How Do You Go Outside?

Every sound seems so uncomfortable. Parents talking, doors squeaking, cutlery, dogs barking from outside, cars driving by (especially motorcycles.) It seems %100 times louder to me in my head.

I have to wear ear plugs even in the house. I have to keep asking parents to talk quietly even though they already are. I can't expose myself to regular sounds because everything just seems so loud and uncomfortable, and anything seems to make T worse which is far worse to me so I don't want to risk it increasing any more than it has.

Family wants to go outside and they suggest going on trips and vacations but can't even really step out of the house. How do you just go outside?

 

What is the cause of all this ?

 

It's called hyperacusis. Sound sensitivity. I'm very sorry this is happening to you.

You have to stop wearing earplugs at home, you're only making things worse. Don't push yourself - slowly reintroduce sound to your life.

 

Earplugs are your friend for now. Avoid loud places and wear the plugs when the sounds hurt. You don't have to endue the pain.

Good luck, I've been on this crazy ride for almost eight months now. Some people here have been on it for years. But I hope things get better for you much sooner.

 

Listening to music with headphones for so long probably.

 

Been there -- I know how horrible the "clank" of cutlery can be. Or even the "swish" of water coming out of the tap at the sink. Others simply can't comprehend the pain we feel from hyperaccussis. It's worse than tinnitus.

I think a lot of it is tied into our reactionary "fight or flight" mechanism to be honest. After I learned to do relaxation exercises my H really calmed down. It didn't happen overnight but it did happen. And I was careful not to get too dependent on using ear plugs. Don't get me wrong, they have their uses, but wearing them constantly only delays the healing from H in my opinion.

 

Try to start listening to sound again. I would recommend to listen to white noise at very low volume through speakers; try to play it for an hour or two per day, and increase exposure time when you are feeling better; also increase volume gradually.

Be careful with noise outside home for the moment; being exposed to very loud peaks of sound - even for a brief moment - can make improvement slower. For most people H gets better over time, but it is a super slow process (many months or maybe 1-2 years to notice any significant improvement)

 

I use earmuffs Peltor Optime 35 dB and can go anywhere.I don't use earplugs at all as I have cochlear hyperacousis from acoustic shock and earplugs can cause further damage.Also I have to buy new ones once on about 9months because it gets used over time and losses it's attenuating properties.Recently I've made a grave mistake as I took them off in cold windy day and wind blew just in my ears causing painful inflammation that still lasts

 

I'd say wear Peltor ear muffs for a few A year or two and slowly re-expose yourself to sound as feel better

The rule is to not rush or push the ears