Anyone else have tinnitus intrusive enough to where it effects conversation and music?

[Fantasylover]

I have had severe reactive tinnitus for a year now. I got a year ago after a cold virus and the reactive part never went away. It reacts to all voices and sounds and music. Its very very debilitating and disabling. Its ruined my life as I'm only 24. I dont get like hyperacusis with pain or loudness hyperacusis but I do hear the tinnitus getting too loud and intrusive when at a grocery store for an hour for example. I was born with severe hearing loss and wear a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) for 13 years with no problems but now that my T is reactive well its tough. If I dont wear my hearing aid then I'm like 90 percent deaf without it or it seems as I can only hear things like dogs barking and yelling without my hearing aid . I read about people saying their tinnitus is "severe and super loud" but they can "tune it out and not hear it" and these severe tinnitus people also claim they still listen to music and hear everything clearly but in my case my tinnitus rings with every word spoken to me and music sounds distorted. I feel alone in the tinnitus community cause most can mask it and even the "unmaskable " types can listen to music and hear conversations clearly. If my T wasn't reactive to noise I'd habituate. I'd like to hear from others with horrific tinnitus and how they dealt with it.

[Halen12]

Sorry to read your posting. I wish i knew these who can mask it ouy so they can tell me how its done . My tinnitus is worse in one ear due to rapid hearing loss and its with me 24x7. Can you get back to an ENT consultant a good one and go from there

[Musician_guy]

Not necessarily quite THAT bad...but bad enough for my manager at work to ask about my hearing after asking "what?" a few times to a supervisor...I just told her the truth "I've got tinnitus, generally it's not too bad but it seems to have got worse during lockdown after stopping rehearsals..." (I work in a supermarket and am generally unaware of it because of "general background noise" thank god...but it PROBABLY affects my hearing clarity subtly - besides, when people are wearing masks and all the treble goes out of their voices when they're speaking to you because of it...jeez, it's a bloody nightmare at the moment!)

[Happyrosie]

Oh Fantasylover this sounds so hard to cope with!

I deal with my T by mainly ignoring it. But I’ve had a lot of practice as I’ve had it for such a long time.

For me, it’s louder than a car engine going at seventy along a busy highway. But I can still listen to music with pleasure.

Can you have adjustments to your HAids, I wonder?

[Summer60]

You certainly are not alone (it just feels like you are) My T reacts to sound, turning up the volume on the TV is pointless as my T goes up to match it, thank goodness for subtitles. Music is a definite no no! If I am subjected to a loud noise my T goes through the roof and takes around 3 - 4 days to come back down to a level that is manageable, during this time I can barely here myself think.

My solution is to grin and bare it and try to avoid any loud noises.

Scarily are people out there suffering much worse illnesses, so when it gets bad I try to think about those unlucky people.

Keep your chin up, it could be a lot worse.

[Lioned]

Hearing loss is the worst thing as you have zero chance of habituating.

I have probably 50% hearing loss but i’m 65 and severe tinnitus that is crippling.

Every day is a struggle but i enjoy bits when i keep busy.

Find stuff to keep busy and be brave.

[_Barnabas]

As my tinnitus is at such a high pitch I hear it above everything no matter how loud external sounds may be. I am slowly beginning to get used to it however. Don’t give up there is so much hope as time goes on.

[Suz_2]

hi i read your post from about a year ago - i was wondering how you are doing? I have a very reactive tinnitus like yours - what u have described matches my experience with the tnntus - wondering how its going now for you , a year on?