Noise Sensitivity with Anxiety

[Elfin]

Hi all,

Since I recently seemed to suffer a spike, or a perception of an increased spike, I have been suffering under a myriad of awful symptoms. The worst of which is this hum that I seem to hear everywhere. It increases in volume when other noises are nearby (road traffic etc).

This morning, I was awoken by my mother in law hoovering outside my bedroom (she's staying for a few days). This hum was deafening over the hoover. I stuck my fingers in ears and stuck some earmuffs on about 2 mins in, but then had to get up and leave the house (5 mins or so). Ever since then I've heard this hum louder.

Scary thing is, this was only triggered by a hoover. Why do I find these noises so loud?! A hoover should surely be a normal household noise that isn't too intrusive; to me it has set off this hum and thrown me into anxiety and panic for the entire day.

How can you live like this?!

Can someone please help with support on whether anxiety can cause this super sound sensitivity, as well as whether we would expect tinnitus to spike around Hoover noise?!!

Help much needed and appreciated!

 

[Elfin]

...is anybody out there...?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Ever since then I've heard this hum louder.

Is it still loud?

I believe that for the next 3-6-24 months, you need to protect your ears from moderate noises like that made by a blender, vacuum cleaner, etc. This way your ears will have a chance to recover and eventually this reactivity might end. Once I started doing that myself, my T and H began to improve.

 

[Elfin]

still loud. cant stop thinking about it and focussing on it.

in a cycle of despair. suicidal.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Temporary spikes often last longer than a week. They can last months...

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-do-your-tinnitus-spikes-usually-last.23110/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-was-your-longest-spike.22099/

Wait a couple of months. If the spike is still there, as loud as ever, then there is a high chance that it is a permanent spike. Until that time, it makes sense to assume that the spike is temporary.

Are you using sound enrichment (giving you something else to listen to besides your T)?

 

[Elfin]

I am listening to YouTube tinnitus maskers even panicked, but so focussed on it and listening for it that I can hear it over everything!

This is a spike from walking near a speaker shit a wedding (to leave the venue) when I had earplugs in!

 

[Raphael7713]

Hang in there it gets better. Problem is your reaction to it and your stress. 3-4 days ago I was really stressed and depressed but I've done some progress and I notice more and more than stress/anxiety plays a way to big part in this, people usually don't realize this.