Aren't Reactive Tinnitus, Dysacusis, Diplacusis, and Palinacusis Signs of Physical Damage?

[ECP]

Experts on chronic pain and tinnitus have said that emotional stress can make pain feel more intense, and tinnitus seem louder than it truly is. I think there's some truth to that, but in my experience, tinnitus and noxacusis can be much worse on some days than others, no matter what my stress level is. There's clearly a damage component there, even if nobody can prove it.

Now about other disorders of the ear, such as dysacusis, palinacusis, diplacusis, musical tinnitus, and reactive tinnitus. I've experienced all of those, and they seem to operate independently of my stress level. Loud or prolonged noise is usually what triggers them, and there are also times when they'll kick in for no reason at all. It's really not about my mood, I swear.

For example, I used to hear the sound of running water in a normal way, but after a terrible setback I had in 2024, water stopped sounding normal to me. Every time I turn on a faucet, I hear a high-pitched screech like a whistling tea kettle. It doesn't matter if I'm in a good mood or a bad mood. The whistling sound is always there, and it lasts for the entire time the faucet is turned on.

The reason I'm asking this question is that my health has worsened this past year, and I'm forced to reconsider whether to have an MRI. I'm still inclined to say no, as I've already had permanent changes to my hearing that were caused by loud or prolonged noise. Doctors keep offering to sedate me for the procedure, but I don't think there's much value in being sedated. It might make me less anxious during the procedure, but that doesn't mean I'll escape the risk of permanent worsening of my ears.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I believe this is mainly due to hyperactivity in the central nervous system, which causes an abnormal response to sound.

The auditory pathways of the brain are disrupted and not responding as they should.

There are many factors, including mental influences, that could possibly worsen this.

So there isn't necessarily physical damage as such.

@ECP, has your hearing deteriorated lately? Have you had a new hearing test?

Unless you or they suspect brain damage or a tumor, I don't see much point in an MRI, at least not if you're thinking in terms of dysacusis, reactive tinnitus, and so forth.

 

[Vincent R]

The reason I'm asking this question is that my health has worsened this past year, and I'm forced to reconsider whether to have an MRI. I'm still inclined to say no, as I've already had permanent changes to my hearing that were caused by loud or prolonged noise. Doctors keep offering to sedate me for the procedure, but I don't think there's much value in being sedated. It might make me less anxious during the procedure, but that doesn't mean I'll escape the risk of permanent worsening of my ears.

I would personally only agree to an MRI if there was a clear-cut path to a treatment that would improve my health.

For example, if there is a good reason to suspect a brain tumour and I have a brain surgeon standing on the sideline, ready to go.

Doing an MRI just to check things up in general is, in my opinion, a bad idea. There is a real risk that the noise during the scan will worsen your ear issues, and it is unlikely to lead to any meaningful medical intervention.

 

[ECP]

Thank you. They do suspect a tumor. They saw it on a CT scan. Based on its appearance, size, and location, they think it is benign and that it has zero effect on any of my symptoms, but they still want me to have an MRI, and I've told them no.

I'm devastated because this is my second tumor scare. The first time they thought I had one, it turned out to be nothing, only a cluster of blood vessels that looked like a tumor on the imaging. But this time around, the doctors are more certain that it's a real tumor. I also have problems with my neck, shoulder, and jaw, so those are additional reasons to get an MRI.

I understand that an MRI is helpful for a lot of situations, but it's just that the risk of long-term or permanent hearing changes is not an acceptable trade-off, at least for me. I'm outraged, actually, not just on my behalf and on behalf of other people with existing problems with their hearing, but on behalf of the general public. We're exposing people to all this noise for no other reason than because the MRI companies aren't required to make their machines quieter.