Why Hyperacusis Comes Back After Being in a Loud Enviroment?

[Strife_84]

I've been gone from the forums for a while. I've been taking vacation from my problems (thanks to the movie: What About Bob?) and I've been taking baby steps back to normal life. I have even been to the gym again! My ears could finally handle all the sounds of metal (music and weights).

So it's been over 4 months now with this condition. I don't think of tinnitus as much anymore and I can live fairly normal life and I have almost no hyperacusis left. But why when I am too much around loud sounds (a mall for example) my ears start to feel strange from inside (behind eardrum), my hyperacusis returns and sometimes I even feel minor pain. It also feels like something is getting swollen behind my eardrum. Then after few days it goes back to normal again.

Why? It has to be something physical related to the inside of my ear.

If my hand is broken and I try to use it too soon, I feel pain and it might even get swollen. Now, when I try to use my ears too soon, I also go backwards in my condition.

 

[Skity]

I think it's because when you are exposed to noise, your brain adapts and turns up the "volume" or threshold to compensate for the background noise, but when that background noise is suddenly gone, your brain still didn't adapt (like when you stand near a running engine for long and then he suddenly turns it off, and just then you realize how much noise it did) so your perception of tinnitus is way louder now, because the hearing is much more sensitive.

 

[Contrast]

I think it's because when you are exposed to noise, your brain adapts and turns up the "volume" or threshold to compensate for the background noise, but when that background noise is suddenly gone, your brain still didn't adapt (like when you stand near a running engine for long and then he suddenly turns it off, and just then you realize how much noise it did) so your perception of tinnitus is way louder now, because the hearing is much more sensitive.

why are you assuming this is a brain problem, and not a ear problem?

Jastreboff literally got every ENT in the world to view this as a brain problem, when it's a ear damage problem.

 

[Skity]

why are you assuming this is a brain problem, and not a ear problem?

Jastreboff literally got every ENT in the world to view this as a brain problem, when it's a ear damage problem.

No idea who's Jastreboff, I'm just speaking for my own experience / theory.

 

[Contrast]

No idea who's Jastreboff, I'm just speaking for my own experience / theory.

In my opinion he is a nutjob who has his own very biased theory on hyperacusis and tinnitus, he's right about the neurological aspects. In his defense he predicted early on that most cases of tinnitus are generated in the brain. However he doesn't acknowledge inner ear damage plays a role and he tries to tie in misophonia with hyperacusis issues. Almost all clinical research on hyperacusis is controlled by him.

 

[GSC]

It's coming back because you're either putting strain on your inner-ear or nerves, or not letting them rest or heal to the full extent that they can. Just because you're use to your tinnitus and your hyperacusis is gone until you're in loud environments, doesn't mean your ears are fully healed yet. I would still proceed with more caution and care of your ears in future situations.

Take the pain and hyperacusis coming back from those situations as a warning sign and wear protection. It's possible it's above the threshold level your ears can handle right now currently.

 

[PeteJ]

why are you assuming this is a brain problem, and not a ear problem?

Jastreboff literally got every ENT in the world to view this as a brain problem, when it's a ear damage problem.

I would say hyperacusis is 100% ear damage problem. Tinnitus may be ears 60%, brain 40% problem?

At least, even tinnitus researchers talk about the brain being involved across a neural network or something like that?

 

[Contrast]

I would say hyperacusis is 100% ear damage problem. Tinnitus may be ears 60%, brain 40% problem?

At least, even tinnitus researchers talk about the brain being involved across a neural network or something like that?

I believe TRT possibly might help people with noxacusis the same reason massage therapy some helps people with peripheral neuropathy, but it just gives temporary relief.

However more research is needed. There needs to be studies on how massage therapy fairs against peripheral neuropathy to get a better understanding if Mr. Jastreboff's model hold's up with newer research on noise induced pain.

We already know at-least part of his model of hyperacusis is wrong such as it being entirely neurological.