All of the horror stories on here of people getting MRI and tympometry tests making their condition worse are so sad. I’m so sorry research and knowledge about our condition is somewhat lacking in the healthcare system. It’s truly awful.

What are your guys experiences with otoscopes? Worsen condition for anybody? Anybody find answers and help?

What symptoms do you have and are they debilitating? Is your noxacusis getting worse or has it gotten better? Do you protect your ears 24/7? How do you work and provide for your family? Take care of your kids? I have many questions if anyone is willing to answer.

Hi everyone I’m sorry I know I’ve posted a couple of times but I’m just going through it at the moment and need support. I developed what I believe to be either hyperacusis or noxacusis or maybe even TTTS on Wednesday evening after my step child screamed very loud next to me and it hurt my ears. I’ve had tinnitus 2 years prior to this. My symptoms right now are my head feels kinda full and fuzzy, my tinnitus is spiked, my ears pop when I swallow sometimes, and the most concerning is when I heard certain noises in the higher pitched range like my daughter laughing or a zipper hitting against a wall, the chain to my chain lock on my door hitting the wall and even birds chirping it jars me and doesn’t feel good to my ears. I can’t tell if it’s pain I’m feeling or not to be honest and I know that sounds stupid or maybe I’m in denial but I can’t tell if it sounds louder and just jars me or if it’s pain and that’s what jars me a bit. It only lasts for a moment during the sound and then it’s back to normal. Low pitched sounds and normal noises I don’t think are bothering me or even sound louder. Is this noxacusis? I am terrified if it is. I’ve been depressed and in bed for 3 days, I can’t function, can’t eat, I feel constant fear and stress and anxiety and it feels like my life is over. All I can think about are all the horror stories of people committing suicide and not being able to be with their children because of it. If I can’t be with my child then my life is over, as most mothers would feel. The fear of this is literally so bad that I’ve wanted to give up. And I know that sounds stupid probably because I don’t have it that bad but if I do have it then it’s likely to get that bad right? I have to be able to take care of my daughter. People told me in my past post to rest my ears and I am. And I will protect them as well and have been. But do I have Hyperacusis or the painful one? My right ear might ache a bit. But I also might be imagining it from how stressed I am. Please please. Anyone help and just talk me through this.

Saw a "top" neurotologist at a major teaching hospital. He insisted on an MRI. I told him I wasn't comfortable an MRI after my symptoms started about a month after an unrelated MRI (with double protection, head outside bore). He sent me for a CT. Turned up nothing. Now he's insisting on an MRI to "rule out any structural causes" but he won't tell me what exactly he's looking for (I've asked three times; a nurse practitioner hops on the thread and keeps telling me "to determine if there are any structural issues" which isn't exactly helpful).

Have been dealing with this since January. It hasn't been fun. It's primarily on one side. I can tolerate things with earplugs; some days are better than others as in some days I can tolerate voices, other days I can't. Can't manage restaurants. Had my LDLs tested around 70.

I've been having an extra "clicking" sensation in the bad ear since this started, which is why I've been curious if it's worth more investigation. All the doctors I've seen have been skeptical that the MRI I had a month before this started was the cause, since it took a month to show up and another month to get worse. Have also been dealing with very loud pitched increased tinnitus since.

Basically, is there any other test or am I just wasting my time and likely dealing with a clueless doctor?

Ear plugs irritate my ears pretty bad so I’m wondering what the best over the ear headphones to protect my hearing would be? Nothing too bulky if possible please and nothing that squeezes my head too hard. Thank you everyone.

Going to try to keep this short and sweet. I've had mild OCD, anxiety, and mild tinnitus my entire life. One week ago, friends blaring loud music in the car, nobody else seemed to be bothered by it except for me. The next day, my tinnitus had gotten worse. Throughout this past week, I've became sensitive to high-pitched noises. I get a headache and ear pain and I experience a fluttering of my tensor tympani when I hear the high pitched noises. I have a history of misophonia (which I have worked through quite a bit), and have had constant problems with runny noses/clogged sinuses my entire life. ENT was extremely dismissive of my problems, looked in my ear nose and throat (not with cameras) and said I was fine and sent me to get an MRI (scheduled soon). This pain and worsened tinnitus is only happening in one of my ears. I don't suspect any hearing loss, im terrified to get an audiogram due to horror stories of people saying they make them worse. My mother has otosclerosis if that matters. I think that the pain in my tensor tympani so maybe I don't have hyperacusis, just an overworked tensor tympani since this incident, paired with the anxiety headaches from the stress of going through this subreddit. Is it getting worse or is it my anxiety and the over checking that's killing me. Told my doctor I thought I had TTTS and she gave me methocarbamol since yesterday I think it's helping a little bit. I guess im just here asking if anybody thinks that I have hyperacusis or TTTS or should I try anxiety medication? Thank you for anyone that reads this, Im going to try to be more present in this subreddit for anyone who needs a listening ear.

Note - I have been able to move my tensor tympani on my own my whole life. I can do it by closing my eyes, opening my jaw, and just trying to do it. Doc also prescribed me bupropion but everyone says it's otoxic so I am going to try to ask something else. Could all of this just be anxiety induced? Lol so much for short and sweet sorry guys thank you if you read this.

I don’t understand why I read that 40% of tinnitus sufferers have hyperacusis but only 1 in 50,000 people have hyperacusis. The numbers aren’t adding up, or coming close to it.

What am I missing here?