Loudness Hyperacusis — Sensitive Only to Certain, Mostly Low-Frequency Sounds

I developed tinnitus over 4 months ago due to an acoustic trauma. My tinnitus started 4 days after the incident, and over a period of 5-6 weeks became severe.

Hyperacusis was also noticeable within days, but seemed mild. The sounds that bothered me initially were dishes and such. It seems to have diminished fairly quickly. Even a cup dropped on a plate, while startling, did not seem bad within few weeks.

Otherwise other sounds did not seem particular bothersome in the beginning.

Loudness hyperacusis took maybe a month to develop. I suppose in sync with worsening tinnitus loudness I would consider the loudness hyperacusis moderate. Everything seems louder now (e.g., refrigerator, background noises) but not everything is particularly annoying. I have no ear pain at all.

Most bothersome and seemingly unusually loud are:

• Diesel trucks
• Motorbikes
• Cars with loud subwoofers
• Small planes
• Boiling water in electric kettle

Diesel trucks and motorbikes are the worst. They seem to be like being inside my bedroom when they drive by (street is at least 50 meters away from the house).

I do not have real issues with:

• People talking, even somewhat loud
• Phone conversation even on a crappy speaker
• Music/TV (low/moderate volume)
• Electric clipper, electric toothbrush
• Shower or running tap water
• Birds chirping

It's kinda weird, but it seems like low frequency noises are more bothersome.

Does it make sense? Did anyone experience anything similar?

I wonder why it is the way it is. I guess nobody truly understand hyperacusis.

 

I put my fridge into the garage due to my hyperacusis. It bothered me so bad I had to sequester myself in the bedroom with my door shut every time it came on.

Everything you have have problems with I have too, except boiling water in the kettle. I also have problems with everything you aren't bothered by, except birds chirping, most likely as they are beyond my hearing threshold of 6 kHz.

 

Very interesting, you’ve described almost perfectly how I would describe what I was experiencing, I wasn’t entirely sure if I should label it as Loudness Hyperacusis.

Almost identical in timeframe, mine didn’t seem too bad at first but was slightly sensitive to everything you mentioned. 4 weeks later is when I noticed it had amplified to the extreme, again primarily with everything you listed but with the addition of running water and possibly digital audio for me.

I know you’ve mentioned after exposure to these events, your tinnitus can be louder, but have you experienced them get louder during an event?

I wonder if the same rules apply to a tinnitus spike as they do a to new onset, do I have the same chance of recovery and lessening as a new onset?

Two days ago I was having a lower tinnitus day, and the sound of the fridge masked my tinnitus perfectly. I spent 30 minutes just standing in the kitchen enjoying the bliss. I then left the kitchen and realised I could still hear the darn fridge! Well for two days now my fridge-provided bliss is a tinnitus tone that does everything but provide relief. Maybe I should move my fridge to the garage.

 

I have a handheld switch that I use to switch the fridge on and off if I'm to spend time in the kitchen.

@Hardwell, you may find that other continuous electrical noises have the same effect; A/C, fans, heaters, boiler/furnace.

Keep us updated if your new fridge tone dissipates.

 

I shall keep you updated on the fridge tone, it has been a few different ‘mimics’ since the spike 5 weeks ago. I’ve been through lawnmower, helicopter and cat purr before the fridge.

I am praying this is all a spike and will return back to the baseline, because this is driving me insane lately.

 

Not sure if you are asking me? I have no idea. I suppose what I have is loudness hyperacusis? Else what, annoyance hyperacusis? Does annoyance imply loudness? I guess, as otherwise it would be just misophonia.

I guess something may be louder, but not necessarily annoying. Well, all these things are definitely annoying to me - they generally were, but not so much when they were perceived at normal loudness. Frankly, the small planes are interesting - actually I did not mind them at all before. Really. I almost found them soothing, or at least neutral. Never once complained about them. Now I hate them the same or more than motorbikes.

I also recall that tolerance to sound, or misophonia was a function of mood/stress. This is I guess just a universal thing - one can tolerate more annoyances of various kind if in good mood/no stress state.

If I only knew how to reduce my constant state of high stress now

 

Yea, I was asking you. I think you 100% have loudness hyperacusis. You gave me the realisation and confirmation I too am dealing with loudness hyperacusis. But also like you, it doesn’t seem to be tied to everything; primarily the low-frequency sounds makes it worse.

Planes and helicopters are definitely my worst annoyance so far which is incredibly upsetting for me, we often have the occasional military aircraft flyover and it’s a good sight.

And I’m lucky where I live in the sense that I’m surrounded by a lot of country. Every year they organise a 20 minute low flyby pass of a Spitfire. I love sitting in the yard and watching that thing, the sound of it is also incredible. I can’t imagine being anywhere near it this year with how I am currently am. If a fridge sounds as loud as car, then I can only image a low flying Spitfire will sound like one of Elon Musk’s rockets strapped directly to my eardrum. And I don’t think I would want to endure the resulting tinnitus spike of that!

 

Yeah, the brain makes no sense. Maybe it's the "central gain"? Since maybe our low frequencies are just fine (no damage whatsoever), but the gain is across the board, and that's why low frequency stuff seems louder?

Clearly, tinnitus + hyperacusis is where evolution failed us. Many of us get it later in life after we procreated. There is the theory that the gain allowed us to hear predators after hearing loss. Maybe it might have developed in another species we descend from.

In any case, our brains are stupid pieces of garbage. Hearing some shit less would not be a big deal compared to tinnitus + hyperacusis.

 

So some people apparently recover/improve from hyperacusis? What's the recovery mechanism? I suppose nobody really knows, since the mechanism of hyperacusis is not well understood.

Today is a day of relatively quieter tinnitus, hence my focus on hyperacusis. If I moved to a quiet remote place, hyperacusis triggers (motorbikes, trucks, planes) would stop being an issue.

 

The order of seriousness and likelihood of recovery probably looks something like this:

1) Hyperacusis - Best chance of recovery, even from doing nothing.
2) Tinnitus - Fair chance of recovery, provided you protect your ears.
3) Dysacusis - Difficult to recover from but can happen.
4) Hearing loss - Almost no chance of recovery.

 

I’m glad today has been a better day for you!

I’m just truly lost with all this shit now, yesterday I did loudish stuff and I don’t think it has spiked my tinnitus, I even had a few moments it was masked. I also had a positive doctor’s appointment that listened to my theory of my spike and agreed it could be the cause. She noticed my swollen lymph nodes in the neck and jaw, I told her I had just come off of a 7 month long run of a decongestant, and the 1st day of cold turkeying I got gum inflammation and static fullness sensation in my ears for three days before this shit spiked up to whole hell. Rebound congestion (which I’m assuming is inflammation) is a common long term side effect after prolonged use of the spray I was using.

I got maybe an hour of relief and optimism that there may be an underlying cause that could resolve this, so why I am now in my lowest place? I have never felt so low and hopeless before, I honestly hate typing this out and admitting to myself the position I am in. I’m often known for not letting anything get to me and my positive outlook on life. Now there is no positivity, I don’t see much of a future and I am struggling with that.

 

I'm moderately better, but my mood sucks.

Sorry to hear about where you are now, @Hardwell. You are a good guy, despite your own suffering you have shown me sympathy and lots of encouragement. I hope you can survive this. You seem indeed way more positive than I am. Heck, I am all about negativity. Sorry if that weighs down on you (and others).

Congestion/sinus stuff is almost certainly relevant. I am 99% sure that the sinus infection I had at the time of my acoustic trauma is at least co-responsible for my injury. First, it changed the perception of loudness, second I bet it contributed to the damage.

 

Well, I have (1), (2) and (4). Since (4) is quite certainly cause for both (1) and (2), I guess it does not bode well for me at all.

 

Same as me. Sucks.

 

@Hardwell, how are you doing today?

 

It seemed to last 3 or 4 days, it’s now my extractor fan as the head tone. Every so slightly less annoying though.

 

It certainly sounds like you have a reactivity that mimics external sounds. I have the same and am careful to avoid continuous electrical noises.

At least it was gone within a week which is easily tolerable.

 

It is pretty crazy you get noises that last for days. My tinnitus is realtime reactive. It resets within minutes or less.

 

I hate to say it’s gone within a week, that specific noise is gone within a week but it only goes because it’s replaced with another. So there’s always something unfortunately.

Ahhh, I think I get both, for example having a shower or driving will raise my tinnitus, might take a few seconds or minutes. But it will rise and then it can take minutes or hours to subside.

 

I reported this in another thread, but I will update it here. Three days ago my hyperacusis spiked and now I seem to be sensitive to other sounds: silverware, plates, refrigerator again, chewing. Forced air hearing sounded like jet. Boiling water sounded like volcano eruption. Motorbikes, small planes are even louder. Yet, human voice is not a problem still. Maybe slightly louder than normal.

It slightly improved since then, but maybe 20%. But it is weird still. I was near a city today and a large passenger jet flew over my head. I was without hearing protection, yes it was loud, but not crazily so. Kinda like I remember them. This is so weird, because the small planes I have at home appear maddeningly louder.

WTF is going? How much is in in the brain vs. elsewhere in the auditory system? Is it some interplay of misophonia and hyperacusis? I.e. I get worse reaction to certain sounds due to my emotions about them (like I hate these fat ugly men on Harleys)? But I have no negative thoughts about plates or silverware for God's sake, I like to eat food using plates and silverware!

Or my child chewing food - always ate quietly, kept mouth shut, etc. - not once in life this kid irritated me while eating. An older sibling yes, had issues/habit eating loudly, and irritated me in the past (before tinnitus/hyperacusis).

It makes no sense. At the same time, my tinnitus today seems to be milder. Noticeable, but tolerable. Maybe I am making some progress on habituation? (EDIT: Not habituation, my tinnitus is simply quieter today.)