Hyperacusis and Reactive Tinnitus

4 weeks in and feeling very scared. They both started gradually and worsened end last month. The H scares me the most, I've read very horrible things. I also feel confused with it and how to go about helping myself. I have a family and this has made it more difficult, I feel like a burden and so scared of the future. I am a mom and not sure what the future holds. I cry daily.

 

Hi Lynn. Welcome! I have both too and I can identify with how H can be the bigger demon because it is so limiting and noise is everywhere. When I first got to know of this term and I read of horror storiess, the panic was overwhelming. I felt and sometimes still do feel like I am in perpetual threat because I don't know where or when the next shock will happen.

However, it does get better as time goes by. It did for me and for many other folks here too, if you were to read through some of the threads. I guess the consistent advice you will read is to not over protect.

I hope it gets better for you and you will find some encouragement from the people here.

 

H here as well. I'm still trying to figure out if there's a specific cause, but may never. H started 2 months ago, and I go for a high res MRI in less than 2 weeks. My H has improved enough that I'm only a little apprehensive about the noise.

 

I think my H started from too much drinking and lack of sleep. I use to be some what a heavy drinker. I would drink atleast 6 Heinekens each night. My problem came the morning after I switched beer to Dos Equis. I woke up and noticed my sound was all messed up. Everything sounded so loud and distorted. I told my self I will never drink Dos Equis beer anymore. At first, it was really hard to get use to. I didn't know what was going on with me and nobody I explained it to would understand either. I went to a GP and he said he noticed redness and fluid in my left ear and prescribed me with the z PAC and steroid. It did not help and the problem persisted. I went to another doctor and he gave me more antibiotic and that didn't work either. It seems like nobody knew what was going with me. Anyway, my H started to get better as the days go. It started to get better but for only a few days it came back again. I also have tinnitus from all of this. I went to see and ENT last week. They gave me a hearing test and said that I'm having a hearing loss in my left ear. He looked in my ears and said there's no physical problem that he can see. He said I may have nerve damage and that may cause the T. He basically told me that I have to learn to live with it. He never even mention Hyperacusis. I didn't know what it was until I did some research online. I will have an MRI next Wednesday to see if I got any tumor pressing on my nerves. I do get frequent headaches too. Anyway, I just want to let you know that it does get better. My H is better now. I still have problems with certain pitches that bothers me like my wife's voice and my 2 daughters yelling. I try not to overprotect it because it would only make it more sensitive and I don't want to develop phonophobia or misophobia. My tinnitus is worst at night and my H is worst first thing in the morning. I will wait awhile until I try TRT. I want to learn more about it. The human body is like a car. Certain things will break down and get worn. It's just part of life. It's better to accept it and learn to live with it since there's no cure as of yet. Try to live a healthy life with diet and exercising. It can really help overpower other health problems.

 

First off, don't read hyperacusis horror stories online. That can amp up your anxiety about hyperacusis and make it worse. Also you might not have reactive tinnitus, but instead this kind of misophonia or anxiousness about sound that will amp up your tinnitus. Like I stated earlier this same thing can happen towards your hyperacusis. Once you control the anxiety things will get better.

I would also recommend going to an audiologist and getting a loudness discomfort test. This can help you monitor your progress. Otherwise you could be getting better but since it's still present think you are the same.

 

Thanks for the responses. I see an audiologist next week. I think my main issue is TTTS as that is what is causing me horrible pain. Burning in my ear/face/neck and headache with the regular ear fullness and pain..this totally sucks.

 

Lynn 35 ive been reading your fears etc about the T and H issues and how others handle it .. I think if you get buy with other things that you find enjoyable your issues wont be at the front of your thinking and feeling it so much........I know it can be difficult to learn to ignore your T and H issues but it can be learned and your time spent on other things you like to do will get better....Try if you can to walk out side an hour a day at your convenience and pay attention to your surroundings and not your T and H ....you will get to enjoy those walks after a while and you will feel better.......hope things work out better for you.

 

Hi Harold

Thanks for your input. In Feb this post will be 2 years old. Wow! Sad! as I have done what you said and much much more but still suffer.

I do walk almost daily and "live" as much as possible, including this very spontaneous trip to Montreal...which until visiting some family members, was going rather well..So you see, the thing is, I do try VERY HARD to forget about my h and T.mostly H, but it doesn't matter. ..a few loud laughs into my non plugged ear (as I can't converse much with them) and now I am in pain...

One would think being in a large city, staying at a hostel, riding the subway etc..would be dangerous, but the real danger for hyperacusic's is other people who constantly "forget" you have hyperacusis- or they're just drunk...

So now I shall finish my trip in pain (and @Atlantis call me a fking liar again?!!!

)

So a nice reminder for everyone who happens to visit this thread and especially newbies, h doesn't always go away and there are many causes...remember that.

 

Someone's calling you a liar???!! That's completely unacceptable!

Street Spirit, you know me. And know how well I am doing. But even the fact I'm doing well, I still have T & H. It's been ramped up for about 1.5-2 weeks now. I still consider myself doing well because I know how much others struggle. Mine is just very irritating. But I can be in a lot of social situations.

I'm sorry you struggle. And I'm sorry you have to deal with people that think they know it all!! That pisses me off!

 

1. Whoever the F' @Atlantis is, calling you a liar...is also calling me a liar and should meet me in a dark alley. Or maybe have little "body swap" for a few hours, and go to town around humans and experience the reality of this reactive T/H combo!!! Makes my blood boil.

Lynn, people without this particular brand of T/H that we have (which indeed is very rare - thank goodness for others) have no flipping clue. Normal H generally fades off pretty quick compared to T, which can be more 'permanent'. Chronic longer term reactivity is one big ?????????????????????. Maybe the more zaps, the longer it stays? My first H periods were much shorter than this one. WTF knows, I sure don't.

I mean you summed it up perfectly here:

EXACTLY!!!

We know when there is going to be noise and have plugs in already...Airport, underground/transit system, shops, near kids, when a dog appears, the shape of any speaker or microphone, Dodge Ram trucks, Harley's, ambulances sitting docile - for now, parking lots with people pressing remotes to get "horn confirmation" of lock, crowds, etc., etc....But then, trying to be 'more normal', being around a few people in a 'safe' environment, plugs out or half out so can hear them...Then they 'clap with delight', or suddenly laugh loudly, or sneeze, or unexpectedly yell at their kid playing 'safely' 50 yards away...ZAP-BING-RING......."SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Then, the rapid: "Sorry, I have to go now". Slinking home, or to a place of quiet aloneness, hoping to hell that this is going to go down and not be an NEW volume level to deal with.

Sigh!.....And someone called you a liar for reporting this??? Xexus that pisses me off...enough to post.

So indeed, mark these words. You never know if it could be you becoming another of "the few"...which is no darn honour I can assure you!

Hugs Lynn... Zimichael (Et bonne chance en Montreal avec vos aventures dans le son)

 

My condition is expected to worsen over time-- fluctuating along the journey. I started out horrible H, then back up to quite manageable, then down again, up again, and now a down that is lingering, with more T accompanying.

Anyone who thinks I'm lying can kiss my ascot.

 

How about your Babushka instead?...

All kidding aside, no one in their right mind would think for a minute that either you or Street Spirit have been lying.

 

"no one in their right mind".

Tracy is, nobody WANTS this malady.

 

good point.."right mind"...And for the record, today I am dying. .ears on fire..

I tried. I came for a purpose, I don't regret it.