I Don't Even Know Anymore, Do I Have Ear Recruitment, Phonophobia, Hyperacusis, or What...

[Ilija]

So I have posted a lot of times that some electric appliances produce noises I didn't hear before.
Today I had the idea of using my TV along with my headphones as a way of blocking out the noise of ringing my PC now produces.
It lasted for a while but, I still knew it was there and after a couple of hours it came back now even with the TV on I can still hear it as loud as I did before.
I'm not sure if I have Ear recruitment or Phonophobia or Hyperacusis or I'm just focusing on the sound way to much so my brain turns it up.
Also if I move my head around it seems to change, I move my head hear it only in my left ear, move again both, move again right only, move again don't hear it.
I don't know if its maybe my Power Supply causing it as it produces a hiss when it's off so maybe it's a faulty capacitor or something.
Or if it's something else.
Could anyone here explain to me what and how does each of these function (Recruitment,Phonophobia,Hyperacusis)
This doesn't worsen my Tinnitus, it's just annoying that I don't want to come home to my ears ringing, I study PC technology and I'm around my PC most of the day it's what I always did (play games,watch TV shows,movies,anime...)
Also read about Misophonia not sure what that is.
I find it really annoying that one can't simply get Tinnitus and be done with it rather people get hyperacusis,misophonia,phonophobia,recruitment and some other stupid Sh!t.
Tinnitus low, barely able to notice it unless in a completely quiet room but this is just downright stupid.
If anyone has gone through this or knows what I might have please reply.
I'll be going to an audiologist but I need to make appointments and find the right one and so on and so on plus I need money for the more specific tests not just the usual stupid audiogram which literally tells me nothing.
Is there a test for Recruitment and Hyperacusis?

 

[jss]

You really answered your own question...Your nervous system is probably super sensitive to any sound and therefor any slight sound the mind will pinpoint it and focus on it. Your mind is playing with your limbic system.

When you turn every thing off in the room what do you hear?

If your tinnitus is low and you are barley able to hear it unless in a quiet room consider yourself blessed, very blessed....If I had that I would be in heaven.....I wouldn't even worry about it in the slightest.

If the Audiologist finds no hearing damage you know what the standard advise will be......"I guess you will just have to live with it" Thats what most of us hear.

 

[beemovie]

So I have posted a lot of times that some electric appliances produce noises I didn't hear before.
Today I had the idea of using my TV along with my headphones as a way of blocking out the noise of ringing my PC now produces.
It lasted for a while but, I still knew it was there and after a couple of hours it came back now even with the TV on I can still hear it as loud as I did before.
I'm not sure if I have Ear recruitment or Phonophobia or Hyperacusis or I'm just focusing on the sound way to much so my brain turns it up.
Also if I move my head around it seems to change, I move my head hear it only in my left ear, move again both, move again right only, move again don't hear it.
I don't know if its maybe my Power Supply causing it as it produces a hiss when it's off so maybe it's a faulty capacitor or something.
Or if it's something else.
Could anyone here explain to me what and how does each of these function (Recruitment,Phonophobia,Hyperacusis)
This doesn't worsen my Tinnitus, it's just annoying that I don't want to come home to my ears ringing, I study PC technology and I'm around my PC most of the day it's what I always did (play games,watch TV shows,movies,anime...)
Also read about Misophonia not sure what that is.
I find it really annoying that one can't simply get Tinnitus and be done with it rather people get hyperacusis,misophonia,phonophobia,recruitment and some other stupid Sh!t.
Tinnitus low, barely able to notice it unless in a completely quiet room but this is just downright stupid.
If anyone has gone through this or knows what I might have please reply.
I'll be going to an audiologist but I need to make appointments and find the right one and so on and so on plus I need money for the more specific tests not just the usual stupid audiogram which literally tells me nothing.
Is there a test for Recruitment and Hyperacusis?

Here is a hyperacusus test... keep crushing a empty water bottle in your hand. How does it sound?

 

[Codaz]

Funny thing is I saw an audiologist today, the first who really understood that something as reactive T does exist.

@jss Simply living with it is just not an option. I just hate that. Everyone can Google tinnitus and there are a LOT of drugs that can be experimented with to make it lower / go away. I just simply cannot accept that it's just a thing we have to live with. Not until at least every weapon in the book is tested. And I mean everything. From LLLT to Retigabine, to AM-101, to physiotherapy, to acupuncture, to TDMS, everything.
There are some users here who tested a lot. Every T is different, every T is hell, but every T needs progress in handling. If it's TRT, hypnotising, it does not matter as long as things are tried. Just go home and life the life is not a solution.
Dr. De Ridder at least tried on his patients from what I have read.

 

[Ilija]

You really answered your own question...Your nervous system is probably super sensitive to any sound and therefor any slight sound the mind will pinpoint it and focus on it. Your mind is playing with your limbic system.

When you turn every thing off in the room what do you hear?

If your tinnitus is low and you are barley able to hear it unless in a quiet room consider yourself blessed, very blessed....If I had that I would be in heaven.....I wouldn't even worry about it in the slightest.

If the Audiologist finds no hearing damage you know what the standard advise will be......"I guess you will just have to live with it" Thats what most of us hear.

Could you elaborate on what you bean by "mind playing with the limbic system" when I enter a quiet room, until I focus on listening for it I hear nothing really.
And by writing that I now understand just how lucky I am.
Ok point made, I'm not as worried any more.
I just want to know what is it, I don't care if it stays or not my Tinnitus seems to be buggering off anyway.
Also doctors don't do that here.
I've seen two ENT's and both gave me sound advice on the matter and did what they could.
First one gave me b12 for the nerves and recommended I take b vitamins as a slight stress reliever, when I asked about sound sensitivity she said it's just my ears being overworked and my nerves being sensitive from the damage, said it should clear up as my nerves heal (not in the no Tinnitus matter but as in auditory trauma matter), the second one thought I should try nasal spray as my clogged sinuses might be making it worse which they did at some point.

 

[Ilija]

You really answered your own question...Your nervous system is probably super sensitive to any sound and therefor any slight sound the mind will pinpoint it and focus on it. Your mind is playing with your limbic system.

When you turn every thing off in the room what do you hear?

If your tinnitus is low and you are barley able to hear it unless in a quiet room consider yourself blessed, very blessed....If I had that I would be in heaven.....I wouldn't even worry about it in the slightest.

If the Audiologist finds no hearing damage you know what the standard advise will be......"I guess you will just have to live with it" Thats what most of us hear.

Also it seems that as soon as I occupy my mind with something even as menial as watching Siv HD stream Shadow of Mordor I can't seem to hear anything from the PC.
Seems it might just be my mind making my ears sensitive to sounds.

 

[Grace]

How long have you had T again? I remember in the beginning for me, i was experiencing the same thing.. My t was really mild.. But the computer in my house has this noise that it sets off that is like a staticky electrical sound/ring too and when id be watching tv my T would react to it even with the tv on medium i could hear it along with the computer noise and also when someone would turn the water on to do dishes and it was annoying all i could do is focus on it.. Id sit in my room with my ceiling fan on alot cause that was like the only place it didnt react.. And at my job it can get louder then usual with ovens running anf stuff and if i plugged my ears my t would be blasting along with it.. Anyways about 2 monthes ago idk how long the reactive part stopped to all sounds and if im around noise and plug my ears i dont hear anything, only when in say a quiet room with absolutely no noise can i hear it.. I think time for me has been a big thing.. Although my T was mild its now between gone and mild so i think all you need is time, your T can change. My T switches from a soft hiss to crickets mostly now which the noise itself is thankfully not too bad to me.. And even the volume dropped some in my first year of having it even though it was mild before its now a soft kind of mild making it rarely noticeable. Dont give up yet, its too unpredictable.

 

[Ilija]

How long have you had T again? I remember in the beginning for me, i was experiencing the same thing.. My t was really mild.. But the computer in my house has this noise that it sets off that is like a staticky electrical sound/ring too and when id be watching tv my T would react to it even with the tv on medium i could hear it along with the computer noise and also when someone would turn the water on to do dishes and it was annoying all i could do is focus on it.. Id sit in my room with my ceiling fan on alot cause that was like the only place it didnt react.. And at my job it can get louder then usual with ovens running anf stuff and if i plugged my ears my t would be blasting along with it.. Anyways about 2 monthes ago idk how long the reactive part stopped to all sounds and if im around noise and plug my ears i dont hear anything, only when in say a quiet room with absolutely no noise can i hear it.. I think time for me has been a big thing.. Although my T was mild its now between gone and mild so i think all you need is time, your T can change. My T switches from a soft hiss to crickets mostly now which the noise itself is thankfully not too bad to me.. And even the volume dropped some in my first year of having it even though it was mild before its now a soft kind of mild making it rarely noticeable. Dont give up yet, its too unpredictable.

My Tinnitus doesn't really switch all to much just faint air sounds.
As for the ok just like Dr.Nagler I don't like the reactive part of it.
I think it's in my brain because as soon as I focus on something else I can't hear it, even when I'm done with whatever it was It's still a couple of minutes until I can hear it again.
Also after these "breaks" it comes back but it takes time to return to the same level.
It starts barely there and then the more I pay attention to it I notice it.
I think all I need is rest and relaxation, it's probably like the dude above said about my mind playing with my limbic system.
No wonder I was in a really bad place the first few weeks.
Especially the first few days.
I'm talking cold sweat,shivering,no sleep,fast heart rate,head hurting,stomach feeling like I'm being gutted,angry,depressed,stressed...wow no wonder my hearing is super sensitive I was scared for my life.
Jesus...
I'm sure it'll settle with time, I'm also quite positive about my Tinnitus going for me due to several factors.
-First time it happened
-Don't have any history with loud noises except a few occasions
-Gig lasted only like 1 hour I took 20 min breaks
-It's been lowering drastically
Plus it doesn't spike with anything it seems.
Loud noises don't make it louder
Intense physical activities don't make it louder
I can do everything I did before, although you won't be seeing me in any concerts for most likely the rest of my life, not because of the Tinnitus it's just not worth it, I prefer staying home playing games n' stuff which I should have done in the first place but oh well, everyone makes mistakes.

 

[Ilija]

How long have you had T again? I remember in the beginning for me, i was experiencing the same thing.. My t was really mild.. But the computer in my house has this noise that it sets off that is like a staticky electrical sound/ring too and when id be watching tv my T would react to it even with the tv on medium i could hear it along with the computer noise and also when someone would turn the water on to do dishes and it was annoying all i could do is focus on it.. Id sit in my room with my ceiling fan on alot cause that was like the only place it didnt react.. And at my job it can get louder then usual with ovens running anf stuff and if i plugged my ears my t would be blasting along with it.. Anyways about 2 monthes ago idk how long the reactive part stopped to all sounds and if im around noise and plug my ears i dont hear anything, only when in say a quiet room with absolutely no noise can i hear it.. I think time for me has been a big thing.. Although my T was mild its now between gone and mild so i think all you need is time, your T can change. My T switches from a soft hiss to crickets mostly now which the noise itself is thankfully not too bad to me.. And even the volume dropped some in my first year of having it even though it was mild before its now a soft kind of mild making it rarely noticeable. Dont give up yet, its too unpredictable.

Also judging by what you say I think you might be one of the people who lose it after a year.
I really hope you do

 

[Grace]

Also judging by what you say I think you might be one of the people who lose it after a year.
I really hope you do

I hope yours goes too like you, i have never experienced a spike or increase no matter what just that morsecode that went away and reactant sounds, but i dont think my T is gonna go away all together.. even though it has softened and faded... I was exposed to loud sound for too long so im just grateful its almost non existant. But who knows maybe it is our minds playin tricks on us about the reactant sounds and we just have payed for attention to detail in sounds where before we didnt.. All so confusing.

 

[Ilija]

I hope yours goes too like you, i have never experienced a spike or increase no matter what just that morsecode that went away and reactant sounds, but i dont think my T is gonna go away all together.. even though it has softened and faded... I was exposed to loud sound for too long so im just grateful its almost non existant. But who knows maybe it is our minds playin tricks on us about the reactant sounds and we just have payed for attention to detail in sounds where before we didnt.. All so confusing.

I know I did, during the first few weeks I could hear stuff no one could.
I could hear car brakes 5 streets down, I could hear vacuum cleaners all the way down the street, I could literally hear the crickets that were some 200m away down the river.
I was so scared I listened to everything I figure I heard the sound I'm hearing now but unlike the crickets and vacuum cleaners this one bothers me somewhat so it's taking it's time leaving.
Also I had hyperacusis somewhat the sounds of clanking dishes was killing me if someone by accident hit the plate with their knife or something I would feel a sharp pain.
After a while I calmed down some and it went away, the same will probably be for this.
I should really stop finding my own symptoms and just go back to enjoying stuff
I'm also thankful now that my Tinnitus is extremely mild, going down and literally doesn't react to sh!t
I've had people yelling in my ear and while I punched them out for it (inconsiderate jerks) it didn't hurt nor bother me or my Tinnitus.
I think mine will go surely, I also think with time everyone will be Tinnitus free one day maybe sooner than we think

 

[bwspot]

Hey
I completely get what you would like to understand but it seems like that stuff is just too complicated and nobody knows. I personally have similar questions but hard to get the answers as we just don't know. In my expierience after t started one week later i developed sensitivity to sounds like squeaking car brakes, squeezing plastic bags, water sink, moms voice. I have no idea what it is? Is there a name for it? Is it protective mechanism? No idea. So you are not alone. For now i am trying everything before I gave up. Some day I might learn I should give up when t started in the first place.
When you go to doctor post your findings.

 

[Ilija]

Hey
I completely get what you would like to understand but it seems like that stuff is just too complicated and nobody knows. I personally have similar questions but hard to get the answers as we just don't know. In my expierience after t started one week later i developed sensitivity to sounds like squeaking car brakes, squeezing plastic bags, water sink, moms voice. I have no idea what it is? Is there a name for it? Is it protective mechanism? No idea. So you are not alone. For now i am trying everything before I gave up. Some day I might learn I should give up when t started in the first place.
When you go to doctor post your findings.

Maybe it's just sound sensitivity from stress and fear triggering the brain to use the limbic system on a much higher level?
The theory that makes most sense is with all that fear we made our ears so alert that they pick up on even the quietest thing, but in that process regular sounds have become somewhat louder.
This would explain why most of the sounds have stopped being a bother except the ones that still invoke a negative feeling, these are the ones that will take longer for our brain to let go of them in realising we are no longer under a threat.
It's basically the same principle for sleep in humans.
Humans have since the beginning have to have attuned hearing so they can hear predators, especially in their sleep this is why we are able to pick up on things like the house settling in or some stray cats or even in my case I can hear people moving around from the left house and right mine being in the middle.
We were simply so alert we triggered this response and now our brain is locked on to these sounds that cause us distress as it see's them as a threat.
The moment I stopped worrying about the dishes clanking or car brakes or whatever it stopped.
I haven't stopped worrying about the electrical appliances sounds yet so this is why I haven't let go.
I will not self diagnose any more with Misophonia and Phonophobia and Hyperacusis and whatever else I can find on the internet.
I have Tinnitus which has a good chance of going away, my stress has caused me to become sensitive to some sounds this will most likely go with time as I cool down.
This is what I know and until someone proves me otherwise this is what I will stand by.

 

[Grace]

I know I did, during the first few weeks I could hear stuff no one could.
I could hear car brakes 5 streets down, I could hear vacuum cleaners all the way down the street, I could literally hear the crickets that were some 200m away down the river.
I was so scared I listened to everything I figure I heard the sound I'm hearing now but unlike the crickets and vacuum cleaners this one bothers me somewhat so it's taking it's time leaving.
Also I had hyperacusis somewhat the sounds of clanking dishes was killing me if someone by accident hit the plate with their knife or something I would feel a sharp pain.
After a while I calmed down some and it went away, the same will probably be for this.
I should really stop finding my own symptoms and just go back to enjoying stuff
I'm also thankful now that my Tinnitus is extremely mild, going down and literally doesn't react to sh!t
I've had people yelling in my ear and while I punched them out for it (inconsiderate jerks) it didn't hurt nor bother me or my Tinnitus.
I think mine will go surely, I also think with time everyone will be Tinnitus free one day maybe sooner than we think

Yeah, sounds like yours is on its way outtt i never had hypercausis only for about an hour after my noise exposure i had horrible pain in the ears and every sound was distorted.. I remember after the exposure i was clueless about tinnitus and i was probably 45% temporarily deaf for a fee hours so i kept cranking my sterio to drown out the ring and to hear sound...bad idea i know but i thought that would help how stupid was i? No wonder people are clueless and dont know anything about tinnitus or there ears.. I didnt know JACKSHIT! Lol but thankfully it dropped volume more then 90% two days later.. I just think it was a learning lesson for me from the almightty to not take my ears for granted! Ive learned my lesson like we all had too ( well those that got T from noise) ... And yes i believe a goodass treatment is comming soon.. I just hope autifony is able to help everyone and mostly those that are severely affected.

 

[bwspot]

Maybe it's just sound sensitivity from stress and fear triggering the brain to use the limbic system on a much higher level?
The theory that makes most sense is with all that fear we made our ears so alert that they pick up on even the quietest thing, but in that process regular sounds have become somewhat louder.
This would explain why most of the sounds have stopped being a bother except the ones that still invoke a negative feeling, these are the ones that will take longer for our brain to let go of them in realising we are no longer under a threat.
It's basically the same principle for sleep in humans.
Humans have since the beginning have to have attuned hearing so they can hear predators, especially in their sleep this is why we are able to pick up on things like the house settling in or some stray cats or even in my case I can hear people moving around from the left house and right mine being in the middle.
We were simply so alert we triggered this response and now our brain is locked on to these sounds that cause us distress as it see's them as a threat.
The moment I stopped worrying about the dishes clanking or car brakes or whatever it stopped.
I haven't stopped worrying about the electrical appliances sounds yet so this is why I haven't let go.
I will not self diagnose any more with Misophonia and Phonophobia and Hyperacusis and whatever else I can find on the internet.
I have Tinnitus which has a good chance of going away, my stress has caused me to become sensitive to some sounds this will most likely go with time as I cool down.
This is what I know and until someone proves me otherwise this is what I will stand by.

I wonder if those signals (sensitivity and all the distorted sounds) mean something like an alert to not to expose yourself to it as body is trying to fix stuff.

 

[Ilija]

I wonder if those signals (sensitivity and all the distorted sounds) mean something like an alert to not to expose yourself to it as body is trying to fix stuff.

Not sure, what I do know is that apparently I was right and as soon as I get the idea that my PC is making my ears ring I can't hear it until I actually want to.
Also I guess that's true.
The body is repairing itself so it makes us sensitive to loud sounds in order to force us to stay in a quiet place even though anyone with Tinnitus doesn't want to stay in a quiet room.

 

[Ilija]

Yeah, sounds like yours is on its way outtt i never had hypercausis only for about an hour after my noise exposure i had horrible pain in the ears and every sound was distorted.. I remember after the exposure i was clueless about tinnitus and i was probably 45% temporarily deaf for a fee hours so i kept cranking my sterio to drown out the ring and to hear sound...bad idea i know but i thought that would help how stupid was i? No wonder people are clueless and dont know anything about tinnitus or there ears.. I didnt know JACKSHIT! Lol but thankfully it dropped volume more then 90% two days later.. I just think it was a learning lesson for me from the almightty to not take my ears for granted! Ive learned my lesson like we all had too ( well those that got T from noise) ... And yes i believe a goodass treatment is comming soon.. I just hope autifony is able to help everyone and mostly those that are severely affected.

Would you mind giving me the summary of autifony I promised myself I wouldn't search anything outside of this forum.

 

[Grace]

Would you mind giving me the summary of autifony I promised myself I wouldn't search anything outside of this forum.

Aww yeah i can try although im not an expert on the subject i can try and summarize a bit... So what i read is its a potassium channel moderator drug that they believe when you get tinnitus your lacking a certain something so the aut00063 drug aims to target the pottasium channels that they believe are connected to T in the brain and with that they hope it will be able to decrease the activity of firing neurons in the brain with the potassium channels so hopefully it will be able to decrease ones T or maybe even drastically decrease it maybe curing others. There starting phase 2 soon so there gonna be able to see if it has any efficiancy on people. It also aims to boost some hearing that we have like ex. Be able to hear speach better in a crowded room. But its definally something to be excited about! It cured rats with chronic T so will see.. Although that isnt enough proof it works but will find out!

 

[Ilija]

Aww yeah i can try although im not an expert on the subject i can try and summarize a bit... So what i read is its a potassium channel moderator drug that they believe when you get tinnitus your lacking a certain something so the aut00063 drug aims to target the pottasium channels that they believe are connected to T in the brain and with that they hope it will be able to decrease the activity of firing neurons in the brain with the potassium channels so hopefully it will be able to decrease ones T or maybe even drastically decrease it maybe curing others. There starting phase 2 soon so there gonna be able to see if it has any efficiancy on people. It also aims to boost some hearing that we have like ex. Be able to hear speach better in a crowded room. But its definally something to be excited about! It cured rats with chronic T so will see.. Although that isnt enough proof it works but will find out!

Sounds cool, imagine one day you'll go to a concert get Tinnitus and go to the doctor the next day and he'd be like "That's just Tinnitus take ...... for a week and it'll go".

 

[jss]

Sounds cool, imagine one day you'll go to a concert get Tinnitus and go to the doctor the next day and he'd be like "That's just Tinnitus take ...... for a week and it'll go".

What "sounds cool" is to protect your hearing before you go to the concert.

I don't think it will be that easy. It may not even get past a phase III trial and FDA approval. If it does pass the trials its still would be years away perhaps 2018. We have to be realistic. Something like advances in rTMS may be a better solution in the next 5-10 years and thats a big maybe. Science is still in the "discovery" phase of tinnitus not the "solutions" phase.

 

[Ilija]

What "sounds cool" is to protect your hearing before you go to the concert.

I don't think it will be that easy. It may not even get past a phase III trial and FDA approval. If it does pass the trials its still would be years away perhaps 2018. We have to be realistic. Something like advances in rTMS may be a better solution in the next 5-10 years and thats a big maybe. Science is still in the "discovery" phase of tinnitus not the "solutions" phase.

Yeah, if someone had told me about Tinnitus I would have, I really don't care if I can't hear 18000 Hz frequencies when I'm young anyway, but if someone were to tell me I could get permanent ringing in the ears I would have protected my ears.
As for the solution and treatments, you have to look at the bright side where there is research being done for Tinnitus rather than a couple of years ago where you would just get the "You'll have to live with it".
Now there are treatments and stuff, plus you have stuff like these drugs being developed, mute button, stem cell regeneration and so on.
The future is looking Tinnitus free.

 

[jss]

Be grateful that your young and that you will start to see some of the new therapies and treatments in your lifetime.