Hyperacusis, What Is Going On??

So I’d been doing my best to stay positive in the face of the massive anxiety all this has caused, had made myself take a couple of trips into town and once to the pub (not at a loud time of day) and neither of these made my tinnitus worse despite there being music in shops etc - theonly time it’s got worse is after a party I went to but it returned to baseline by morning. It wasn’t noise induced in the first place.

However I stayed at home over the weekend as I had a lot of studying to do and found the tinnitus to be fairly low. I had a mild panic yesterday when I went to the doctors and a loud door slammed right near my ear which hurt for the day but the tinnitus didn’t change in the end. Today it’d been really quiet all day, I’d been told yet again by a doctor that it should go away with time, was feeling quite happy. Then a couple of people came round (one of whom had a very loud voice) and someone put the washing machine on and instantly the conversation and machine noise made uncomfortable. I tried to stick it out because I’d managed entire trips to town before with no ill effects but I had to leave after half an hour because my ears hurt so much and now the hissing/ringing is louder. I don’t understand this at all.

The whole time my decibel reader stayed below 85 except for one spike up to 91 when my friend laughed really loud, but that sound didn’t even hurt.

 

@Michael Leigh I would be particularly interested to hear your thoughts on this if it’s not too much trouble? I have already read tinnitus a personal view and hyperacusis as I see it and found them both helpful.

 

HI @GeorgiaRose1812

The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure you loud noise and if hyperacusis is present this is eve more likely. If you have been listening to music through headphones regularly or attending places where loud music was played could indicate this is the case.

I advise you not to listen to music through headphones even at low volume. Please follow the advice in my two articles on using sound enrichment during the day and especially at night. It would be good idea to have a word with your doctor and get a referral to ENT so tests can be carried out on your auditory system.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Thank you for your advice - I have not used any sort of headphones since onset. It was also not noise induced but came on seemingly randomly with an illness, leaving me at a loss to predict what will and won’t set it off. I will follow your sound enrichment advice and I have been talking to my doctors for some time now- nobody seems keen to refer me!

Best wishes
Georgia

 

HI @GeorgiaRose1812

It is not uncommon for tinnitus to resolve itself within a short space of time. By this I mean it can go away or a person habituates to it quickly and it isn't too intrusive on their life. The best treatment for tinnitus in the early stages is to do nothing and this is the reason your GP/s may not seem keen at the moment to refer you to ENT. If you were experiencing: difficulty in hearing, balance problems, pain in the ears, dizziness, or deafness the matter would be taken more seriously.

You haven't had tinnitus long. If you were to say to your GP " I would like" to be referred to ENT for tests on my hearing because I'm worried my tinnitus or " Please can you refer" me to ENT for tests on my hearing as I'm concerned about it and my tinnitus, then they have no other choice but to do so. There are certain rules that all GPs have to adhere to when working for the NHS and duty of care they must show their patients. I may have not got the "exact wording correct" but you will find they will refer you to ENT.

A family member that works in the NHS told me some years go that if a patient makes a specific request to be referred to a specialist then the GP has no other choice but to comply. I have forgotten the exact words that are to be used. In any case I have always found it is better to be polite with one's GP rather than to make demands as some people do. I have never (touch wood) had any problems asking my GPs for help. See how things go and if your tinnitus becomes more problematic discuss this with your doctor again and if you have to, keep going until they refer you to an ENT doctor but I don't think you'll have any problems. At this early stage I think you should hold off for a while. If you were in a very distressed state I believe your doctor would see this and refer you quickly. This is not to say that you're not having some difficulty at present by most likely this will soon resolve.

Prior to the onset of your tinnitus, if you were regularly listening to music through headphones or attending places where loud music was played, on a regular basis, then I believe it is loud sounds that has caused your tinnitus and hyperacusis.

All the best
Michael