Hyperacusis and Tinnitus from a Concert, Both Worsened After Microsuction + I'm Pregnant

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, I was just hoping for any sort of reassurance as I am in a really bad place.

I first got tinnitus and hyperacusis from a concert in October 2019. I didn't know what hyperacusis was so it took a long time to seek treatment on that side of things, but I had symptoms of not being able to go anywhere noisy, cafes/ restaurants etc, bars were out of the question as was the cinema. Slowly I started feeling a bit more tolerant to sounds but this took about 2.5 years. I was finally at a place where I could start going out more and enjoying my life. I had also been wearing white noise generators. However, I am bridesmaid at a wedding next March so I returned to my audiologist to express my concern that I still couldn't handle noise like that. He said my ears were completely full of wax and there was no point wearing these anymore until it was cleared, that due to my ear issues I wasn't suitable for irrigation or microsuction so just to use olive oil until it shifted.

I started with olive oil in one ear, months later all it left me with was a blocked ear and it still wasn't cleared. I then tried Otex Express ear drops. After about 9 or 10 days my tinnitus really flared up with them so I stopped and was also in some pain so went to my GP. She was adamant the wax needed to come out and it had gone on long enough, she said she could not even see my eardrum. I went to an ENT who then told me the only way to get it out was microsuction, and he could not manually remove it as it was too gloopy from the ear drops. I explained the audiologist had told me not to get microsuction and told him of my hyperacusis but he said it needed to come out. I let him do it.

Fast forward two weeks, and I am back to where I started with hyperacusis, if not worse. My ear canals burn. My tinnitus is now reactive so I am sitting in silence all day. I cry every day thinking about how I have ruined my life and all the work I put in for over 2 years. On top of this, I am 32 weeks pregnant. I feel like everything I was looking forward to has been taken from me. Even the sound of my own voice is triggering my tinnitus.

I have an appointment with the audiologist on Wednesday but I feel like they will scold me for being so easily influenced.

 

All I can say is I'm sorry this happened to you. Since you have experience with this in the past, all you really can do is protect your ears and hope time heals. Hopefully it clears fast for you.

 

Yes, if you don't already have, get some Peltor Optime III earmuffs and start supplementing with Magnesium.