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Noise (hearing) Sensitivity Increasing With Age
If this is not the correct board, please forward to the board that is the best option. I am a 72 year old male with increasing sensitivity to noise over the last several years. I have no significant hearing loss, certainly nothing that needs treating. In fact, my hearing appears to be more acute than it was even a few years ago. I am constantly telling people I am in the room or car with that they can speak at a lower volume. I often ask my wife to lower the volume on the TV.
I am becoming intolerant with loud noises, regardless of the nature of the noise. It can be someone’s voice, the volume on a TV, music, etc., etc. Many noises just go right through me causing actual pain. I have not been to a movie theater in over 30 years because I can’t tolerate the high volume at theaters.
I have not brought this up to my primary doctor yet, but plan to do so during our September visit. Is there anything I can read or study about insensitivity to noise before I see the primary? Is this something to discuss with an ENT doc (or maybe a different specialty?).
For background, I am a 40+ year diabetic with no neuropathy and well-controlled sugars. I use a DEXCOM G7 and keep my sugars between 80 and 180 about 80% of the time. I have major gastro issues including IBS (50+ years) and acute pancreatitis (3 years thanks to long Covid). I had ACDF surgery nine years ago with multiple fusions, so spinal stenosis is an issue. The pain is less since the surgery, but still with me daily. At the time of the surgery, an EMG test showed I had carpal tunnel, but I had no symptoms. In the last year or so, I have started losing sensation and grip in the right hand, dropping things, unable to open some jars, etc. A new EMG showed progression of the carpal tunnel. My neurologist has me wearing a wrist brace for 90 days since the carpal tunnel is still not significant. She wants to determine if it might be a pinched nerve causing the issues.
I ran across an older discussion board here at Mayo that spoke to a rare nexus between noise sensitivity and spinal stenosis, with a specific mention of ACDF surgery. That board has not been active in at least three years and I did not receive any answer when I did post there.
The only thing to add is I am retired from the Air Force and served in Desert Storm/Desert Shield. As with anyone who served there, we really don’t know what we were exposed to. I doubt it has anything to do with this hearing issue, but I mention it just in case. My endo doc is convinced I have been exposed to radiation at some point.
Enough for now. If anyone knows, is there a connection between noise sensitivity and spinal stenosis and/or ACDF surgery?
Thanks.
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I am not sure if what I can add would help but I have a sensitivity to loud noises too. I had a craniotomy in May 2014. I prefer quiet being outside listening to rain etc. I am very sensitive to movies with violent content. My surgery is a TBI so I had to re learn everything including focusing on what I can control critical thinking skills taking one thing at a time. I got bacterial meningitis of my brain from chronic sinusitis. I was in a medically induced coma intubated septic. I was coded. I recently learned about EMH Electromagnetic hypersensitivity. In this cause what our devices may be doing to our brain etc. I am still researching this. You are right. Who knows what you were exposed to in the military? My husband is veteran and has had about 5 TBIs.
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1 ReactionI also noticed , that as I get older that certain sounds male me jump or startled. Like when someone shuts a cabinet door too fast or drops something. I especially can’t tolerate fireworks like I used to. I just had tubes put in for my ETD. Now my tinnitus is worse. My hearing is like Im in a coffee can. Was told by my doctor to go for hearing aids.
Me too as far as a startle response. Not sure if it is my ptsd the TBI have.
Thanks to both kb2014 and firespooks for responding. I know this was a stretch, but at least there are two others who are having issues with noise sensitivity as they age. I suspect there are many more, actually, but I'm not sure very many people think this is a real problem. I know it is as it is limiting my life in some ways.
I will see my primary doc in late August, so maybe she will have some ideas. I thought the neurologist I am seeing for the carpal tunnel might be an option, but I notice both Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic say discuss this first with a primary doc before moving on to an ENT. I'll bring it up to the neurologist anyway since we are having an ongoing discussion about cervical nerve issues and this lay be related to that.
Thanks again!
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2 ReactionsIt sounds to me that what you are describing regarding noise sensitivity is called hyperacusis. You can research this on the internet. There are also some hyperacusis forums that may be of use. I have hyperacusis and tinnitus as a result of exposure to loud noise. There isn’t a cure or effective treatment for tinnitus, although some have used various approaches that helped. My Dad had tinnitus as a result of an artillery shell exploding next to him during WW2. It simply blew out his eardrum. With your military background it’s possible that this set you up for hearing problems later in life, or they are simply part of aging in your case. Hyperacusis control is mainly based on a desensitization process to noises of an everyday nature. Still, it’s not fun and should be done under the guidance of an audiologist. Anyhow, do your research and that will put things in perspective. Best of luck.
I’ve posted this in a couple of places at Mayo. The best suggestion seems to be to get this to a group interested in Hyperacusis, so I am trying here. I did see something on this board about a connection between Hyperacusis and COVID. I have had COVID three times and Long Covid once. This is my original post a few days ago:
If this is not the correct board, please forward to the board that is the best option. I am a 72 year old male with increasing sensitivity to noise over the last several years. I have no significant hearing loss, certainly nothing that needs treating. In fact, my hearing appears to be more acute than it was even a few years ago. I am constantly telling people I am in the room or car with that they can speak at a lower volume. I often ask my wife to lower the volume on the TV.
I am becoming intolerant with loud noises, regardless of the nature of the noise. It can be someone’s voice, the volume on a TV, music, etc., etc. Many noises just go right through me causing actual pain. I have not been to a movie theater in over 30 years because I can’t tolerate the high volume at theaters.
I have not brought this up to my primary doctor yet, but plan to do so during our September visit. Is there anything I can read or study about insensitivity to noise before I see the primary? Is this something to discuss with an ENT doc (or maybe a different specialty?).
For background, I am a 40+ year diabetic with no neuropathy and well-controlled sugars. I use a DEXCOM G7 and keep my sugars between 80 and 180 about 80% of the time. I have major gastro issues including IBS (50+ years) and acute pancreatitis (3 years thanks to long Covid). I had ACDF surgery nine years ago with multiple fusions, so spinal stenosis is an issue. The pain is less since the surgery, but still with me daily. At the time of the surgery, an EMG test showed I had carpal tunnel, but I had no symptoms. In the last year or so, I have started losing sensation and grip in the right hand, dropping things, unable to open some jars, etc. A new EMG showed progression of the carpal tunnel. My neurologist has me wearing a wrist brace for 90 days since the carpal tunnel is still not significant. She wants to determine if it might be a pinched nerve causing the issues.
I ran across an older discussion board here at Mayo that spoke to a rare nexus between noise sensitivity and spinal stenosis, with a specific mention of ACDF surgery. That board has not been active in at least three years and I did not receive any answer when I did post there.
The only thing to add is I am retired from the Air Force and served in Desert Storm/Desert Shield. As with anyone who served there, we really don’t know what we were exposed to. I doubt it has anything to do with this hearing issue, but I mention it just in case. My endo doc is convinced I have been exposed to radiation at some point.
Enough for now. If anyone knows, is there a connection between noise sensitivity and spinal stenosis and/or ACDF surgery?
Thanks.
You will find some interesting information about this topic at this link. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24320-hyperacusis
Like tinnitus, hyperacusis remains a mystery to researchers. However, there is a greater emphasis on these topics now because people have become more assertive about asking questions and sharing experiences.
One common denominator in hyperacusis, tinnitus and hearing loss is that noise is, or may be a factor in their onset. That noise can be sudden noise such as an explosion, or noise in duration related to constant exposure to noise in recreation, employment, etc. Veterans who have been deployed to combat zones are known to have a high rate of noise induced sensorineural hearing loss. This has been eliminated or minimized with appropriate ear protection.
Ear protection is recommended to anyone, of any age, who is a musician, who attends loud concerts, uses firearms, fireworks, or is exposed to machinery at work.
As to spouse and TV, our problem was solved when hard-of-hearing hubby started using headphones, and more recently -- hearing aids with the TV sound only going into HIS ears -- not mine.
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1 ReactionI’m laughing. I’ve heard of these solutions before. My wife does not believe she has a hearing problem, so she would never agree to these ideas. Good ideas, but they won’t work here.
Thanks.
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1 ReactionI tend to agree with Willows as I also have hyperacusis along with patulous eustachean tube (PET).
It is very debilitating and I have become quite a recluse. Socialising is too difficult. Certain sounds are just intolerable. One on one conversation is manageable, beyond that the brain goes into sensory overload. Also very susceptible to electromagnetic fields. I have learnt to manage my situation for the last 20 years. My saving Grace has been immersing myself in art and nature. I gave up long ago with ENT specialists. I live on the other side of the world and at times I am in awe as to the expertise available in the medical field in the USA.
I wish you the very best in your search for answers.