- Jul 27, 2017
- 14
- Tinnitus Since
- 2010
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Listening to music while wearing earphones
This is my first post here since my introduction about a month ago.
I'll try to keep my background story short and focus on how my tinnitus and hearing issues started and evolved. So, here we go:
My tinnitus journey began in the early winter of 2010, somewhere between January and February. The ringing initially started in my left ear, and about 8–9 months later, it appeared in my right ear as well.
During that time, I noticed that certain sounds, like a short bassline, a fiddle, or low-frequency synths and vocals, were harder to hear. However, after a few weeks or a month, I could hear them again as clearly as before.
At that point, I stopped using headphones because they seemed to aggravate my tinnitus. The bass, in particular, would make my ears feel tired and full after only a short time.
Fast forward to the end of 2015, and I started having balance issues. Sometimes I felt off-balance while walking or even while sitting on the couch. I should mention that I'm a huge hypochondriac (health anxiety), which I've dealt with since 2000. I know how powerful and manipulative my brain and body can be. I've convinced myself that I've had countless illnesses, none of which turned out to be true. However, this time felt different, and I wasn't sure it was just anxiety.
Because of this, I had an MRI. The day before my appointment, the balance issues disappeared, but the weekend before the MRI, I watched a movie with my dad and brother, and the sound was very loud (or at least it seemed that way). The next morning, I woke up with a full, tired sensation in my left ear—the same ear where the tinnitus first started. Later that day, I noticed a humming or pulsating sound in that ear.
The MRI came back completely normal. I tried to relax, and eventually, my hearing and ears improved.
Now, moving into 2017, this past January, I started noticing again that I couldn't hear certain tones, instruments, or vocal harmonies as well as before. I didn't panic at first, since I had experienced similar short episodes in the past.
However, by this summer, I found that I could no longer enjoy listening to my favorite artists or songs. I struggled to hear certain parts, and instead of enjoying the music, I kept checking and comparing, scaring myself more and more.
Just last night, I was watching a movie (Batman: The Lego Movie 2017—one of the worst movies I've seen in years, by the way). In one scene, Batman whispers to himself in a very low voice, and I had to turn the volume way up because the subtitles were the only clue that he was speaking. The rest of the movie was fine, and I could hear everything else, even on a lower volume. I replayed that whisper scene 50 times, trying to figure out why I couldn't hear him. The movie was terrible, but that moment made it even worse.
I've had four hearing tests this summer, from June until just a few weeks ago. They all came back normal. The doctors told me things like, "You have excellent hearing, like that of a 10-year-old," or that I should feel lucky my hearing is better than most people my age. They introduced me to fancy new medical terms, but none of them seemed concerned about the low-frequency loss I was experiencing, which hasn't improved at all.
I may have hyperacusis (if I'm spelling that right), which I think means being overly sensitive to certain sounds. I recently had a test for hyperacusis, and I came to the conclusion that I don't have too much trouble with sensitivity in my daily life. On a scale from 1 to 10, I'd rate my tinnitus and sensitivity around 3 (4 on a bad day). But what truly scares me is that I can no longer hear things I know are there.
I have another hearing test with an ear, nose, and throat specialist in November. I've been waiting for this appointment since July. The previous tests were done at private clinics, costing me a lot of money, and while I learned a bunch of new medical terms, I still haven't received any real answers about what's causing my issues.
I've also had two sessions with a hearing specialist (audiopedagog in Norwegian). She believes my problems are due to anxiety and that I can retrain my hearing back to normal. I'm not sure what to think, but I'll give it a few more tries. Still, I'm not impressed by the lack of concrete answers from these experts and doctors in Norway.
Next time, I will *demand* some answers or at least a test to determine if I have hearing damage. I'm tired of being told, "You have perfect hearing." No, I don't. If I did, I would still be able to hear all the things I mentioned earlier in this post.
I'm angry, frustrated, and scared. I feel like I could spend a billion dollars on ear, nose, and throat experts and still be no closer to figuring out what's going on.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. I tried to keep it short, but I've had so much on my mind, and since so few doctors give me the time to explain my experiences, I just needed to vent all the frustration that's been building up since 2010.
I'll try to keep my background story short and focus on how my tinnitus and hearing issues started and evolved. So, here we go:
My tinnitus journey began in the early winter of 2010, somewhere between January and February. The ringing initially started in my left ear, and about 8–9 months later, it appeared in my right ear as well.
During that time, I noticed that certain sounds, like a short bassline, a fiddle, or low-frequency synths and vocals, were harder to hear. However, after a few weeks or a month, I could hear them again as clearly as before.
At that point, I stopped using headphones because they seemed to aggravate my tinnitus. The bass, in particular, would make my ears feel tired and full after only a short time.
Fast forward to the end of 2015, and I started having balance issues. Sometimes I felt off-balance while walking or even while sitting on the couch. I should mention that I'm a huge hypochondriac (health anxiety), which I've dealt with since 2000. I know how powerful and manipulative my brain and body can be. I've convinced myself that I've had countless illnesses, none of which turned out to be true. However, this time felt different, and I wasn't sure it was just anxiety.
Because of this, I had an MRI. The day before my appointment, the balance issues disappeared, but the weekend before the MRI, I watched a movie with my dad and brother, and the sound was very loud (or at least it seemed that way). The next morning, I woke up with a full, tired sensation in my left ear—the same ear where the tinnitus first started. Later that day, I noticed a humming or pulsating sound in that ear.
The MRI came back completely normal. I tried to relax, and eventually, my hearing and ears improved.
Now, moving into 2017, this past January, I started noticing again that I couldn't hear certain tones, instruments, or vocal harmonies as well as before. I didn't panic at first, since I had experienced similar short episodes in the past.
However, by this summer, I found that I could no longer enjoy listening to my favorite artists or songs. I struggled to hear certain parts, and instead of enjoying the music, I kept checking and comparing, scaring myself more and more.
Just last night, I was watching a movie (Batman: The Lego Movie 2017—one of the worst movies I've seen in years, by the way). In one scene, Batman whispers to himself in a very low voice, and I had to turn the volume way up because the subtitles were the only clue that he was speaking. The rest of the movie was fine, and I could hear everything else, even on a lower volume. I replayed that whisper scene 50 times, trying to figure out why I couldn't hear him. The movie was terrible, but that moment made it even worse.
I've had four hearing tests this summer, from June until just a few weeks ago. They all came back normal. The doctors told me things like, "You have excellent hearing, like that of a 10-year-old," or that I should feel lucky my hearing is better than most people my age. They introduced me to fancy new medical terms, but none of them seemed concerned about the low-frequency loss I was experiencing, which hasn't improved at all.
I may have hyperacusis (if I'm spelling that right), which I think means being overly sensitive to certain sounds. I recently had a test for hyperacusis, and I came to the conclusion that I don't have too much trouble with sensitivity in my daily life. On a scale from 1 to 10, I'd rate my tinnitus and sensitivity around 3 (4 on a bad day). But what truly scares me is that I can no longer hear things I know are there.
I have another hearing test with an ear, nose, and throat specialist in November. I've been waiting for this appointment since July. The previous tests were done at private clinics, costing me a lot of money, and while I learned a bunch of new medical terms, I still haven't received any real answers about what's causing my issues.
I've also had two sessions with a hearing specialist (audiopedagog in Norwegian). She believes my problems are due to anxiety and that I can retrain my hearing back to normal. I'm not sure what to think, but I'll give it a few more tries. Still, I'm not impressed by the lack of concrete answers from these experts and doctors in Norway.
Next time, I will *demand* some answers or at least a test to determine if I have hearing damage. I'm tired of being told, "You have perfect hearing." No, I don't. If I did, I would still be able to hear all the things I mentioned earlier in this post.
I'm angry, frustrated, and scared. I feel like I could spend a billion dollars on ear, nose, and throat experts and still be no closer to figuring out what's going on.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. I tried to keep it short, but I've had so much on my mind, and since so few doctors give me the time to explain my experiences, I just needed to vent all the frustration that's been building up since 2010.
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