Tinnitus Reactivity Triggered by Specific Beep Sounds and Sirens — Advice on Exposure vs. Protection?

[Nes]

Hello everyone,

As some of you might have read, I'm doing much better lately. My tinnitus is more stable, my spikes are shorter, and my hyperacusis is improving. However, there is one very specific sound that makes my tinnitus go haywire, and I can't avoid it.

The sound is just a beep, but not a crystal-clear one like the sounds from my oven or kettle. It's difficult to describe, but it sounds distorted, dirty, and dissonant. It is not too high-pitched, almost like the sound of ambulances in France and Belgium, but shorter and without the frequency changes.

No matter how loud or how long I am exposed to it, my tinnitus reacts to it, and I get a very annoying new sound. Usually, it lasts until I sleep. On rare occasions, it can persist for a few days.

For example, yesterday my partner was watching TikTok on the couch. I was in the furthest room from him, and I heard the beep. It was faint and lasted less than one second, so I told myself it should be fine since it was so quiet. But over the next ten minutes, my tinnitus ramped up, and I even felt some discomfort on the left side of my face. The heightened tinnitus and discomfort faded slightly over the next six hours and disappeared overnight.

I experience this reaction only with this specific type of beep and ambulance sirens. Unfortunately, I live in a big city. While my neighborhood is relatively quiet and those sounds are less frequent, they are still unavoidable.

I'm wondering if anyone else experiences the same phenomenon, and what I should do next. Should I just continue living my life, exposing myself to these noises and hoping my system eventually stops reacting? Or should I protect myself until the reactivity goes down, and then try to gradually expose myself?

Thanks.

 

[Strife_84]

Just give it time. It took me about four years for my ears to stop reacting to certain high pitched sounds, such as the beep of a microwave.

 

[Nes]

Just give it time. It took me about four years for my ears to stop reacting to certain high pitched sounds, such as the beep of a microwave.

I'm aware that any kind of healing will probably take years, but I'm confused about what the safest route is in the meantime. The problem is that this reactivity is only getting worse, and it started fairly recently. It began in my left ear three months ago after I listened to a "soothing music" video, and each exposure since then has become increasingly painful.

Did you take any specific steps during those four years? What was your approach? I'm not saying I will do exactly what you did, but I'm currently experiencing a setback, and any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Strife_84]

I'm aware that any kind of healing will probably take years, but I'm confused about what the safest route is in the meantime. The problem is that this reactivity is only getting worse, and it started fairly recently. It began in my left ear three months ago after I listened to a "soothing music" video, and each exposure since then has become increasingly painful.

Did you take any specific steps during those four years? What was your approach? I'm not saying I will do exactly what you did, but I'm currently experiencing a setback, and any advice would be appreciated.

No headphones of any kind. Avoid irritating sounds and loud places. That's about what I did. My ears used to be very sensitive to fan noises, even walking on sand roads! It never was about not about the volume, it was about the frequency. Even a small plastic bag irritated my ears.

Eventually I noticed that my ears could "handle" those kind of noises again. I did not over protect my ears. I walked outside without earplugs etc. Of course I avoided loud places etc.

That's about all advice I can give. Just be patient.