Why Do My Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Worsen So Much?

why does my T and H worsen so bad its been 4 months since my H turned for the worse. how do i keep getting new high tones. it doesnt make sence, am i one of the few on here like this. give me a break already. and for the people that are going to say im over reacting no im not and no its not anxiety im just sick of this uncontrollabe way my T worsens i know theres a strong coonection from my H affecting the T but just seems crazy. why cant my volume and tones just stay the same so i can get used to them already isntead of requently changing. this is a lot to bare, it just pireces through everything cant even watch tv or anything else. why couldnt i just be one of the lucky ones with mild T like most of t sufferers.sorry i just felt i had to rant, it honestly feels like im living day to day not knowing how bad the next one is going to get.

 

@Dr. Nagler i will like your opinion please.

 

Geo, I am so very sorry to see that you are having such a difficult time. I wish that I could shed some light on the problem and offer a solution, but your situation seems rather complex, and without properly evaluating you my opinion wouldn't be worth the bytes it takes to write it. My suggestion would be for you to make an appointment with a knowledgeable and experienced tinnitus clinician who might be able to help. If you are in Southern California, consider Dr. Alan Rohe in Tempe, Arizona. In Northern California, perhaps Malvina Levy in San Francisco.

I sincerely wish you well with it.

 

@Dr. Nagler I also suffer from very bad H and the reason i think my T is acting the way it is. ive had T for 2 1/2 years but took a turn to the worse last dec when i developed H for the second time but this time it was more severe. i cant leave the house i tried and only damaged it more my ear hears everything 3x as loud. i feel my ears are really damaged even talking too long will make me get burning ears, headache and cause my T to start popping more tones. i find it really crazy this happens. my own ent finds it weird and i believe he has a hard time believing my situation which is rare but not uncommon ive talked to people on the forumn like me and they get the same responses. ive only let my house twice for doctors appoinments the past 2 months which were very noisy and hurt my ears wearing muffs and plugs has no effect on me as if i didnt have them on and just fell like i hear worse afterwards if these doctors have answers for me i would consider visiting them do they also specialise in H as i believe is the root of everything.

 

They are both very familiar with hyperacusis as well as tinnitus. I would call each of them, explain your situation, and see if they think it would be of value for you to make an appointment.

 

because for some it gets worse, sadly..Mine too...My T is worse, thus my H is worse.

Sucks and I feel for you. I am still living, doing what I have to, but apparently my ears don't like that.

I can't even use plugs due to occlusion effect..Really rough situation and I empathize. I hope you find help or it gets better!

 

Why is it you can't use plugs, Lynn? I suffer from H as well, and I'm aware of the occlusion effect, but it's no worse than I can use tailormade earplugs in social situations.

On a sidnote, it's nasty how T gets worse seemingly on its own. Were it stable, I'd probably be able to deal with a lot better than I am. The final answer about T seems to be that it's just a fucked up condition.

 

My H is worse and after almost 2 years I can't handle the loudness of my own voice with plugs scary stuff...yep, fucked up is right!!!!

Seriously. .I have had noise exposure..broadband sounds..protection against loud noises but have had some loud noise exposures..its either tmj or nerves or both..I just don't know..when my T is low, my h is better..now my T is bad, and my H is worse. .I also have reactive T again..I am slow and steady decline..period..

 

ur not supposed to talk with earplugs in.....oclussion effect- your voice sounds 30db louder.

 

what about all the workers who use them? and have good hearing?? regardless..oh well. ..people tell you to protect and then tell you not to, never heard 30 db louder before??! news to me! doesn't say it on the package. .

Honestly. .does anyone really know anything?? Like really??

anyways..it never sounded 30 db louder before! but it sure does now!

 

Me neither. I've heard 10-20 db louder.

 

well..makes sense why those who avoid plugs with H get better. .maybe it's the plugs that worsen people. .yet I bet alot of folks would disagree with that too! I mean some folks live in muffs and sing with plugs! What the H is going on? Why aren't there any straight answers?!

So I might of made myself worse by trying to protect my hearing at loud venues or gatherings? Greeeaaat!

 

I'd be very surprised if it causes damage to the nerve cells in the inner ear when you talk with a normal voice with ear plugs in. But I don't rule out that it could be a good idea to avoid situations where you need to raise your voice a lot while you're plugged. I've been carrying ear plugs while seeing old relatives who are almost deaf, and I won't do that anymore. At the end of the day, it's probably impossible to say for sure what can be dangerous, so better to be safe than sorry.

Also, if you are at loud gatherings, occasionally speaking with plugs may be better than being constantly exposed to the surrounding noise. The difference between people who live on with moderate T and those who get caught in a downward spiral where the symptoms get worse is suspiciously big. This makes me believe that it's the brain fucking around on its own rather than further damage being done.

 

100% agreed. I can't wear them now anyways while speaking so I guess no more loud anything unless I don't speak. I can say a few occasions I had to yell with them in (briefly) but in general no one can hear what the hell I am saying, I talk so low I guess..

I just wish I heard about this sooner..rather than later..I feel like my brain has been on the spin cycle since this all began and I don't trust anyone's opinion anymore (except what is most logical)

Opinions and experiences is all we have, yet we're all different anyways.

 

I would never had thought of something like the occlusion effect if I hadn't read it here on TT. I'm very glad people shared the information, because that means I can sidestep the most obvious danger zones. But to a large extent, I think it has been all pretty much game over since T onset. I'm not among the ones that deal very well with this condition, and in my case it seems prone to get worse for unclear reasons Which means I'm screwed, basicly.

By all means, I have a bunch of strategies I'll try out, but I believe it's too late to think along the lines if I'll "make it". This is the dusk of my present existence, it's as simply as that. So I try not to waste to much emotional energy with regards to what could have been instead of what is.

 

Yea..I dunno..it's news to me. .not sure I buy it "30 db" ..oh well. .

 

The oclussion effect doesn't cause further damage, I'd think. It mainly effects the low freq. but if you are sensitive it may spike your T or it hurts due to H. But no physical damage.

We are doomed. Why is there no real treatment yet?

 

i just threw a number out there. i would say +10db if speaking in normal voice and +30db if need to raise voice in a loud gathering....its a range- i just quoted the high end Lynn.
Another thing people with healthy ears have LDL's of 110db ! that is why they can tolerare singing with plugs. the point is to protect your ears before the trauma.....once ur screwed then plug up and shut up. lol

 

My T is ver very very horrid abd its still getting worse i seriously have the worst luck...some holigans decided to get a quad and go up and down my street in the middle of the night last week it scared me to death how fkn loud quads are and that just damaged my T and H so worse now as it wasnt bad already...They did it the next night again and boom evern worse i cried all night from the pain and sensitivity from H i felt my body so cold and was shaking all night.. We called the cops on them... Monday.. As im in the bathroom brushing my teeth didnt notice the window was open and a loud car with a stereo set off a car alarm and hit me .. I couldnt believe it i was still hurting from the quads..then the next day as i was in the guest room trying to sleep as my room was a bit noisy from outside someones starts honking a couole of times and i hear it hard as its next to the front of the house.. And now today a lot of family came to visit and i didnt know they were coming and my mom wasnt here..i locked myslef in my room they were being quiete loud and at they least closed the front door very hard 6 times we dont close it like that we softly close it as i can hear it in my room.. And now i am in extreme pain with my T firing at all will with my 5 tones and im just like how much am i going to take before i call it quits.. This is a glimpse of just t last two weeks... Severe H aint no joke .. As it has ruined my life and T for the worst... I just pray that i can take this torture some more.. And just a year ago i was doing quite fine with mild t ohh how good those days were..

 

Hey man, I don't think these noises will hurt you unless you are at the source. Noises through your window (even open) won't be loud. There are loud things around my house all the time. I sleep with my door open in the bedroom and there are loud bangs and horns all the time. I measure sounds inside my home that sound loud to me and they are nothing. Even a garbage truck or a car alarm going off right in front of my place is nothing. I check on my db meter and it's like 50db. I think in your mind you know these noises are loud but think about the distance and type of exposure. The noise of a door slam while you are in you your room with your door shut would probably barely register on your db meter, you would be surprised. I know what you are going through though, I get a bit jumpy at times and totally avoid noise as well. Mine is more stuff like dishes on the counter, someone sneezing close by, a scene in a movie getting really loud all of a sudden, someone clapping, the click from a lightswitch right there, or my dog barking. These are things that are surprisingly loud if you measure them. The other stuff you hear from a distance is quiet, very quiet. I think it is how we perceive some of these noises and that is the extent of it. You know for a fact that certain things are very loud but you have to take a lot of other factors in as well. The biggest factor is that you are not directly exposed. Try measuring sounds, it helps me mate, maybe it will release some of that fear. Like I say I know what you are experiencing, my ears are absolutely screwed but I don't have that fear you have, just the pain. At least if you get rid of some fear and set your mind at ease that is something anyway take care man.

 

Dan so all those folks walking around with ear muffs on are virtually keeping their ldls low by occlusion effect or withdrawl of natural sound to ear or both?

I know lots of folks in the H world who literally wear that protection all day. Hardly think their mute. Though I know they're bad off..

Also I was thinking of that Margot singer that billy48 always talks about..though maybe she takes plugs out during performance or has special ones where there is less occlusion?

If this is all true, it's very likely I have made myself worse through the use of protection and talking.

Regardless, I cannot stand my voice in my head anymore, as my ldls have dropped with my new T spike so I won't be worrying about it from this point on...

yea plug and shut up..basically. .

 

@Telis no man.. All sounds hurt me ..idk why ive had h before and it never was like this.. And im not a exaggerating person either ..im telling you the truth as everyone has a hard time believing.. I also have found another person just like me on here .. We suffer the same ...ive had mild t and mild h before im not new to this ..i was living fine before.. But now the t keepsnon worsening its so beyond normal i dont get it and i just take it and try to be strong even tho my head keeps adding tones and new volumes...

 

lynn , yes she has custom musicians plugs that allow her to sing ....it is impossible to sing with foamies!

 

LOL..ok..then that is what I need..

man I'm such an idiot at times..I don't even know how I get through a day..

 

I bet you will level out soon enough..it's still new..and when mine was exceptionally bad I got those headaches..but they did go away with time (and recently returned with worsening)

Flexeril works.

 

Shity man, I hope things get better. Mine are bad too, I know what you are experiencing, believe me. I'm not very careful around the house, I drop shit and ouch!! And then muffled full feeling creeps in, T spikes up, it's a little scary but we can't avoid it. I just try and say screw it, I might have just done damage, I might not have, nothing I can do. It sucks and makes it almost impossible to live a half way normal life. I know your story, mine is similar. I had really shity T and some H but I just tried to put up with it to start. I was probably a little more reckless than you however. I went out for St Patrick's day months after my T onset. I was gung hoe on not letting this shit control me even if it hurt. I was in a line up at a bar with a marching band playing right beside me. Once I got inside the music was at about 90-100db. In my head this was not loud, I was used to having healthy ears, I could not fathom that even though my ears were hurting that this could possibly be loud. I spent about two hours there and started to get the feeling that this was the wrong thing to do. I took off, I got home and I remember the keys on the counter hurting, i was in a serious way, my ears were screaming. I was told by doctors to follow the regular noise guidelines. I was shocked how much I fucked up my already damaged ears. I had never experienced ringing like this, even at onset and the months that followed, I knew I was screwed. From that day forward my T and H have been out of control. I have done other things to make things worse but this was a big one. It was at that point I realized that my ears were like glass, they can easily be hurt, and permanantly. I was careful but not careful enough after this, I attempted playing ice hockey, guys yelling, pucks on the glass etc. I took off half way through the ice time and again realized that I fucked up. It hit me hard that I would be stuck like this and unable to do the things I loved. I now am in a position were I don't want to get out of bed becasue things are just plain painful, the click of the door, the flush of a toilet, my gf voice etc etc. all make my T explode and hit my ears in a painful way. Anyway long story...sorry. Point is I know what you are experiencing and it's hell. Hope we can improve some in time. Try some pink noise. Haha. Months and months of that shit and my ears hated it. I guess everyone is different but it just irritated my situation. I find a couple of days in the quiet and my ears start feeling a little better until they get hit again. Really a bitch of a problem this is.

 

@Geo

I totally understand how you feel, I can't leave my house either, I'm so sorry for both of use, Like you I'm terrified of the future I don't know what to do at this point. And like you I was fine 2 1/2 months ago. I guess I'm in a little better position because I live alone and in a quiet place out in the country. But I still have to run downstairs and hide in my bathroom when I get my grass cut or once of my neighbors cuts his grass. This entire sictuation is just very sad for both of us.

I do hope that you can fine some peace soon, Like you said "If only things would just level out and stop changing" that's the part that's getting to me.


If you ever need to talk feel free to PM me, I will do what I can for support, I see that you live in CA, I'm in IL..I have a tough time talking on the phone but I can if I use the speaker, But I'm willing to talk if you can. PM me if you need to.

Lets hope and pray that things get better soon.


And Good luck.

Louie
Quietatnight

 

I've been using my plugs at Nye, didnt think of it as too loud to talk. But usually the Occlusion effect kinda bothers me, not this time though.
Maybe I didnt notice how loud my own voice was?
Could this have worsened my T?