Sometimes for me the world can be too loud. A combination of tinnitus and hyperacusis (sound sensitivity) means that I never enjoy silence, and over the years even relatively mild noises have often “hurt” my ears.

Although I was looking for a solution, when Selma first suggested “limiting” the amount I can hear in my severely deaf left ear, I wondered if she was a little mad! Are hearing aids not designed to help you hear – not to stop you hearing?! However, combined with fantastic hearing assistance in my other ear (which has a moderate loss), this was the best piece of programming an audiologist has ever suggested to me! I am sure you are wondering how this can be. Let me explain.

I spent my teenage years going to noisy concerts and had no idea in those days that the lack of hearing protection and resulting throbbing ears would cause me so many problems in years to come. This over-exposure to noise, combined with a diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease when I was 19, left me the challenge of hearing deterioration, aural pressure, distortion, tinnitus and hyperacusis – a condition that is very hard to understand if you have never experienced it.

Noise Induced Pain

High pitches and low throbs tend to be the toughest to tolerate. For me, a toilet flush sounded like Niagara Falls. A beeping microwave and a pedestrian crossing felt like a hot poker stabbing the eardrum. And the 

rumbling of garden equipment was like an earthquake causing a reverberating headache! That’s hyperacusis. In many ways, hyperacusis is the opposite of hearing loss.  Instead of the volume turned down, it’s turned up, sometimes to the point of pain. 

With a noise limiter in my left aid, my sound sensitivity has improved so much over the last few years. Very occasionally I will be thrown by an unexpected, even moderate, noise but generally things are much better than they used to be, thanks to Help in Hearing.  I feel that my story is a good example of how our audiologists will try something a little different if they need to. They take the time to find a solution to suit every individual’s needs and a good audiologist will be able to offer more than just a pair of hearing aids.

The Importance of Protection

From my experience and belief that my condition was caused by exposure to loud music as a youngster, I am now paranoid about noise protection. I always carry earplugs with me and suggest that everyone should consider doing this, particularly if you know you are going to visit a noisy environment. Even my 8-month-old grandson wears noise cancelling earmuffs on the tube in London as my daughter is so aware of the dangers of too much noise, particularly for such a little fellow!

If you think you have over sensitivity to noise or feel that your hearing is deteriorating in any way, please do book in with one of our experienced audiologists.
Call 0345 2220579 for our Farnham Common and Marlow or 01491 577555 for our Henley clinic.