New Onset Reactive Tinnitus with Hyperacusis and Sleep Difficulties

[Thomas3454]

Hi all,

I got tinnitus in August this year without any clear reason, and with no hearing loss. When I first got it, it was very low, easy to deal with, and I could mask it. After about 1 week, I noticed that it was reactive, and I started getting sharp pain and pressure in my ears. The weeks after that were very tough. About 3 weeks later, the pain and pressure were gone, but I still had reactive tinnitus and certain sounds were harder to tolerate.

In the following weeks, I was doomscrolling a lot on the internet about it, and my tinnitus kept getting worse. I could not sleep anymore because I could not mask it due to the reactive tinnitus.

Now, 2 months later, my sleep is getting a little bit better. My tinnitus is still reactive to TV, shower noise, rain, and the vacuum cleaner, but going into a busy restaurant is fine. It is really strange. The issue with my hyperacusis is that I hear sounds like a WiFi router, air conditioner, or PC noise louder, but without pain.

What should I do? Does anyone have any tips?

Thomas

 

[jdgey]

Check my post. I found that ear steroids helped. Then on-ear headphones and silicone over-ear.

 

[trevl]

Hi all,

I got tinnitus in August this year without any clear reason, and with no hearing loss. When I first got it, it was very low, easy to deal with, and I could mask it. After about 1 week, I noticed that it was reactive, and I started getting sharp pain and pressure in my ears. The weeks after that were very tough. About 3 weeks later, the pain and pressure were gone, but I still had reactive tinnitus and certain sounds were harder to tolerate.

In the following weeks, I was doomscrolling a lot on the internet about it, and my tinnitus kept getting worse. I could not sleep anymore because I could not mask it due to the reactive tinnitus.

Now, 2 months later, my sleep is getting a little bit better. My tinnitus is still reactive to TV, shower noise, rain, and the vacuum cleaner, but going into a busy restaurant is fine. It is really strange. The issue with my hyperacusis is that I hear sounds like a WiFi router, air conditioner, or PC noise louder, but without pain.

What should I do? Does anyone have any tips?

Thomas

What measurements did you take to determine that you have no hearing loss? Most people undergo standard hearing aid audiometry, which typically records 6 or 8 data points up to 8000 Hz. This is inadequate for determining true hearing loss.

Do you know the frequency of your tinnitus? If it can be masked, it may be low-frequency tinnitus. Based on what you wrote, it also sounds like your hyperacusis is predominantly in the lower end of the frequency spectrum.

In my experience with hyperacusis, a broad range of frequencies needs to be heard, with particular emphasis on the frequencies where hearing loss is increasing. All hearing cells need to remain active and engaged through sound exposure. Otherwise, due to hearing cell recruitment, a smaller group of hearing cells becomes overworked, which can result in pain.

Hyperacusis is a symptom of damaged hearing cells.