Stop yelling!
August 17, 2015 11:24 AM Subscribe
I have become increasingly sensitive to sounds and would like your help to make my life easier.
I have always had sensitive ears. Well, I used to have normal ears and even trouble hearing sometimes until I had my earway cleaned out thouroughly at 18 or 19. The first few days after that were auditory overload hell, but I got used to it. Now, I can hear that high-pitched signal used to keep rodents away from cars, I can hear water sparkling in the glass etc. That part may be normal, or at least it doesn't bother me.
Lately, I have become increasingly sensitive to noise. When people have normally (well, maybe not normal for confined spaces) loud conversations on the train several rows away, it sounds like they're yelling into my ear. Headphones only help to soften the sounds to some degree. I have given up on sleeping without earplugs, but using them every night kind of hurts my ears. (I try to sleep without them on the weekends when it's not such a big deal if I get woken up several times to give my ears a break.) Cutlery on plates sounds like someone is scraping my eardrum. I have to shush my boyfriend several times a day. Some days are better, some days, especially when I'm tired, are worse.
Is this "simple" hyperacusis? Atypical migraine? I have also been having a lot of vertigo lately, which I know can be caused by ear problems or accompagny a migraine. No headaches, though. Could it be a lingering symptom of a past depression?
Should I see a doctor about this? If I do, how do I make sure to find one who takes me seriously? I have had doctors tell me I was dramatic when I had severe depression, and was laughed at for worrying about my nutrition as a vegetarian. What kind of doctor should I see? An otorhinolaryngologist? A neurologist?
I have quite a high deductible on my health insurance and would like not to see five doctors before someone can help me. (I also don't think my boss would like me taking time off work so often.) I live in Switzerland and speak German, so language is not a problem.
Other things to know: I am in my mid-twenties, female, otherwise reasonably healthy, although I could benefit from being more active and losing ~15 pounds. My mother often complains about noise as well (and yet raised by brother to slam doors...) and my half-sister has cluster headache. Grandmother had what Germans call "acute hearing loss" and is now pretty hard of hearing. Since I moved to Switzerland about half a year ago, I am having problems with a stuffy nose and dry mouth/closed-off throat, which I thought were allergies, but I'm not sure. Vegetarian diet, possibly slightly maladjusted thyroid (according to my own bloodworks reading, not a doctor's.) Also a sprained or so ankle that I'm watching for now to see if it's worth to see a doctor over. (I hurt my ankles quite often.) One wisdom tooth needs to be pulled soon, and a root canal could cause an infection, I guess?
I am sorry for this random question, and I know you are not my doctors, but if anyone could point me in the direction of even a possible diagnosis or field of medicine, I would be incredibly grateful. If it turns out this is something I'll need to live with, at least I know I I did what I could. Thank you in advance.
I have always had sensitive ears. Well, I used to have normal ears and even trouble hearing sometimes until I had my earway cleaned out thouroughly at 18 or 19. The first few days after that were auditory overload hell, but I got used to it. Now, I can hear that high-pitched signal used to keep rodents away from cars, I can hear water sparkling in the glass etc. That part may be normal, or at least it doesn't bother me.
Lately, I have become increasingly sensitive to noise. When people have normally (well, maybe not normal for confined spaces) loud conversations on the train several rows away, it sounds like they're yelling into my ear. Headphones only help to soften the sounds to some degree. I have given up on sleeping without earplugs, but using them every night kind of hurts my ears. (I try to sleep without them on the weekends when it's not such a big deal if I get woken up several times to give my ears a break.) Cutlery on plates sounds like someone is scraping my eardrum. I have to shush my boyfriend several times a day. Some days are better, some days, especially when I'm tired, are worse.
Is this "simple" hyperacusis? Atypical migraine? I have also been having a lot of vertigo lately, which I know can be caused by ear problems or accompagny a migraine. No headaches, though. Could it be a lingering symptom of a past depression?
Should I see a doctor about this? If I do, how do I make sure to find one who takes me seriously? I have had doctors tell me I was dramatic when I had severe depression, and was laughed at for worrying about my nutrition as a vegetarian. What kind of doctor should I see? An otorhinolaryngologist? A neurologist?
I have quite a high deductible on my health insurance and would like not to see five doctors before someone can help me. (I also don't think my boss would like me taking time off work so often.) I live in Switzerland and speak German, so language is not a problem.
Other things to know: I am in my mid-twenties, female, otherwise reasonably healthy, although I could benefit from being more active and losing ~15 pounds. My mother often complains about noise as well (and yet raised by brother to slam doors...) and my half-sister has cluster headache. Grandmother had what Germans call "acute hearing loss" and is now pretty hard of hearing. Since I moved to Switzerland about half a year ago, I am having problems with a stuffy nose and dry mouth/closed-off throat, which I thought were allergies, but I'm not sure. Vegetarian diet, possibly slightly maladjusted thyroid (according to my own bloodworks reading, not a doctor's.) Also a sprained or so ankle that I'm watching for now to see if it's worth to see a doctor over. (I hurt my ankles quite often.) One wisdom tooth needs to be pulled soon, and a root canal could cause an infection, I guess?
I am sorry for this random question, and I know you are not my doctors, but if anyone could point me in the direction of even a possible diagnosis or field of medicine, I would be incredibly grateful. If it turns out this is something I'll need to live with, at least I know I I did what I could. Thank you in advance.
I think maybe you should see an audiologist, who could evaluate you for tinnitus, among other things.
Also, I also use earplugs a lot, and they hurt my ears sometimes, so I use over the ear hearing protectors like these sometimes too (although they can also hurt sometimes, especially if you sleep on your side, but not as much or in the same way as ear plugs).
posted by thdavis at 11:48 AM on August 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
Also, I also use earplugs a lot, and they hurt my ears sometimes, so I use over the ear hearing protectors like these sometimes too (although they can also hurt sometimes, especially if you sleep on your side, but not as much or in the same way as ear plugs).
posted by thdavis at 11:48 AM on August 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: (I hurt my ankles quite often.)
This in itself sounds like an inner ear vertigo/equilibrium issue.
When I used to pay basketball hour upon hour with my high school friends, sometimes after 2+ hours I would feel a cooler-than-sweat fluid running out of my left ear, and then within 3 minutes would sprain my ankle badly; this happened half a dozen times over a year before I finally tipped to it -- and I do have really bad tinnitus in that ear.
posted by jamjam at 11:52 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
This in itself sounds like an inner ear vertigo/equilibrium issue.
When I used to pay basketball hour upon hour with my high school friends, sometimes after 2+ hours I would feel a cooler-than-sweat fluid running out of my left ear, and then within 3 minutes would sprain my ankle badly; this happened half a dozen times over a year before I finally tipped to it -- and I do have really bad tinnitus in that ear.
posted by jamjam at 11:52 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Vestibular migraines can present without an actual headache, and just be incredibly sensitive hearing plus vertigo, iirc. Either way, I would say definitely see a doctor as this sounds like it is strongly affecting your quality of life in a bad way.
wrt earplugs at night - I also can't really use them because their physical presence causes severe ear pain, but I have had some luck with sleeping on one side and putting a down pillow over the opposite (up-facing) ear. The down muffles low-range nuisance sounds (stomping, thuds, etc) very well.
(if the vertigo is sudden attacks and not positional it could be meniere's but tbh i tend to think that literally everything is potentially meniere's because it's so obnoxiously multifaceted for me. next time you have a moment of vertigo, check youtube for "semont maneuver" or "epley maneuver" and see if either one of them helps get rid of it. that can help narrow down BPPV from other sources of vertigo. i've had meniere's related vertigo and BPPV and they were very very different but the only way i could prove the difference was that semont worked for only BPPV.)
posted by poffin boffin at 12:08 PM on August 17, 2015
wrt earplugs at night - I also can't really use them because their physical presence causes severe ear pain, but I have had some luck with sleeping on one side and putting a down pillow over the opposite (up-facing) ear. The down muffles low-range nuisance sounds (stomping, thuds, etc) very well.
(if the vertigo is sudden attacks and not positional it could be meniere's but tbh i tend to think that literally everything is potentially meniere's because it's so obnoxiously multifaceted for me. next time you have a moment of vertigo, check youtube for "semont maneuver" or "epley maneuver" and see if either one of them helps get rid of it. that can help narrow down BPPV from other sources of vertigo. i've had meniere's related vertigo and BPPV and they were very very different but the only way i could prove the difference was that semont worked for only BPPV.)
posted by poffin boffin at 12:08 PM on August 17, 2015
It sounds a lot like hyperacusis, which I also have. Wearing earplugs actually makes it worse. Your doctor should make a diagnosis. Tinnitus and hyperacusis sometimes go hand in hand, so that might be an indication. If it's any consolation: I treat myself with pink noise and that sort'a alleviates the hyperacusis symptoms. Good luck!
posted by hz37 at 12:39 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by hz37 at 12:39 PM on August 17, 2015
Re: earplugs
The conical earplugs hurt me but the cylindrical (often "flesh" colored) ones don't. The conical ones are made of stuff that seems to irritate the inside of my ears.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 12:46 PM on August 17, 2015
The conical earplugs hurt me but the cylindrical (often "flesh" colored) ones don't. The conical ones are made of stuff that seems to irritate the inside of my ears.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 12:46 PM on August 17, 2015
Best answer: I am very sensitive to sound and it gets worse when I stop taking my vitamins. From what I've read, tinnitus and noise-sensitivity can be linked to deficiencies in magnesium, vitamin D, & all the B vitamins (especially B12, which vegetarians are often lacking).
posted by belladonna at 1:40 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by belladonna at 1:40 PM on August 17, 2015
You sound like me—within the range of normal.
My secret weapon is white noise, particularly for sleeping, and my other secret weapon is noise-cancelling headphones for use in public.
Yes, I would start with an otorhinolaryngologist. I have a terrific ENT in New York if you ever come to the U.S.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:22 PM on August 17, 2015
My secret weapon is white noise, particularly for sleeping, and my other secret weapon is noise-cancelling headphones for use in public.
Yes, I would start with an otorhinolaryngologist. I have a terrific ENT in New York if you ever come to the U.S.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:22 PM on August 17, 2015
Go see an otorhinolaryngologist - an audiologist can diagnose whether you have hearing loss or unusually acute hearing but not why and why sounds important here.
posted by leslies at 2:31 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by leslies at 2:31 PM on August 17, 2015
Best answer: Hi, I'm an audiologist, not yours, etc.
Hyperacusis is very common. I see it all the time. Hyperacusis and tinnitus are very often seen together. They are actually commonly both the result of some degree of sensorineural hearing loss (which may present as an increase in hearing threshold or not - so you may have damage even though you can hear as soft of sounds as ever). It isn't exactly intuitive, but as hearing is lost or damaged, either at threshold or supra-threshold, it is common to also experience what is called recruitment, which is the abnormal intensity growth of sound. That is, what is at a loud but comfortable level for normal hearing people may sound painfully loud to people with hearing damage or loss.
But hyperacusis may present without any apparent hearing loss or damage. What makes me question whether your hyperacusis is damage/loss-related is that you have tinnitus in only one ear, which is generally not common in people with simple hearing loss (it almost always presents in both ears). How often is occasional? Do you feel that it's always there and only notice it occasionally? I ask because unilateral tinnitus can be a symptom of possibly more serious issues.
As for the vertigo: does it feel like you are spinning, even when you are lying down? Or is it more a dizziness? If it genuinely feels like you are spinning, even when lying down, then it is likely to be vestibular. If not, it isn't likely to be an inner ear issue.
Unfortunately, there is really only one treatment for hyperacusis, and that is some form of therapy, usually cognitive behavioral or similar. There are therapists/audiologists who specialize in this form of treatment. Since there are no real medical treatments (except one, which I will mention), the best you can really do is learn to accept it and not react to your experience of it negatively, and to try and ignore it, best you can. It sounds a bit...unconvincing, and in some ways it certainly is, but it does work for people, it really does.
There is one surgeon in the world that I know of who will do an experimental hyperacusis surgery where he basically pads the oval window of the cochlea with tissue, so that there is less transmission of energy from the middle ear bones into the cochlea, essentially damping the single. There are downsides (you do lose threshold sensitivity in the high frequencies), but it also apparently has worked for some people. It's Herbert Silverstein in Sarasota Florida, if that interests you.
Your weight, vegetarian diet, thyroid issues, etc. are all almost certainly unrelated.
In any case, an audiologist would be your best place to start. Feel free to memail me if you have further questions. I try my best to answer as many hearing-related inquiries from MeFi as I can.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:19 PM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
Hyperacusis is very common. I see it all the time. Hyperacusis and tinnitus are very often seen together. They are actually commonly both the result of some degree of sensorineural hearing loss (which may present as an increase in hearing threshold or not - so you may have damage even though you can hear as soft of sounds as ever). It isn't exactly intuitive, but as hearing is lost or damaged, either at threshold or supra-threshold, it is common to also experience what is called recruitment, which is the abnormal intensity growth of sound. That is, what is at a loud but comfortable level for normal hearing people may sound painfully loud to people with hearing damage or loss.
But hyperacusis may present without any apparent hearing loss or damage. What makes me question whether your hyperacusis is damage/loss-related is that you have tinnitus in only one ear, which is generally not common in people with simple hearing loss (it almost always presents in both ears). How often is occasional? Do you feel that it's always there and only notice it occasionally? I ask because unilateral tinnitus can be a symptom of possibly more serious issues.
As for the vertigo: does it feel like you are spinning, even when you are lying down? Or is it more a dizziness? If it genuinely feels like you are spinning, even when lying down, then it is likely to be vestibular. If not, it isn't likely to be an inner ear issue.
Unfortunately, there is really only one treatment for hyperacusis, and that is some form of therapy, usually cognitive behavioral or similar. There are therapists/audiologists who specialize in this form of treatment. Since there are no real medical treatments (except one, which I will mention), the best you can really do is learn to accept it and not react to your experience of it negatively, and to try and ignore it, best you can. It sounds a bit...unconvincing, and in some ways it certainly is, but it does work for people, it really does.
There is one surgeon in the world that I know of who will do an experimental hyperacusis surgery where he basically pads the oval window of the cochlea with tissue, so that there is less transmission of energy from the middle ear bones into the cochlea, essentially damping the single. There are downsides (you do lose threshold sensitivity in the high frequencies), but it also apparently has worked for some people. It's Herbert Silverstein in Sarasota Florida, if that interests you.
Your weight, vegetarian diet, thyroid issues, etc. are all almost certainly unrelated.
In any case, an audiologist would be your best place to start. Feel free to memail me if you have further questions. I try my best to answer as many hearing-related inquiries from MeFi as I can.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:19 PM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
Best answer: As for the earplug thing, get those incredible (amazing fabulous) silicone lump ones, that you sort of stick to the outside of your ear. They're a billion times better at blocking sound, and they don't get uncomfortable after a while because they're not jammed down your ear canal. I have major jaw issues that make earplugs uncomfortable, and those have been a godsend.
posted by you're a kitty! at 4:55 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by you're a kitty! at 4:55 PM on August 17, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you, everyone!!
I take my supplements, but my Vitamin D is probably still low. The others should be fine, but I have a check-up next month and get tested.
The vertigo occurs suddenly even while sitting and doesn't get better after lying down. The world is still spinning then. I've had slight vertigo once in a while for years, but it got really bad with my last period. (I thought it might be my new glasses, but the timing seems slightly off.)
The tinnitus is only at one ear at a time. I will have to pay attention whether it's always the same ear. It's not constant, just a shortish ringing once a day or so.
I will also try different types of earplugs, although thankfully we are moving somewhere quieter next month.
I did think the noise sensitivity might be partially psychological because I grew up with a very loud brother and my parents accused me of making his playing the guitar at 1 am up instead of telling him to stop, and I often resent people who yell in trains or are loud at night. I'm not sure why this would get worse now, though, and it doesn't explain the vertigo.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 10:16 PM on August 17, 2015
I take my supplements, but my Vitamin D is probably still low. The others should be fine, but I have a check-up next month and get tested.
The vertigo occurs suddenly even while sitting and doesn't get better after lying down. The world is still spinning then. I've had slight vertigo once in a while for years, but it got really bad with my last period. (I thought it might be my new glasses, but the timing seems slightly off.)
The tinnitus is only at one ear at a time. I will have to pay attention whether it's always the same ear. It's not constant, just a shortish ringing once a day or so.
I will also try different types of earplugs, although thankfully we are moving somewhere quieter next month.
I did think the noise sensitivity might be partially psychological because I grew up with a very loud brother and my parents accused me of making his playing the guitar at 1 am up instead of telling him to stop, and I often resent people who yell in trains or are loud at night. I'm not sure why this would get worse now, though, and it doesn't explain the vertigo.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 10:16 PM on August 17, 2015
Best answer: I think some other folks have already given good advice to get checked out by a medical professional. But speaking strictly about the noise remediation challenge:
There's a product category called musician's earplugs which reduce amplitude (volume) relatively equal amounts across the range of audible frequencies. This means it's more like turning the volume down, and less like hearing only the bass line.
And for comfort, you can invest in custom ear molds. These are typically made of silicon and are the exact shape of your ear canal. You get good comfort and effective isolation from outside sounds.
One final thought: you can measure sound pressure levels (SPL) with a meter. I don't have nearly the difficulty you do, but I'm very concerned with unsafe exposure to loud noises. It can be helpful to know somewhat objectively how loud an environment is. Check out the OSHA table of Permissible Noise Exposures for guidelines. I have a pretty basic meter from Radio Shack that's very helpful in determining whether I should put earplugs in for safety, depending on how constant the noise is and how long I'm going to be exposed.
posted by reeddavid at 11:50 PM on August 17, 2015
There's a product category called musician's earplugs which reduce amplitude (volume) relatively equal amounts across the range of audible frequencies. This means it's more like turning the volume down, and less like hearing only the bass line.
And for comfort, you can invest in custom ear molds. These are typically made of silicon and are the exact shape of your ear canal. You get good comfort and effective isolation from outside sounds.
One final thought: you can measure sound pressure levels (SPL) with a meter. I don't have nearly the difficulty you do, but I'm very concerned with unsafe exposure to loud noises. It can be helpful to know somewhat objectively how loud an environment is. Check out the OSHA table of Permissible Noise Exposures for guidelines. I have a pretty basic meter from Radio Shack that's very helpful in determining whether I should put earplugs in for safety, depending on how constant the noise is and how long I'm going to be exposed.
posted by reeddavid at 11:50 PM on August 17, 2015
The vertigo occurs suddenly even while sitting and doesn't get better after lying down. The world is still spinning then. I've had slight vertigo once in a while for years, but it got really bad with my last period.
That does sound to me like BPPV. You should see an audiologist or ENT who treats vestibular disorders.
As for the vitamin thing, it's very unlikely that it has any influence. There is no scientific evidence linking vitamins to hearing health. Magnesium may be an exception, but that's only been shown to prevent hearing damage if taken in mega doses just before a noise event.
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:00 AM on August 18, 2015
That does sound to me like BPPV. You should see an audiologist or ENT who treats vestibular disorders.
As for the vitamin thing, it's very unlikely that it has any influence. There is no scientific evidence linking vitamins to hearing health. Magnesium may be an exception, but that's only been shown to prevent hearing damage if taken in mega doses just before a noise event.
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:00 AM on August 18, 2015
Best answer: My housemate found similar symptoms to be a result of jaw tension from TMJ. She got a lot of relief by starting to wear her nighttime bite guard.
posted by spindrifter at 10:40 AM on August 18, 2015
posted by spindrifter at 10:40 AM on August 18, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 11:25 AM on August 17, 2015