Mild Reactive/Distorted Tone in Right — Dysacusis or Not?

[mylesm]

Hey guys,

Recently, I've been getting a really mild tone in my right ear. I can only hear it faintly in response to certain noises, and I notice it especially when wearing my muffs. However, when I plug my ear, I can't hear it, which makes me fairly sure it's reactivity or "dysacusis."

I can't determine if it's actually dysacusis, which I've dealt with before and still do at times. Back then, it presented as beeping in response to sounds that felt like they were coming from an external source. This new symptom seems very similar, but it feels like it's coming faintly from inside my ear.

Is this a distortion or reactive tinnitus?

I know it's mild, but it's causing me a lot of distress since I was doing so well for years and never had this symptom before. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I've read plenty about reactivity matching the external noise, but I haven't found much that seems similar to what I'm experiencing.

I've been a stay-at-home dad for a year now, and suddenly my anxiety has gone through the roof. I'm stuck with lots of negative thoughts about my little man making it worse, or whether this is the start of something much worse.

 

[Sydnears]

I think I have this in one ear.

If you have noise-cancelling headphones, try placing one in each ear, one at a time. When I put one in my good ear, I can only hear the distorted sounds in my bad ear. But if I plug only my bad ear, the distorted sounds disappear completely.

I've been told it is dysacusis.