Mouse Trap

Bad news, bad news.

I was setting up a mouse trap. Ive never done this before so I didn't know how loud this think can be.

*SNAP*

And my left ear exploded with tinnitus. It now became so much louder and high pitched. Like in the worst nightmare. Loud as only fleeting tinnitus ever was. But constant.

And my previous spike was already going away...

Should I go to GP tomorrow? Last time they were very clear they do NOT prescribe anything for tinnitus. So is there any point?

I'm quite desperate though. I'm afraid it might be a permament spike, it got really bad.

I feel so bad for posting whenever something happens but it's just so difficult, seems like everything is a threat to my hearing now and my body was right to stay in fight or flight mode... And it's sor much worse now



God, that was just an accident... :/

 

@maltese Sorry to hear your tinnitus has spiked again which is an indication of hyperacusis. I get the impression from your post that your GP feels nothing can be done when your tinnitus spikes. If this is so, there is some truth in that. If you are not taking an anti depressent at the moment then it might be a good idea to discuss with your GP how the tinnitus makes you feel.
It will calm down so try not to worry too much.
Michael

 

I'm so sorry about the mouse trap incident I've heard that NAC can help with noise induced spikes. It have helped some people at least... Maybe worth a try?

Stay strong!

 

Honestly, just ignore it. You can't go about life being scared of loud noises. I've had T for a month and encountered a lot of loud sound in my day to day life in the city - buses that have air breaks, car horns, metal/steal being dropped etc the lot. You'll make yourself paranoid about sound!

It is what it is. The issue is mainly continous loud sound. A mouse trap won't do much. I dropped the bloody toilet lid down this morning and it made an almighty bang. Nothing I could do so just went on. Nothing happened and it didnt get louder

 

@Cam Cam You are right. Since you have only had tinnitus for a month and may have some hyperacusis, I just want to mention a few things that may give you an idea of what some people go through when tinnitus and particularly, hyperaucis are like when severe, because no two people experience these conditions the same.

Answers to Hyperacusis and Habituation

Two questions often asked about tinnitus are: How long does it take to habituate and how do I know if I have hyperacusis?

One of the main causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Quite often though hyperacusis, (sensitivity to sounds) accompanies the condition. This is because the nerves in the auditory pathway have been subjected to noise trauma and thus become highly sensitised. Hyperacusis can be extremely painful. It can cause tinnitus to spike sometimes making it last for days until it settles down again. Within this time the person affected can be in a lot of discomfort.

Music that was once pleasurable to listen to through a home music system or radio is now an ordeal so one prefers not to listen to it. The closing of doors, washing up of kitchen plates and cutlery is enough to send a person running for cover, as it can feel like a pneumatic drill is piercing through your ears and head. It can become such a problem a person is afraid to venture outside their home in fear of road traffic noise sparking an increase in their tinnitus due to their sensitivity to sound. In severe cases conversation with someone can cause the ears to be painful.

One of the best ways to treat hyperacusis is by using “sound enrichment”. This can be achieved in many ways but one of the best to wear white noise generators. Two should be worn to keep your auditory system in balance. The sound level of these devices must be adjusted correctly so as not to cause further irritation to a person’s auditory system, which can make the hyperacusis and tinnitus worse. It is best to always make sure their sound levels are set just below the tinnitus. Wngs are usually worn for up to ten hours a day. Two things are achieved over time.

The hearing system is constantly subjected to low-level non-intrusive white noise, which will help to desensitise it. Secondly, they help the brain to focus less on the tinnitus and push it further into the background making it less noticeable. This form of treatment is also known as TRT.

An alternative to wngs is to use a tabletop sound machine that plays nature sounds. This can be used for sound enrichment to help the healing process of hyperacusis. Again it is best to set the sound level just below the tinnitus. As previously explained sound machines can be very useful at night by the bedside and in the day used to fill in the background ambiance in room.

Treating hyperacusis takes time as there is no quick fix and everyone will respond to treatment differently.
Please bare in mind that a person with tinnitus and hyperacuisis, if the hyperacusis is left untreated sensitivity to sound will always remain a problem. In some cases hyperacusis can get better naturally without using sound enrichment but there is no guarantee.

A word of caution. Some people use earplugs to help suppress external sounds because of their sensitivity to sound. Earplugs are available but should only be used when in noisy surroundings and not to suppress normal every day sounds, as doing so can prevent the healing process of hyperacusis.

Habituating to Tinnitus.

Habituating to tinnitus often seems shrouded in mystery for the more seriously affected people that are in distress and have had to seek help at ENT. It can be particularly difficult for people that are new to tinnitus to comprehend. How does one know when they have habituated to their T and more importantly what does this actually mean?

The following doesn’t apply in every case of tinnitus for there are some people that have large fluctuations in their tinnitus and every day can be a different experience. This is one of the most severe forms of tinnitus and medications may be required to help cope with the condition. Habituating to this type of tinnitus is still possible to an extent but does present additional problems.

To others I will say this: You’ll know when you have habituated to your tinnitus regardless of whatever treatment you are using via ENT etc as your brain will over time push it further into the background so it becomes less significant, in a similar way to the people that have mild tinnitus. Although your tinnitus may be present and on occasions it will spike, over time it will cease to be so much of a problem unless you deliberately focus on it and bring it to the forefront of your mind.

Michael

 

@Cam Cam you're new into this so hopefully you'll learn that what's true for you right now might not be for someone else (or for you in the future).

The main issue is as much continuous loud sound (what is loud ? is it the same for everybody ?) as brief "explosive" sounds.

@maltese I suggest you wear earmuffs when you're putting up things you don't know well or when you're tinkering. It's cheap and easy to fit, and if a snap occurs, it won't become a problem.

Earmuffs = peace of mind as much as hearing protection

As for now, you could take magnesium and NAC for a few days, might help to protect your hair cells.

 

Nicely put @Foncky I don't usually agree with the wearing of Earmuffs but in some instances, when certain sounds or loud sounds, are causing discomfort it might be a good idea to wear them.
Michael

 

I took Omega-3, Ginko Biloba and magnesium. I'm not quite sure what NAC is. Acetylcysteine? Any recommendation where to get it?

My T faded from 7-8/10 just after the "incident" to 5/10 now. It's still (a bit) worse than a "normal" bad day but I hope there was no permanent damage done.

If I only knew those things are that loud! Mousetraps don't come with any "wear earplugs" warning

 

NAC is something like this : https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Nac-Acetyl-Cysteine-600mg-Vcaps/dp/B0013OUQ3S?th=1

Any pharmacy should have it too, even if it's in a different form.

I don't think you'll have permanent damage, you're still under the shock and that's normal.

That's why I suggest earplugs or muffs for tinkering : you never know how things work or what could happen. A few days ago I was replacing a huge bulb. Well, I must be stupid so I let it fall... You can imagine how loud that was. But I had my earmuffs on ! So no problem, I did not loose time and energy to think about it afterwards. I know I was well protected.

 

I meant when I came 2 days after the onset and asked about steroids/betaserc. I got really definite NO.

I actually started counselling. I just came back from a very helpful session, that left me feeling very optimistic about the future and calm, when I was asked to set up those damn traps. I might ask about it in the next session.

 

Thanks Foncky!

Thank you all for support

 

It is good that you have started counselling but please remember this takes time. An alternative to prescription antidepressant, is the herbal ST John's Wort, which is good for stress and mild depression and hasn't got any known side effects. Have a word with your Dr if you decided to try it.
Best of luck
Michael

 

I know you're trying to help and are enthusiastic about St John's Wort (you mention it quite often), but be careful about asserting that there aren't any known side effects, because it's just not true (and therefore, dangerous): the side effects are listed here. Also be mindful of drug interactions (on the same page).

Excerpt from the page linked above:

Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Constipation; dizziness; dry mouth; feeling of stomach fullness; increased sensitivity to sunlight; restlessness; tiredness; weight gain.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); agitation; changes in sexual function; confusion; diarrhea; fever; muscle spasms; nausea; profuse sweating; shivering; tremors or twitching; unusual mental or mood changes.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur.

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