With Hyperacusis, the dynamic range of the ear is affected. The dynamic range relates to the ear’s ability to deal with sudden changes in the volume of sounds heard. In normal hearing, the ear regulates noise by amplifying quiet sounds and muting very loud sounds. Hyperacusis inhibits the central nervous system from responding appropriately to incoming sounds. Every day noises, even pages of a magazine being turned, can sound excruciatingly loud.

Hyperacusis is often a chronic condition, meaning sufferers experience it on an ongoing basis. Between 25% and 40% of sufferers also experience tinnitus. Many hyperacusis sufferers also report a degree of hearing loss, inner ear pain or pressure in the ears.

Often hyperacusis first develops in one ear, but both ears are usually affected eventually. The condition can either develop gradually or suddenly as the result of being exposed to sudden loud noise.
Causes of Hyperacusis include temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, head injury, acoustic trauma, some forms of autism, prolonged exposure to loud noise, Lyme’s disease, Meniere’s disease, damage to the brain or the neurological system and conditions such as schizophrenia and epilepsy. It can also be caused by medications such as antipsychotics, antidepressants and illicit drugs.

Hyperacusis can affect every area of life, as sufferers are driven to take drastic measures to find relief, such as leaving their jobs, moving house to an isolated area or stopping socializing. Sufferers’ mental health can be adversely affected and they are at risk of developing conditions such as depression. Many sufferers resort to wearing ear mufflers or ear plugs in an attempt to muffle the sound. However this can exacerbate the symptoms of hyperacusis and place the sufferer at risk of developing phonophobia, which is an overwhelming fear of noise.

Treatment
Hyperacusis has been found to respond to pink noise therapy. Pink noise most closely matched the spectrum of noise we hear in our normal daily lives and works by desensitizing the ear to noise. It is thought to be better than using white noise as hyperacusis sufferers are more sensitive to the higher frequency content in white noise.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy using sound generators has also been found to be effective at treating hyperacusis.

If you suspect you are suffering from hyperacusis, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment options.

Acupuncture is an alternative Oriental treatment which has been used to treat a variety of health conditions and diseases for over 2,500 years.

Acupuncture works by inserting very fine needles into the skin to target energy points in the body, known as ‘Qi’ points. The science behind acupuncture is that health is governed by a balance of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ within the body- the ‘Qi’, or energy, flowing through the body is ‘yang’ and its counterpart is blood, or ‘yin’. When these two forces are out of alignment with each other, disease is the result.

Acupuncture regulates the flow of ‘Qi’ and blood, creating harmony within the body and theoretically curing disease. It is also believed that certain ‘Qi’ points correspond with different organs within the body.

In acupuncture, the kidneys are believed to be connected to the ears, and any hearing problems can thus be caused by weakness in the kidneys. The heart and lungs are also thought to affect tinnitus; as the heart and mind are thought to be connected, weak blood flow to the heart will also have an affect on the head and ears.

Treatment is likely to vary with each individual case and how long they have been suffering. Herbal medicines may be prescribed alongside acupuncture treatments. Some success has been reported using acupuncture, although results have been rather mixed. Many sufferers have reported a lessening of their symptoms even if the tinnitus has not been completely cured. I strongly feel that the strength of your belief in alternative treatments such as acupuncture can have an effect on whether it will work for you.

It may be worth trying acupuncture, although you should always make sure you choose an approved practitioner. It is always advisable to consult your doctor or consultant in the first instance.

Suffering hearing loss can be frustrating as it affects our ability to communicate. This can cause stress, which can aggravate the symptoms of tinnitus.

A normal hearing aid may relieve the symptoms of tinnitus, as the sufferer will be able to hear more external and back ground noises, which will cause the tinnitus sounds to lose their prominence.

However, other sufferers find no improvement to their tinnitus in using a hearing aid alone, and some report that these can even amplify the tinnitus sounds. There is now a device available which combines a hearing aid and tinnitus masker together in a single unit. It is called a Tinnitus Instrument, and is worn like a standard hearing aid. It contains separate volume controls for hearing and tinnitus masking; the correct volume for hearing should always be set before the masking element is adjusted, as if the masking sound is too high hearing could be damaged further.

If you think that you are experiencing hearing loss, consult your doctor who will arrange for hearing tests to be carried out and appropriate treatment advised.

What causes Pulsating Tinnitus?
Pulsating Tinnitus is generally the result of a change in the blood flow in the blood vessels near to the ear, ie in the neck and the base of the skull. This can occur for a variety of reasons;

Increased blood flow; quick flowing blood causes more noise than slower flowing blood, usually heard as a humming noise known as Venous Hum, which may beat in time with the pulse. Blood flow can increase in people who are pregnant or suffering from anaemia, particularly in the jugular vein.

When the arteries become hardened due to atherosclerosis, the inside of the blood vessels becomes rough, and the flow of blood is affected, causing greater noise.

Other causes of Pulsating Tinnitus are;

Fluid in the middle ear; the middle ear usually contains only air, but sometimes can fill with fluid as the result of an infection or inflammation. Other symptoms, such as discomfort, feelings of pressure or loss of hearing, may be present. This can usually be treated with antibiotics or nasal sprays, but some extreme cases may require surgery.

Other ear conditions such as Meniere’s disease can result in Pulsating Tinnitus.

Tumors in the middle ear, known as Glomus tumors, can cause Pulsating Tinnitus as they demand an increased blood supply. These tumors are usually benign, and can generally be treated by surgery.

Other inner ear Conditions such as Eustachian tube dysfunction can also cause Pulsating Tinnitus. Pulsating Tinnitus can also be caused by a Carotid artery-cavernous sinus fistula. This is an abnormality between a large artery and a large venous pool which develops within the cranial cavity. This can result from trauma to the area, such as an injury. This is usually treated by a Radiologist.

AVM (Arteriovenous malformations); these are abnormal arteries and veins which can occur in the cranial cavity and affect the auditory nerve by pulsating against it, causing Pulsating tinnitus noise. AVM’s can develop in the womb or later in life as the result of trauma to the area. Treatment for this generally involves surgery.

If you suspect that you may have Pulsating Tinnitus, discuss this with your doctor, who will perform a variety of diagnostic tests, including an ultrasound scan, MRI scan, x-rays or blood tests.

Treatments

Standard methods of treating Tinnitus, such as sound therapy, masking and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, can be effective in treating Pulsating Tinnitus.

Causes such as anemia or an underactive thyroid can be treated effectively with medication, which should result in the decrease of Pulsating Tinnitus once these conditions are under control.

Common tinnitus noises heard include ringing (people commonly associate Tinnitus with a ringing in the ears), humming, buzzing, whistling or noises similar to running water or the ‘wooshing’ sound heard from a seashell held to the ear. The noise can be any pitch, and can either be continuous or intermittent.

Tinnitus sufferers can find it difficult to function on a day to day basis due to distraction caused by the noise, which they can find impossible to shut out. It can also prevent sleep and cause depression and affected quality of life. Tinnitus can also be associated with hearing loss.

The different forms of Tinnitus are;

Pulsatile or Pulsating Tinnitus, when the noises heard appear to beat in time with the pulse.

Tonal Tinnitus, which is the original ‘ringing in the ears’; this is usually a continuous sound, of the same pitch and intensity.

Tinnitus where the sufferer hears other types of noises, such as beeping, buzzing or whooshing sounds.

A rare form of tinnitus where the noises heard may be similar to musical notes or even songs, or the sufferer may experience more than one noise at the same time. A rarer form still is ‘Objective Tinnitus’, where the noises can be heard by others as well as the sufferer.

Tinnitus is more common than people realise, with a third of adults reporting tinnitus type symptoms. Although it is not a disease and not generally serious, it can cause great distress.