Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Kicked Off Again: Trying to Get Back in Control and Stay Positive!

[Hotrock]

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.

 

[Fred185]

@Hotrock, I read your post and can relate to most of it. I live in a very remote area and have burned most of my garbage in a fire drum without incident for 40 years. Then, on a cold January day eight years ago, something exploded in the drum, and I instantly lost hearing in both ears.

I went to an ENT more than 15 days later. He gave me a hearing test, which showed 70% hearing in my left ear and 20% in my right. He also prescribed a small dose of Prednisone. However, a high dose of Prednisone within several days, taken for 21 days, is the emergency treatment for hearing loss. I do not think many ENTs practice this.

After seeing the ENT, I did my own research, found the correct treatment information, and started taking 40 mg of Prednisone daily for 21 days. As a result, I completely lost the tinnitus in my right ear and regained 60% of my hearing. However, the tinnitus in my left ear has remained, and it is something I have to deal with.

It is common to have good and bad days. Within the first year, I thought it was gone several times, but those moments were always short lived, lasting only a day. For some unknown reason, it disappeared for 12 hours yesterday.

I was always an early riser, but tinnitus put an end to that. Like you said, I do not need to be asleep, just staying in bed helps because I do not think about it. The very moment I sit up, though, the monster wakes up too. Thinking about tinnitus is another monster, as you already know.

Unlike you, I would have had to switch to a different occupation if I had been working. I had just retired when this happened. For the first six months, my wife stayed by my side. We never turned the TV off, and I spent hours pacing inside our home. Then I moved on to using a cell phone under my pillow, playing gentle rain and stream sounds. I still use this sometimes.

Some people can live with this without much issue. I hope you are one of them.

 

[Hotrock]

Thanks for your message and for the coping tips.

It's interesting that you experienced a loud explosion because the same thing happened to me. However, I never associated it with my tinnitus since it occurred four months before the onset.

I had purchased a pressure fryer to try making KFC-style chicken at home. When I went to open it, it exploded in my face, causing burns and temporary ear ringing that lasted a few minutes.

It wasn't until four months later, after my second COVID-19 jab, that I developed tinnitus. I'm not sure if the two were linked, but it's certainly a possibility.

I'm glad you found the right treatment and regained much of your hearing. We can only hope that a better solution is found for all of us—life is never the same once you have this awful condition.

I'm doing a bit better, but it's still unbearably loud at times. Unpredictable is definitely a word I'd use to describe it. I hope things improve with time—it's only been 4.5 months so far!

Wishing you all the best.

 

[YourTinGuy]

Hi @Hotrock,

I'm not sure if you're still looking for ideas regarding your symptoms. Have you identified the cause of your tinnitus and hyperacusis, or are you still unsure why you're affected by these conditions?

The symptoms you're describing suggest body, neck, or TMJ-related stress. If that's the case, you might be able to significantly reduce your symptoms, but identifying the root cause of your tinnitus and hyperacusis would be really helpful.

One other question: you mentioned you've been dealing with this for years. When was your last professional hearing test? I ask because if it's been a few years, there's a chance your hearing has changed.