Hello. My Hyperacusis Just Got Worse After a Dog Scream — Advice?

Hello. I'm been sneaking around on this forum for some time but this will be my first post. I'm not a native English speaker to begin with.

So I've been suffering from tinnitus and mild hyperacusis for about 8 1/2 months now. I've also had crackling ears when swallowing and yawning for maybe 5-6 years. So my tinnitus started from what I think noise exposure from headphones. I've been playing video games at high volume and listening too loud music for many hours straight. I've also been to some rock concerts but always had ear plugs so I don’t know if that could have made some effect. 1 week after my tinnitus started, I also got pain in my ear and went to see a doctor and he told me I had an ear infection so maybe that could have triggered tinnitus also. 2-3 months later I saw an ENT and audiologist and I got my hearing tested. The ENT told me that there was nearly impossible to hear better then I do so according to him I got no hearing loss, at least not what you can see on a normal hearing test I guess.

I've been handling it pretty well and have pretty much stopped using headphones and I always protect my ears when I feel the noise is too loud. But 5 days ago there was a dog that made a really loud scream close to me and since then I've been feeling pain in my left ear pretty much all the time. The tinnitus or hearing has not gotten any worse from this. I can handle it when its quiet, sometimes I don't feel pain when its quiet but as soon as there is a sound (the higher the sound the more pain) the pain starts to get worse. I’ve also noticed that the left ear feels a little bit full and sometimes when I speak it feels like my ear drum is vibrating, also noticed this on my right ear once.

Is there anything I can do to maybe make the potential healing to not get interrupted? Should I try to stay away from sounds as much as possible or is that going to make the hyperacusis even worse? Is there anything else I can do, medicines? Is it safe to get water in my ears while swimming under water?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

 

Why was noxacusis (noise induced pain) diagnosed as an ear infection?

Have you heard of "hidden hearing loss" and are you aware the loudness amplification aspects of hyperacusis can amplify noise to make up for damaged hair cells.
https://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/#hiddenloss

 

@Contrast

Maybe I should have been a little clearer. He also inspected my ear and saw that the ear was infected and I got antibiotics.

I've heard of hidden hearing loss but not the thing you mentioned with amplification.

Do you think it's possible for my ear to recover to the level of hyperacusis I had before?

 

Im so sorry this is happening to you. My mild hyperacusis got recently worse too and im in pain almost all the time as well. I think you should avoid loud noises as much as you can from now on. More loud sounds will will likely make make symptoms worse, this I learned the the way

 

I suffer with you. If you ever find anything that might help please send me a message.