Tinnitus Spike After Visiting the Market? Hyperacusis Getting Worse?

Hi

I feel that Tinnitus in right ear got worse from that accident and I don't know what to do. Yesterday I visited some bigger market (Kaufland) just to buy slightly mineralized water for my diet that I can't buy in smaller shops. It was ok, but when I encountered cashdesk it was horrible. The sound of throwing the baskets away by people was SO LOUD and I got out of there ASAP. When I went home I checked my ears for spike and there it is, I hear that tinnitus on the right ear got worse. It's ~26 hours now and I still have that spike in right ear.

I didn't wear earplugs because last time when I was there it was ok for me without any spike, so I think my Hyperacusis is going further ;_; because of lack of exercises (I get exercises + diet from Kinetic clinic that I can't do anymore for now because of interstitial cystitis)

I'm trying to fight with hyperacusis (at the worst moment I was not able to go into the park without earplugs) so I don't wear earplugs at barber/hairdresser, market etc. to rebuild my neural/synaptic connections (my audiologist said that this is the cause of hyperacusis, because I was overprotecting my ears) it was fading away but now it's going back ;C

I take memantine starting from yesterday because of it's neuroprotective effect when it comes to decrease neurotoxic effect of hyperactive neurons activity when I (probably) did some acoustic trauma yesterday.

Should I be worried? It's just a normal spike that will fade away within 1 or 2 weeks? All the time my spikes was fading away usually within 24hours. Maybe should I go to the hospital? But they are not going to help, I tried ~2 years ago when i also got a spike from slamming the door by drunk cousin and they prescribed me only something for blood circulation...

Thanks for any reply!

 

Hi @Snake ( I like the name)

I am sorry to hear about your discomfort with the spike, that you are experiencing at the moment and hope it calms down for you soon. I am a believer in over protecting the ears can make hyperacusis worse or at least, make the auditory system more sensitive to sound when one already has tinnitus and hyperacusis. Therefore, your Audiologist could be right. Do you use sound enrichment at night using a sound machine? If you don't use sound enrichment at night then I advise that you do. Please click on the links below and read my articles on tinnitus and hyperacusis, that you might find helpful. Try to read them in full and not skim through them. I advise you not to use headphones even at low volume.

All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

 

Hi @Michael Leigh

For me problem with sound therapy is that my tinnitus is dynamic, if i calm down in a quiet place my T goes down, when i try to mask it, it goes up. I'm a little scared of sound machine, i sleep normally without any problems and when i would use that sound machine to be covered 24/7 with sounds my T probably will be on that higher level 24/7 also.

I've read your advise about headphones, it's a shame that my audiologist allowed me to use them. Idk if it affected my Tinnitus when i used them for a ~year to play CSGO, but i shouldn't do that. I trusted him because he does some good to my Hyperacusis...

BTW. Should i be worried about that accident in the market? For normal healthy ears it's not a problem.

 

HI @Snake
I hear you but I would like to mention a few things. Your hyperacusis if that is what you have, is not likely to improve unless you use some sort of "sound enrichment" The idea is not to mask or cover-up your tinnitus. This should never be done, as it can and often will spike or cause tinnitus to become louder. At night you should really be using sound enrichment but set the volume low. By supplying your auditory system and brain, with gentle sound enrichment, this helps to desensitize your auditory system and over time hyperacusis and tinnitus improves. Using headphones even at low volume isn't a good idea when a person has "noise induced tinnitus"

Try my suggestion and use sound enrichment at night. Please don't use music. More about this is explained in my article: Tinnitus A Personal View. I believe if you start using sound enrichment during the night and day. (remember not to mask your tinnitus) I think this will help you but it's going to take time. Try not to worry about the spike as that will make you more anxious. Please read my post: Is positivity important? https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

Sadly, it is often stress and anxiety that we put upon ourselves without realising it that can make spikes in tinnitus, difficult to deal with.
Michael