How Do You Cope with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis While Living in a Loud City?

I have been meaning to ask this question for a while now and would like some insight.

How do you fellow tinnitus and hyperacusis sufferers cope/deal with this affliction while living in a loud city? How do you navigate your life around this and is it possible to live without the constant anxiety that even ear protection will not protect you from worsening?

I was born and raised in New York City, but since my tinnitus has worsened I have become so aware of how unbearably loud this city is. Even in my apartment I sometimes feel unsafe because I can often hear the loud revving of motorcycles and cars as well as neighborhood folk blasting music from a block away. From my apartment, I hear at least 3-5 ambulances and police sirens a day and despite being indoors, it just goes to show how much more vulnerable I am to a loud noise exposure and my tinnitus worsening. I can’t move yet as I mentioned but for now I need to make a living and find my way around the city. I do my best by wearing ear plugs and I’m planning on getting noise cancelling headphones to wear on top but its exhausting to live like this.

Can anyone else relate? I’d really appreciate some insight from people who are also in the same predicament as me? How do you live with this in a city you can’t escape?

Any advice is appreciated, I cannot risk having my tinnitus getting worse.

Thank you in advance

 

I used to live in Paris. What I would do was go out with muffs on + earplugs and avoid loud places at all cost.

Basically there's no miracle solution. Try and be adaptive whenever you can

At some point I decided to make the best choice of my life and leave that horrendously loud city. There's no such thing as fighting a battle you cannot win anyway (these cities are loud and they'll always be).

 

I can relate.

I don't live in NYC but I live in a city and yeah, it really is exhausting. Most of the time I stay in my room, and I still have to contend with sirens and the lawn equipment.

Everytime I leave my house (or at least beyond the mailbox) I wear earplugs (20 dB with filters) and I started taking NAC and Magnesium as well.

 

I live in Los Angeles. Basically the same story as you with all the exposure to city sounds living in an apartment. I have multiple ear defenders around apartment and in my car and wear them with passing sirens. I always carry earplugs and even use it in some grocery stores. There's not much else you can do except plan on moving out of the loud city into suburbs which I have discussed with my wife. I think it will be necessary eventually.

Wish you the best!

 

It's insane how loud these cities are. Were you born and raised in LA? How long have you been living with tinnitus while there? Also do you find that your tinnitus has worsened despite wearing plugs around the city or has it stayed the same since you are wearing ear protection? I feel like I have developed some sort of PTSD since my last spike was caused by an ambulance siren and it just sucks to be on constant high alert, I don’t even want to leave my home but life has to go on somehow. And its great that you and your wife are planning on moving, I think ultimately when I am able to I’ll have to move somewhere a lot quieter. I live really close to New Jersey and the neighboring town is very quiet so I have been looking at a few areas around there.

 

Yeah it's extremely exhausting and doesn’t help that I already struggle with having anxiety, constantly being on high alert is exhausting. Everytime I go out I also wear foam earplugs, I was able to secure a job downtown so I may have to double up on protection while commuting to work everyday.

I take it that you are a student still? Are you working part time? If so, how do you handle daily commutes? Or even just navigating your city? Not sure how loud the transit system is in your city but an incoming train where I live can easily induce a spike because of the screeching rails, it's nuts.

 

Not a student, working part time.

I take the bus, and sit near the front or the middle wearing my plugs. There is no train transit system where I am.

Congrats on your new job!

 

Sometimes even the occasional siren and yard work is too much for my hyperacusis and I'm in the suburbs. Can't imagine what living in a busy city would be like, especially New York.

 

Pretty exhausting to say the least.

 

Start taking NAC. Great for setback prevention.