I will make some kind of recovery, because right now, this is tough.
I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis about a month after my second COVID jab (not saying it was the jab, by the way). It started as a low-pitched hum, like a car speaker playing deep bass. I searched my house and even the surrounding area, trying to find the source of the humming, until I read about tinnitus.
Over the following months, the hum developed into a high-pitched ringing, along with a splat-like sound in my left ear and the bass tone in my right ear. I was coping okay until the sound sensitivity kicked in. Even a distant tractor, a mile away, hurt my ears. Sounds became distorted, and my own voice felt like breaking glass. Cutlery rattling in a drawer was unbearable. It was shocking and possibly the worst time of my life.
I got through it by first confirming it was not life-threatening. I saw an ENT and a GP, had an MRI brain scan, and underwent a hearing test, which showed no hearing loss. Since I love music (I am a musician), I used it as exposure therapy, even though it hurt. I gradually increased the volume to get used to sounds again. I also went back to work and refused to hide from noise or overprotect my ears.
Slowly, over seven to eight months, the hyperacusis passed, but I was left with a constant tonal tinnitus in my right ear. It was manageable and not too noticeable during the day with background noise. However, I noticed that if I sat in silence for too long—two or three days—the hyperacusis would start creeping back. I believe my brain turns up the volume again when it lacks sound input.
That is how I lived for the past few years, sleeping with a fan on and keeping my tinnitus under control.
Now, jump forward to today. After my evening 5K run, it suddenly came back with a vengeance, and this time it is reactive. The sound is very high-pitched and in both ears. The TV sounds awful and distorted. I have to avoid the fridge hum in the supermarket, and even the bathroom fan drives me crazy, causing ear pain.
I also get an increasing headache that spreads up the back of my neck and head, worsening throughout the day. Surprisingly, when I lie down and sleep, it becomes slightly less bothersome, and I can still manage to sleep. In the morning, if I stay still with my eyes closed but remain conscious, I can delay the onset. The moment I open my eyes and sit up, a high-pitched hiss and ringing in both ears starts all over again.
Certain sounds aggravate it and make it louder. Silence, on the other hand, lowers and calms it, but then the hyperacusis starts creeping back again.
I hope everyone suffering from this horrible condition finds relief. My plan is to run every day, take Magnesium, vitamins B and D, CoQ10, and Lion's Mane mushroom, and keep playing music. I am hoping that, with time, I will make some kind of recovery, because right now, this is tough.
