Is This Kind of Tinnitus Hyperacusis?

Hi all,

I don't know where to put this topic/question but think this is probably the best place...
I have had tinnitus almost 4 months now and it's somewhat reactive.
Let me explain...

Usually my tinnitus is quite loud, maybe not that intrusive as other people but not mild in any case, I can hear it over everything.
But when I, for an example go out, there is traffic noise etc it somehow gets muted. I can still hear it but hardly...
Then when I get home and it's really quiet it's also almost non existent. I try to listen to it but it's almost like it's not there.
And then after like 5-10, sometimes 20-30 minutes being in the silence of my home it gradually becomes louder to its standard loud/severe level.

Does anybody experience the same or am I the only one? Is that hyperacusis?
What treatment could I go through to improve this somehow?

It's great that I almost sometimes experience full silence but have a feeling that it's making my habituation process longer because of its behaviour and I never know at which level it will stop...
I am miles ahead then what I was 3, 4 months ago but I can still hear it 99% of the time and it's still bothersome sometimes...

 

I too have tinnitus that started in 5/2019. What a journey this has been the last few months. I believe I have hyperacusis as well. Hyperacusis is a sensitivity to ordinary sounds that others perceive as normal. I believe there are different severities of hyperacusis as some sounds actually hurt peoples ears when they hear them. For me noises are like shocks to my head....I am positive I am not hearing regular loud noises like I did before. For example, restaurants that I have been too many times before now seem overwhelmingly loud. I have also noticed that after being in loud places when I return home the noises I hear in my brain are much louder. I have been wearing high fidelity earplugs a lot in the past month. Unfortunately I believe this going to be an ongoing part of my life. Tinnitus is one problem, as it is constant noise but this hyperacusis is something else. It is going to be hard if impossible to control.

 

Sorry you are going through all of that. My hypearcusis isnt that severe.
My biggest struggle is the volume of tinnitus.
But I do have some sensitivity to the sounds which I didnt had few weeks ago.
All started with this spike after dentis visit a litte more then 2 weeks ago.
However I was also wearing earplugs a lot last few days and seems that they made my situation only worse.
Maybe they iritate my ears somehow...
Reading success stories with Tinnitus/Hypearacusis there are people who avoid everyday noises which helped them long term and people who are not avoiding them.
We all have to figure out for ourselves what is the best for us.
Also reading other people posts, an improvement will come but it takes months and usually its not linear, what I mean is... before you get better sometimes gets also worse. So hang in there!
In a few days I will be 4 months in... what a ride! I was so much going better and then things started to get worse again.
Rest you ears as much as you can and improvements will come...

 

HI @marko1103

After you have read this post, please click on the links below and read my articles on tinnitus as I think they will be of some help to you. Read them slowly and thoroughly to absorb all the information. If you have a printer I advise that you print them, and refer to them often. This will help to reinforce positive thinking. Reading them once is okay but if you want to realise the full benefit then please do as I have suggested.

In the early stages of "Noise induced" tinnitus which is what you have, it will fluctuate at lot and be reactive as you have mentioned. This is because you have tinnitus and hyperacusis, which are often experienced with exposure to loud noise resulting in an acoustic trauma to the auditory system. This is not the same as some people call "Reactive tinnitus" and if you mean this to be the case, I am here to tell you there is no such thing as "Reactive tinnitus". This terminology was made up in some tinnitus forums and has become a familiar term to describe what people experience. Some people in the medical field have or are trying to make this into a recognised condition to be treated alongside hyperacusis. Please do not get sucked into this belief for I believe it is purely for monetary gain. It is hyperacusis "sensitivity to sound" It can improve on it's own or be treated using sound therapy in the form of: white noise generators. These are specialist devices to be used under the care of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist. More is explained in my articles about them.

It is a good sign that your tinnitus is partially masked and not so intrusive when are away from home out on street. When at home please do not immerse yourself in silence. Silent rooms and surroundings are one of the worst things for tinnitus, particularly at night. Silence allows the brain to search and focus for the tinnitus and in doing so it will increase the tinnitus. The treatment is to use sound enrichment using nature sounds played at a low level. More about sound enrichment is explained in my articles in the links below.

The habituation process takes time and each person will experience it differently. It is something that cannot be rushed. Treatment for tinnitus whether hyperacusis is present or not, is usually advised after 6 months. However, this may not be necessary as some people habituate within this time or at 12 to 18 months without specialist treatment with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist. Treatment for tinnitus and the habituation process is explained in my articles.

I advise you not to use headphones even at low volume for at least 3 months or until your tinnitus reduces to a very low level. I would prefer that you never use them again even at low volume. However, the choice is yours. I explain more about tinnitus and headphones in my articles for people, that have been affected by "Noise induced tinnitus"
Below I have included piece that is not available on my "started threads" on headphones and NIT.

I wish you well.
Michael

PS: I strongly advise you to stop wearing earplugs a lot as you risk lowering the "loudness threshold" of your auditory system, which can make it more sensitive to sound. I explain more about this in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it, in the links below.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/


I have expressed many times in the forum that it is a risk for anyone that has tinnitus which was caused by "exposure to loud noise" to use any type of headphones even at low volume. There are people in this forum that have tinnitus which was caused by "exposure to loud noise" and use headphones without any problems. However, there are many people that have "Noise induced" tinnitus and used headphones at low volume and regretted it, because their tinnitus has increased and will not reduce to its previous baseline level.

The ear canal is approximately 26mm long. When sound is directed into it through headphones, it has only one place to go and that is towards the eardrum. This can cause irritation to the cochlea situated behind the eardrum, due the syncopation within music. When listening to music through speakers, there is some dispersion before it is picked up by ear and enters ear-canal. However, if music is too loud it can still cause irritation to the auditory system which can spike the tinnitus and possibly make it worse.

There are people in this forum that have tinnitus which was not caused by "exposure to loud noise" and are quick to say using headphones causes no harm for people with Noise induced tinnitus.These people do not have NIT and therefore, know nothing about the condition. If you choose to follow their advice because they are telling you what you want to hear, that is your choice. Just remember, should your tinnitus increase then you will be the one in distress all by yourself with no-one to help you. Peruse some of the posts in this forum from members that have NIT and used headphones and regretted it.

 

Thanks Michael!
I havent used headphones since my tinnitus onset and I dont plan to use them soon.
My tinnitus is a bit too loud to be able to enjoy the music, at least not yet.
I will give myself a few more months and if I dont get better I will think about TRT and I already found few places here in Austria who are specialized into Tinnitus and provide TRT.
After this latest worsening caused by dental procedure (which I couldnt avoid) I said to myself that I will give myself time, avoid loud noises/places, will stop wearing earplus unless really necessarry since I think they cause me more trouble and hopefully things will settle and improve...
I am well aware that this is long process which might take weeks/months to show some results.

However what do you think about pink noise treatment?
I've read interesting success story today:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...ctive-sound-sensitive-tinnitus-80-gone.28193/

I thought I would give it a try... I have Jabra Evolve 40 headset which I could use for that instead of Bose QC 35 II's.

 

HI @marko1103

When you wish to alert me please write my name as: @Michael Leigh then I will get a PM prompt and see your message. Thank you.

I know of the post in the link that you have provided above. @Coffeebean is a good writer and knowledgeable about Noise induced tinnitus. He has managed to treat his tinnitus and hyperacusis successfully using pink noise and headphones and I wish him well. I have corresponded with him a few times and found him to be pleasant and respectful. He knows I do not agree with playing pink or white noise into the ears to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis, because it is possible that the tinnitus can become worse. However, coffeebean hasn't been affected by this and I congratulate him. He has done his research, been patient and has been rewarded for it.

I still do not advise you or anyone to attempt playing white or pink-noise through headphones into ears. I have written articles on this which are available on my "started threads". Pink or white noise played through headphones is unregulated, not smooth and can easily irritate the auditory system if a person doesn't know what they are doing.

They cannot compete with proper "white noise generators" that are specificately made for administering white noise into the ears. The sound is smooth, regulated and not harsh. I know because I have been using white noise generators for 20 years; I now you them whenever the need arises. In the past I have played white noise through headphones as an experiment and found what I have explained above.

Some people think listening to pink or white noise through white noise generators alone, will treat their tinnitus and "hyperacusis", if it is present. This is not necessarily the case. WNG should be used as part of TRT because "counselling" is an essential part of tinnitus treatment when using white noise generators, for it to be successful. I explain more about this in my TRT articles in the links below. Tinnitus, is 90% mental. By this I mean it is linked to our mental and emotional wellbeing and cannot be separated from it. This is the reason I explained to you in my previous post to read my articles often, as this reinforces positive thinking. They are a form of counselling, in a similar way you would get from a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, that you would see for TRT treatment.

The choice is yours but I do not advise you to attempt what coffeebean has done as you could make your tinnitus worse if you're not careful. Unless your tinnitus is particularly problematic then try the TRT treatment. However, from what you have described, I don't think you need TRT since your tinnitus reduces to low levels at times. This will improve providing you follow my advice and start using sound enrichment when at home and at night. The information on sound enrichment is in my articles and in the links below on TRT.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/trt-as-i-see-it.19555/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-is-trt-and-when-should-it-be-started.19024/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-happens-in-trt-sessions.18195/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/sound-enrichment-and-white-noise-generators-for-the-tinnitus-
newbie.18130/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/

 

Someone with hyperacusis cannot be around traffic. Some of us cannot be around traffic even with hearing protection so no, that's not hyperacusis.

 

Hyperacusis is not one of those things where you wonder if you have it. People with hyperacusis struggle even in their own quiet homes. I currently can't tolerate my own voice whispering; even showering is rough. I've hardly left my house in 3 months. My LDL was measured to be ~60 dB so it's not like I have the worst case in the world. With this being said, I do feel bad for you and wish you well. No one deserves to suffer from these conditions.

 

You just reminded me of the times when I couldnt shower without earplugs. It was like hearing Niagara Falls at short range..