Self-treating hyperacusis
 

Since my concussion, I've been dealing on-and-off with noise sensitivity. Some days are fine, but other days, certain noises will make my ear drum kinda 'spaz' out, like every hair inside my ear is standing on edge. It is very jarring!

I know that TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy) with pink noise is one way to treat and help manage this. Has anyone tried this? Any success? I do not really have access to an audiologist here in China who could do this, so if I decided to pursue this it would have to be self-administered.

I know it is more complex than sticking on some headphones and listening to the noise - I need to carefully find the correct volume levels and then adjust with time. Is this something I can do myself? Or should I wait until I return home and visit a doctor?

TRT for concussion cause hyperacusis sounds like you may be trading one problem for another. The TRT may overwhelm and exhaust your brain. Using ear plus to reduce the intensity of the noise should be your first effort. Your brain needs rest from sound. TRT may not be the rest it needs.

Just be careful to not over tax your brain.

I think you need to find a balance between protecting your brain from too much noise (I had zero tolerance for the longest time) and gradual slow exposure to more soind, amd multiple sources of sound. Doing one thing while having sound on (radio etc.) is good therapy. Ding exercises (vision, vestibular, etc.) with a metronome is a good one.

But from my own experiemce, it is only very recently that I am able to do these things. Very slow progress, but progress. Today i:

1. Sat in the waiting room for my eye appointment and didn't pass out from the radio that was playing!

2. Watched a ten minute badminton game of my son's while five other games (quiet) were going on

3. Had a visit with a friend while her kids were playing WII games in another room.

Major progress!!! My ears are ringing like there is no tomorrow, and my brain may keep me up tonght, but I feel I gently pushed some boundaries.

Hope you can find your balance!

Mine has gone, it just takes time. The important thing is to carry earplugs for noisy situations, get plenty of quiet rest, and reduce noise stimulation. You will get better.

Mouse...do you have hyperacusis and tinnitus? Are both gone? That would be great!
I think I cam improve the hyperacusis but I fear the shrill pitches (dif in each ear) are with me for life!

Yes, the hypercusis went first and then the tinnitus. I still like quiet, but can handle all types of everyday noise now like doing the hoovering or crowded rooms thankfully.

how long to cure the sound sensitivity?

Last night I attended a special concert that I had been looking forward to for weeks. Going in, I knew that being there would cause a regression in my PCS, that I would probably suffer waves of nausea & dizziness and an explosive headache even using my ear plugs and sitting in the back of the small auditorium. I truly enjoyed every minute of the concert from listening to the special voices, joining in with everyone singing along and just being out of my house for an evening.

Even though I live with my husband and son, loneliness is as big an issue for me as headaches, sound sensitivity etc. For one night, friends were happy to see me and I, even more happy to see others. My head hurt plenty while sitting in the concert, but there was no way that I was going to allow PCS to ruin my evening out!

By the time I got home, I could hardly hold my head up and literally fell in bed, afraid that the severity of the symptoms might actually make me vomit for the first time. Thankfully, I guess I fell asleep and am still feeling very crappy this morning.

Just sent my husband off to see a movie as he knows I won't be doing much for the next few days. But, at least I enjoyed 2 hours of beautiful music and friends and hope that one day soon, I can enjoy even more!

Learning how far you can push yourself with PCS without experiencing symptoms is a true art (and one I wish I never needed to cultivate!). Hopefully, it will make those of us suffering from it better human beings as we feel so much for others dealing with PCS and other issues and continue to offer encouragement and words of healing.


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I looked into TRT therapy for myself at the Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic in Edina, MN, but my insurance doesn't cover it and it's very expensive (I have good insurance too).

I've been gradually exposing myself to controlled amounts of music, which seems to be helping somewhat. Depending on which frequencies you're more sensitive to, you could start with something with--say--mostly low frequencies, like Bach's Cello Suites, and gradually add in music with more high frequencies.

That said, it's very important to recognize when you're overstimulated, and to remove yourself from the noisy situation if at all possible--as others have pointed out.

There is a brand-new type of technology called Here Active Listening that uses earbuds and a smartphone to basically allow you to control the EQ of external sounds. They just released a limited number of them to people who applied. Hopefully, they'll be more widely available soon.

Peace.

Thanks for the info on Here Active Listening! I put my name on the waiting list.


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