Why Does My Ear Hurt So Much?

[SteveSkis92]

Hey guys, just looking for some opinions on this. I definitely have some problems with noise sensitivity, but I definitely would not call this Hyperacusis. It's really just certain noises like silverware, plates, and metal clanging that hurt my ears noise wise.

That being said, my right ear just hurts.....pretty much all day long. I could sit in a totally silent room all day, but my ear would still start to ache and hurt at some point, guaranteed. Any opinions? It really feels like a sharp ache, or even a painful itch. Taking ibuprofen helps to some extent, but after 18 years of skiing, 10 years at an expert competitive level, and of course PLENTY of injuries as a result, I have an absurdly high tolerance to ibuprofen. Taking 1200 mg of Ibuprofen numerous times daily is not an option.....

Is this a sign of nerve damage? Or could it be my jaw problems (that set in at the exact time my T became intrusive) that are causing this? My jaw pains have dropped down considerably, but then again so has the ear pain, but it's still there, and it still sucks.....

I blame my T to Ototoxicity from electronic cigarettes too if that's helpful at all......

Thanks everyone. Hope you're having a less painful day than me.....

-Steve

 

[Nucleo]

Hey guys, just looking for some opinions on this. I definitely have some problems with noise sensitivity, but I definitely would not call this Hyperacusis. It's really just certain noises like silverware, plates, and metal clanging that hurt my ears noise wise.

This is textbook hyperacusis.

You might want to see an ENT and get your hearing checked if you haven't done so.

For most people on here hyperacusis does subside, moreso than Tinnitus.

 

[uae96]

Could be from youre jaw like mine

 

[SteveSkis92]

@Nucleo thanks for the input bud. I have gotten two standard Audiograms done, both of which came back BETTER than normal for someone my age (21) I can also hear tones up to 17.5kHz clearly in both ears, so hearing loss doesn't appear to be the issue. I haven't gotten a professionally done high frequency Audiogram, but like I said, I can hear high frequency tones clearly with my studio monitors on the absolute minimum volume.

I don't know that Hyperacusis is the right "diagnosis" just because its not so much PAIN as it is me wincing because of a psychological "worry" or whatever you'd like to call it.....any input? I realize we're all different, it's just very very strange. The pain doesn't seem to be worsened by noise, nor helped by silence.....

Thanks again for your time!

-Steve

 

[SteveSkis92]

I should also add that the PAIN is very real, not psychological, but my reaction to some loud noises makes me wince. Not because of pain though.....

-Steve

 

[Street Spirit]

I should also add that the PAIN is very real, not psychological, but my reaction to some loud noises makes me wince. Not because of pain though.....

-Steve

What is your definition of hyperacusis?

 

[SteveSkis92]

Hi @Street Spirit, I suppose I'm not really sure. I hope I didn't push any buttons or upset anyone, not at all my intention.

I guess I always thought of Hyperacusis as being a matter of "that silverware clanging just caused intense ear pain." This isn't what happens. If silverware clangs, I definitely tense up, but it's not a matter of "Ouch, that hurt." It's more a matter of "Damn, that was loud and sudden." There is no real pain element involved.

The ear pain I am talking about is more a matter of a sharp ache. Even if I sit in a completely silent room all day, my ear will ache and hurt. I should also add that 99% of the time, it's my right ear only.

I know you have a bad case of H and T Lynn, and please believe me when I say that I feel terrible for you. I realize that may be the last thing you want to hear, but I just want it to be known that I'm not trying to seem insensitive......Do your ears hurt even when you're not exposed to noise? Do my symptoms match your definition of H?

Thank you for your time Lynn, hope you're doing as well as possible....

-Steve

 

[Geo]

thats H bro..and taking that amount of ibuprofen is a risk to worsen T man.. trust me i know it happened to me

 

[Danny Boy]

Hi @Street Spirit, I suppose I'm not really sure. I hope I didn't push any buttons or upset anyone, not at all my intention.

I guess I always thought of Hyperacusis as being a matter of "that silverware clanging just caused intense ear pain." This isn't what happens. If silverware clangs, I definitely tense up, but it's not a matter of "Ouch, that hurt." It's more a matter of "Damn, that was loud and sudden." There is no real pain element involved.

The ear pain I am talking about is more a matter of a sharp ache. Even if I sit in a completely silent room all day, my ear will ache and hurt. I should also add that 99% of the time, it's my right ear only.

I know you have a bad case of H and T Lynn, and please believe me when I say that I feel terrible for you. I realize that may be the last thing you want to hear, but I just want it to be known that I'm not trying to seem insensitive......Do your ears hurt even when you're not exposed to noise? Do my symptoms match your definition of H?

Thank you for your time Lynn, hope you're doing as well as possible....

-Steve

Hyperacusis (also spelled hyperacousis) is a health condition characterised by an over-sensitivity to certain frequency and volume ranges of sound (a collapsed tolerance to usual environmental sound). A person with severe hyperacusis has difficulty tolerating everyday sounds, some of which may seem unpleasantly or painfully loud to that person but not to others.[1][2]

It can be acquired as a result of damage sustained to the hearing apparatus, or inner ear. There is speculation that the efferent portion of theauditory nerve (olivocochlear bundle) has been affected (efferent meaning fibers that originate in the brain which serve to regulate sounds). This theory suggests that the efferent fibers of the auditory nerve are selectively damaged, while the hair cells that allow the hearing of pure tones in an audiometric evaluation remain intact. In cases not involving aural trauma to the inner ear, hyperacusis can also be acquired as a result of damage to the brain or the neurological system. In these cases, hyperacusis can be defined as a cerebral processing problem specific to how the brain perceives sound. In rare cases, hyperacusis may be caused by a vestibular disorder. This type of hyperacusis, called vestibular hyperacusis, is caused by the brain perceiving certain sounds as motion input as well as auditory input.

Although severe hyperacusis is rare, a lesser form of hyperacusis affects musicians, making it difficult for them to play in the very loud environment of a rock band or orchestra which previously gave them no problems. It also makes attendance at loud discos or live events difficult for a portion of the population, given that sound levels at such events usually exceed recommended safe levels of exposure. This is a problem which may be caused by genetic differences, stress or ill-health, or by abnormal responses in the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles, which function in the normal acoustic reflex response that protects the inner ear from loud sounds.[3]

40% of people with tinnitus report mild hyperacusis.

To research causes and cures, a non-profit has been set up, the Hyperacusis Research Foundation at hyperacusisresearch.org. [4]

The International Conference on Hyperacusis is an annual event which allows both professionals and members of the public to share knowledge of hyperacusis, including sufferer's experiences. The second conference is due to be held from 9-10th July 2015 in London. .[5]

 

[Danny Boy]

thats H bro..and taking that amount of ibuprofen is a risk to worsen T man.. trust me i know it happened to me

Another treatment is prescription pharma Nortriptyline. It is an older, tri-cyclic anti-depressant. A half dose, of 25 mg three time daily, can restore some of the electro-chem balance in some part of the damaged pathway, and reduce the volume of tinnitus and the severity of the hyper sensitivity

 

[PaulBe]

This is a problem which may be caused by genetic differences, stress or ill-health, or by abnormal responses in the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles, which function in the normal acoustic reflex response that protects the inner ear from loud sounds.

Here lies an aspect of this condition that is potentially diagnose-able and treatable. Instead we get the "learn to live with it" treatment, until someone comes up with a lucrative, unique drug that confers enormous profits through intellectual property rights (efficacy optional). Why would any Corp. put effort into researching something like Keppra for H use if the drug is already at the Generics stage? Follow the money.

 

[Street Spirit]

Hi @Street Spirit, I suppose I'm not really sure. I hope I didn't push any buttons or upset anyone, not at all my intention.

I guess I always thought of Hyperacusis as being a matter of "that silverware clanging just caused intense ear pain." This isn't what happens. If silverware clangs, I definitely tense up, but it's not a matter of "Ouch, that hurt." It's more a matter of "Damn, that was loud and sudden." There is no real pain element involved.

The ear pain I am talking about is more a matter of a sharp ache. Even if I sit in a completely silent room all day, my ear will ache and hurt. I should also add that 99% of the time, it's my right ear only.

I know you have a bad case of H and T Lynn, and please believe me when I say that I feel terrible for you. I realize that may be the last thing you want to hear, but I just want it to be known that I'm not trying to seem insensitive......Do your ears hurt even when you're not exposed to noise? Do my symptoms match your definition of H?

Thank you for your time Lynn, hope you're doing as well as possible....

-Steve

Steve of course you didn't push any buttons!! and thank you very much for your kind words

I was simply curious how you define H..it really comes in many forms..mild, moderate, severe..some hear sounds louder than normal, some have pain, some don't and rather are " sensitive" to certain sounds or frequencies. .I could go on..It is a very mysterious ailment.. Then you could get into the whole " misophonia/ phonophobia " bit of which I will not bother....I've known many to have ear pain with tinnitus...so you're also not alone in that...

I also have TMJD and it makes my ear hurt..advil always works in that instance and a rice heat bag..

I really can't diagnose you..no one here actually can and getting one elsewhere is also difficult....but it sounds like " classic" mild H with the silverware etc..the constant ear pain could be your jaw for sure..could be " TTS" that also causes ear pain AND jaw pain..do you have any fluttering sensations with certain sounds?

Lynn

 

[SteveSkis92]

Thanks for the information @Danny Boy , I am really attempting to avoid mind altering pharmaceuticals if possible though. As I said earlier, I attribute my T to Electronic Cigarette usage, yet I'm one of those vegetarians who reads the label of every single thing I buy at the grocery store......I know, doesn't make much sense to me either. Too many Dead/ STS9 shows I guess

@Street Spirit glad to hear I didn't push any buttons! I genuinely felt bad for a second! I don't get any fluttering feelings or anything like that, but I think I know exactly what you're talking about strangely. When I was a kid, I couldn't pose for pictures facing towards the sun because my "ears would shake." I got an MRI for TMJD which came back negative, but I definitely have some form of inflammation going on in that area. (Which makes sense after a total of 14 tooth extractions and 7 years of orthodontic work) I think my next step may be visiting a neuromuscular dentist to see what they say. I also have untreated, mild scoliosis, which causes my right shoulder to hang lower then my left, which I guess could contribute to any muscular issues in that area. I don't know, sorry, I'm ranting a bit.

On a good note though, I have a Golden Retriever to my left, a beer to my right, and a Popsicle in my hand, so I guess things could suck a lot more!

Hope everyone is doing as well as possible! Thanks so much for the info and responses!

-Steve

 

[Danny Boy]

Thanks for the information @Danny Boy , I am really attempting to avoid mind altering pharmaceuticals if possible though. As I said earlier, I attribute my T to Electronic Cigarette usage, yet I'm one of those vegetarians who reads the label of every single thing I buy at the grocery store......I know, doesn't make much sense to me either. Too many Dead/ STS9 shows I guess

@Street Spirit glad to hear I didn't push any buttons! I genuinely felt bad for a second! I don't get any fluttering feelings or anything like that, but I think I know exactly what you're talking about strangely. When I was a kid, I couldn't pose for pictures facing towards the sun because my "ears would shake." I got an MRI for TMJD which came back negative, but I definitely have some form of inflammation going on in that area. (Which makes sense after a total of 14 tooth extractions and 7 years of orthodontic work) I think my next step may be visiting a neuromuscular dentist to see what they say. I also have untreated, mild scoliosis, which causes my right shoulder to hang lower then my left, which I guess could contribute to any muscular issues in that area. I don't know, sorry, I'm ranting a bit.

On a good note though, I have a Golden Retriever to my left, a beer to my right, and a Popsicle in my hand, so I guess things could suck a lot more!

Hope everyone is doing as well as possible! Thanks so much for the info and responses!

-Steve

Sadly Steve natural treatments don't work. Trust me, I've tried most of them.

 

[Street Spirit]

Thanks for the information @Danny Boy , I am really attempting to avoid mind altering pharmaceuticals if possible though. As I said earlier, I attribute my T to Electronic Cigarette usage, yet I'm one of those vegetarians who reads the label of every single thing I buy at the grocery store......I know, doesn't make much sense to me either. Too many Dead/ STS9 shows I guess

@Street Spirit glad to hear I didn't push any buttons! I genuinely felt bad for a second! I don't get any fluttering feelings or anything like that, but I think I know exactly what you're talking about strangely. When I was a kid, I couldn't pose for pictures facing towards the sun because my "ears would shake." I got an MRI for TMJD which came back negative, but I definitely have some form of inflammation going on in that area. (Which makes sense after a total of 14 tooth extractions and 7 years of orthodontic work) I think my next step may be visiting a neuromuscular dentist to see what they say. I also have untreated, mild scoliosis, which causes my right shoulder to hang lower then my left, which I guess could contribute to any muscular issues in that area. I don't know, sorry, I'm ranting a bit.

On a good note though, I have a Golden Retriever to my left, a beer to my right, and a Popsicle in my hand, so I guess things could suck a lot more!

Hope everyone is doing as well as possible! Thanks so much for the info and responses!

-Steve

Sounds like a good next step...Research, research, research. .finding an actual good NM dentist is almost as bad as finding a cure for T...well on that note, there is no cure for tmjd at this time.

ALL THE BEST.

Lynn.

 

[erik]

Steve, I will agree that natural treatments don't work for hyperacusis. What I will say is that under most circumstances, H does get better on it's own as your brain and hearing systems adjust to the changes and hypersensitivity. It is not easy to go this route as this is what I did. It was a huge struggle but you can get through it and overcome. I still have mild H but nowhere close to what it was for months which was close to debilitating.

I used sound to help me deal with the sensitivity to sounds. I used apps on my phone, pink, white and brown noise as well as simplynoise.com on my office computer. I downloaded and used the audible app, nature sounds, whatever I could.

Try not to over protect your ears. Everything sounds too loud but it is because your hearing has been turned up to high by your brain and it needs time to re-adjust- which it will in time. I sometimes used ear plugs halfway in my ears to lessen the loudness but not totally block sound as you don't want to do this with H or it will not improve and could get worse.

Normal sounds sound to loud and feel like they are harming you but that is just your limbic system out of whack. Normal, everyday sounds will not harm you--repeat that mantra.

As far as TMJ goes, I think most everyone has some form of TMJ, most treatments except in very extreme medical cases of TMJ are iffy at best and can cost tons of $$$. If you search posts from people who have received TMJ treatments, you will find very few had much success with treating TMJ and improving their tinnitus. Most T improves on its own anyways.

 

[Evian]

Hey guys, just looking for some opinions on this. I definitely have some problems with noise sensitivity, but I definitely would not call this Hyperacusis. It's really just certain noises like silverware, plates, and metal clanging that hurt my ears noise wise.

That being said, my right ear just hurts.....pretty much all day long. I could sit in a totally silent room all day, but my ear would still start to ache and hurt at some point, guaranteed. Any opinions? It really feels like a sharp ache, or even a painful itch. Taking ibuprofen helps to some extent, but after 18 years of skiing, 10 years at an expert competitive level, and of course PLENTY of injuries as a result, I have an absurdly high tolerance to ibuprofen. Taking 1200 mg of Ibuprofen numerous times daily is not an option.....

Is this a sign of nerve damage? Or could it be my jaw problems (that set in at the exact time my T became intrusive) that are causing this? My jaw pains have dropped down considerably, but then again so has the ear pain, but it's still there, and it still sucks.....

I blame my T to Ototoxicity from electronic cigarettes too if that's helpful at all......

Thanks everyone. Hope you're having a less painful day than me.....

-Steve

Well I would say, silverware, plates, crockery clanking are classic signs if Hyperacusis, I have those as well as such things as birdsong sounding wrong and weird. Other people's noises like coughing etc sounding too loud.

I also get ear pain, not necessarily at the time of a H occurrence, but random ear pain some days for hours on end

 

[Mad maggot]

If the pain in your ear is not being caused by noises then there must be something physically wrong with the mechanics of your ear. Or your jaw joint which is close to the ear. No u really need a doctor to look and check for anything inside causing the pain or a doctor who knows about the jaw to check that too.

 

[Evian]

Are you replying to me mad maggot ? If so I've had my ears looked at by ENTs etc and nothing found.

I though ear blocking, pain, etc were all just part of tinnitus and deafness they said my pressure was fine.

I do think some of the testing is flawed though as there are certain parts they can't get a good look at.

I thin everyone seems to have some kind if TMJ issues my mouth does not open wide enough and had an iverbite but that was the only TMJD evidence really.

He also pointed out that many people could live their full lives without the right mouth opening dimensions quite happily. I did use a splint for a while but no luck

 

[Telis]

Are you replying to me mad maggot ? If so I've had my ears looked at by ENTs etc and nothing found.

I though ear blocking, pain, etc were all just part of tinnitus and deafness they said my pressure was fine.

I do think some of the testing is flawed though as there are certain parts they can't get a good look at.

I thin everyone seems to have some kind if TMJ issues my mouth does not open wide enough and had an iverbite but that was the only TMJD evidence really.

He also pointed out that many people could live their full lives without the right mouth opening dimensions quite happily. I did use a splint for a while but no luck

Every day I have ear pain and blocked ears...switches from ear to ear and is totally random. I think this is part of the deal unless you have minor T like most of the folks here. They won't understand what you are talking about.

 

[Street Spirit]

Are you replying to me mad maggot ? If so I've had my ears looked at by ENTs etc and nothing found.

I though ear blocking, pain, etc were all just part of tinnitus and deafness they said my pressure was fine.

I do think some of the testing is flawed though as there are certain parts they can't get a good look at.

I thin everyone seems to have some kind if TMJ issues my mouth does not open wide enough and had an iverbite but that was the only TMJD evidence really.

He also pointed out that many people could live their full lives without the right mouth opening dimensions quite happily. I did use a splint for a while but no luck

This is true..many people have misaligned jaws etc and no issues...TMJD is just that when it becomes a dysfunction and as a result you experience symptoms. It could cause of your ear pain.

 

[Evian]

Every day I have ear pain and blocked ears...switches from ear to ear and is totally random. I think this is part of the deal unless you have minor T like most of the folks here. They won't understand what you are talking about.

It's not much consolation to find someone else on here who has severe T. But at least it means I am not going mad. All my Drs just want me on AD's and see to think I am a psyche patient

Mine changes from ear to ear but it can be that both are blocked and both are screaming ad well :-(

I wondered if it was some kind of inflammation but then thought why wonder what it is I have to live with it till I die regardless

 

[Irish]

@erik Are there particular mobile apps that you would recommend for pink, brown and white noise?
My hyperacusis is probably about 20-25% better than it was when all this started a few months ago, but now I seem to have hit a plateau where it doesn't seem to be getting much better, so I think I need to help it along with pink/brown/white noise daily. The other issue I have (mild background tinnitus sometimes, some ear pain at times, fullness and clicking mostly in left ear) will hopefully improve in time, along with my hyperacusis.

 

[CDNThailand]

This is textbook hyperacusis.

You might want to see an ENT and get your hearing checked if you haven't done so.

For most people on here hyperacusis does subside, moreso than Tinnitus.

Really? Hypercacusis subsides more than T?

At first I had t only (for 6 weeks) , the T is getting a little worse slowly, but not catastrophic, and sometimes more quiet also...

However, my H is getting louder...there is a chance it will fade?

Is it normal to have H when you first get T?