Consciously Switching TTTS (Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome) Off

Hi all,

I suffered what i think was an Acoustic Shock Disorder from headphones a few months ago and have been having some mild loudness hyperacusis, fluttering at high frequencies and ringing.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar: the fluttering occurs when I listen to music from laptop speakers, or clank dishes together and so on. However, I have noticed that this is almost a psychosomatic response. It's as if I subconsciously expect certain frequencies to make my ear lightly move/flutter, so when I hear them it does.

As an experiment, I tried putting some music from my laptop and it facing my fluttering ear. Then I gradually increase the volume until the fluttering starts occurring. If I try empty my mind completely, and detach my mind from my ears, I can tell that the fluttering stops almost completely. However, if I tap a dish with a spoon, the fluttering always occurs, probably because I am tapping a plate to make my ear flutter consciously.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? Keep in mind I barely ever get random flutters (about 1-2 per ear a week and they are usually way more intense, almost like a single muscle twitch.)

Hope this makes sense!

 

I have pain hyperacusis in both ears and also have what I believe is TTTS with spasming in my right ear. The psychosomatic process I do feel may play some role in it, but I've also wondered if there's other factors. While it may play a role with some sounds I'm afraid of, there are times where I get it from things like certain foods (sticky or crunchy foods) when I'm not even thinking about it.

So in my case, it's not completely psychosomatic and it may not even be the fluttering you're talking about, but more like the twitch you described. It feels like a twitch or spasm against my eardrum, and it's very loud/noticeable, yet it's a 1-2 or 1-2-3 movement, not a single motion.

This spasming is not something I ever experienced before my acoustic shock (and earwax cleaning days later). So I have to wonder why it would happen only now if this muscle has been dampening loud sounds my entire life. I've read about hypercontractions, but how could thoughts cause this and not extremely loud sounds before all this? It makes me wonder if something physical happened to the muscle. That maybe it's trying to dampen sounds the way it normally does (whether from thoughts or actual loud sounds), but that I hear this process now because it's actually an injured muscle now.

I've read about how TTTS can involve overuse and later injury to the muscle. Maybe it becomes contracted for so long, that it starts tearing or weakening just like any muscle can through overuse/repetition and this spasm is the result, regardless of whether the motion is caused by thoughts or physical noises. I hope not. Just a thought.