Best Tips About Hyperacusis Symptoms

There are different kinds of hyperacusis symptoms including hearing unexplainable sounds and noises, sounds that cause unbearable headache, and sounds of mouse and keyboards being pressed. Do you experience these symptoms? If yes, then you must have hyperacusis. What is hyperacusis? This health condition is defined as being oversensitive to certain sounds. Severe hyperacusis can be debilitating and devastating as it is very difficult for a sufferer to tolerate sounds heard on a daily basis. Having an idea on what the different hyperacusis symptoms are is necessary as this leads to finding out treatment for the said condition. Continue reading this article if you want to know about the symptoms that indicate hyperacusis.

Hyperacusis is classified into two: cochlear and vestibular hyperacusis. Some of the cochlear hyperacusis symptoms are discomfort, annoyance, ear pain, and emotional reactions to certain very soft and high-pitched sounds. Some of the vestibular hyperacusis symptoms are loss of postural control, falling, and loss of balance. These are also known as the Tullio’s syndrome and audiogenic seizure disorder. In vestibular hyperacusis, some symptoms of cochlear hyperacusis may also be experienced along with severe vertigo and nausea. In some cases, vestibular hyperacusis can also affect the brain’s autonomic system and this leads to loss of consciousness, mental confusion, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Both vestibular hyperacusis and cochlear hyperacusis can also be characterized by headache.

What are the Other Hyperacusis Symptoms?

Patients with hyperacusis may also experience one or more of the following hyperacusis symptoms:

1. Symptoms of Tinnitus - around 80 percent of patients diagnosed with hyperacusis also experience symptoms of tinnitus
2. Extremely Painful Headaches
3. Mood Swings and Irritability
4. Phonophobia or fear of social events - people suffering from hyperacusis develop the fear to engage in social events as they fear it would only cause them to be in uncomfortable and embarrassing situation, thereby affecting their life, socially, professionally, and personally.
5. Panic Attacks and Being Too Much Anxious
6. Extreme Fatigue
7. Nausea, Dizziness, and Loss of Balance
8. Musicogenic Epilepsy - this is a type of epilepsy experienced by people who often have direct exposure to frequency of sound they are sensitive to.
9. Tranquilizer Dependence and Addiction - to acquire relief against the pain and discomfort caused by hyperacusis, patients tend to use tranquilizers; however, they tend to be dependent and addicted to these drugs.

One thing you have to be aware of is that the hyperacusis symptoms are different from those of tinnitus. In fact, as mentioned above, tinnitus symptoms are just one of the symptoms of hyperacusis. If you start hearing some ringing sounds like the tinnitus sounds, make sure to consult with your doctor right away so that he/she can determine whether what you have is tinnitus or hyperacusis. Again, if you want to be treated right away, make sure to know the different hyperacusis symptoms as this is the very first step to becoming diagnosed and getting the treatment you need to get rid of the bad effects of hyperacusis. This condition can be devastating and debilitating, but when you recognize the symptoms early, something can be done to prevent it from worsening.

Helpful Info About Hyperacusis Treatment

Hyperacusis treatment is generally acquired through taking medications, undergoing therapy, using ear devices, and surgery. Read on as this article discusses about these methods.

Hyperacusis Treatment through Medications:

Drugs and medications are often helpful in reducing the annoying symptoms of hyperacusis; however, many people prefer not to take this route because its results are often unimpressive not to mention that their side effects are often adverse. Nevertheless, some patients attest that antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines greatly help in dealing with effects of this condition, particularly the psychological ones. Below are some of the medications used to treat hyperacusis:

• Klonazepam or lorazepam in low doses
• SSRI family of antidepressants
• Anti-migraine drugs, including topiramate, verapamil, beta-blockers and tricyclics
• Anti-seizure drugs like oxcarbazapine
• Baclofen

Hyperacusis often causes obsessive thinking, depression, and anxiety, and all these can be dealt with an intake of anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants. Another effect of hyperacusis is migraine which can be dealt with anti-migraine medications. Irritable neural pathways and brainstem hyperacusis responses can be treated with anti-seizure medications and Baclofen respectively.

Ear Devices as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Another way to acquire hyperacusis treatment is through the use of ear devices like ear plugs and sound generators or maskers. Ear plugs are useful in such a way that the noise the patient is exposed to is decreased. However, there are theories saying that long-term use of these ear devices is not good since they can only make hyperacusis aggravated. Being exposed to noise has a habituating effect and this effect may be lessened by reducing the sounds or noise. On the other hand, some people still believe that it helps to use ear devices just like how the use of sunglasses helps in protecting the eyes from the glare of the sun. Electronic noise suppression devices are also said to be helpful although their effect is not as great as those other passive methods. Sound generators or maskers are used for brain and nervous system conditioning to make these systems tolerant to the sounds and noise. They function like hearing aids but require monthly readjustment for gradual desensitization.

Therapy as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is another form of hyperacusis treatment. This treatment is the combination of using sound generators and the psychotherapy approach. Because of its efficacy, it is one of the most popular approaches for treating hyperacusis these days. One important thing to keep in mind to make this work is to give this method commitment and time.

Hyperacusis treatment is also possible through psychological therapy given by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or any expert in this field. This approach teaches a patient how to ignore and tolerate the symptoms of hyperacusis rather than make a fuss of it. You may also take medications formulated to treat obsessive compulsive disorder.

Surgery as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Surgery is not a common form of hyperacusis treatment. Nevertheless, it is often advised to people with really useless hearing.

As of now, only the methods mentioned above are used for hyperacusis treatment. They may not be a lot but they are enough to keep people with hyperacusis hopeful that it’s possible to get their life back to normal.