Reactive tinnitus

[Giaaanlu]

Hi everyone, my name is Gianluca and I'm 28 years old, I developed tinnitus after removing an earwax plug. From there unfortunately it was a decline, developing tinnitus in the left ear, which subsequently passed to the right, creating high-pitched sounds as if my brain were frying. I also developed a sensitivity to sound. the tinnitus always varied, also based on what I did, for example after a hot shower they would calm down a bit, or with the noise of the shaving razor. I've had extra temporary spikes and tinnitus, always bringing me back to the same two I've always had. Unfortunately, something has changed in the last month, one evening I realized that the noise from my air conditioner was bothering me, so I decided to turn it off and sleep with the sound of the water. I spent about three nights like this, until I realized there was something strange about the sounds. that is, every time I touched the sheets, or turned on the water in the shower, the cars that passed by me, my ear automatically produced a sound similar to the siren of an ambulance which disappeared at the exact moment in which the car stopped too. sound. so I consider it as in tinnitus very reactive to sounds. Has anyone tried something like this and has it gotten better over time?

[Happyrosie]

this may be hyperacusis. Please see the post a bit further down the page with the heading “background sounds” by EricJones, and the replies.

[perlcoder]

I have had T for more than 20 years. It is predominantly, often exclusively in one ear (my , left), It has grown progressively worse over time. It has always been reactive, but over the past 6 years it has become much more so. It rises above a boiling kettle, the shower, even a powerful vacuum cleaner, an electric drill etc. There is a very small component of mimicry in it, of the kind you describe, but it is not at all the same phenomenon. It seems to me that T can take any form, any loudness, that your brain can imagine, so, although I have never personally come across a story such as yours, it does not surprise me that it exists. No part of my own T has ever got better over time - but some people do improve. I hope that you will.

[Pipster25]

Hello Giaaanlu. I have exactly the same symptoms as you. Reactive somatic tinnitus with hyperacusis. It started 5 weeks ago and so far I can’t shake it off. I had “ordinary” tinnitus for 4 years before that. I believe it started when I got Covid.

[Giaaanlu in reply to Pipster25]

yes I also had normal tinnitus for three years, I have never had a symptom like that. it reacts to almost any sound by imitating the sound of an ambulance. it does it with the toilet flush, with the shower, with the air conditioner, with the noise of the fridge, etc. it started slowly and then became like this I am both fascinated and scared by this phenomenon, I didn't think such a thing could exist Tinnitus in itself is already rare but this phenomenon is even more so Do you have hyperacusis for every sound? I only use cutlery, paper, plastic etc However, have you had any changes or improvements over time?

[Pipster25 in reply to Giaaanlu]

I don’t think I have hyperacusis for everything but the tinnitus is easily provoked by any sound. Been on steroids had acupuncture and chiropractor for neck and spine but no improvement in five weeks since it started for no apparent reason. Very difficult to live with but I am just about coping. Although I am probably drinking a bit too much.

[Windu]

Hi Giaaanlu, I have a similar case. What method did you use to remove earwax?

[Giaaanlu in reply to Windu]

I developed tinnitus via microsuction Since that day I have always removed it manually by a professional

[Fridays_Child_62]

I sympathise. I've had T for nearly 30 years but over the past few years it has become worse and more reactive. Like for you, certain noises can calm it down and sometimes warm drinks can.

I am sometimes left with the noise of an air-conditioning unit after being exposed to sound such as traffic, and even after listening to music or watching TV. However, it usually lasts for a few minutes and doesn't stop immediately that the external sound stops. Something I have noticed of late is that when in bed I can get a short burst of beeps (like an alarm) in my ear - this especially happens in the morning near the time that I am supposed to be getting up. Perhaps it's more of a dream-like sound than a T sound, I don't know. It's as if my brain is telling me it's nearly time to get up.

Maybe there is some way to train your brain to stop producing the reactive siren sound. You may find that it will disappear on its own, especially if you try to dampen your emotional response to it - that is, don't give it too much thought. I find that my ears/hearing/tinnitus go through phases, so this may well just be a bad phase for you.

[Windu]

I'm asking because I've also been struggling with this for six months after Microsuction. I have already written that doctors should take a closer look at this method. My hearing hypersensitivity has decreased somewhat, but the constant tinnitus limits my ability to function normally. I know it's a nightmare, but don't give up. Give your ears more time to regenerate. It's a long process.

[Giaaanlu in reply to Windu]

do you still have reactivity to external sounds?

[Windu]

Now I feel my ears less sensitive, but before I had to cover my ears even to the sound of water from the shower, the hoover, or the boiling kettle. I still have to watch out for these sounds, but I think it's getting better. But I’ve got something different I think, because I can hear constantly eee.. in my ears.