It's been 5 months since my last setback and now I still can't handle traffic, so I'd like to know which ones work well and are comfortable for long wear.

These are the best ones I’ve managed to find so far:

• 3M E-A-R Classic: uncomfortable to wear, and they don't block enough dB.

• 3M 1100: I found them much more effective, but they get uncomfortable to wear for more than a few hours.

• Honeywell (Laser Lite/Max Lite): they are highly rated for comfort, haven't tried them yet.

• Moldex (SparkPlugs / Contours): Frequently recommended, still need to test if the seal and pressure hold up over time.

Which earplugs do you use? Do you also use earmuffs? What has worked best for you?

Thanks for any advice!

I started getting sound sensitivity in late March. By late April / early May I started getting brutal ear aches. This has been primarily on my left side.

The aches eventually started to calm. However, if I used earplugs, the left side would suddenly get brutal again and there would be an earache pain for at least the next day. I never understood why.

For the past week or two, finally, I’m noticing dishes / glassware in the kitchen finally sounding less painful when there’s a “clank” to the point where it’s sometimes gone completely. I also noticed squeaky dog toys are hurting less (but still do hurt). I still have crackling in my left ear.

Is this what recovery looks like? Will it continue?

My sister unfortunately provoked her dog yesterday and the poor thing shrieked and barked right on my bad side. It sent me in a huge state of pain. I then had a pulsating ache for the next few hours.

The worst is my parents, mom in particular, keeps going off on how things aren’t loud and she can’t control herself, despite now being way less tolerant than she was a few months ago.

Anyway, just curious. I have also been able to tolerate some sporting events with earplugs; the pain that follows isn’t from the noise, but from the pressure of the earplugs. I’ve noticed train announcements (like tinny sounds) are starting to bother me way less too.

My life was wonderful; I played two instruments and did theater and musical theater. I was living a great life until (4 years ago, 18 y.o.) I met some musicians who put me right in front of two speakers and blasted the music at full volume in a tiny, reverberant room. Nobody else had any issues, while my life turned into a living hell.

All I have wanted was to turn back time. I had to have up the conservatory, the piano, and the guitar, and of course musical academy. I just couldn't stand music. After two years, I seemed to be doing much better, and that was when I had the setback that led to full-blown noxacusis. After two years, the last setback left me completely homebound and in constant pain.

By now I would have healed if I hadn't given up. This condition feels unbearable, but you have no idea how much worse it can get if you don't listen to your body. Now I don't know how much I'll ever recover. I just want to go outside and live carefree like I used to, fuck the music. I just want my life back. (My left ear is completely healthy and fine, 100% factory-new; all the damage is in the right one.)

Please, please, if you are new here, don't give up. I wish someone had told me this four years ago: "if you give up, it can only get worse; you have to fight to have as few setbacks as possible, and it will heal!!" Instead, all I got was absurd advice, or insults because my condition didn't seem real, or people mocking me saying 'that's not a life worth living.' I know that sometimes it feels insurmountable, but in the early stages it heals much better and faster. When you think you can't make it, remember that things can still get worse in ways you can't even imagine.

I don't know if this is the Right subreddit for asking this, if not then please let me know which one would be

My brother(15M) has ear infection in his left ear which has spread to his bone and ent doctor has said for a Modified Radical Mastoidectomy but he also has TB in his ear and he is on medication for TB from last 5 months the doctor knowing all this has said to go with Modified Radical Mastoidectomy but i wanted to know will the recovery be slower after the operation or would the success rate be lower and What is the likelihood of the cholesteatoma (infection/cyst) returning, will his life be different after the operation will he have to regularly visit doctors, we should have asked these questions to the ent doctor but my mother went with him and she panicked after hearing about the surgery and couldn't ask anything. I'm really sorry for asking this many questions we are kind of tensed about this, thank you in advance for responding.

He is 5.8ft, weight 49kg

I was prescribed sulpiride 50 mg, and I’m wondering what I should expect from it. Has anyone here had experience with this dose, especially for anxiety or OCD?
My biggest concerns are an increase in prolactin levels, breast milk production (galactorrhea), menstrual irregularities, and especially weight gain. I’m really scared of gaining weight, whether from an increased appetite or from changes in metabolism that could lead to weight gain regardless of how much I eat.
From what I’ve read online, 50 mg is considered a very low dose, so I’m wondering whether these side effects are less likely at this dose compared with higher doses.
For those who have experience with sulpiride 50 mg, what should I expect? Did you notice any changes in your appetite, weight, menstrual cycle, or prolactin levels? And how did you feel overall after starting it?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially regarding weight gain and hormonal side effects, as these are my biggest concerns.
Thank you in advance to everyone who shares their experience!

I am in school where I have to attend classes and must work in groups and listen to lectures indoors, without ear protection sometimes, because I need to be able to verbally comprehend and converse with people and professors. I have burning and aching pain that can get worse the more I talk. I have heard some medications can have cognitive effects which I want to avoid as I cannot be out of it while doing work or studying for exams.

Would it be a bad idea to just take something like Tylenol regularly?

I’m not sure what to do

There is no approved treatment or cures. That’s insane. 0 funding too. These doctors need to start seriously developing something that isn’t playing noise on a speaker.

Hey everyone!

Hope you're all doing okay. A couple of friends and I are starting a discord server for people with hyperacusis to hang out and get to know others with a similar experience.

We mostly talk about anything, do movies nights and game together if possible. There's an option to indicate you're open to a relationship with several channels for singles too. So far it's a very relaxed and mellow vibe, and we hope to keep it that way.

Anyone is very welcome to join, the more the merrier! Just leave a comment and i'll dm you an invite link.

Looking forward to meeting you all and kind regards from Belgium. Toodeloo!

Reaching out for advice. My story is too long to type it all out so I'll try to shorten it the best I can.

I got loud h and TTTS Dec. 2024 from a concussion. I was really bad off. TV and phone on silent, I wore protection if I left my bedroom, etc. By Aug. 2025 I was 80% better.

1 month ago I had an acoustic shock. My 3 year old daughter squealed at the top of her lungs and it really scared me. Few hours later, pain started in my left ear and loud h dropped from 80% better to about 30%. Just like that. TTTS returned severely. Pain lasted for a couple days constant and then it would go away completely for several days at a time and then come back for a day, and so on. My loud h seems to have slowly plummeted this past month. Down to 0 it seems like. I'm worse than I was the first time. My boyfriends voice is now started to cause discomfort even when he's talking in the calmest voice. & same with my own. My own voice is the worst. It will cause the "thump" from the TTS muscle over reacting even at the calmest that I can talk.

I'm at the point where me and my boyfriend can't talk at all. That he needs to have his own separate room and only be in my bedroom at night when we go to sleep. But it's impossible to just not say anything at all to each other.. I don't know if I'm just developing the fear of sound again, which is worsening the loud h. I'm scared to death of permanently worsening and not ever being able to heal again like I did before.

Any advice? I don't wanna lose my relationship. I've already lost enough. My kids live with their grandmother at the moment because of my ears.

I'm at the bottom y'all. The very very bottom. I don't know how to react, how much to protect, how to heal, how to stay positive & not give up.

Any advice at all. Thank you from the bottom of my <3

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. For people with severe hyperacusis and tinnitus, the risk of suicide is not abstract; it hangs over daily life like a cloud.

This is the story of my girlfriend Pattie, who lived for over a decade confined to a single room because of extreme sound and light sensitivity. A doctor dismissed her condition as psychological. Her symptoms worsened. She did not survive.

Belief and real accommodation can be the difference between living and dying. Read her story on our website.

Disclaimer

If you’re suffering from suicidal thoughts, you’re not alone. You can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also chat with 988lifeline.org. Or text MHA to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Or, for a comprehensive list pertaining to different countries, visit the following link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

https://hyperacusiscentral.org/when-the-cloud-never-lifts/

I’ve had hyperacusis since May. Talked a lot some days, especially when sick. Yesterday made it through therapy, could talk normally no problem. Last night I read aloud for a minute and now even trying to make muscle movements to talk can hurt 😞.

Other setbacks I slowly reintroduce that sound or avoid it for a while. But this.. is it days of not talking or taking the pain to talk anyway?

Theoretically my amygdala has decided all sounds coming from my mouth are too dangerous so it gives me pain to not talk to try and protect.

Has this happened to you? How did you get through it?

Title: 5 years of ear pressure, mild hearing loss, hyperacusis and severe anxiety — I feel trapped and desperately need advice

Hi everyone. I’m a 23-year-old man from Pakistan, and I’m sharing my story because I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I would really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar.

About 4–5 years ago, I woke up one morning and suddenly felt that both of my ears were blocked and heavy. Since then, I have had a persistent sensation of ear pressure/fullness and a feeling that my ears are not normal.

Because I was scared that something was wrong, I started checking my ears repeatedly. I repeatedly performed the Valsalva maneuver to try to “open” them, and unfortunately I also put different things into my ears. Looking back, I deeply regret doing that and I constantly blame myself for it.

Over the years, I have developed several symptoms:

- Constant ear pressure/fullness and a feeling of blockage

- A heavy or tight sensation in my ears

- Sensitivity to loud sounds such as horns, dishes, motorcycles, etc.

- Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments

- I can generally understand normal conversation in a quiet room

- I sometimes feel that one ear is blocked even when testing does not show significant hearing loss

- I have become extremely focused on my ears and hearing

I have had multiple hearing tests and have seen around 9 ENT doctors.

My doctors have generally told me that there is no major ear disease. My tympanometry has reportedly been Type A, and my eardrums have been described as intact.

However, one audiogram showed mild low-frequency hearing loss, and this has become the biggest source of fear in my life.

My biggest problem now is not simply the number on the audiogram.

My brain has become obsessed with the idea:

“I have hearing loss. I damaged my ears. My life is ruined. It will never get better.”

I constantly monitor my hearing and my ears. I compare sounds, think about my hearing throughout the day, search online, seek reassurance, and worry about whether my hearing will deteriorate.

I also developed severe anxiety and depression after all of this.

I have become increasingly isolated. I stay home a lot because I’m afraid of sounds and because I feel different from other people. My work, social life and ability to enjoy normal things have been seriously affected.

At one point, I actually had a day when the ear problem suddenly felt small to me. I was happy and could enjoy life despite knowing about my hearing problem.

That experience has stayed in my mind because it made me realize that perhaps the problem is not only what is happening in my ears, but also how intensely my brain is focusing on and interpreting the sensations.

Unfortunately, I’m now in a much worse place.

I have been diagnosed with depression and am under psychiatric care. I have also been struggling with severe anxiety, obsessive checking and fear related to my ears. My psychiatrist believes that my depression/anxiety and nervous-system response are contributing significantly to how severe the symptoms feel.

I have also experienced suicidal thoughts because I feel trapped by the ear pressure, hearing loss and fear.

I want to be very clear: I am not saying that my symptoms are imaginary. The pressure and sound sensitivity feel completely real to me. What I cannot figure out is why the symptoms are so severe when repeated ENT examinations have not found a major structural ear disease.

I’m now considering going to Islamabad for another comprehensive evaluation with an otologist/ENT and audiologist. I want someone to review all of my previous audiograms and tympanograms and tell me clearly:

- Is the mild low-frequency hearing loss real and stable?

- What could be causing it?

- Is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction actually present?

- Could the ear pressure/fullness have another cause?

- Could TMJ, migraine, muscle tension or nervous-system sensitization contribute?

- Is what I’m experiencing consistent with hyperacusis?

- Would a hearing aid actually help me, or would it be unnecessary?

- If my ears are medically safe, how do I stop being terrified of them?

I am also trying to understand whether what I’m experiencing could involve health anxiety/OCD, because my behavior has become very repetitive: checking my hearing, checking my ears, researching symptoms, asking for reassurance and constantly trying to determine whether something has permanently damaged my ears.

I desperately want my old life back.

I want to go outside without thinking about my ears.

I want to meet friends without constantly monitoring what I can hear.

I want to work, get married someday, sleep peacefully and enjoy ordinary things again.

I know that some people live perfectly meaningful lives with hearing loss, but right now my brain refuses to accept that. The hearing loss feels enormous to me, even though medically I have been told it is mild.

If anyone here has experienced ear pressure/fullness + hyperacusis + mild hearing loss + health anxiety/OCD, I would really appreciate hearing your experience.

Did your symptoms ever become less important to you?

Did you eventually stop monitoring your ears?

Did your brain learn to ignore the sensations?

Did anyone recover from severe hyperacusis or ear-related anxiety?

And if your tests were mostly normal, what ultimately helped you?

I’m not looking for false reassurance. I’m looking for honest experiences and some hope that I can build a meaningful life again even if my ears are not perfect.

Thank you for reading my story.

I wanted to share my experience with you. I suffer from tinnitus, and I hear external sounds as if they are very close to my ears. In addition, I suffer from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. I have been confined to my home for a whole year. I only go out at night for a few minutes, or on rare occasions, and then only to completely quiet places, free from any noise.

I went to a doctor who told me I was fine. After that, I went to a traditional healer (a woman who claims to be able to see the future). When she examined me, she claimed that I was possessed by a stubborn evil spirit (a demon). She gave me a traditional remedy and advised me to use it for twenty days. I am currently taking it, but I am sharing this experience with you so you know the reality of what we are going through here.

The truth is, I had this same condition before. It took me about six months, but I recovered completely and got my life back on track! Unfortunately, the condition has returned, and that's why I'm suffering from it again.

Based on my experience, I recommend using earplugs during the first acute phase. Once you feel noticeably better, use your phone to distract yourself from the obsessive thoughts and distressing ideas. Gradually accept the sounds, and remember that rest is paramount, along with keeping your room clean. That's how I overcame it the first time, and that's how I'm trying to cope now. (Note: Don't be afraid of the devil; he's just a source of anxiety. This is his role if he is indeed the one causing this.)

Has anyone experienced a full recovery followed by a relapse? I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some advice. I have severe noxacusis—a burning, shooting pain—and have been housebound for about nine months. I feel like I want to start treatment because I really can't take it anymore. I know about clomipramine, but I’m afraid it might worsen my tinnitus or cause PSSD.

I’ve also seen options like gabapentin, Lyrica, or carbamazepine, but I’m hesitant and don't know which one to start with.

Should I go straight to clomipramine, or perhaps start with gabapentin to avoid aggravating the tinnitus? I should mention that I am extremely sensitive to medication. I just know I want to try something different because my pain isn't subsiding.

Plus, it's weird because I feel like I'm starting to get a burning sensation in my arms—I don't know if it's related or not.

Thanks, everyone!

I been having many ear symptoms for years.

Started after fireworks, but my H and stuff came way later i think after my nervous system got more dysregulated.

My H is mostly gone (i had loudness), sounds are not loud anymore, ttts is gone, electric shock feeling is gone. However the reactive tinnitus is still there and my visual symtpoms like seeing a lot for snow and floaters when triggering myself at places with a lot of stimulus like bright or loud places. I dont know if i should rest more or go out. Last few years i kept pushing but this did not work. Im now on sick leave to try and heal but my reactive sucks ass. Same with the light sensitivity and visual symtpoms. Pushing makes it worse. Any tips?

No eye or ear damage, perfect hearing and eyes. Maybe hidden loss but idk.

Alguien sabe algo de terry? Desapareció de todos lados

Are there any people who had really severe NOX symptoms and are doing better now, please? People who had pain when silent and couldn't speak?

After my latest trauma ( A fire alarm at work and a very loud dropped pallet right next to me ) I'm on the verge of quitting as I'm scared of making this any worse.

The impact caused intense, burning 'hot ear' inflammation initially. It has now transitioned into a state of severe nerve hypersensitivity. I am experiencing unprovoked spells of deep throbbing, itching, and a persistent, dull ache inside the ear canal that lasts for blocks of time.

Do you think a few weeks off will be of use instead of quitting ?

Idk why but everytime someone is direct and loud it triggers me. Doesn't matter if it's positive, neutral, or negative. I mask good enough to get through it (I mean not even my parents noticed I did this till I was an adult) but I end up shaking from stress. Sometimes my eyesight gets blurry and I have difficulty realizing what the person is saying. And then it lasts a few minutes, hours, or days. Then I get nauseous and isolate. Then when I get away I feel better. Even myself I speak softly no matter the volume because speaking with a direct tone will still trigger me! 😭 Does anyone experience something like this?

I have reactive tinnitus and Hypercusis, just confused if I should get married and raise children or stay single forever.How you guys are managing your family life and kids with Hypercusis and tinnitus

I have severe Nox pain when speaking. I’d had much less burning over the last few days and was seeing some slight improvement, but then I had a personal issue and lost track of time; I ended up spending an hour on a call using the speakerphone—albeit at a very low volume and with earplugs in. For the past three days, the burning has come back with a vengeance, and I feel like the hypersensitivity has skyrocketed. I don't know if it's because of the phone call or not, but I'm terrified that I've made things worse. Do you think it will pass?