Is Winding Up/Reactive Tinnitus Hypercusis?

My tinnitus exacerbates/amplifies with external sound. The tinnitus greatly increases due to external sound.

Is this a form of hypercusis or simply just "reactive" tinnitus?

Any one else share this condition?

 

I am not an expert but I believe that this is reactive tinnitus, not H. H is where sounds cause you pain.

 

just very difficult to mask...if anyone has ideas/suggestions plmk. thank you so much.

 

Reactiveeee

 

I am very interested in the replies because I have the same thing. Reactive T cannot be masked at all in my case. Only happens in traffic/downtown/when I pick up the kids at school & daycare and other kids are screaming, etc...

 

I have had reactive tinnitus for almost 7 months. ACRN sometimes helps to calm it down and I did try supplements for 5 months with no real change. Although generally its got a bit better with time.

-Mornings can be totally silent until around mid day.
-Gets worse through the day because of noise around me.
-Have a odd echo when I rub the right side of my head/ear
-Calms down when I goto sleep. Due to silence.
-Alcohol/caffeine no affect

Over the past 2 months one condition that's changed is sometimes I got a vibration from my voice in my ears if I talked loader in a confined space (like a car). Not experienced this for a while (good sign?)

Biggest help by far is using melatonin. Quality of sleep (even I did not have sleeping problems) much improves the tinnitus.....

 

peter1974, when T first started in 2007, the reactive part went away within 2 months and I had no reactive T for 7 years almost... now the reactive T seems to be getting better, I don't hear it always outside like before..

For the past 2 weeks, I started experiencing TTS on my right ear.. very annoying.

 

My t reacts to environmental static sounds around the same frequency as my t - traffic, fans, generators, running water etc. In a quiet room it can sound like a mosquito, but around these sound, goes more into racing car volume.
I have had t for 7 months now.
Lorazepam, an anti anxiety med, has calmed it somewhat and the variations are not so great.
However, my t is not "reactive" as it is defined, as once the outside stimulus is withdrawn, my t goes back down to baseline. Reactive t stays wound up for hours after the outside stimulus goes.

 

p.s. I have often heard of cases where t that reacts eventually calms down in its reaction over time.

 

Hyperacusis is sound sensitivity. This often comes on with onset of t, and often fades with time. Hyperacusis can exist separately from t also.

 

I think the problem with T is as it gets better your tolerance also changes. Because mine is no where as bad as it was but it annoys me as much as it did.

 

My T is pretty bad. Was caused by a fall (head hit cement). Truly hope for relief after 3 months however am beginning to feel hopeless. The reactive part is the worse because it amplifies with external sound. Simply no way to mask it...

 

I think you should not protect your ears too much however. When I listen to music TV etc I generally use only my right ear with in ear head phone to reduce fatigue on my T ear. Hissing gets better, at one stage cars used to make my ears hiss when they went passed me on the street. But not anymore. Just give it time.

 

This is a copy/paste of what my T does...

Once the exterior stimulus is over (traffic, fans, etc), my T goes back to baseline right away.

 

Mine gets worse while driving etc, if driving a few hours then my ears get sensitive and reactive tinnitus is really noticable, I am hoping I can get back to somewhat of baseline so I can do activities I use to enjoy doing.

 

So is the implication that for "Hyperacusis" there has to be pain in the ear/auditory system??? Though I would find it hard to accurately describe the kind of 'pain in the nerves' type sensation that happens when I get sound zapped. Sure is not like normal "Owww, hit my finger with a hammer" pain.

Example from a few weeks ago. I was working on my deer fence and a piece of high-tensile springy wire unexpectedly "sproinged" back at me and hit the metal fence post with a sharp "ping" sound. It was nearest my left ear and it immediately spiked, tinnitus volume doubled to extremely loud (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!), but then slowly came down to baseline over a few minutes....with me flapping my fingers in my ears making "counter-sounds" (which I have found helps).

Is this "Reactive Tinnitus" or Hyperacusis??? There was no physical pain, but plenty of nerve freak out feelings in my head...and cursing, etc.

Note: If that "ping" had lasted a longer time and not micro-seconds, I am pretty darn sure it would cause a permanent increase in my T volume. [See my history for ref.]

Also, I'm not mentioning the normal stuff like having to back off rapidly from someone who talks loudly (and I get my plugs out) because it "aggravates" the T or "somehow hurts"; or a Harley motorcycle going by; or widely by-passing a construction zone; etc., etc. These actions were not necessary when I had 'ordinary' tinnitus as it would not affect that baseline unless very loud.

So with my current situation I have presumed therefore that Hyperacusis is present...If not, then I don't get what Hyperacusis means exactly.

Thanks for clarification anyone, Zimichael

 

Good question. I wonder if Hyercusis means pain like real pain like hurting in the ears? Might T also subsides to baseline after 5-10 minutes yet gets louder around fans, air conditioners, amplifies with sound.

Am pumpkin, how did your T come on?

 

I am the same. Right now my T is awful and of course my H is worse. Almost like since my T HAS increased to a new and worse level, my H increased along with it...High pitched or impact type sounds cause a pain in my ear. So brief, it's hard to describe. My t gets worse with fans, air conditioners and driving too. I think its called reactive T but now I wonder if it's actually H. I was doing well a couple weeks ago and now my ears are back to being worse than before. I did install my air conditioner so I guess that's a possibility however I really just don't know anymore. .and I don't really think anyone else does either..I don't have typical T and my ears are a mess. Don't want to overprotect but steady noise makes me worse..what do I do?!

Losing hope.

 

Lynn... Yeah I'm a total mess right now too, though not primarily just from the T and H.

I don't know if this will help you but this is how it is for me and sounds like we have similar "hearing issues"...

I live on the side of a mountain overlooking a big valley so the nature element is gorgeous despite being only 10 minutes from town. It is very quiet. If I stay home alone, (a "Catch 22" as this has the downside of complete isolation), despite being horribly loud, my tinnitus slowly becomes sort of 'normal' as I have had it for so long that it is almost all I remember for 'silence'.
What mainly happens though is that due to the isolation from noisy humans I get zero "spiking" or "reactivity" from the hyperacusis/reactive tinnitus...or whatever we are calling it. After about three days here I don't particularly feel different any more and if I have enough books to read and things to do around the house, I am "OK". I don't notice my T that much though in a microsecond know it is there all the time.

But I have to eat, and get stuff, and deal with all the hassles of keeping legal and alive in America. Thus have to go to town a couple of times a week at least...especially to the library of course to get more books! Anyway, inevitably I run up against the need to use plugs somewhere. More often than not I get "spiked", and even though it is temporary like the fencing wire example, it sets my threshold back. Then everything gets more threatening regarding sound and I am more on alert, still trying to keep the plugs out. If I get zapped again or see DEFCON III approaching, I put my semi-protective plugs in ("Etymotic" or "Sonic"). I then hear my internal tinnitus louder and cut out the fully open ear canal, etc., etc. This amps up my sympathetic nervous system of course, which means I become more aware of my tinnitus, more on alert. And the vicious circle starts.

By the time I get home I am just so relieved...But I also feel handicapped...Because I AM handicapped! Which is depressing. And I get bummed out...Then I can quote you: I don't have typical T and my ears are a mess. Don't want to overprotect but steady noise makes me worse..what do I do?! Losing hope.

Sigh!...Yeah I really get it Lynn. But it's a real bugger, as like I said, after a few days at home I feel OK again - more or less, but often very, very lonely. However, you know, I prefer that to feeling handicapped and hopeless.

So what's my message? I'm not sure really, but perhaps to protect your ears more than much of what is recommended on this site. Stay home. Be quiet. Try the IWLM cotton in the ears for 6 weeks. Come hiking in the Sierra's with me in August...it is so beautiful and so quiet! ...Your Profile says very little but I believe you are married, with kids I think, so maybe the backpacking idea would not go down well. But you could find something like that in Canada for sure.

Sheeesh...Like I said many months ago, folks like us really do need a CURE. The standard 'enchilada' does not fit our box at all.

Take very gentle care... Zimichael

 

@martin12 in December 2007, I took ototoxic meds and for my relapse in 2014, I took ototoxic antibiotics...

 

i think reactive T is caused by muscle spasms if hearing levels are normal.

 

@martin12 how is that possible? When my T reacts to certain sounds, I hear a loud shhhhhhhhhhh in my head could that really be a spasm?

 

at least I should be grateful that I don't hear what @Martin69 hears... I would go crazy with such a high frequency...!!

 

Hmm. What should I answer?
I don't think I am the worst. You could have H and different tones, too. But you are right. This can drive someone crazy.

 

@Martin69 I just find you very strong... The way you describe your T, it just seems to be very aggressive... I am impressed by the way you handle things, you are not weak, you are still here and strong. Don't give up *hugs*

 

Thank you. At least I know if I can go through it and reach a state of habituation, I have a mental strength which is unbelievable, also for me.

 

trying to habituate for me as been impossible. The T is so loud and amplifies with sound.