Does This Sound Like Hyperacusis?

I've been dealing with a hearing problem for the past 1.5 years or so.

It all started in July of 2014. I was watching a movie and it just sound so loud and piercing, it felt like they turned the volume up too loud. My ears felt hot and full after the movie. This went on for about a month or two. My brother who was with me felt that it was a little loud but not that loud. I went to multiple hearing doctors, all hearing tests came out normal. I even did a Loudness Discomfort Test and pretty much passed. Some of the louder tones sounded louder then normal but did not spark the same amount of anxiety/tenseness the movie did.

For the past about a year I have been "normal". I still would be cautious around loud movies at say movies/bars/restaurants and would wear custom made musician earplugs to make them even safer.

Things have changed a bit over the past week or so I can't figure out what happened. The sensitivity is back. Now sounds don't sound "loud" just "unpleasant" to my ears. My ears feel slightly "tingly"/"raw" and sound seems to irritate them. I'm currently listening to TV at about 50-60dbs and it's fine. It doesn't seem to follow any rhyme or reason, certain sounds are "uncomfortable" at say low volume for example, but other sounds at high volume aren't that "uncomfortable."

There is no physical pain, just mental irritation I would say. Over the past few days I haven't done anything necessarily different, no loud noise exposure. I have used caffeine and marijuana pretty consistently, but have been doing those for months with no problems.

I'm just really confused at how to accurately diagnose/deal with my issue. All the audiologists, otolaryngologist basically told me I was fine and just wait out. I have even had a few bring up hyperacusis but they didn't really follow down that path too much. I'm not really sure the point to my post but figured maybe someone with more knowledge would know the right questions to ask.

Here are my symptoms :

- Tinnitus in left ear (Extremely low, not a pure tone more like a "fuzzy" constant noise as if putting a seashell to your ear) this doesn't really effect me at all during the day or even really at night.

- Certain sounds will have an additional layer of "tone" added to them at a high pitch. It's most noticeable during say newscasts where just a reporter is speaking. They will speak and for as long as they are speaking a higher pure tone will sound until they quit speaking. This is rare but has happened more then a few times. Often times just flipping the channel will stop it. It appears a certain frequency triggers it.

- My ear drum will "thump" after hearing certain sounds, for example when my dog barks, my ear will thump in response.

- As of recent, and also when this first started, certain noise will trigger this build up of anxiety, as if certain noises "inject" me with anxiety.

- Sometimes my ears will feel "raw" kinda like the feeling your skin gets after a low grade sunburn.

These symptoms are very inconsistent, except the tinnitus which started up about 10 months after the "hyperacusis" started. I can't seem to figure out the triggers. Nothing seems to consistently trigger/resolve. Last summer for example, I went on vacation and was in a nightclub that was so loud my tinnitus got way worse (went back to baseline the next day) but I had no hyperacusis symptoms after. Something that should have been a clear cut trigger did nothing.

 

My friend I have all the same symptoms from time to time. Seems to be worse during the winter but happens during other seasons as well. I have found that trying to figure out triggers creates more stress and anxiety than the actual condition does. I've decided I have a hearing condition that has no remedy and no triggers. Just have to ride each episode out. God speed.