Tinnitus/Hyperacusis

[Gemlord]

After having T after a concert in around 2000 I have managed to cope with it very much in the background. However after a holiday in 2023 my T came more present with the addition of H. I was still able to lead a relatively normal life using earplugs and/or ear defenders whenever I was exposed to a slightly more noisy environment. During a change of roles at work due to a colleague being on holiday I was exposed to slightly more noise for some of my shift and despite wearing earplugs my T and H became more of a problem. I had an audiology appoint at my local hospital just after this time where I was encouraged to wear a hearing aid in my left ear that I was issued with around a year ago but had just discarded at the time. I found some light relief initially thanks to the HA but of course my H was worse due to hearing already problematic noises but at a higher volume than before. My first shift back to work with my HA didn't go well as I am positioned at the busy end of a supermarket and had to take some time off. After numerous visits to my doctor and hospital I felt well enough to return to work but after only a couple of shifts I am feeling worse than ever and I don't know where to turn. The T has became such that it takes an almighty effort to get to sleep at night and this is with the addition of a snoozeband for some comforting sound and sleeping tablets! Just getting through a day can be torturous, and I don't feel as if I can cope with working and feeling like this, does anyone have any tips for my troubles??

[FriSoph]

HiI have same problem as work in busy supermarket with alarms going off all day. Was really worried, scared and anxious about it but now as I have relaxed and stayed calm it seems to be better. Does going into work make it worse when you come home or is it same when not working I find working takes my mind of the tinnitus.

[Gemlord in reply to FriSoph]

First of all, thanks for the reply. Working does naturally take my mind of things slightly but the louder sounds still make me anxious and I'm concerned they may be making matters worse. I have a better grip on staying relaxed and calm otherwise it can have a runaway effect. The worst feeling is the almost constant "shock-like" feeling which can be hard to shake off or my mind constantly flip flopping between being ok or the furthest thing from that which can literally change a few times within 60 seconds

[Darren6]

Hi Gemlord,

I had Hyperacusis and Tinnitus from a suspected ear infection which totally floored me for a good while so I have much empathy for your current situation.

My hyperacusis took around 18 months to 95% recover and very rarely I am sensitive to sounds now.

Hearing aids can be useful to some people for their tinnitus but with hyperacusis this, as you say, can make things worse. the problem you then probably have is that your body will be back in fight or flight mode amd stressed due to the hyperacusis which, in turn, fuels the perceived loudness and intrusiveness of your tinnitus.

I found that prioritising H over the T was the way to go. By protecting myself from loud situations but allowing as much sound as possible that was comfortable, my H gradually (this took a while) eased. With the easing came less stress and therefore less T.

H cam be horrendous to live with, harder than the T, but over time, with the right approach this will most likely resolve.

[Gemlord]

Thanks for your words, you seemed to have summed up my situation better than I ever could have. Did you in fact have an ear infection? I was told at the hospital I may have one but further inspection has not proved this

[Darren6 in reply to Gemlord]

I was never diagnosed with an ear infection. This was the only feasible reason why I had a sudden hearing loss and complete loss of balance, leaving me with partial hearing loss in 1 ear. I learned over time that searching for the cause of my tinnitus/hyperacusis wasnt going to help me recover. The MRI showed clear and I was not going through any stress so to this day I will put it down to a probable ear infection. I will never know!

The main thing to do is easier said than done and that is acceptance. Keep away from stress, be that hyperacusis aggravation, alcohol, tiredness, personal situations and look after yourself. I found once you can overcome the fight/flight and be in control of your stress, life becomes easier to manage with T and H.

Its not easy by any means any most people who recover do not sit on these forums but those that do offer some great advice as you have probably seen on other posts.

Its not the end of the world even though it may seem to be at the time.

[Gemlord]

Thanks for your valuable advice 👍