I have a hard time with background noises. i hear background sounds very clearly...i know its not ringing in your ears but i was wondering if this group could offer me some help with these background sounds i'm having trouble getting rid of. (i'll hear crinkling of bottles being drunk, ill hear someone smacking their lips while eating, or ill hear someone sighing) little things like that i hear.
Please give me some support and advice, thanks.
this is a completely new one on me - and I’ve been on this site for several years. I haven’t heard of anything like your experience.
I take it that you mean you hear these things very clearly, and that they are real things? Tinnitus is a sound that you perceive where there there is no external source - phantom sounds.
Are your sounds phantom, or are they real sounds magnified?
they are real sounds magnified....not even magnified just focused on with great detail
If these are real sounds that simply sound louder than normal (not generated in your head), you could have a touch of hyperacusis. You might want to look it up.
yeah these are the sounds that are real that people just ignore (background sounds)
I have that with a cochlear implant so I know how annoying it can be, but I have nothing useful to offer you. I agree with whoever suggested a touch of hypercausis. Worth exploring.
I understand what you are saying now - yes hyperacusis. I hadn’t cottoned on, and I should have.
This is what the the British National Health Service has to say about hyperacusis:
“Hyperacusis is when everyday sounds seem much louder to you than they should. Treatment can help. See a GP if you think you have hyperacusis.
Check if you have hyperacusis
You may have hyperacusis if some everyday sounds seem much louder than they should. It can sometimes be painful.
You may be affected by sounds like:
jingling coins
a barking dog
a car engine
someone chewing
a vacuum cleaner
Your sensitivity to noise can affect relationships, school or work and your general wellbeing.
Hyperacusis can affect 1 or both ears. It can come on suddenly or develop over time.
Other types of hearing sensitivity include:
some sounds making you angry (misophonia)
some sounds making you anxious (phonophobia)
your ears having trouble adjusting between quiet and loud sounds (recruitment)
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
everyday noises feel too loud or painful
Your GP may refer you to a hearing specialist for further tests and treatment.
Treatment for hyperacusis
If hyperacusis is caused by another condition, such as migraines or Lyme disease, treating the condition may stop your hyperacusis.
If there's no clear cause, you may be offered treatment to help make you less sensitive to everyday sounds.
This could be:
sound therapy to get you used to everyday sounds again, and may involve wearing ear pieces that make white noise
cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to change the way you think about your hyperacusis and reduce anxiety
Things you can try to ease hyperacusis
Do
try some relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises
Don’t
do not use earplugs or muffs unless you really need to
do not avoid noisy situations, as this will make you become even more sensitive to noise”.
Hope this is helpful.
yeah this was helpful...idk what the cure is though i'd like to try CBT to see if that has any beneficial aspects to it, but its going to be awhile until I can see a therapist.
an hour or so ago I posted you some information from the NHS. Also, the website Tinnitus UK has a little I formation on this. If you go to their website and input “hyperacusis” to their search function (click “search” top left and input your search term to the box that appears) you’ll see their take on it.
Try looking up Hyperacusis and Misophonia.
Good advise from Happyrosie . I've had to learn some of this the hard way :).
The general advise for our condition is CBT. I had this last year which was useful but I prefer to learn what works for me. I also take AD which I was originally prescribed for my Tinnitus (luckily I found ADs that worked for me but this again was a year or so before I found what worked).
About six month ago I started getting vertigo and dizziness which all seemed related (though it may have been the stress ofu Hyperacusis getting worse). I've just had the results from a second MRI which thankfully has come back clear.
I have the very same problem I'm finding it very difficult at the moment. I'm a classroom teacher and I've had to make adjustments - my boss has been very supportive - with a longer term plan to get out of the classroom.
The best advice I can give is find an environment that you can control or easily leave to a more controlled environment. However don't avoid situations and if anything try as best you can to tolerate it.
I use musicians ear plug on my keyring and/carry headphones. However, it is easy to become over reliant on ear protection or try to drown out noise which will make it worse (so be careful).
For me it is more of a problem when I'm stressed, which then escalates causing more stress and over sensitivity.
All the best.
Hi Dave, What are ADs please? Thank you 🙂
I would suspect that Dave is referring to antidepressant medication, but I stand to be corrected.
Popping sounds in my head.
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