'Winding Up' Tinnitus... Does It Settle?

Hi

I would use the term 'reactive tinnitus' but apparently it's an internet invented word.

'Winding up' is apparently the correct term. Doesn't matter however as since my spike started 8 weeks ago... or my new baseline... I've noticed in the last couple of weeks certain sounds like female voices, groups of people talking makes my new tinnitus, which is my old tinnitus except a pitch higher, get louder.

I don't believe it's hyperacusis as it doesn't cause me pain (if anything I have misophonia) but my question is can I expect, given time, that my tinnitus will stop winding up or reacting and just settle into a stable tone like my old tinnitus was?

What's the deal with this? My spike started after noise exposure (acoustic piano). My original tinnitus was after an infection.

 

yes, over time, tinnitus can become less reactive. It took mine at least 1 year to see a difference in being more resilient to sounds.It continued to improve over 3 years time. But I made sure to protect my hearing during those years.

 

It's really freaked me out. My old tinnitus never did this and things aren't settling down and it's now 8 weeks. Getting seriously strung out.

 

my tinnitus 'reacts' to certain noises and 'winds-up' its hissssssing.
The noises are very specific but mainly metallic high pitches - cutlery clanking, plates banging and more oddly running water and toilets flushing...
Bassy tones are quite comforting and not reactive.
I just assumed the noises and frequencies relate to areas of damage or sensitivity.
Its all just weird....
Hope you have a good day soon @Allan1967 !

 

I am one of those members in this forum that speaks for reactive tinnitus while most people say it doesn't exist. My opinion is, and judging from my own experience with it, is that rhe "reactive tinnitus" or Hyperacusis is a result of stress/anxiety. Everytime I feel pressured this symptoms come along. As soon as I settle the RT disappears, sometimes even for months and months.

All posts/threads i've read about RT I never once read its chronic. RT always goes away. Im not a doctor or scientist, but i strongly believe its stress/anxiety related.

 

I have had my reactive T improve over time before. But I think there will always be some reactivity to it, just reduction over time. If it is linked to hyperacusis (notice most people with reactive T also have H) perhaps it can go away if H does.

 

Some people suggest that Reactive T and Hyperacusis is the same thing, I can buy that. Like I said I strongly believe it's stress and/or anxiety related. It will disappear.

I've read the author of this threads posts and it's quite obvious he is in a dark and stressful place. And it sounds like the biggest cliché in the world, but you WILL get better. Its not bullshit and I know that everything sounds as bullshit and fairy tales when u are in that place. Your brain is more powerful than you think, give it time to settle down and get out of that fighr or flight mode and you will improve.

 

Here's a good read about the so called reactive tinnitus wich is a description of symptoms experienced by 'us' poor souls (In my opinion)

http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/reactive-tinnitus/

It gets real interesting from the yellow marked part, if you scroll down a bit ...

I can agree with @Raphael7713 but there's somtimes also other underlying problems causing your tinnitus to be so 'reactive' Stress or fear of sounds play a big role indeed.

I don't think that Allan was afraid playing the piano, maybe something else is causing this... or maybe it was cumulative stress or exposure... who knows

an ex. from the article above

The person with reactive tinnitus or reactive hyperacusis is often prone to have other inflammatory bodily conditions and symptoms. They can include various skin diseases such as psoriasis or eczema, joint or connective tissue diseases such as arthritis or plantar fasciitis, or muscle-nerve diseases such as fibromyalgia or lupus. Often these other conditions can be mild and many people do not realize they have them or see the connection.

These inflammatory conditions result in hypersensitive nerves that send a barrage of signals to the brain that over-stimulate the brain. Hyperacusis, and thus reactive tinnitus, can be one result.

Combine the above with hearing loss or even more underlying causes or other muscular or nerve disorders like myoclonus and you might be even more prone to this hard to deal with condition.

 

It is a real term. Some people like saying it is a made up term. Hundreds of us always use reactive.

As you are searching for information - one word of advice. Do not give out your name or location on another site to an individual.

Yes. It did for me or does when certain loud noises or voices or prolonged exposure to loud noise makes my tinnitus react. For me I need to relax and distract by starting a project of some sort.

 

hey man, if it's any help I just had 6 month spike. I'm kinda back to where I was with On/Off days.

 

Definitely agree with you on the plate thing. I tend to leave the kitchen when I hear that noise. It doesn't hurt in the normal sence of the word, but at the same time, it does. That made no sence, but I think you might know what I mean!

 

I kind of agree, but our of curiosity, why do you advise this? I've often thought about giving someone my mobile number to someone on this site, in case speaking to somebody who's been through the same thing he/she is going through, helps.

 

Use your gut instincts @BobDigi. Talking with people here shouldn't be an issue at all. Another site though will ask for your information. Where you live. Where you work. In the past when that person has a disagreement with the owner of a site that information was used against them. For example: A person was threatened that her employer would be contacted saying she spent work hours on the internet boards.

 

I know exactly what you mean @BobDigi I
Its not painful for me like hammering your thumb is BUT I cant bear to listen to it.
Its like my brain says I don't like this noise...please get away from it.
My family don't understand and think its weird.

 

@Raphael7713 I would love for you to read my latest thread, and please tell me whether you think this might be a case of reactive T/H? I have kind of recovered from T for the past three years, but I'm kind of having an episode right now. Cheers!

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-my-respiratory-system-causing-the-ringing-i-ear.32703/