Tinnitus Has Just Started After Suddenly Losing Hearing — History of Ear Related Problems

Hi everyone. I am new and wanting to know if I could to get some advice + any info.

I am 22 and I have had a history of ear related problems such as ear wax build-up, pain in both ears and last year my right ear would make a beating sound every minute or so, I believe this beating was caused by hiccuping with my mouth closed which caused air to get trapped in my ear and get slowly released? Just a theory but it did seem to occur when I would hiccup and it would usually last the whole day. This lasted about a month, so it has not happened in a while but it is another strange ear related thing I have had.

Jump to a few weeks ago. I lost my hearing considerably in my right ear. With that, I could hear a very annoying sound like a gas stove on its highest setting. After about a week my hearing returned to normal, but the annoying sound did not. The sound DID get quieter and I was relived because I thought it was going to clear up, but I was wrong. It has gotten arguably worse because even thought it is quieter than before it is now a higher pitch and alternates between a low and high frequency every 2-3 seconds and what makes it worse is that it is not even alternating the same it time, it seems to alternative unpredictably.

I cannot explain how annoying this is. I believe I have misophonia because I hate annoying sounds (coughs, yawns, chewing sounds, unintelligible muffled sounds), ESPECIALLY ones I cannot escape from. I know this sounds extreme and some may say it is childish and to just grow up, but I truly hate sounds that I have to put up with that are out of my control especially when they are unpredictable. Things like a constant beeping alarm or coughing/noisy neighbours have given degrees of anxiety in the past. So to now have a condition with the very thing I hate makes me feel incredibly angry and frustrated.

Some additional things: I do work with noisy power tools but I always wear ear protection (I am very conscious of my hearing ability, the irony). I have yet to see anyone about this due to COVID-19 and what not. Things in my life have not been going well recently and I feel like this just compounds my situation.

Does anyone have any advice, tips, suggestions? It would be appreciated as this is already starting to break me.

Thanks.

 

Hi Geoas, hang in there buddy. You are not alone. I also have tinnitus and hyperacusis and live with a constant struggle with loud everyday sounds. Have you considered ordering custom earplugs to protect your ears when out in public? Also, at least for me, noisy power tools can easily go through earmuffs/earplugs and temporarily make my condition worse. I don't know if this is the case for you, but I would be careful. As for the tinnitus, that is a sound I was able to get used to with time.