Theory of Sound

I wanted to share something with you -

A lot of the folks on this board are very sensitive to sound. I totally get this, tinnitus is a scary thing and we think that all sounds can hurt our ears and increase our spikes. I want to share something with you guys and gals. NOT all sound is bad and NOT all sound is going to hurt your ears.

Some of you and myself (almost 20 years ago) have/had hyperacusis (however that is spelled). basically you ears are very sensitive and any sound seems painful. I totally get this, I had it too and it was very difficult. I had mine treated 20 years ago and this issue doesn't bother me.

I still have sensitivity, to airplane sound and when I fly i wear ear plugs. My point is that not all sounds are bad for you and not all sounds can damage your ears. There are SAFE level sounds (for all people and not just people with tinnitus) and then there are LOUD sounds that could possibly damage the ears.

The reason why most fear sounds, is because...they fear a huge spike and that is no fun at all. Even if you are not exposed to a loud/damaging sound, you could still get a spike. Even after a bad dream, you can get a spike.

Spikes can be sound related, but I firmly believe that spikes are emotion related as well. Getting emotional about things can increase and bring on a spike. Yes, we are emotional beings, but try to take a deep breathe and remain calm... Our lives are busy and filled with everything, so I know it's hard to avoid emotions

I am not going to tell you what is safe sound and what is loud sound, you decide on this one. My whole point is that not all sounds are bad, even if you have tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I am in your shoes and totally get what is going on, in your minds. I am a veteran of the tinnitus game and for sure can always share my decades of knowledge, on this board...

I hope all have a nice day

PS- You are mentally much stronger than you think, never forget that!

 

Can I ask, how did you get your hyperacusis treated? I hate this H, today I was playing a outdoor game with my friends. In this fame you pass this electric ball that shouts "blue, purple, red, green." I played one round and it sounded so loud and put earplugs and headphones on. I was supposed to go to an amusement park tomorrow but I can't because I am scared that my T will get worse and I am embarrassed to walk outdoors with earplugs on.

I really hope this spike that I got from this game is temporary. I am just trying to live my life

 

I went to a reputable audiologist and did my research before choosing him. It was a bit expensive, but it was worth every penny. Tinnitus is horrible, having nasty hyperacusis on top of that is INSANE.

 

Well said. We could spend all day, everyday with earmuffs and earplugs and still end up with worse tinnitus due to a virus, poor sleep, or other health problems.

 

On top of that, wearing all those things can make one listen and focus even more on their tinnitus... I wear earplugs only in areas that i know have loud/damaging sounds....

 

Very true. I do not like wearing ear plugs because I think it makes my tinnitus my sole focus. I only break them out for certain noises, and only for my ear with hearing loss.

 

My left ear has worst hearing, than the right one. I use an ear plug in that one, when i am in my martial arts class. At bars and louder events, i use them in both ears.

 

Well said Fishbone and very true!