Help Me with My Ear Mystery: Woke Up to Raging Tinnitus, Hyperacusis and Hearing Loss

[AfroSnowman]

According to the U.S. Department of State, as of January 2025, there have been more than 1,500 reported cases of Havana syndrome among U.S. government employees and their families stationed worldwide. The symptoms, which include headaches, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction, and other neurological issues, are genuine, but researchers have not found consistent brain injuries or biological abnormalities in those affected.

The U.S. government continues to investigate the phenomenon and provide support to those affected. However, there is no definitive answer to the question of whether Havana syndrome is still happening, and the mystery surrounding its cause persists.

It is strange. I have been acknowledged as having been affected, as much as the U.S. government is ever going to acknowledge anyone. Ultimately, there will never be a smoking gun in this. I will never truly know whether I am some extreme outlier with a bizarre medical condition that has no clear cause—one that includes notched hearing loss and associated vestibular damage—or if there was actually some GRU operative pointing a directed-energy device at me.

All I know is that my life changed in an instant that night in April 2019, and it was not for the better.