I'm not really interested in coming down on any side of a debate here, but thought I'd mention I'm probably one of those anomalies mentioned above. My severe tinnitus/hyperacusis started on Feb. 3 with a single dose of an anti-nausea medication called Promethazine (also known as Phenergen). When I told the hospital that gave it to me all the "side effects" I experienced afterwards, they said that was not possible--even though every one of them is listed as potential side effects for this drug. They just didn't believe a person could have so
many of them.
To get to closer to the core of this discussion however, I'll just share a bit of my experiences since Feb. 3. One relief I had at the very beginning was that I noticed when I drove down the highway, the sound would overpower my t, and I would feel a sense of relief. It was the same with taking a shower, running water, a fan, listening to a creek, the wind, etc. Even a hair dryer and vacuum cleaner didn't overly bother me. Louder sudden, clunky noises would however, make me cringe--a lot.
So here's the anomaly part: After I'd say a few weeks, I started noticing that all those things that would normally give me a t respite, like driving, shower, etc., began to set off my t. I began to notice this more and more, until I had to start doing various things to mitigate it. And it kept getting worse. I found peeing was making my t take off like a siren; soaking my feet in a creek for 30 minutes left me with a spike for a couple days; I just noticed yesterday the sound of the wind is setting off my t (much to my chagrin).
Here's an interesting part of this: The louder noises, like a clanking pan or plate or silverware that used to make me cringe now really don't bother me much at all. In fact, they're almost like a balm. It seems that--perhaps psychologically--I get to hear a "normal" sound without my system wildly overreacting to it. So where does this all leave me, and where do I fit into the spectrum of the various patterns people with t and/or h experience? That's what I'm in the process of trying to find out. I really don't know at this point. I'm feeling kind of alone in my own anomalous world.
I sometimes wonder if I had for some reason become "overly fearful" of sounds at the very beginning of this odyssey--and taken perhaps extreme precautions for sound avoidance/protection--whether I would have developed a worsening of my extreme sensitivities to softer sounds. In this regard, I would tend to side with Bill in this debate. But if I had taken all those avoidance/protection steps, I might never have known I was as susceptible as I turned out to be. -- I'm left with a lingering thought however, that my becoming more vulnerable to softer sounds as time went by may have been caused by exposure to EMFs. I even decided to disconnect my Wifi, and did seem to notice using an ethernet cord for my laptop helped mitigate things--a bit. If I were to become more convinced of EMFs worsening t or h in the beginning, I might just become an advocate for others to consider it as well, and to consider some remedial measures.
I read a book many years ago called
"The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You". It seems about 1 in 10 people fall into this category of being highly sensitive. I've come to strongly suspect that those on this forum having the hardest time habituating or coming to terms with their new life's circumstances fall into that category. I know I do. And I've come to believe this "trait" can also make people more vulnerable to developing t and/or h to begin with. I believe that's the case for me.
For me, I have a lot of
concern (not fear) about what I should expose my ears to these days. Given how vulnerable I feel at times, I sometimes feel a tad reckless because of what I do actually expose myself to. I'm actually considering whether to use a lawnmower for 10-15 minutes (using ear muffs and ear plugs, etc.). There's something kind of calming about mowing the lawn for me, and my naturally fairly adventurous spirit is encouraging me to go for it. Should I listen to that nudge? I don't think I will at this time, even though I don't think it would be even a bit unpleasant. Maybe after I've learned more about what I'm all dealing with. As much as I prefer not to, I'm going to be proceeding forward with a very high degree of caution.
All the Best...
Member
