So I don't have reactive Tinnitus, what I have is Ear Recruitment.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
I wanted to ask is Ear Recruitment permanent or can it go away?
Also does this lessen the chance of my Tinnitus going away? is it possible that the Tinnitus will go but the ear recruitment will stay? (which would suck cause I'm around PC's all day literally).
Recruitment is a rapid growth in the perceived loudness of external sounds within the pitch range of a hearing loss. Let me give you an example. As my father (of Blessed memory) got older, he had significant hearing loss. I might say, "Dad," but he would hear nothing and, of course, would not respond. So I would say it a little louder. Still nothing. A little louder still. Again nothing. And then ... just the tiniest bit louder. The response: "Stop yelling so loud, Steve, I hear you just fine. Tone it down a bit, will you!" And THAT'S recruitment - a
rapid growth of perceived loudness in a pitch region containing hearing impairment as the healthier hair cells on either side of the damaged ones all of a sudden "kick in" when the volume reaches a certain level.
Recruitment has nothing to do with hyperacusis. It is important that whoever is diagnosing you with recruitment knows what he or she is talking about in that regard.
There is no treatment for recruitment save for the use of hearing aids with compression, while in most cases hyperacusis readily treatable with a number of desensitization techniques - so a correct diagnosis is, indeed, crucial.
Recruitment does not lessen the possibility of spontaneous resolution of tinnitus.
Dr. Stephen Nagler