Additional Hearing Distortion

Hi

I've had tinnitus for over 20 years. Some years have been more difficult than others. For the past 4 years I seemed to have had the T well managed but a recent ear infection has put an end to that. After two months my T is still off the charts and in addition to that I developed some hearing distortion in my tinnitus ear around 3 weeks ago. When I speak it's like a speaker that's turned up too loud and adds a vibrating sound to every word I speak. When my little girls (3 and 7) speak I get something like an electronic chirp at the end of every third or fourth word they say. The doctor suggested the ear had not drained of fluid yet and this was a possible cause and gave me steroid sprays. A week later they said the ear had drained but maybe the Eustachian tube was in spasm and causing the echo. I'm curious as to whether anyone else has experienced this. I don't believe I have any recent obvious hearing loss. If anything I hear better as I had my ears irrigated to remove wax (which is what caused the ear infection . . . but that's another story.) It's hell just dealing with the tinnitus and staying positive I can reduce it to tolerable levels again but this additional problem is tipping me over the edge.

Regards, Georgie

 

Hm I may have developed the same thing actually. Just two weeks ago I started noticing the same kind of distortion you seem to describe, like an electronic chirp, and it's very annoying and distracting since it happens when trying to sleep as well. Plus it seems to random, not a constant tinnitus noise that you can sort of habituate to.

 

Yeah I get it all the time, certain words or sounds trigger it more than others. Happens constantly if I raise my voice. It's almost as if my voice turns into the same sound my tinnitus makes momentarily. It's very disturbing and is to the point where most the time I am almost whispering to avoid this. It also happens more if I'm wearing ear pkugs. I dokt even want to talk while I have my ears plugged. I also seem to get a hot feeling along with sore ears after this happens. I always described it as my voice sounding like a old broken tinny sounding speaker. It's freaking awful, I don't know, I just assume I am hitting certain frequencies with my voice that my ear/brain can not process properly anymore.

 

I really don't know how I'm going to live with this chirping sounds. Before that all sounds were more or less constant, but this chirping is like these instant sounds and occurs very randomly, in silence or not, doesn't matter. I hear it all the time and it's impossible to habituate to this.

 

Sounds like what I've had the past 18 months. I agree that habituation isn't possible when the target moves constantly. Its like "habituating" to a swarm of angry bees. Medical help? forget it (but pay the girls at the desk when you leave). May as well go see an Accountant.

 

Yes, I have that electronic ring..but mine comes and goes..I call it reactive T...so sorry yours has become worse..hang in there!

 

I've had the distortion since the 70's when I yell or sing loudly. A few years ago I induced a bad spike with loud music and everybody's voice was sounding distorted. It took 2 years to get better. I stay away from loud music now.

 

I got it also....even when I have a ventilator on or a radio I hear electronic chirps at the end of some sounds .... I guess I had it on T onset, but I realy started to notice it 2 weeks ago. I try not to think about it that much because it realy bugs me sometimes....

 

I have the chirping, it sounds like an electrical buzz in my head. In my case, it is mild.

 

Or maybe I could describe it like a cricket chirping every now and then...or nails on a chalkboard... hard to describe...

annoying but I have gotten used to it... a year ago when my T increased (and the chirping started because I didn't have it from 2007 until 2014), I completely freaked out and asked myself how the hell could I get used to this random new sound!!! seriously??!

Fast forward a year later and althought it is still there, I really don't pay any attention to it. My T only annoys me at very specific moments, like when I watch TV. For some reason, watching TV makes my T go throught the roof. Some TVs are worst than others!! LOL I laugh about it now!!

 

I've been suffering from this problem on and off since October, which I presume is a result of pressure problems that developed in my ears around that time. It sounds like a low pitched whistle. Not sure if it will disappear completely or not; but for the most part I have learned to cope at least and am handling it a LOT better than I did back in the autumn.

I also had another type of distortion (like a crackling) from six years ago. It started out badly, but did improve over time. It's still there but it's not really a problem any more.

 

Hi Georgie

I'm having the same problem. My T is with me for over 20 years however, it has never given me too much trouble. Actually it has never been loud enough to disturb my daily routine or mess with what I would call my normal life. Unfortunately nothing lasts forever and my T became louder out of the blue. Things started getting really bad in the last two months. It is giving me real hell. Like it was not enough, I started suffering from hyperacusis and hearing distortion. I won't add anything to what you've said concerning the symptoms once I think you described it perfectly.

 

It is indeed very frustrating, more than my normal T. It ruined my weekend. It is not even loud but I hear it through everthing. Maybe stress and axniety make it wors, but the last day...it realy bugs me