Strange 'White Noise' Echo After Hearing a Sound

Hi All,

I have a mild tinnitus for 11 years after a bad flu. I got used to it and mostly I could hear it only in silence.

5 weeks ago I had a strange cold. I woke up with my sinuses filled up with mucus, but no other cold symptoms.

It made my T more noticeable in left ear to the level I started to be panicky after a day.

Soon after (apart from louder T) I also have started noticing that noise (opening doors, someone dropping something, even such things like a light switch) increases briefly my tinnitus in a weird way.

The sound is like 'white noise' echo in my left ear. When a sudden sound is generated, I hear it and very soon after I hear high pitched 'white noise' for a short time.

It's really annoying as there's always some actitiy in my office and I hear it very often.

I feel much more comfortable in a relative silence with some noises like fridge or some other static noises are around.

Has anyone experienced this strange white noise echo? Am I going to be stuck with it or will it go away? It's already 5 weeks and I don't see that much improvement

Adam

 

You may have mild Hypercusis. For many it may go away or lessen with time. Try exposing your ears to a full range of normal daily sounds to desensitize it.

 

It sounds to me you have some blockage in your ears so it's like talking with fingers in your ears,you get a eco sound .
You need try help any mucous and gunk to shift to clear your tubes.
Mucodine or mucous linctus ,steam inhalation should help too.
Try stay calm and should settle in a few days....lots of love glynis

 

thank you both Glynis and Sgguy46 for your reply.

this problem persist practically from the beginning of my unfortunate cold. as it feels my tinnitus is more manageable than 5 weeks ago (or at least i fool mysleft it does), the 'white noise echo' amplification becomes an increasingly bigger problem.

is it really hypercusis? I don't feel i'm not necessarily more sensitive to noise.

i realised i can hear the 'white noise echo' even during meditation in a relatively quiet environment when a leading lady says what to do (surprisingly constant tinnitus is less annoying than outburst of 'white noise' tinnitus when sounds reach my left ear)

 

Ears are the last to clear after a cold and mucous can hang around for weeks after ...it should start to clear but might need ear drops if steam inhalation doesn't help....lots of love glynis

 

This does not look like hyperacusis but more diplacusis.

 

Sounds like dysaclusis, I heard it improves for most people over time (could potentially take years). How are you doing now?

 

This sounds like a case of dysacusis caused by ETD, it should resolve on its own over the course of a few days or weeks (depending on how much mucus is in the eustachian tubes or if it has reached the middle ear), you may want to get your ears checked for Otitis Media however, just to rule out that possible cause, as this condition requires a careful follow up by an ENT (though most cases also resolve on their own, but some may worsen, it's always better to stay on the careful side of things)