My Own Voice Is Too Loud and Distorted in Right Ear — What Is This?

I suffered sudden onset of tinnitus on Labor Day of 2020, and over the next month I also developed sound sensitivity. My tinnitus has always been louder in my left ear, but over the past 6 weeks or so I have noticed that my right ear seems muffled and my voice seems too loud and somewhat distorted in that ear. I don't have these sensations in my left ear.

What could explain this? Can you have hyperacusis in one ear only? Is this possibly Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome?

 

I'm so sorry that is happening to you. I don't know the answer to your questions, but could relate, because the other day, I said a word, and, for some reason, it reverberated loudly in my left ear in a loud, very vibrate-y sort of way. Hope you get some answers/relief soon!

 

Have you had your ears cleaned? Are you prone to ear wax?
Do you have any other autophony, like hearing your breathing etc?

 

No ear wax. No other distortions really. I have high frequency hearing loss, diagnosed with presbycusis (age-related hearing loss - I'm 66). My issues are pretty severe tinnitus and mild hyperacusis. But the asymmetry of my voice being too loud in one ear but not the other is just weird.

 

One ear has more hearing loss maybe. Try hearing aids?

 

Absolutely.

 

I have same thing but with right ear. When I talk on phone and I raise my voice my right ear tinnitus reacts & spikes, hence reactive tinnitus which is a subcategory of hyperacusis.

 

I do have similar experience with sudden hyperacusis, be it is a mild one, and most sounds becoming brittle or metallic. Mine was due to SSHL and my left ear lost hearing. My ears are also feeling full, pressured and plugged. So some symptoms of mine are like yours. Try to stay positive and calm as much as you can to prevent the limbic system taking over with the fight or flight reaction. If you need it, try masking your tinnitus so you won't be so anxious.

Take care. God bless.

 

It could be a variety of things. Oftentimes one visits the doctor and they're as mystified as we are. I had quite a bit of ear fullness a couple of years ago. Doctor looked inside and said everything was fine. He then entered a diagnosis of: ETD (?) - the question mark actually formed part of the official record. He prescribed a steroid nose spray but that only made marginal difference. Also, I don't really want to become dependent on things like topical steroids.

I've a theory that a lot of these symptoms you describe, and which I've had too, are actually inflammatory in nature. I drink a lot of coffee and do like a beer, wine etc etc. Around the period when I was experiencing the severe ear fullness (which I believe can also cause these internal reverberations etc) I decided to try and taper into a kind of anti-inflammatory diet to see if that made any difference. Stuff like this. Over a period of time it did seem to help settle things down for me. Might be worth a try, but as I say, advisable to taper into it and be quite regimented.

 

Agree with @billie48! I have experienced the same thing but rarely notice it as much now. Not sure if it goes away or we habituate but it’s important to try not to stress about it as it tends to focus the mind on it.

 

I think so... I had that same problem (own voice sounding too loud) when my hyperacusis was severe. There weren't any discussions with my then girlfriend because I could not really raise my voice to discuss anything haha.

 

I have the same issue. My right ear has louder tinnitus but my left ear is what is sensitive to sound and gets the fullness/pain. It's so weird.

 

Same thing happening to me now :/

Louder tinnitus in right ear, but a bit of fullness and distortion of my own voice when I speak louder. This ear is also more sensitive to sounds.

 

This is hyperacusis @Samy. It comes in many forms...

I don't know your story, but for most people it tends to ease up/get better with time.

 

Thank you for your answer. Mine is due to an acoustic trauma, 8 months in. Left ear has annoying hyperacusis, while the right ear is more sound tolerant but has louder tinnitus. I see some improvement in the tolerance of sounds, but it’s veeery slow progress. Talking on the phone, taking the train, a ride in the car (more than 30 minutes), motorcycle/truck train sounds are horrible for me. The sensitivity is worse than tinnitus.

 

I know how it is @Samy, fully. It is s slow, non-linear process for most. Time is often a healer, but seeing progress on a week-to-week basis for this "condition" is impossible imo. Rather every 3 months to see the progression over time.

 

I felt this one in my soul hahaha.