When Is This Ear Pain Going to Fade Away?

[Emperor-Drax]

Anyone else who isn't familiar with my story can catch up here - https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/banged-on-metal-garage-frame-with-a-mallet.29643/#post-343996

So I seemed to have overcome the tinnitus aspect. It's a hurdle that many on this forum can't seem to shake, and I'm grateful that the noise is no longer present. Lucky lucky, I suppose.

However I seem to still have tinnitus's nasty cousin hyperacusis, coupled with intermittent ear pain. I haven't been overprotecting. In fact I've been trying to get my injured ear used to sounds again, and sleeping with violet noise at night through the Relief app emitting from my phone speaker, which seems to have an incredibly soothing effect.

Look, I'm much better than I was at the beginning. I was in such a deep state of agony for months after that, but the pain is still there six months later.

My ENT wasn't helpful at all, other than removing 33 years worth of ear wax build up, which actually did relieve the pain to an extent, but not completely.

Can I expect the pain and hyperacusis will still be there in another six months?

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm grateful that the noise is no longer present.

Is it completely gone, or can you hear it in a quiet room (or in a quiet room while wearing earplugs or muffs)?

However I seem to still have tinnitus's nasty cousin hyperacusis

H often takes 6-12 months to go away. It goes away a lot more often/reliably than tinnitus. There is a good chance that you will end up being ok.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Can I expect the pain and hyperacusis will still be there in another six months?

I am pretty sure that hyperacusis will go away or become much better after another six months. Ears take forever to heal, so it is reasonable to expect for this pain to go away in the next 6-18 months.

 

[Contrast]

hyperacusis with pain is your issue but do you notice loudness amplification hyperacusis?

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Is it completely gone, or can you hear it in a quiet room (or in a quiet room while wearing earplugs or muffs)?

H often takes 6-12 months to go away. It goes away a lot more often/reliably than tinnitus. There is a good chance that you will end up being ok.

I struggle to hear any T at all even in a quiet room or when I put my Pelters on. And it was loud when it started.

The H troubles me a great deal, especially since I'm a devoted music and film enthusiast. I hope you're right!

hyperacusis with pain is your issue but do you notice loudness amplification hyperacusis?

No significant loudness amplification that I've noticed, rather it feels like inside my ear spasms at loudish sounds (clinking dishes, whenever my cat acts like a maniac at the witching hour, etc.), sometimes even the thought of a loud sound triggers it - is that symptomatic of TTTS?

 

[Bill Bauer]

is that symptomatic of TTTS?

Sounds like it. My TTTS symptoms took about a year to pretty much go away. I still get them once in a while, but the symptoms are minor and they don't last long.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I struggle to hear any T at all even in a quiet room or when I put my Pelters on. And it was loud when it started.

Did you go through a "can hear it only in a quiet room" stage, or did T just stop one day (the day following a day during which it was Louder than "can only hear it in a quiet room")?

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Did you go through a "can hear it only in a quiet room" stage, or did T just stop one day (the day following a day during which it was Louder than "can only hear it in a quiet room")?

Yeah, initially it was like crickets and cicada noises blasting away in my ear for weeks and weeks, then it faded to a hiss with occasional wind chiming, then to my relief I found that it had vanished.

I realise the above must seem like the Holy Grail for chronic T sufferers, but I'm still deeply troubled by the H symptoms. It's forced me to put some of my hobbies like my radio show on hold, plus I've taken some time off work in the hopes I can heal and reduce the risk of noise exposure that could make my ear really sore.

 

[Bill Bauer]

it faded to a hiss with occasional wind chiming

And this hiss kept getting quieter and quieter, so that at one time it could be heard only when your surroundings were quiet, right?

I have been having trouble finding people who got to hear silence again who also had experienced the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage. Could it be that you are one such person?

I'm still deeply troubled by the H symptoms

It is not unheard of for H to end up being permanent. However, the majority seem to recover from H. So I wouldn't worry about H. Just give it time.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

And this hiss kept getting quieter and quieter, so that at one time it could be heard only when your surroundings were quiet, right?

I have been having trouble finding people who got to hear silence again who also had experienced the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage. Could it be that you are one such person?

Is that what people here refer to as a "baseline"? But yeah, I did have experience that stage, although at some point I could hear it under the TV sound, but when I hit the mute button it was undetectable. Now it's just gone completely. I don't know if I'm anything special in this regard, rather it may be that most people whose T disappears simply don't post, so they'd be hard to find.

I could imagine H being permanent in some cases, but I'm not worried about that per se, rather I'm just hoping it doesn't scoop up to two years out of my life that could have some big impacts on my career and domestic family life.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'm just hoping it doesn't scoop up to two years out of my life

Can't you wear earplugs and reduce the volume in your headphones, when you do your radio show? (I am assuming that it is impossible to host a radio show without having to wear headphones.)

Is that what people here refer to as a "baseline"?

I think they mean "the long-run level that T always seems to return to" when they use the term "baseline", but I might be wrong.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Can't you wear earplugs and reduce the volume in your headphones, when you do your radio show? (I am assuming that it is impossible to host a radio show without having to wear headphones.)

Oh I've had to give up headphone use entirely for my show, which you'd be surprised to find that it can be accomplished, although you're at a disadvantage. But I really needed to give my bad ear a break from it regardless, so I recently asked for a three month leave of absence, which I'll review in late February, and they'll allow me more time off if I don't feel comfortable returning just yet. I've been doing it for 12 years, so they know I'm pretty reliable.

 

[Bill Bauer]

But I really needed to give my bad ear a break from it regardless

Is it the case that even with hearing protection, your ears can't handle the kinds of noises that you get exposed to during a radio show?

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Is it the case that even with hearing protection, your ears can't handle the kinds of noises that you get exposed to during a radio show?

I've never worn hearing protection during my show, since I really need to be attentive to the levels via my ears as well as the VU meter, which is by sight, but still. And since I talk a lot between music tracks on air, taking them in and out would be exhausting and impractical. I imagine I'll be back at the panel behind the mic at some point, but just wondering how slow the recovery process will be.

 

[coffee_girl]

I can't because your profile picture scares the crap out of me.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

I can't because your profile picture scares the crap out of me.

They're about to shoot me out of a canon.

 

[coffee_girl]

They're about to shoot me out of a canon.

I know but it reminded me of an adult video I saw once and I am still recovering from that.

 

[Bill Bauer]

it reminded me of an adult video I saw once and I am still recovering from that.

I want to see it! Do you remember the title? Did it feature clown sex? What was so disturbing about that?

 

[Bill Bauer]

I've never worn hearing protection during my show,

Is the subject matter of your show sports, music, or politics?

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Is the subject matter of your show sports, music, or politics?

Film scores.

 

[coffee_girl]

I want to see it! Do you remember the title? Did it feature clown sex? What was so disturbing about that?

I don't know the title, the video had clowns in really scary makeup and there was a boxing ring...and they were wearing roller skates while completely nude and then the next thing i knew the male clown was crying and covered in tears, the female clown came over and what they did next was predictable. Either way i was completely traumatized, and his profile pic reminded me of one of the male clowns .

 

[Bill Bauer]

I don't know the title, the video had clowns in really scary makeup and there was a boxing ring...and they were wearing roller skates while completely nude

How awesome is that?! I feel bad about all of those decades I wasted watching tame porn.

 

[PDodge]

I don't know the title, the video had clowns in really scary makeup and there was a boxing ring...and they were wearing roller skates while completely nude and then the next thing i knew the male clown was crying and covered in tears, the female clown came over and what they did next was predictable. Either way i was completely traumatized, and his profile pic reminded me of one of the male clowns .

This sounds like what film students would make when I was in art school. I like art, but some of there stuff was over the top haha

 

[Emperor-Drax]

@coffee_girl would love Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

 

[coffee_girl]

@coffee_girl would love Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

What is that? It sounds scary =[

 

[Bill Bauer]

What is that? It sounds scary =[

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095444/

 

[Bill Bauer]

@coffee_girl my favorite movie with a character dressing up as a clown is Devil's Rejects
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395584/

 

[Bill Bauer]

The character in the image above used to (briefly) be on my avatar on a forum that I was frequenting 10 years ago.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

My clown is just Roger Moore in Octopussy.

 

[coffee_girl]

No please, I see clowns as fun and cute with silly little antics...they make me laugh. I can't see them in this way =[