Overprotecting and Consequences

Hi,

since my 2. sudden hearing loss with resulting hearing loss and hyperacusis, I always wear cotton balls in both ears, just to protect against sudden acoustic events like falling plate, glass bottles, cars and and and... of course protection it's just a few dB reduction but it really helped me.

Now, 2 weeks ago I was in a little restaurant filled with about 10 people talking and laughing, no additional music or something like this....

After leaving the venue, I already had a hissing tinnitus and a little feeling of stuffed ears... Tinnitus increased over the last day, pressure decreased...

My question, does someone know this situation, and could the tinnitus come from an over reaction, because the ears are mostly in silence? Does the brain have problems managing "normal level" sounds?

Thanks

 

@tomytl

Hi Tomytl

I don't think placing cotton balls in your ears is going to help you long term and could make your auditory system more sensitive to sound and make your hyperacusis worse. The hyperacusis needs to be treated and you need hearing aid/s fitted to improve your hearing. It would be a good idea to see a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist and be assessed. This will probably involve a hearing test and whether you will benefit from wearing a hearing aid/s. In any case I strongly advise you be referred to ENT and Audiology for treatment.

Please click on my "started threads" and read my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It.

Michael

 

Your tinnitus is there because of lack of protection. Ear plugs don't provide a lot of protection to begin with:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/earplugs-muffs-give-very-little-protection.21737/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-much-worse-after-club-despite-wearing-solid-35-db-custom-earplugs-—-im-at-my-wits-end.15744/#post-186018

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/bad-spike-not-subsiding-after-loud-bar-—-despite-wearing-properly-inserted-earplugs.20675/#post-239000

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...t-an-acoustic-trauma-shock.18964/#post-219363

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...le-in-real-life-situations.19067/#post-220314

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/33-decibel-earplug-not-protecting-from-sound.22151/

Cotton balls must be providing something like 10dB noise reduction - that's nothing.

Hopefully this is not a permanent spike.

During the first month after onset, I made the same mistake as you - I assumed that if some noises hadn't hurt my ears before I had my acoustic trauma, those noises were safe to be around. Big mistake. Our ears have been compromised. As you are now learning, and as I had also learned the hard way, it doesn't take much to cause real problems. My recommendation is to avoid all places that Might be loud. Wear real ear plugs (or even Peltor X5A muffs) at those places that you can't avoid (e.g., your commute to work).

 

It really doesn't take much to hurt yourself:

 

Thank you both for your reply

I know cotton balls does only protect a few dB. For event I know they are going to be loud, I have some professional, custom earplugs.
I just made the mistake, that I thought, such small place can't be that loud just from people speaking, false...

I also wear professional plugs in airplane or when I'm out on New Years Eve.

I also tried hearing aids, but this amplification spiked my T even more.

 

Wearing earplugs too often is not the solution @tomytl as you risk making your auditory system hypersensitive to sound. It needs treatment in the manner I've suggested.

All the best
Michael

 

Yes, it can. Your attention is all on the tinnitus and the anxiety, fear can make your tinnitus louder/make your spikes louder.

 

My tinnitus is beyond horse junk, but i still live my life. I can stand on the other side of the freeway and my tinnitus is still louder. Sorry, nope i wish my tinnitus was mild (you know who you are). Still, i don't over protect my ears. I only use the protection in known spots/places that i know for sure it will be very loud and damaging to my ears.

It is up to you and anyone that wants to over protect, their ears. I don't do it, if you feel comfortable, then go for it..

 

Wear whatever you want, it won't make a difference. Do you think that people that live in quiet towns that very rarely experience noise are at greater risk of hyperacusis? Guess what, they aren't.

Hyperacusis results from damage to the auditory system normally caused by noise, head trauma, or toxins, not a quiet environment.

And no, fear will not make your tinnitus louder, you may perceive it differently, but no, it's not actually louder. If you feel fear or any other emotion makes it louder, go see a shrink, chances are that tinnitus is not your real issue.

 

Great point!!

 

The way to treat hyperacusis Bill is to be around normal everyday sounds and use sound enrichment whenever possible. The overuse of hearing protection can make the auditory system more sensitive by lowering the loudness threshold.

Michael

 

Michael and Bill. I would be very interested in what the right procedure is..
I am for example using sound enrichment for sleeping, however if I knew, that sound of silence would help my T, I would rather listen to my T and have some hope...

 

The point that I liked was to insist the definition of "normal everyday sounds." If someone is around the everyday sounds of a quiet village in the middle of nowhere, surely they are not going to take longer to recover from their H problems than someone who is in London or New York. Is someone in London wears earplugs, he or she will end up with the everyday sounds of that village.

I used to use sound enrichment about two thirds of the time. I made sure that it wasn't loud.

 

I see your point Bill but the bottom line is this. Someone with noise trauma to their auditory system and has hyperacusis, needs to immerse themselves or "increase sound enrichment in their environment" to desensitise the auditory system and heal hyperacusis. If one were living in a quiet village then wearing white noise generators would supply adequate sound enrichment to the auditory system. This will treat the tinnitus and hyperacusis. More is explained in my article: Tinnitus, A Personal View.

A person that has hyperacusis, if it is not treated and cured they will always have problems with sensitivity to sound and tinnitus spiking, which some call Reactive tinnitus. It is the auditory system that needs to be desensitised.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

All the best
Michael

 

hmmmm, New York has a lot very noisy places, I guess this is a bad destination for hearing recovery at all...
I think after an incident it's important to protect your ear and come to a level, where you feel more less comfortabe. From this point, it's probably good to learn where's the threshold of your ears tolerance to noise. But this is also very "dangerouse", it happens very often to me, if you finally feel good and you think you can start "normal" living (I mean like visit a normal restaurant) with a few protection, it can end like it ended in my case....setback....
And in my case, I will be much much careful next time.... I didn't think that a small restaurant with a few taking people can make me a setback....
But, that's probably from my overprotecting....damn damn stuff....

 

I think the reason is that you have been UNDERprotecting. As a result, your recovery slowed or even reversed and made you more vulnerable - vulnerable enough to get a spike from a small restaurant.

 

Again, I have to disagree with Michael. I know he's done a ton of research on tinnitus, much more than I have, but you don't NEED hearing aids to fix you. Like you said, you tried hearing aids and they made the tinnitus worse. I had the same experience. Everyone's journey is very different. You'll discover what works for you and what doesn't. You might even make mistakes along the way, but do what you think is right for you and what makes sense to you.

 

hmmmm, I just hope there is not more damage to my ears, I would prefere to have this stuff in the brain, where recovery is possible again, like the theory of Michael...
I just hope things will calm to a better in a few weeks...

At this point, I have to mention that 2years ago I tried some hesrung aids, completly in the channel models, which blocked the sound outside and amplified to a certain level....If I took them off, T returned like crazy. I stoped wear them and had a " good period" with low level T and without this pressure like now.
Pressure I can eliminate, but just for a few seconds...maybe also an eustachyen Tube thing....

 

Hi Tomytl,
I am new to this forum, and saw you mentioned that you had two or three sudden hearing loss? I have been searching online, because I just had my second sudden hearing loss in the same ear within a year. My ENT is baffeles as he has never seen such case. I am a professional classical musician, my condition is putting my work completely on hold. If you don't mind, would you share what is your diagnoses? You seem to be the only one I have seen so far that has multiple sudden hearing loss. Are they on the same side? Thank you!!

 

Hi Tomytl,

Don't mean to hijack this thread. I see our conversation, but can't reply to your massage. I'm new to this forum, how can I reply to our conversation?

 

Have you ever had brain T? If not then be careful what you wish for, believe me you don't want it.

 

I think I wrote it the wrong way. I mean that I hope not to have more damage in the inner ear... and yes, T is always a bad thing. Sorry, I didn't want to ease any condition...

 

I wasn't having a go at you, and i completely understand not wanting anymore hearing damage, i dont want mine to get any worse either.

 

Whats the difference between brain t and ears t?

 

I was in a mildly loud restaurant yesterday but i did not wear ear plugs, my reasoning is that I shouldn't always protect my ears all the time. So I let it go. Afterwards I went to a dessert place down the street and it is MUCH louder than average so i put in my plugs. You just gotta use your own comfort level to gauge the environment, trust me the first spot i was in would be way too loud for a lot of people here...but i don't mind it because i know my body reacts better when i expose myself to an average amount of noise a few times a week.

Personally for me: a little noise = quieter T....no noise at all (complete silence) = noticeable T

Weird right?