I Have Hyperacusis and I’m Starting to Be Afraid of Sounds...

I have a good ENT appointment soon. Can any of you guys offer some pointers or tips or point me toward some good resources?

For example, I am suddenly being hit by the fear that in a few weeks I’ll have to sleep with the AC on. It’s next to my bed and lowish pitched, so it probably won’t be that bad. I’m still kinda getting really worried though.

 

Hyperacusis is a very poorly defined word.

Do noises sound too loud, or painful, or both?

What kind of pain do you feel if so?

They are just going to tell you to BUY TRT, or it's all in your head.

No one on the planet is accept the researchers that are studying the mechanisms of these conditions can help you if it's pain from noise, and the researchers can't help you yet. Audiologists are joke when it comes to noise pain, they do not understand the condition. They just have a flowchart instruction to say TRT or it's psychological.

You can literally predict what an audiologist has to say about noise pain before they even say it.

I don't even use the word hyperacusis, it has too many definitions, it's rude to use novel medical terms like noxacusis, or cochlear neuropathy, cochlear nociception, auditory allodynia, so I just say "noise pain" as it's simple and defines what I had experienced.

 

Could someone else jump into this thread instead?

I feel like a jerk but I had to click ignore because he just spreads sourness and fear when I think it’s clear I’m looking for the exact opposite.

 

I don't think he's trying to spread sourness or fear. In his own way, he's trying to help you, because there isn't really much to do for Tinnitus/Hyperacusis outside of giving your ears a rest and such. Though, if you find a good ent and show hearing loss on the audiogram, they could offer you injections... Which are really hard to find - kind of a needle in a haystack type of ordeal. What kind of tips are you looking for though?

 

nobody listens, enjoy riding the carousel that many others before you have. Live others mistakes.

 

@GSC I have no idea. I'm new. I'm in need of support. I don't want to be afraid to turn on the AC. I don't want to be afraid to take a shower.

I am hoping people have experienced what I'm experiencing and can talk me through the worry.

 

Okay, so, are you experiencing ear pain? Do some noises sound abnormally loud. Do you cringe over certain noises? Itching, burning?

 

The way I feel is that some noises that used to not bother me are bothering me. high pitched sink noises with dishes, car doors closing. children talking loud. Frequently high pitch. It makes me scared and anxious. no itching or burning. Sometimes I feel a light pain in my ear and the side of my head hurts a bit too.

I think that last bit might be more psychosomatic and also TMJ related.

 

Many of us have. The worrying is normal.

We want to help, although not everything you read here might be what you at first glance want to read.

 

The best advice I can give you is to try to limit your time around those noises so your ears will HOPEFULLY regain some sense of resiliency. Be more gentle with the way you shut doors, handling dishes. My ENT didn't really do much for me, but I hope yours is more understanding of what you're going through and can maybe help you more than I will be able to. My ENT took my noise intolerance and itching and pain, and thought it was an ear ache. I hope this won't be the same for you. Just try to give your ears rest and hopefully it will fade..

 

I have problems with a window AC. the first year I couldn't use any and sat in a 100 degree room everyday. It was the most suffering I have ever experienced in my life. I eventually would sit or lay on sheets of ice and take multiple cold showers a day. I then researched quieter AC's. small ones, big ones. I tried 2 indoor ones. I have found that larger window AC's are the quietest using a decibel better because they don't have to work as hard to cool the room. I still can't use one in my bedroom, but I can now use one in my living room with my bedroom door open.

This is the one that changed my life. it was quieter than any small AC or indoor AC I tried
https://www.friedrich.com/products/commercial/window/chill

If you've got the money, they make an even quieter one that has specific sound insulation around the compressor
https://www.friedrich.com/products/commercial/window/kuhl

 

I have learned that certain pitched sounds, around 4K, are just irritating for me. That is the best I can describe it, and thankfully at this point does not cause a spike unless it is loud. I can hear lawn equipment running several houses away, from inside the house! Today when I went outside to do some gardening, I just wore my earplugs, and while I can still hear the leafblower 5 houses away, it really was fine.

I also keep a list of stores and restaurants that I need my earplugs for. What is simultaneously confusing and interesting is that it is for different reasons- loud music at one, a crackling loudspeaker at another, and a weird ventilation system at yet another. However, there are many other establishments that I am fine and comfortable at with no protection at all.

I can certainly see how this could cause fear of sounds, but with good protection, this T/H can be managed in my case. Oh, and still taking omega 3 supplement daily, and some green tea as well for antiinflammatory.

 

This all sounds pretty typical. The pain is real, but our reactions to these sounds often does feel psychological and so can be controlled a little better. Know that all of the sounds you mentioned, although loud, are probably not going to cause any immediate damage. But it's good to be upfront about this with others in your house or elsewhere so they can be sensitive to your condition when putting away plates, closing car doors, etc. Also keep earplugs at the ready.

Contrast's comments may sound negative, but I think that is borne out of a general frustration at the lack of understanding regarding this condition. I certainly had no good solutions provided by either of the ENTs that I visited for my noise pain/sensitivity.

 

The AC c -an bother you but it cannot damage your ears. The sounds that can damage your ears are objectively loud sounds (85 -90 dbs +) and specially the sounds that go up in volume very fast or impulse noise like firecrackers, power tools, car horns and the like.

 

I found it to be a vicious cycle in the beginning because pain caused fear but fear also caused pain. Tensing my muscles in anticipation of pain seemed to make the pain worse.