Hello all, I'm here for some advice/ideas in the first instance.
Last year, I started noticing increased sensitivity to certain sounds (crockery, dogs' claws on wooden floor), and at one point, I started feeling a little sick and dizzy after a long online meeting.
Ever since then, I've had much more noticeable tinnitus (this has all highlighted to me through conversations that I've always had it, so the increase doesn't bother me per se), but I've also got persistently increased hearing sensitivity nowadays.
I had a hearing test recently, and this didn't show any major problems, surprising giving the amount of punishment I've given my ears over the years, no issues with wax or whatever.
I've changed the speakers I was using on my work computer, and on my own machine, I've shaped the frequency of the sound output.
I tried listening to a bit of pink noise one afternoon, but it did nowt for me.
I'd be interested in any similar experiences, and whether anyone's got any advice on whether this issue might fade, or what mitigation might help.
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ClingyFilm
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I had similar to you over the past ten months and dizzy with it. Tinnitus and sensitivity to all sounds making my head feel like a balloon. I booked into a private app with an ENT specialist . Then a mri scan . It’s all you can do to get further advice. It’s a long journey I’m afraid and I’m still suffering . Little can be done . Good luck . You might get better
Hi ClingyFilm. Computers! They're great, except when hunched over a laptop/PC for hours on end which wreaks havoc on shoulder and neck muscles.
there have been one or two posts lately about neck muscles and strain and how this might affect tinnitus.
One commentator gave a good reference on another post to tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-an... which provides useful info on TMJ disorders and neck disorders. In this case I recommend focusing on the neck/shoulder areas.
A good physiotherapist or chiropractor should be able to advise you about whether or not you might have muscular issues in the shoulder/neck area and how best to address them.
It might provide some insight, it might not, but it could be worth investigating nonetheless.
Hello, I am experiencing tinnitus as most people here and I think I am generally more sensitive to sounds. I used computers since teenager and at times way too long for work and after. Prior to pandemic I have suffered anxiety and stress. This was referred to Talking Therapies which uses CBT. I was not concerned with tinnitus as it was on and off side issue really. Now it is more and more permanent background in left ear, sometimes both. The headaches do amplify it. And any other ill feeling or weather change. When you mentioned the tension in neck and arms, back, it made sense to me, as this is often not only computer work syndrome. Tension there can build up from the posture when we are stressed also psychologically, as we tend to tense the shoulders unconsciously. And as for tinnitus now, I have worked on pruning apple trees, for few hours, for couple of days. It made the upper back ache and combined with bright light outside now, a recipe for headache. That caused tinnitus to increase. I think. The best policy seams to be - RELAX the shoulders, the back, do not overdo, over work, use sunglasses when is too bright for eyes, limit screen time. Unfortunately combination with headache means I will take paracetamol as it rarely just goes. It seams the inflammation of a sort starts and it causes the pains and irritation with tinnitus. I hope one day we have more clarity on this symptom and do not have to feel too sensitive people to complain about it to GPs., who would know to ask all the right questions to find the causes. Personally I had no much success with this or other minor ailments and therefore look on internet as many people here.
I paid privately to go to chiropractic treatment of nerve entrapment, only to be treated with acupuncture. It did not resolve the main problem and I had 5 years or tension and pins and needles what I think was ischiatic nerve being entrapped, inflamed. It subsided only when I stopped sitting on hard chairs and used lots of cushioning or stand when working with computer. No GP or physiotherapist after contacting them via NHS helped me on this issue. Sadly.
There are some good neck exercises on Arthritis Now which won’t be harmful and might, if your computer issues are causing discomfort, help the neck and the T.
Thanks for the replies. I'd never considered that it could be connected to muscular issues in the neck. I'll certainly ask a physio next time I'm allowed to see one! However, after doing some testing this afternoon with a couple of different Bluetooth speakers, I'm pretty sure it's a sound quality issue, at least in part. I tried streaming some music via my smaller speaker that I carry when cycling, and compared that to the bigger speaker I now use for work, and there's an obvious difference in aural response. With the smaller speaker, discomfort and increase in tinnitus is quite noticeable. Maybe I just need six months of silence, and then to spend eye-watering amount of money on nice speakers...both difficult!
Indeed the speakers may very well address the issue, at least "in part", as you say.
I purchased new noise-cancelling/ANC headphones for £40 (cheap by its standard) to replace bog-standard in-earphones. They help massively with sound quality. I understand some ANC headphones can deal help increase quality (although not perfectly). I'm not endorsing them, as I need to more research. I think the type I'm refering to have an internal microphone (inside the ear cup) and I'm not sure mine do. You may wish to research this yourself. For starters:
*** In case anyone thinking, do they cancel tinnitus? No they don't. They only work with external, acoustic noise. In fact, they may can make you more aware of tinnitus as they may possibly cancel noise that may offer a distraction ***
My situation is different, as I'm a student support worker, and support students online and in the college where I work. I got the ANC headphones mainly to cancel background noise of colleagues and students in the Learning centre, especially while I'm in an online lesson. .I find the background noise distracting because of Hyperacusis. I've found out that they work as ear muffs, when not in use, per se, but I have to enable ANC mode.
I say they don't work to cancel tinnitus, but, the ANC mode, does offer some benefits, to prevent noises that may irritate it. Although, the trade off is that it cancels noise that mask it as I've already highlighted.
Although the better quality compared to my previous earphones, has helped me, the quality of sound (for any headphones and speakers is compremised by the quality of your colleagues microphone at the other end. As I said my new ANC help but I'm yet to find out of this is a feature of ANC). I other words, you'll still get other peoples feedback whistling through your speakers. In fact, I think my new headphones can pick up more high-pitched noises - allegedly something ANC has a tendency to do. They work by picking up on low frequency sounds and can also muffle some sounds.
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