What can be done to help with hyperacusis?

Hi @wayfarer and welcome to Connect. It must be awful having normal sounds be painful.

I wanted to introduce you to fellow Connect member @jossm who has mentioned experiencing hyperacusis in the past and may be able to offer suggestions to you in how to treat it.

Back to you @wayfarer, how are you currently trying to treat this?

I'm avoiding noisy places, using earplugs to help lower the volume, and trying to condition my brain to accept the disorder.

My hyperacusis is part of my Meniere's Disease syndrome. The noise can actually make me nauseous and trigger a migraine. There is no enjoying most public venues such as theaters, sports events. or even my great grandchildren's playtime. Coupled with the awful tinnitus which gets louder as external noise is turned down, I am miserable. Any suggestions?

Hello @wayfarer and @mzhp1988, sorry to hear about your sufferings with hyperacusis. I can't imagine what you go through every day. Have you exasperated all avenues for help- Has Mayo Clinic ENT been an option for consultation for either of you? Have you tried noise canceling headphones?

Hi @mzhp1988, a member of our HLAA chapter has hyperacusis and tinnitus also. I found an article for him in the Hearing Journal which also references a couple of other articles at the bottom. This Mayo Clinic blog won't let me post a link for some reason. So Google The Hearing Journal and search their site for articles on hyperacusis. I also found reference to hyperacusis in the Hearing Health Foundation's website hhf.org. Go to the site and Search for hyperacusis and tinnitus. They are a non-profit that is doing some great research in various areas, including Meniere's Disease and trying to regenerate hair cells in humans. Good luck with it.

@mikepa You will be able to add URLs in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe. Clearly the links you wanted to post was not spam. Please allow me to post them for you.

- Auditory Gain in Hyperacusis (The Hearing Journal) https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/Fulltext/2019/02000/Auditory_Gain_in_Hyperacusis.8.aspx which also references a couple of other articles at the bottom.
- Hearing Health Foundation https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/

@colleenyoung Colleen, thank you for posting the links for me. I saw the note about waiting a couple of days but wasn't sure if I had to reapply or what. Thank you also for moderating these chats. Just in the 3 days I have been active in Connect, I have learned so many things. This is a great resource.

Wayfarer--Yes, the condition of hyperacusis is rare but you are not alone. I would recommend the website of the Hyperacusis Network. I tried to include their link, but this page refused to print it. Once there, read from some of the drop-down menus and then go onto the message board. This website is not selling anything, it's a group of sufferers who pass along information to each other. Also keep in mind that you will see that the consensus for hyperacusis treatment among many audiologists is a bit counter-intuitive. Their approach involves a gradual re-introduction of daily sounds into your life while the brain slowly re-sets itself. I have also suffered from this problem and I know it's maddening, but recovery is possible.

Thanks, Jamie. I have talked to Mayo and they suggested making an appointment with an ENT and audiologist there. I have been told by 2 ENTs that there is no medical or surgical cure for hyperacusis. I have not tried the headphones. Thanks, Wayfarer

Mzhp1988, I know the feeling of being miserable because I have to be so careful now when I go out because of the loudness of ordinary sounds. I have missed many events at our local Performing Arts Center and even church services are painful. Many restaurants as well. I am going to try to learn from others who have the issues. Keep trying. Thanks, Wayfarer