Member- Dec 3, 2022
- 1,080
- Tinnitus Since
- 2004
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic trauma
Here is an excellent description of my tinnitus symptoms, which I found on the Reddit tinnitus forum. It perfectly captures how severe these symptoms are and how they affect my life:
If someone has reactive tinnitus, hyperacusis, and noxacusis but is never in an environment quiet enough to fall below their sound intolerance threshold, the auditory system remains in a constant state of overstimulation. The inner ear and auditory nerves are forced to process sound that is already beyond what the system can handle, so the brain and auditory pathways stay hyper-excited. This prevents any period of rest or recovery, allowing abnormal firing patterns and central gain mechanisms to become more deeply entrenched.
Over time, this unrelenting exposure leads to both peripheral and central sensitization. On the peripheral side, damaged or irritated auditory nerves become more reactive. Centrally, the brain begins to expect pain or reactivity even from moderate or everyday sounds. This mirrors chronic pain conditions in the body, where pathways are reinforced until the system reacts automatically with distress and pain. Prolonged overstimulation can also contribute to oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and inflammation, further weakening already vulnerable auditory structures.
Symptomatically, this appears as tinnitus that grows louder, more complex, and increasingly reactive to sound. New tones may develop, and the baseline loudness may rise permanently rather than only fluctuating in temporary spikes. Hyperacusis worsens as ordinary sounds feel sharper, more piercing, and less tolerable. Noxacusis may progress into burning, stabbing, or electric pain from even small amounts of sound. In severe cases, the reactivity may extend to the body's own internal sounds, such as chewing, swallowing, or even speaking, creating the sense that the auditory system is under attack from every direction.
The psychological and functional consequences are equally devastating. A person in this condition may become homebound, unable to tolerate social interaction or daily activities, and trapped in a state of anticipatory anxiety about sound exposure. Because the auditory system is never allowed to reset, the buffer zone that once permitted some degree of coping disappears, leaving them in a constant cycle of worsening symptoms.
In the end, without access to an environment quieter than their tolerance, the auditory system remains locked in a pattern of chronic injury and overactivation. This often results in progressively worsening tinnitus, deepening sound intolerance, escalating ear pain, and the risk of permanent damage that may not reverse even if rest is eventually provided.
If someone has reactive tinnitus, hyperacusis, and noxacusis but is never in an environment quiet enough to fall below their sound intolerance threshold, the auditory system remains in a constant state of overstimulation. The inner ear and auditory nerves are forced to process sound that is already beyond what the system can handle, so the brain and auditory pathways stay hyper-excited. This prevents any period of rest or recovery, allowing abnormal firing patterns and central gain mechanisms to become more deeply entrenched.
Over time, this unrelenting exposure leads to both peripheral and central sensitization. On the peripheral side, damaged or irritated auditory nerves become more reactive. Centrally, the brain begins to expect pain or reactivity even from moderate or everyday sounds. This mirrors chronic pain conditions in the body, where pathways are reinforced until the system reacts automatically with distress and pain. Prolonged overstimulation can also contribute to oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and inflammation, further weakening already vulnerable auditory structures.
Symptomatically, this appears as tinnitus that grows louder, more complex, and increasingly reactive to sound. New tones may develop, and the baseline loudness may rise permanently rather than only fluctuating in temporary spikes. Hyperacusis worsens as ordinary sounds feel sharper, more piercing, and less tolerable. Noxacusis may progress into burning, stabbing, or electric pain from even small amounts of sound. In severe cases, the reactivity may extend to the body's own internal sounds, such as chewing, swallowing, or even speaking, creating the sense that the auditory system is under attack from every direction.
The psychological and functional consequences are equally devastating. A person in this condition may become homebound, unable to tolerate social interaction or daily activities, and trapped in a state of anticipatory anxiety about sound exposure. Because the auditory system is never allowed to reset, the buffer zone that once permitted some degree of coping disappears, leaving them in a constant cycle of worsening symptoms.
In the end, without access to an environment quieter than their tolerance, the auditory system remains locked in a pattern of chronic injury and overactivation. This often results in progressively worsening tinnitus, deepening sound intolerance, escalating ear pain, and the risk of permanent damage that may not reverse even if rest is eventually provided.
