Extreme Hyperacusis and Tinnitus Have Improved Over the Past 2.5 Years

The initial cause of my tinnitus was a loud sound that was preceded by a period of a high stress. At the beginning of my tinnitus, I didn’t sleep more than one month (just about 1-3 hours a night or even less). I was totally exhausted back then. At this point I thought my life is over. Gradually, over the next 3-10 weeks I developed also extreme hyperacusis with LDL level as low as 30 db. This extreme low LDL lasted more than six months. Almost all sounds were too loud for me, including turning the sheets of paper, typing on the keyboard, and even my own voice was unbearable loud. Ear plugs were my best friends during these horrible months.

After 2.5 years after initial onset, the LDL level improve and is now about 75-90 db (depends on the frequency of the sound). I still have very loud tinnitus lasting 24/7 and I hear my tinnitus almost over all daily sounds including city traffic, TV, and shower. I have still ear plugs in case of heavy street traffic and I am still unable to go to loud restaurants without ear protection. However, now I am in much better space than before 2.5 years. In addition, my tinnitus is somehow softer than it was in the beginning.

For a good night sleep I must take 7.5 mg of mirtazapine along with a small dose of benzos (0.75 mg to 1.5 mg of bromazepam) and about 2.5 mg to 4 mg of Zolpidem. Especially mirtazapine and zolpidem were (and still are) my lifesavers. Now, I take 2-3 times lower doses of tablets than in the beginning.

There is a hope and you will be better over time no matter how difficult the initial situation was and no matter what was the initial cause of your tinnitus.

 

Thanks for sharing. Glad you are making progress!

 

Just additional information (I don’t know why my detail answer to the member of this forum was deleted): I was 50+ years old when hyperacusis and tinnitus started. My primary remedies were patience, healthy food, walking in the forest, and ear plugs.

Even if you have an extreme hyperacusis and tinnitus you will gradually recover.

Best wishes for all of you.

 

Severe hyperacusis/tinnitus can cause complete social isolation, so it is very important that the patient has at least one person who can trust. The recovery may take several weeks, months or even years. In my case, the recovery from hyperacusis is slow, but it is slightly better from month to month. This is a good sign.

Please do not expose yourself to loud noise or music any more. Do not go to concerts or loud parties. The health of your ears is the most important! Expose your ears only to natural sounds, avoid music from poor quality speakers. Avoid talking through cell-phones too long (e.g., max 10 min. per day). Cell-phones have very small and low quality speakers which can cause additional damage to your ears. In loud public places and in the car, your ear plugs are the best friends.

Good luck!

 

what sound exposure did cause your issues in the first place.. any hearing loss ?

 

Probably everyone with painful hyperacusis has hearing loss especially if it was caused by acoustic trauma

painful hyperacusis is literally caused by damage to the outer hair cells and a small subsection of nerves associated with them
as well as tinnitus being tied in with hearing loss as well.

 

what kind of HL ? I had 40 db at 4hkz

 

I have hyperacusis (Severe), not sure whether it was caused by the ear tests on Jan 15 (mon), the mon after that (Jan 22) tinnitus turned extreme and remained for 2 week, after week that I got Severe H on R ear (Ear which was most tested) and then Tinnitus on R ear, with Severe Tinnitus on L ear. I am wondering whether my TMj caused the hyperacusis. Something tells me that it was caused by the ear syrnging.

 

I was exposed to two loud concerts over a period of four days. Yes, I have hearing loss. About -20 db at 3 kHz and 4 kHz, -30 db at 6 kHz, and about -45 db at 8 kHz. I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis immediately after these loud-sound events. My tinnitus is a mix of high pitched sounds from the frequency area where the hearing loss was noticed.

 

Ear syringing can cause tinnitus and also hyperacusis. My two colleagues developed tinnitus after ear syringing. In my opinion, it is much safer if high quality olive oil is used for ear wax removal.

 

Thank you very much. I wish you all the best.

 

Yes, I have hearing loss. About -20 db at 3 kHz and 4 kHz, -30 db at 6 kHz, and about -45 db at 8 kHz. Fortunately, my hearing is still pretty good in human voice frequency range which is roughly from 100 Hz to 3.5 kHz. I have just -10 db hearing loss between 125 Hz and 2.5 KHz.

 

Although tinnitus has been present in humans for many of thousands of years, a dramatic increase of tinnitus (and also hyperacusis) in human population has occurred in recent decades due to extremely loud concerts, clubbing, and listening to loud music through the headphones. In addition, large cities are filled with noise and other sounds which cause our living environment unhealthy.

Every day we are facing with extremely large number of electronic devices (including computers and cell phones) which emit electromagnetic radiation as well as high frequency sounds and also sounds that are audible for human ears. In large shopping centers and noisy restaurants the sound level often exceeds 80 db. Mankind is a community that produces an enormous amount of loud noise, plastic bags, and other waste materials.

By attending loud concerts and other loud events, many people want to experience instant satisfaction (some kind of nirvana as fast as possible). However, the loud sound affects people psychologically and physically. Loud sound causes very strong stress for the whole body and especially for the central nervous system. The central nervous system is a very fragile structure whose balance can break down very rapidly.

Please note that only one loud concert can cause tinnitus and hyperacusis, which can last for months or even years. Long-lasting stressful life and/or stressful life events additionally lower the sound threshold that causes tinnitus/hyperacusis.

Please take care of the health of your ears. Ear plugs should be your best friends at loud events.

Good luck!

 

Hello,

The good news for all tinnitus sufferers is that with time, tinnitus is becoming softer and quieter. In addition, the brain filters the sounds of tinnitus and pushes them into the background (it is less noticeable). Therefore, in most cases the synergetic effects of quieter tinnitus and adaptation improves a quality of life for most patients. In most cases, hyperacusis is resolved much earlier than tinnitus.

Best regards!

 

Sure feels good when someone says this! So thank you!

 

Hello,

People suffered with hyperacusis (and also tinnitus) must be patient. For example, in my case it takes more then 8 (eight!) months before I noticed some substantial improvements of my hyperacusis (and also tinnitus).

As I mentioned above I had a loudness discomfort level (LDL) as low as 30 db. Back then I was convinced that I will never be able to go to work again. This extremely low value of LDL lasted more than 6 months.

Hyperacusis was by far the most stressful condition in my entire life. Hyperacusis is a true test of your personal power and patience. I still have hyperacusis, but my LDL has improved to 75-90 db, which is an extremely good result compared to the situation two years ago. The hyperacusis continues to improve (i.e., decreasing).

What is the most important to know is that hyperacusis is a transient phenomenon. Do not let the hyperacusis break you, but take it as a challenge to become stronger than ever before. How great is the feeling when you start to notice that your condition is improving! Be absolutely sure that life will reward you for this wonderful feeling.

Best regards!

 

Thank you Deep Universe.

We are about the same age and I still struggle off and on with my T for the past 3 years.

A good diet and exercise go a long way for sure. -- These "success stories" help me forget about it for a day or so as well.

 

Hello John,

Thank you very much for your post. I also read your starting thread posted in 2015. Yes, it seems that our cases are quite similar.

I believe that after each (very) loud event (e.g., concerts, especially in case of rock music) a certain percentage of people developed tinnitus which can last several months or even years. It would be very helpful if organizers of loud concerts would put warning messages about the danger of loud sound on visible places.

I have found that even listening to (very) quiet music (especially if music is full of disharmony and high pitch tones) through mechanical speakers can irritate my ears and make my tinnitus louder.

Although there are days that are very difficult for all of us, we need to stay strong and we must support each other.

Best regards!

 

Great to read a succes story like yours in which it gets better in the long term!

I have light T but still want it gone. Not long ago I went out with a friend to a loud club for a bit, I wear the strongest earplugs I can find (Earpeace brand earplugs with the strongest filter available) and I go out with.... a friend who does never wear hearing protection. I did recommend he wears earplugs but he is like: naah I have no issues I don't need them. I guess good advice does not travel far near loud clubs and if you get T you just dissapear from the scene like nothing happened. A bit sad to see how small the range of good hearing advice goes these days.

 

Hello John_415,

Thank you for your post. Attending to loud concerts, clubbing or similar noisy events without ear protection is similar as making excessive sunbathing during sunny summer day without skin protection. Damage to auditory system in the human ears gradually increases, similarly as damage to the human skin. Sooner or latter the ears wear out. When ear damage occurs, it may take years for recovering.

However, even in case the ears can not recover completely, the plasticity of the brain can gradually resolve the tinnitus problem. I strongly suggest everyone to avoid loud places completely.

I wish you a tinnitus free life!

 

Dis your Hyperacusis go on its own or you did something to improve it?

 

Hello Tony,

I didn't undergo any special therapy. I didn’t do any magical diet, however, I eat healthy and fresh food. Fast food and carbonated sweet drinks are not on my menu. I also reduced the intake of white sugar and salty food. I drink alcohol very rarely, perhaps one or two glasses of wine per month on average.

At the beginning of hyperacusis/tinnitus, I occasionally took magnesium, zinc, CBD drops and some other supplements, but I didn’t notice any significant effect. To be honest, a small initial improvement of hyperacusis has been noticed at a time when I tried CBD drops. However, I can't confirm that the improvement was due to the CBD intake. It is perfectly possible that these two events randomly coincided. In the last 18 months I didn't take any supplements at all.

One of the best things you can do for reduction of hyperacusis and tinnitus is to visiting forest as frequently as possible. If possible do light exercises, for example walking, tai-chi or some other body-based techniques. Contrary, hard body exercises increase the level of adrenaline in the body which consequently increases tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I also removed TV set from my bedroom. Watching horror films late in the night, stressful sport events or dramatic (breaking) news make hyperacusis and tinnitus worse. High quality of sleep is one of the most important issues in the way to recovery from hyperacusis/tinnitus. Your bedroom should be as dark as possible. If possible remove all electronic devices from your bedroom including a cell phone.

Extensive usage of cell phone makes tinitus/hyperacusis worse.

In the past few months, I've been listening to cricket-like sounds and some other sounds (e.g., bird song, water sound) that you can find on web pages (just about 5-10 minutes per day on average). Do not force yourself to listen any of these sounds if you don’t like them and/or they aggravate your hyperacusis/tinnitus. Interestingly, I couldn’t tolerate the very same sounds at the beginning, i.e., in the first 18 months of hyperacusis/tinnitus. Now, these sounds are pleasant to me, even as a kind of healing therapy.

Most important healing strategy: Please do not expose yourself to any loud sound (concerts, clubbing, loud parties, fireworks etc.). The loud sound causes an extremely bad impact (stress) to the harmony of the central nervous system. Ear plugs should become your standard personal equipment.

Best

 

Thank you! @DeepUniverse for sharing your recovery story in such detail and positivity. It is very much appreciated and has provided me hope. Did you experience chronic ear pain in addition to your hyperacusis and tinnitus?

I ask because I also suffer from very severe H (LDLs in 40s at higher frequencies) and UHF hearing loss, very high pitched, sound reactive tinnitus and bouts of burning ear pain that can last for days. I’ve been struggling with this for 11 months. Done the whole works, ENT, Audiologist, TRT, etc.. my ears can’t tolerate the sound generators and no clinician seems to have an answer to remedy ear pain.

Thanks for your support,
EDogg

 

Hello EDogg,

At the onset of my tinnitus/hyperacusis I had feeling of fullness in my both ears (fullness was not permanent but it lasted occasionally during the first three months after onset). I also had pain in my ears, but luckily, the pain was not permanent but occurred only when the sound exceeded my loudness discomfort level (LDL). The sound I perceived was distorted. This happened very easily because my LDL was 30 db back then. When the too-loud-sound-for-me stopped, my ear pain disappeared. That is why I needed to wear ear plugs practical in every activity including washing my hands and typing on the keyboard.

Back then I had also a huge problem during eating some kind of foods (e.g., salad, toast, walnuts), because the sound has been transferred from my teeth to jaw bones and then to my ears. Also cleaning my teeth was a huge problem in the first couple of months due to the high pitched sound produced by friction between toothbrush and teeth. Now, I can tolerate sounds up to 75-90 db (the level depends on frequency of sound).

In the beginning, I had very reactive tinnitus, i.e., every sound, especially high pitched sound, aggravated my tinnitus terribly. I still have reactive tinnitus, but the level of reactivity is now much lower than in the beginning. It seems that as hyperacusis improves, the level of reactivity decreases.

If your current state is such that you can’t tolerate the sound generators, please do not force yourself to listen to these sounds. Alternatively, you can test different sounds you can find in many places on the www. If you can not tolerate some sounds at the moment (i.e., pink sound, white sound, cricked-like sound, water sound), this does not mean that you will not be able to listen to these very the same sounds in the future (please see my above post).

The official medicine still does not know precisely the underlaying fundamentals of tinnitus/hyperacusis, and that is why the tinnitus sufferers are often left to themselves.

That is why many tinnitus/hyperacusis sufferers are mistakenly convinced that these symptoms are permanent. I would like to point out that over the months or years, a vast majority of the patients dramatically improve the quality of life (i.e., either the tinnitus/hyperacusis disappears completely or it reduces to a level where it has no significant impact to everyday life).

Best regards!

 

I hear you. My T was caused by me cupping my ears during a very loud and long guitar solo. My ears would burn, I would stop and then start again like it was some kind of drunk'n game. Stupid I know..

The funny thing is that I saw the same band about 15 years earlier and complained that it was too loud because our sky box was right in front of the speakers. (I didn't drink at that concert.)

I kick myself every day for doing what I did to myself but life goes on and I've come to accept it (80% of the time).

It also pushes me to run a couple miles every other day which helps me tremendously. -- I'm on the Keto diet too which sounds worse than it is and have to thank my wife for getting me on that. Now I just need to cut back on the salt which sends my T through the roof!

Who knows. Maybe if I didn't have T, I would still be living an unhealthy lifestyle and on the verge of a heart attack! -- That is the way I look at it now.

You stay strong too and keep busy!

 

Hi @John Meyers,

I was wondering if you've experimented with different kinds of salt. My understanding is regular table salt--and even most sea salt--is pretty toxic. Celtic salt is apparently supposed to be better. But I've heard Himalayan salt is the best, which is what we use. I've read that despite the high amounts of salt we eat per capita, that most people are actually sodium deficient because of the kind of salt they eat. Anyway, just thought I'd toss that out there.​

 

Hello Lane,

My wife and I just switched to Himalayan salt about 2 months ago since we are now on the Keto diet.

I didn't really notice a difference from it specifically, however, the diet as a whole has made me feel young again and no longer sluggish. - The T is still there but I do get through the day now with hardly noticing it.

I'm also going to try CBD Hemp Oil. I'll let you know how that works out too.

 

@DeepUniverse

I just found your posts today but I see you've been a member of TT for a while. I think your thread is making a great contribution to the forum. Especially saying that ear plugs, patience and walks in the forest help in recovery. I'm a big believer in walks in the forest. Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

Hello John!

Thank you for your kind post.

I agree with you completely. Although it sounds paradoxical, tinnitus does not only bring bad side to life, but also some good aspects and/or consequences. Many patients who have tinnitus began to live much more healthily than before the disease. They started eating healthier food and implementing a lot of sports activities. This way of life not only benefits from the improvement of tinnitus/hyperacusis, but also to the body as a whole.

Best regards!

 

Hello New Guy!

Thank you for your kind post.

Yes, the nature is a universal healer. Nature regenerates us and has a very positive effect on our physical and mental body. The natural sounds are very pleasant and they are a true balm for the ears compared to the very loud concerts and city noise. A good night's sleep and frequent visits to the forest is the best a person can do for his/her health.

Best regards!