- Sep 8, 2025
- 2
- Tinnitus Since
- 08/2025
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Earaches, Diabetes, Overuse of Caffeine, Loud Music
Hello everyone,
I have had average, higher-pitched tinnitus for as long as I can remember. But now I have a strange "overlay" sound that mixes in with things like fans, people breathing, certain parts of music that have a constant tone, running water, the air fryer, and similar sounds. It does not really appear on top of lower-pitched sounds.
This actually happened to me six years ago in the exact same way: sibilance sensitivity and sounds layering over other sounds. I had a really difficult time coping then, and it took me about a year to fully recover. What helped was distraction, getting a job, therapy, medication, and other supports.
I cannot hear it in silence, and its intensity seems to fluctuate depending on how immersed I am in something or how calm I feel. I know this is probably part of the habituation stage, if this is tinnitus.
It feels like my brain is finding a "pattern" or a hidden sound inside other sounds.
Does anyone here have experience with this odd kind of sound overlay? I also have sensitivity to "Sss" sounds (sibilance). I would greatly appreciate any information.
Some more background if needed:
I have had average, higher-pitched tinnitus for as long as I can remember. But now I have a strange "overlay" sound that mixes in with things like fans, people breathing, certain parts of music that have a constant tone, running water, the air fryer, and similar sounds. It does not really appear on top of lower-pitched sounds.
This actually happened to me six years ago in the exact same way: sibilance sensitivity and sounds layering over other sounds. I had a really difficult time coping then, and it took me about a year to fully recover. What helped was distraction, getting a job, therapy, medication, and other supports.
I cannot hear it in silence, and its intensity seems to fluctuate depending on how immersed I am in something or how calm I feel. I know this is probably part of the habituation stage, if this is tinnitus.
It feels like my brain is finding a "pattern" or a hidden sound inside other sounds.
Does anyone here have experience with this odd kind of sound overlay? I also have sensitivity to "Sss" sounds (sibilance). I would greatly appreciate any information.
Some more background if needed:
- Multiple earaches as a child
- Listened to loud music in headphones and earbuds for years as a young adult
- Type 2 diabetes (controlled) – on Metformin, Glipizide, and Jardiance
- Was drinking three sugar-free Monster energy drinks a day, which I stopped when this started three weeks ago. I had been doing this for the past two months as my sleep kept getting worse
- There was a temperature drop from 75 to 65 degrees around the same time, and my girlfriend, who lives with me, has been struggling with severe allergies