Tinnitus, Reactive Hissing, and Sound Distortion: Two Years of Challenges

[Abdulmalik]

I don't know what this is anymore.

I think I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember, but two years ago, I decided to try ear cleaning by microsuction. Unfortunately, it didn't make much of a difference.

Since then, whenever I'm around an air conditioner, a fan, or even low to moderate levels of white noise, my ears react by hissing. It's accompanied by a background noise that sounds like cicadas and a slight ringing, which goes away when I turn the devices off.

It's been two years since that procedure. Of course, I've seen ENT specialists, and my hearing tests came back normal. I've done my best to avoid loud noises and protect my ears as much as possible.

I haven't had an MRI or CT scan because I didn't want to risk worsening my tinnitus. However, I think I need to consider getting one now, as I sometimes experience numbness on the left side of my body, along with these low noises.

I've also taken Accutane at a low dose for acne, which didn't affect my tinnitus. So, I thought I'd try an SSRI to help calm my nerves (I was a bit concerned about potential toxicity, though).

Right now, my tinnitus isn't unbearably loud when I'm in a quiet environment—it's what I'd describe as "mild." But this constant hissing and distortion of sound is really difficult to get used to.

 

[Supersix]

Do you go a day or two without hissing? Does it affect your sleep and wake you up a few hours after falling asleep?

 

[Abdulmalik]

Do you go a day or two without hissing? Does it affect your sleep and wake you up a few hours after falling asleep?

I hear the hissing over sounds 24/7.

My sleep is terrible since I can hear the hissing/ringing clearly over the AC.

 

[Supersix]

I hear the hissing over sounds 24/7.

My sleep is terrible since I can hear the hissing/ringing clearly over the AC.

When you had the hearing test, did they tell you your Eustachian tube was OK, and you didn't have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

 

[Abdulmalik]

When you had the hearing test, did they tell you your Eustachian tube was OK, and you didn't have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

Everything looked normal to the ENT specialist.

 

[BuzzyBee]

So, I thought I'd try an SSRI to help calm my nerves (I was a bit concerned about potential toxicity, though).

Right now, my tinnitus isn't unbearably loud when I'm in a quiet environment—it's what I'd describe as "mild." But this constant hissing and distortion of sound is really difficult to get used to.

How is the SSRI working for you? It seems like this type of tinnitus is different from "normal" tinnitus, so I'm curious if it responds differently to treatments. Or maybe the SSRI doesn't affect the tinnitus directly but helps you feel better overall. I have the same type of tinnitus as you, but I've had it for much longer than two years. Does yours get worse after eating?

 

[Abdulmalik]

How is the SSRI working for you? It seems like this type of tinnitus is different from "normal" tinnitus, so I'm curious if it responds differently to treatments. Or maybe the SSRI doesn't affect the tinnitus directly but helps you feel better overall. I have the same type of tinnitus as you, but I've had it for much longer than two years. Does yours get worse after eating?

I started taking Escitalopram and Bromazepam (both at low doses) four days ago. So far, there have been no changes to my tinnitus, but it's still too early to tell. However, the medication has definitely helped me sleep a bit easier.

My tinnitus remains unaffected after eating, though I sometimes hear crunching and popping sounds while I chew.

I'm now on a journey to pinpoint the cause of this sound distortion and reactive tinnitus issue. I have yet to explore the possibility of it being related to TMJ problems, but I'm hoping to resolve it soon.

 

[BuzzyBee]

I started taking Escitalopram and Bromazepam (both at low doses) four days ago. So far, there have been no changes to my tinnitus, but it's still too early to tell. However, the medication has definitely helped me sleep a bit easier.

Thank you for the updates! I'm hoping the SSRI will break the cycle of your brain thinking it needs to make a sound to compete with the other sounds and that the hiss will go down a few notches or back to your old baseline. Please keep us posted.

 

[SilenceBlissful]

I don't know what this is anymore.

I think I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember, but two years ago, I decided to try ear cleaning by microsuction. Unfortunately, it didn't make much of a difference.

Since then, whenever I'm around an air conditioner, a fan, or even low to moderate levels of white noise, my ears react by hissing. It's accompanied by a background noise that sounds like cicadas and a slight ringing, which goes away when I turn the devices off.

It's been two years since that procedure. Of course, I've seen ENT specialists, and my hearing tests came back normal. I've done my best to avoid loud noises and protect my ears as much as possible.

I haven't had an MRI or CT scan because I didn't want to risk worsening my tinnitus. However, I think I need to consider getting one now, as I sometimes experience numbness on the left side of my body, along with these low noises.

I've also taken Accutane at a low dose for acne, which didn't affect my tinnitus. So, I thought I'd try an SSRI to help calm my nerves (I was a bit concerned about potential toxicity, though).

Right now, my tinnitus isn't unbearably loud when I'm in a quiet environment—it's what I'd describe as "mild." But this constant hissing and distortion of sound is really difficult to get used to.

I have this reactive hissing sound exactly like what you experienced. At first, I was terrified, and it led me into severe depression because I had never experienced this sound in my ear before, aside from occasional ringing due to infections or ear blockage. That's why, when this first started, I went into total panic mode.

I first noticed the symptoms one night when I realized my room fan had become unbearably loud, and any electronic device, like radios (which are the most intolerable for me so far), became unbearable. These sounds used to be normal to me. I visited two ENTs, and eventually, I was diagnosed with a rare condition known as Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS). Prior to developing sound sensitivity, I frequently experienced dizziness or vertigo, which are common symptoms of this syndrome.

When I was first diagnosed with SCDS, I panicked even more because my ENT told me there was no cure and that I would have to live with it. The more anxious I became, the more my hypersensitivity increased. As I write this, I am slowly getting used to the sounds of these devices. However, there are times when, after being out all day, I come home to a loud, high-pitched, deafening fire alarm-like ringing in my ears. When this happens, I try to sleep, and it usually takes about a day for my hearing to reset and become less active.

I've been trying to find ways to avoid or reduce exposure to loud environments, which seems to be the only way I can manage living with this condition.