How Many of You Have Both Tinnitus and Hyperacusis?

I suffered an acoustic trauma 3 months ago. Started off with nasty T which settled down after a week or two, after a prescription of steroids. Since then I've been getting on very well with my T. In the past week, it suddenly got worse and I also got H, for no reason at all.

Has anyone developed H after T?

How has your T been in terms of volume over a period of time? i.e worse or better.

How have you coped?

How long did it last and what treatment did you undergo?

T is nothing in comparison to H in my opinion, being only 22 has ruined my life too, really hoping there's some answers! IT seems that a lot of people who get T from acoustic trauma also develop H a few months later. Strange!

 

My H started 3 days after the onset of T. It has gotten a bit better since then. Its been 11 months till date and I still have to protect my ears in public places. Loud honkings, firecrackers, utensils and crockery, braking noises of trucks and cars, dogs barking, children crying, clapping, screaming, etc bother me a lot. Just protect your ears with a pair of earplugs and you are free to go anywhere. With time take little risks to desensitize your ears to loud noises and try to expose them a bit to these noises and see what happens. If it bothers a lot, step back and give it more time and check again. H usually resolves for most but it takes a lot of time maybe 2 years or so. Don't worry much as anxiety makes it worse. Let things run their own course with time it will improve. Consult a doctor and take fish oil ,turmeric suppliment , B12 as these are good for reducing inflammation and repairing the nerves and calm your nervous system.

If nothing else works, there are treatments like sound therapies to desensitize you as the last resort. Don't worry.

Good luck

 

Have you tried sound therapy? I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to enquire. White noise apparently has a high success rate.

 

@geg1992

Just bear in mind that you will see a lot of extreme stories on this forum. Recovery is possible and it doesn't have to be the end of your life mate. The vast majority have recovered to get on with their lives. It can be done. You need a strategy to get you there. I'm trying TRT but check out I Who love Music on the forum. He has an excellent strategy aswell. There is also a drug on the way which should make a difference..
don't dispair too much. My T has decreased since I reintroduced noise and has settled down. Different folks different strokes.. but there is hope. R

 

Thanks for your input.

It's getting really bad tonight, my girlfriend speaking to me is hurting my ears. This life isn't livable. I can't believe this is happening to me. I doubt I'll be able to make it into work tomorrow. It seems like my T is making my H react

 

Also, how did you get yours?

 

I got H decades after T. The H appeared after a nasty spike. It pops up for no rhyme or reason but in response to very high pitched sounds.

 

I had it really badly for about 3 months in my right ear only. I used an earplug only when absolutely necessary, maybe twice a day (i.e. walking alongside a busy road, in the gym.) I pushed myself to do things that would be considered normal daily tasks without the plugs; I'd unload the dishwasher, play acoustic guitar etc. It was hard at first but slowly got easier. I never really used sound therapy designed for H but I did have constant white noise most of that time. I think mine was more of an emotional response to T, When the H ramped up so did the T. Thankfully it is gone, now I must continue to work towards habituating to the T. This week I'm turning off the fans during the day and using very soft music or background tv during the day. I still bring out the fans at night.

 

Mine came after T. No noise trauma. It's been 1.5 years. I have ups and downs. I believe mine is nerve related. Protect your ears but don't over protect. It's all a matter of opinion. TRT helps many and some time takes care if it..Your girlfriend's voice hurting is "normal" but you will improve. I know how scary it is. Mine still gets bad like that and then better (never gone) again.

Just research alot and choose the best path for you. It seems the majority get better, especially noise trauma individuals. I, on the other hand have health issues contributing to my ears disorders making my condition more (sadly) chronic...but hey, maybe mine will go away too one day! One can hope.

 

What is the drug that you mentioned in this post?

 

Last night it got to the point that I just wanted to die. I couldn't even move without being in pain and my T getting so loud. I've never had T that loud before and It wouldn't go down. I really don't know what I'm going to do. I've never felt the feeling of truely wanting to die before, I just didn't know how to.

 

@Thongjy

AUT000063 - Autifony...

 

The advise here is generic and can work for most but if you have real H, and not phycological, this can be dangerous. You could end up damaging the shit out of your ears further. I went on this bad advise and managed to make things 10x worse for myself. I had H to start, now after 14 months it's beyond what I could have imagined. Take it slow. As far as I know there is no proof that pushing yourself in a uncomfortable noise environment will help you heal your H.

 

It has just got continually worse, as has the T. Maybe this is why. I hate being alone in side though, it makes me want to end my life even more. Perhaps I'll stay Inside all weekend then just go back to work next week as its an office. Although when people slam drawers and stuff, that's horrible.

 

Have you tried white noise generators?

 

Don't stay inside! Just wear ear protection for a while. I know what you mean, being locked up like a caged animal is not good. Get out and try and stay busy. Take your gf out for a quiet dinner or whatever. And if you have to wear or bring plugss for now, do it.

I have tried white noise at night and makes things worse for me. Maybe it will work for you though. I am trying very soft music on head phones and I also watch a lot of TV at the moment.

I'm not saying lock yourself away from noise, just go slow and listen to your body.

 

I have both T and H and keep myself caged in my house only go out to my Doctors who are helping me cope with this condition which has taking over my life...FOR NOW..... Sometimes I feel like a nut sometimes I don't is how I feel But I am hopeful that the day will come when I will live a normal life again. Stay well and be positive.

 

I have both T & H. H attacked soon after T. All normal sounds were turned into glassy quality and appeared piercingly hurtful to the ears. I had to wear ear plugs all the time, but the plugs blocked all outside masking sounds, making my ultra high pitch dog whistle T so unbearably dominant. All sounds hurt, including TV, driving, social conversations in parties, dish washing, door closing, etc. Even the soft voice of my wife spoken too close hurt. Man, I had to withdraw from all social functions and no more movies, parties, eat-outs, not to say going concerts. Life was lonely and future appeared all bleak with T & H combined.

Yes, T was horrible to bear, but H besides hurting also put so much more limit on the sufferer's life that it amounts to social exile. Gosh that was tough. But luckily as advised by members, I didn't over-protect for normal sounds. Eventually, like most sufferers of H, it just faded over time, within a year of its start. So don't think that being young 22, your H will be forever. It will most likely the first one to fade. So relax and be positive. The more calm & relax you are, the faster you can get well. I agree with Telis. Don't stay inside. It will do major mental damage to think you are caged. I literally dared myself to take on T & H to go back into doing what I used to like, like fishing, gardening, jogging etc. Now I can fly long inter-continental flights without ear plugs (just use my fingers or ear buds of my ipod if needed during the take-off). I also can go watch cinema movies. This is something I never thought possible during H. So never say never. Keep up the good hope and positive attitude and let time do its healing.

 

geg, I feel you. Same here. Never understood why people would consider suicide. Now I know! And it makes perfect sense if you have an ailment that gives pain/agony without any break, that is torturing you non-stop every single conscious (and even unconscious) second how long can you take it before you go apeshit?
I did smash my head against the frigde, mirror, doors, cupboards..

Billie, how can you relax and be positive when there's something screaming in your ear 24/7 a day and knowing that it will never stop until you die? It's a rhetorical question of course. You've been through all that sh*t, or rather still stuck with it, yeah it's all down the river.

 

Hi NiNyu, good question. How could I bear all that sufferings at the beginning? No I couldn't. I have ultra high pitch dog whistle T, sometimes feeling like 10x the pitch of a dentist drill. I also had severe H soon after T started. All normal sounds hurt. Then I have relentless anxiety and panic attacks triggered by T & H. They are horrible sensations on top of the sufferings of T & H. I couldn't stop these attacks by sheer will power of anything I learned from the Internet. I had to totally depend on meds to survive each day, benzos, anti-depressants, sleeping pills. These were my life savers back then. And I never thought I could survive T & H for the rest of my life. I made the mistake of projecting a catastrophic future based on the traumatized mind at the worst stage of suffering (usually the first 6 to 18 months). I suffered greatly because of believing in this catastrophic thinking. I should have known better that given time and acceptance, the body actually can do its healing if we don't stand in the way. I read so many success stories telling me about this but I wouldn't believe it (like you are doing now). Had I known that my body can now ignore the ringing high or low, all the initial sufferings would have been spared. You just have to have patience with your body and willing to change your thinking a bit. It will happen. I never thought so, but it is the truth for me now. T can go to hell while I enjoy my earthly heaven every day.

 

I had high-pitched T for a year. Now I have both T and H, and it is excruciatingly painful. I feel for everyone suffering from this condition. Many say it will get better, but mine only gets worse over time.

 

I thought the same. I still have H but for now It is fairly mild. Anxiety makes it a lot worse. Just expose your self to normal every day sounds and hopefully it will soon be a thing of the past. Obviously still protect against loud noises though.

 

H is keeping me isolated, I don't have pain but everything is louder, it scares me a lot.

 

@DutchGuy H & T keep me isolated too. Every day sounds seem so loud that they are difficult to be around. I understand. I am trying to take baby steps at being around every day sounds, but it is a slow process.