The World Feels So Loud

Hey guys, just need to vent at this moment.
I was starting to feel better about my tinnitus. Thursday morning it felt like it had settled to a 3/10, and I was feeling positive. Later that evening I went to an art fair, thinking it'll be a nice relaxed event (which it was at first). As more people trickled in it gradually got louder, and I was a bit late to realize it. My T has spiked back to a 7/10 and is still there at this moment.

This is the 3rd time this has happened in the past 2 weeks, just as my T starts to settle I find myself in a situation which makes it worse again - I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. I'm really nervous that these events have added up and that this current spike will be permanent.

I went to the mall today to try cheer myself up, I used earplugs the entire time and just kept noticing how loud the world is - kids screaming, music blaring, cars and motorbikes. I've read advice that it's not a good idea to always wear ear plugs as it makes H worse, but there are SO many sounds that are unpredictable. As I walked out of the mall someone did one of those really loud whistles, I am so, so glad I had earplugs on then.

I'm just frustrated that now I'm operating on fear, even something as simple as going to a cafe makes me nervous as I really cannot handle the despair that comes with spikes.

I've bought several ear plugs of varying noise reduction levels, they should be arriving in the next few days. I'm hoping they will help me feel less fear. There's a work lunch coming up soon and I hope I'll still be able to socialize and hear people with the ear plugs.

 

You should be fine to go out and have some fun as that's what we all need to balance good and bad days and still smile.
Keep your plugs handy and don't feel embarrassed to wear them around friend .
Wear them with pride as they are the ones who could be suffering in time to come...lots of love glynis

 

The world indeed feels very loud. It feels empty sometimes too. It also feels scary at some times. Bad times come good times go. Good times come bad times go. I cant remember having "good" times though as daily life fogged it entirely for me.

When im outside I wonder whether the people I see would sell their health as cheap as I have done. Continuosly. Thats all. You can look at the world in many poetic, dramatic, detailled ways but it never helped me. I want to make life less hard than it already is but i'm contradicting myself. I made it pretty hard. I want to wish health, safety and love to you all.

 

Hi @Ludvik ,
You are right! The world "feels" loud. It doesn't just sound loud.
I carry earplugs always but I don't actually use them very often nowadays. I have cut down on the number of loud, social events in my life. I pick the best events with my favorite people, choosing quality over quantity. I opt for quieter gatherings more often and allow my ears to rest in between outings. It's been a lifestyle change but I'm not a hermit and I am happy.

 

Hey!

I feel the same way. I never realized how noisy the world is until I got T and really got scared of loud environments. I try to live as normal as I can, luckily I have an office job and the volume isn't high. I wear earplugs on the subway or when I am close to busy streets. You'll get used to the world again, however, every time some one drops something, a kid screams or anything, my whole body tense up and my heart starts racing. I try to not get into sudden panic mode but I guess that is something that just lives with me now.

 

I feel you bud. Everything is so effin loud anymore. I went to a Barnes and Noble yesterday for some reading and a lady sat right beside me. As soon as she sat down her phone started receiving messages which she then replied to. Her phone made a pecking noise every time she hit a letter. This went on and on until thankfully someone across the room got up and freed a comfy chair up. I couldn't believe the audacity of the place. Even the employees were extremely loud and overbearing. My tinnitus coupled with my PTSD makes it almost impossible to manage public space anymore. I literally feel like the only peace I get is when I lock myself in my bathroom and turn on the overly loud (thank goodness) exhaust fan. Not only does tinnitus suck, but the loudness of the world anymore amplifies it so much. I challenge you to find one quiet space in this country anymore. The libraries don't even have noise regulations anymore it seems. It's enough to drive a person mad. Anyways I could go on and on, but I won't. If anyone would like to talk more so about their experiences I'd be more than happy to oblige as I've found it helps to know there are others out there. God bless

 

@Zach85 same thing here Zach. Every little everyday task is a challenge.

I had to refuse a fantastic job offer this week, just because the building where the final interview was supposed to take place is in a loud street. And then, during the interview I would have failed, looking scared and weird because the people would speak too loud for me or bang the doors or start a video about the company with bad audio.

They'd have think : "What the hell is wrong with him ? Is he not happy to be here for this job ?"

As human, we need social contacts. Going to shops, work, restaurants and all that, it's not only "normal", it's necessary to remain healthy. I like to be alone, I like the quiet. But it's not enough to feel alive. I don't know where I'm going really. Working from home, hiking in the mountains or flying a paraglider, buying what I need on the internet... I see my best friends at home, my family too. But it's not like before. When I was able to see the world just like I wanted to.

 

As someone with H, the world is not only loud, but painful as well.

My T usually doesn't spike with noise exposure, but my inner ears feel stabbed when there's a sharp, sudden pain.

I'm an introverted homebody most of the time, and my job as writer is fairly quiet, so that makes it somewhat easier to adjust to a life of quietness and solitude. Of course it hurts to let go that party girl side of me, even if that makes up only a fraction of my personality.

But I hate how I can't go into a lift without tensing up when someone else steps in. I hate how I can't go to the nearest convenience store to buy a quick snack without worrying about a sudden noise happening. I hate how I can't walk down the street without feeling apprehensive when I hear the rumble of a speeding motorcycle from far away. I feel this way even with earplugs on. I hate how everyday life is controlled by fear.

Sorry for the rant. H has been tough on me especially when an ENT told me I shouldn't worry because it's not life-threatening. But in my current state, I would prefer a terminal illness that would kill me in six months or less.

 

What do you write Lex ? I do that too (from home). Last week I had to write about guns... How ironic

 

I write bids/proposals and also materials for B2B marketing. Not exciting, but my daily life is already a roller coaster of emotions and sounds so I guess I'm okay with this kind of job hehe.

I hope you got to include safe noise levels and proper protective gear in there, @Foncky.

 

Make sure to write about using silencers on guns - a lot of those indoor shooting range ear issues would be resolved by using good silencers on firearms. There is only so much ear protection can do

 

This editorial in The Washington Post about the proposed Hearing Protection Act in the United States made me depressed to read this phrase:

"In addition to touting the supposed “public health” threat to gun owners’ hearing..."

People without hearing problems just cannot understand how horrible it can be. Hearing damage from weapons fire is not a public health threat? Just ask police officers and military vets who have developed debilitating tinnitus. @Mithrandir what do you think?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...7140fc-dcd7-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html

 

yes, the world is very loud. This is why I moved to the woods.

Idiotic article. People who want stronger controls on guns will resort to any logical fallacy to support that argument, just as people who want weaker controls on guns will.

I plan on buying a silencer this year.

 

The world really does feel loud for those of us with this condition, doesn't it? Having experienced the world both ways... it's really hard to be patient. With a dog barking, or a loud cackle (someone just having fun), or a slamming door, or (this is my favorite) the guy who likes to "slam dunk" his soda cans in the trash every twenty minutes. I also work in a location with a lot of people who blurt out sudden, loud sneezes without covering their faces.

I was a sensitive person before T and H, but it's certainly made more aware and empathetic than ever before. These noises make me want to jump out of my skin.

I wear earplugs in "unpredictable" locations. When sound is comfortable, and predictable, I take them out - even if that means a slight T spike. I don't want to become so dependent on plugs that I can't function without them.

There are good days and bad days. You just keep plugging forward (no pun intended) and taking it a little bit at a time, staying engaged, staying connected to other people. As an introvert who needs to recharge, now more than ever I carefully plan how I spend my time.

 

I used to be like you, with the earplugs and the noise everywhere.
Please try this.. https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

 

Hey man, I really love that thread and go back to read it once in a while. I've been trying out the technique lately and it does help ease the emotional pain associate with Tinnitus. It's very meditative in nature, which I like.

My tinnitus feels like it's gradually getting worse, and I notice I do keep measuring my tinnitus and comparing it to the past. It definitely doesn't help me emotionally when I do this, I'll try to keep practising your method.

 

You have to drive those thoughts away, just look away. It gets easier. Keep your pencil sharp, eh?
Terry

 

Hi Terry, I'm going through a bad spike and could use your advice. How do you approach spikes and new tones that appear? It's difficult for me to deal with as in the past my spikes haven't settled.

 

When I've had spikes, I put cotton in. It worked like this,
Cotton goes in, and everything gets hard to hear, of course.
T gets louder, or sounds louder to me.
I put up with the loud T for a few days until my ears seem to adjust and even with cotton in, I hear the world, and people at a seemingly normal volume.
When I forget I have cotton in, after a few days, it's time to take it out,
then everything is loud and my ears seem to adjust again, in a good way.
The world and the voices go back to normal volume, and the T is shoved way down somehow.
I've done this over and over since 74.
At work I was known as the guy with the 'stuffing coming out.' hehe

 

Regarding new tones.. the more I thought about new tones, the worse my T got. Worrying indeed made it worse.

 

That is a really fascinating approach. I'm often hesitant to put ear plugs in, as it makes the ringing really prominent and I get anxious. So when you plug your ears and the T sounds louder, you don't feel anxious? Or you just gradually get used to it? It almost sounds like you're habituating at hyperspeed.

 

I was probably anxious when I started doing it, I don't remember. I had T a long time.

 

Hi Ludvik, you are experiencing the same as many of us when first getting tinnitus and hyperacusis. My hyperacusis eventually subsided to moderate levels after a couple of months but it never is the same as before tinnitus onset - we need to constantly aware of noise dangers around us when out and about - especially in noisy places such as shopping centres and cafes - as they could lead to serious spikes. As such keeping earplugs on during this period is a good idea but be careful not to wear them all the time as their effectiveness will reduce and your ears will become too sensitive.