Sound Problems
 

Had to make this topic. Help needed

So after getting some sound sensitivity, it seems as if its getting worse now. Now I can't even flush my toilet, or put down a glass of water on a table, without symptoms returning. It seems impossible to live like this. How to make this better and get my life back to normal?

This is even with ear plugs.

This sound sensitivity and acid reflux (some GERD) is all I have symptom wise from my concussion. Thank you.

This sounds more like an anxiety reaction than PCS. A professional consult would be worthwhile. Do you have a Concussion clinic nearby ?

I do. Making an appointment asap

heres the thing though. i was listening to music in a car and when turned up almost fully, my symptoms increased.

then the next few days i was on my comp using volume 8

when i went up to 12 my symptoms came back. my voleume threshold then became me using volume 4. when i tried 8 i immediately got symptoms, whereas before i was fine

and now im here

anxiety or hyperacusis?

The sensitivity due to hyperacusis can trigger the anxiety. The loud sounds set the brain into anxiety.

I'd think you have learned to avoid the high volume. High volume is usually done for the physiological stimulation. That is exactly what we need to avoid with PCS. It is a audio version of a double shot of espresso.

so if i cure my anxiety I cure the hyperacusis? Or do I heal my concussion then the hyperacusis is automatically cured?

scheduled an appt with doctor just wondering in case you know

Also sorry for the abundance of posts, but for people here who have suffered from hyperacusis, did your ears hurt?

My ears actually arent hurting, I am just getting an emotional response from my body every time I hear something that seems loud to me, but not loud to others (like flushing a toilet...) Just wondering if what I have actually is hyperacusis

For me hyperacusis just makes it so I have a difficult time focusing on anything else. It becomes mentally over-powering.

No pain at all. The reaction can be like a pain reaction, though.

During the first year of recovery my hyperacusis did cause painful headaches. I remember at one of my daughter's hockey game a parent sitting 10' away suddenly screamed, resulting in me bending over and holding my head... I told my wife it felt like a bomb went off in my head.

At this point in time, much of the pain linked to sound has gone. Similar to Mark, too much sound leads to mental overwhelming. This has been really problematic for me lately but there isn't much that can be done... limit exposure and reduce it once I'm overstimulated.

I've had 2 concussions in the past 2+ years and am 1.3 yrs post the 2nd. Sound sensitivity has been one of my worst symptoms and frequently sets off the headaches & vestibular issues I have. I wear prism glasses, have vision and vestibular therapy weekly. I use musician's ear plugs and noise canceling headphones for various situations. This concussion symptom has frustrated me the most as it essentially causes a major change in lifestyle due to inability to socialize and enjoy activities that I previously participated in on a regular basis. Pretty difficult to not get depressed when even family gatherings are too much to handle due to noise level!
I was an occupational therapist for 40 years before my injury forced me to retire. I used Therapeutic Listening, a filtered music program with my patients over the years who had sensory issues. I now use specific discs for myself which have a calming effect on me. Unfortunately, the calming effect doesn't last long enough, as far as I am concerned, but it has been better than anything else. Also, when driving by myself, I work on SLOWLY raising the volume. When in a car with others, I cannot tolerate the radio if people talk as my auditory processing is significantly slower.
Anyone have any other suggestions? Would love to know.
Looking to get involved in any research as PCS has changed my life in such a negative way and I refuse to allow this to continue!


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SMSotr,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear you continue to struggle. Many of us are in the same boat.

It sounds like you already have most of the work-arounds figured out. Something that I find helps is to not be in the center of a room with people speaking. By being at the periphery, the sounds coming from the room come from a limited direction. This helps for me. My neuro, after see the results of an Audio Evoked Potential, told me that my brain does not filter out sounds at all. That part of my brain is damaged.

I have chosen to work with that as just how I am. It disrupts some of my life but the alternative is not worth it to me. I'd rather not crash from audio over-stimulation.

I have never seen anything regarding research in this area.

Do you have any other PCS symptoms that are causing a struggle ?

Thanks for your response Mark!

I'm also dealing with dizziness, nausea, headaches & balance issues. My 40 years of working as an occupational therapist has been very helpful as I now use the strategies I taught others on an everyday basis when showering, dressing, and other ADLs.

Trying not to over-stimulate visually & auditorily and maintain a positive outlook is extremely difficult. People just don't understand that while I don't look different, my brain is now very different. Concerts, religious services, committee meetings & conferences that I previously enjoyed attending are now painful & overwhelming. When I force myself to attend something for socialization purposes, I find that I go into hibernation for a few days afterward until my symptoms dissipate.

I always stay in the back of a room or periphery too to modulate the sound and will use musician ear plugs as long as I don't have to talk. The vibration when speaking with the ear plugs drives me crazy and I am constantly popping the ear plugs in and out.

Thrilled to have found this website and others experiencing these symptoms as most doctors I have seen thru workers comp have so little info to offer.


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I use foam ear plugs in social situations. I can easily carry on a conversation with them. The Mack's brand are high quality.

Many of us plan on a day or two to recover from planned over-stimulation events. I cannot tolerate church auditoriums. Very few have properly designed acoustics and sound systems. Echos that others do not hear are plain as day to me. And, everybody wants the sound to be at 80dB and above. I've brought my sound meter to show how loud it is and the sound board crew do not care. Many seniors without head injuries have the same sensitivities.

If you have friends and family who care enough, the 'You Look Great' video series on YouTube is worth the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso4qGdlI

Or, learn to explain your injury. I say: I have an auditory processing disorder due to a brain injury. It makes it so my brain cannot filter out the many sounds that a normal brain can filter out. So, my brain hears everything, including the voices across the room and the echos you do not hear.

If they need a better understanding,,, There is a specific part of the brain that takes all the sensory stimulation and filters out most of it so the part that is left does not overwhelm the brain and can be effectively processed and understood. .