Experiencing Pain Hyperacusis After a Voiced Fire Alarm

Hello Tinnitus Talk members. I'm sorry to post about this after posting about it in another thread but I am feeling really emotional and scared due to a very recent noise exposure incident.

Just a very brief ear history: I have had tinnitus in my left ear for almost three years now from a night in a club. I developed an ear popping to sound in both ears from an ENT visit and a 2-in-1 Acoustic Reflex and Tympanometry test in Sept 2018. However my right is a lot better and my left mildly better.

I was exposed to a voiced fire alarm (speakers in the ceiling) on Friday at my school for five maybe ten minutes. I did not have my ear plugs in (which I usually do) and was focussed on my students. However now I am experiencing pain from sounds in my left ear. It is not a stabbing or burning pain but a pain that lingers nonetheless. As (very sadly) you have experience with this terrible affliction, I need some guidance.

Did you experience temporary hyperacusis before it became permanent?
Can hyperacusis get better in time? I protect my ears at school and in noisy areas but not at home. The sink can cause pain. Should I protect my ears at home too?
What steps should I take now?

Thank you for reading this.

 

Realize you are in a disadvantaged state, even if the noise induced pain goes away the inner ear is still damaged and it could come back.

Support and donate bio-medical research to repair the ear.

 

If you haven't had treatment for your tinnitus and hyperacusis, then I suggest that you do to help reduce your symptoms. Please click on the links below and read my posts.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

Hi Jenny

The good news is that your hyperacusis can heal. The fact that you are very anxious is very understandable, however, it may hinder your progress and lead to fear of specific sounds. Also the fact that you work in a school/colleage is stressful enough.

Does the fire alarm sound at the same time each week - i.e. is it routine? At least in future, you will be better prepared with your ear plugs

Try and stay away from loud noise for a time if possible and work on reducing your anxiety and stress

Do read Michael Leigh's articles, they are very informative

Assume you live in the UK? If so, can you get an appointment with an audiologist who has experience treating people with hyperacusis?

 

Thank you @Contrast for your reply ( you commented on another thread of mine too) and making me aware even if the pain goes away it could come back. Bio-medical research has my support if it helps our ears.

 

Sorry to hear you are still dealing with this pain , did you have hyperacusis before this exposure , because you said you use plugs at school ?

 

Thank you @Michael Leigh for your advice and your insightful and positive postings through the links. I will seek professional help when I return to the UK in March.

 

Hello @dingaling and thank you so much for your advice. May I ask have you experienced or do you have hyperacusis?

Luckily at my school they don't do fire drills or fire alarm tests (not very good if there was an actual fire though). The fire alarm was a one-off random incident and that is why I didn't have my ear-plugs in. Like many people have experienced on this forum, you try hard to protect yourself but these fluke incidents happen that cause such distress and further ear problems. Life is not always in our control.

I am currently living in Korea but will be returning to the UK in March and will be looking for professional help ear related. Unfortunately the last ENT I saw in the UK, when I first got tinnitus, said the old learn to live with it and I left in despair. Have you seen an understanding ear practitioner and if so, how did you find them?

 

Hello @gorzakus and thank you again for replying to one of my threads.

I didnt think I had hyperacusis before this fire alarm incident but from looking online, a symptom of hyperacusis is ears popping to sound which my left ear (and the right ear rarely) did to random sounds and no pain. I thought this was TTTS related and was caused from a 2-in-1 Acoustic Reflex and Tymp Test in Sept 2018. I tried to go back to the same ENT here in Korea and ask about the new symptoms but was told the test was safe and gently nudged out the door. This ear popping and tinnitus are the reasons I use plugs at school.

If you don't mind me asking, do you have hyperacusis? If so, what are your symptoms?

 

Firstly the reason why I am asking is because I don't think the alarm with voice and sound was louder then 85 DB. We have a similar one were I work and it's hardly 80 DB .
but if you already had hyperacusis it's a different story I guess .
Unfortunately I am not an expert in hyperacusis and tinnitus and can only share my own experience.
I had very bad sound sensitivity in the first six months .
The worst things were beeps like in warehouses and plates and dishes in the kitchen. I did not have pain but they sounded way too loud. I am sure it was all because of anxiety in my case
it slowly subsided but I didn't use protection against normal every day sounds.
I am still a bit sensitive to certain sounds but I don't avoid them anymore.
I use decibel app and if places I go are louder then 85 DB I use plugs.
I have to say I don't come in loud places so I only use them on my motorcycle for the wind noise .

 

@Jenny_S

The acoustic reflex might be "safe" but should never be used on anyone with hyperacusis in my opinion.

Sadly, I hear a lot of this happening

 

The accoustic reflex test is not safe for people with hyperacusis. There is a recent thread about that.

 

I feel some reassurance that you have a similar alarm in your workplace that is not ridiculously loud. I have not gotten very far with my queries about the alarm from my school. Will try again tomorrow, to help my ease mind.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I am really glad to hear your sound sensitivy has improved and hope it continues to. I think time and patience (and common sense with loud places) will help me as it seems it has for you. Did you get hyperacusis at the same time as your tinnitus?

Since my onset of tinnitus, I use ear plugs for everyday use and ear defenders when I know it will be loud, e.g. the cinema. I like you, I tend to not go to loud places and use a decibel meter.

 

However in my case, I believe the test caused my form of hyperacusis as I never experienced popping to sound before this test. Also it isn't coincidental that the popping continues in my noise induced tinnitus ear and has mostly stopped in my good ear.
From the traumatic experiences of some people on this forum, certain hearing tests /ear devices are obviously not 'safe' for everyone.

 

No the hyperacusis came about a month later

 

It is a paradox that test to assess hearing are so incredibly loud. There is an obvious risk of getting hearing damaged.