Suffering in Sweden

Hi,

My name is Kristina and I am 38 years old. My tinnitus started about two and a half years ago. I was pregnant at the time and very worried about my pregnancy and also dealing with depression and OCD. Then one day I noticed this hissing sound that clearly came from my own head.

I also have tinnitus since a cold I had as a teenager. This was very distressing at the time, and it took some time and a lot of playing music on my stereo to mask the sound, but eventually I habituated to it. Now I hardly notice it.

This new T, however, is of a totally different character. It is of the type that is triggered be sleep. If I wake up with T, it will be there all day, often getting worse during the day. Sometimes I wake up without it and then it stays ok the whole day (but I dare not take a nap since this could bring the T back). It can't be masked as the old T, but is rather provoked by certain sounds. The noise from microwave ovens, dishwashers, traffic and fans, and the rustling of paper and plastic bags makes the T worse and generates a painful sensation, almost like the one experienced when someone scrapes their nails against a chalkboard.

I have seen an ENT doctor who didn't find anything wrong and I was referred to a psychologist who specializes in hearing disabilities and tinnitus. He suggested some habituating therapies, but I was not ready for this. I also tried acupuncture but it didn't help. Since my T is of an on/off-character I haven't given up the struggle to find a solution and make it go away completely. No one I have encountered in the health care system seems to have heard about sleep-triggered T and they say the only way is to just accept it and go on with your life. I just don't see how that can be done. How can you live with these sounds and pains? It's really destroying my life.

Kristina

 

Developing tinnitus during pregnancy or shortly after is not as uncommon as you might think.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...Reid-My-parents-divorce-commitment-phobe.html

Neither have I. But I know a patient from one clinic I was at - his tinnitus was caused by a motocycle accident and he also had tinnitus that either would - or would not - be there in the morning. If it wasn't, it would stay away for the entire day.

In his case, there was a known cause behing the tinnitus (he suffered hearing loss from the motorcycle accident) - and still his tinnitus would be cyclic.

That's what is informally known as "reactive tinnitus" (which is not the same as a spike). Reactive tinnitus - which is common - is "simply" tinnitus which becomes more noticeable in certain sound environments.

If you experience "pain", then it could be hyperacusis, as well.

Not easy.

 

Welcome to the board. You seem to have some hyperacusis because if the normal sounds seem to cause your T to react, that may be the effect of the hyperacusis condition. You may want to post your condition to the Hyperacusis Support forum to see if others can help you there. Take it easy.

 

Thank you both for your comments! I have thought about hyperacusis but haven't looked into it much. I will now, though!