posted
I get that frequently. Too much going on. Too much chatter. Just one person talking.
It changes, how much is too much, but when it happens I just get angry.
I totally know what you are talking about!
Posts: 44 | From Maryland | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
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Big time.
Hyperacusis is very common with neurolyme. It can also be a delayed damage effect from overexposure to loud noise even from years prior (as can tinnitus - ringing in the ears).
This can be very serious. Prompt attention is necessary to prevent this from going on longer. Believe me, it can get worse, so I hope you can talk to your doctor and settle on a plan to address this.
Magnesium and B-6 can help calm the overexcited NMDA receptors. Adrenal support can help calm the excess cortisol reaction and as for the ear nerves, treating the infection(s) or mold reactions, ultimately, helps some.
Other things that help are (gentle, gentle) cranial sacral therapy or massage. Liver support, too, as excess toxins can add to hyperacusis.
--
Get your husband a really nice set of corded headphones to attach to the TV for when you are not watching. That, with the caution, though, to have the volume no louder than needed or he'll have hearing damage.
I say a "corded" set as I have questions about the electo-magnetic nature of the cordless headsets. And the subtle frequencies of a cordless can still affect your ears.
Amazon might be a place to compare corded headphones. Comfort is key for anyone to agree to wearing them. The sound is far superior than from a TV set, so he may enjoy wearing them.
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Are you taking either minocycline or zithromax (azithromycin)? Those can trigger inner ear reactions.
Artificial sweeteners (esp. Aspartame/Nutrasweet/Equal) should be avoided totally. Even a trace can cause neuro-excitability and they are toxic. MSG, too.
Caffeine can worsen hyperacusis.
Sleep is vital. Rest your ears when you need to and be sure to wear ear plugs when around noises such from hairdryers, vacuums, etc. Wearing in-the-ear pods is discouraged as the impulse is just too close to a tender or raw nerve, according to some experts.
Antibiotic use decreases the decibel (dB) level at which hearing damage can occur. Normally, that is 85-dB for 90 seconds (a vacuum or a hairdryer is about 100 dB).
Good luck. As this is just beginning for you, if you can be very proactive, it may subside.
Of course, tell your LLMD. You may need specific testing with an ENT or a neurotologist. If you have an MRI be extra cautious about the sound/vibration of those. Even through plugs, vibration can irritate the ear nerves.
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The Hyperacusis Network link from this tread will give you lots of suggestions to cope with this. Lyme doctors are usually quite aware of that part of it.
==============
THE HYPERACUSIS NETWORK
. . . consists of individuals who have a collapsed tolerance to sound.
You are not alone...Yes noise makes me tense, angry and distracted. In order for me to do any reading or work that requires concentration, silence is necessary.
Also I have found that noise drains my energy...if I am in a mall, restaurant or working a booth for Lyme disease the noise sucks my essence out and I leave feeling like a damp rag.
Earplugs are my constant companions by the bed, at my desk, in my pocketbook to give me a break from noise pollution and stimulation.
My LLMD has put me on Lyrica 50 mg A.M. and 75 mg P.M. and that has helped.
-------------------- be wild, celebrate life and hug, cuddle and snuggle the ones you love!! Posts: 4 | From Holly Springs, NC | Registered: Nov 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
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In addition to the irritation of the nervous system(s), noise drains energy because of the horrible stress on the endocrine system (and the rest of the entire inner ear system and how that irritates brain tissue).
Excess cortisol is like battery acid rushing through one's veins. VERY caustic.
So, the irritation is not due to a character flaw. This is a very real physical emergency.
If your ankle gets twisted, you know it and you can't walk on it until it's healed. Ears get hurt, too. But we push and push. They need rest, too. Always listen to your ears - pay attention to subtle cues in your balance, too.
--------------------
This book is specific to lyme and other chronic stealth infections. The author discusses the endocrine connection and effects of cortisol from the stress of this illness.
You can read customer reviews and look inside the book at this link to its page at Amazon.
The Potbelly Syndrome: How Common Germs Cause Obesity, Diabetes, And Heart Disease (Paperback) - 2005
by Russell Farris and Per Marin, MD, PhD
=========================
The endocrine system stress is discussed at length in this book. By an ILADS member LLMD, holds great information about treatments options and support measures:
tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
Yes, I've suffered from both noise and light sensitivity off and on.
I know that I must have seemed out of my mind but when my husband would drive me to my LLMD appointment during some of the worst noise sensitivity time frame, he would have a radio station on and I would keep asking if he could turn it down.
To him, it was already low, but being confined in the car seemed to echo it in MY sensations. I tried using ear plugs which do cut down on it some, but you can't always walk around your life with ear plugs.
I do still struggle when you have a group of people together and so many conversations going at once.
Sadly, I'm dreading Thanksgiving for just this reason. No one is being "loud" per se, but it really can make us appear like we are losing our minds.
Good luck.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Keebler mentions all the important points.
Making sure that you have enough magnesium should help. I did a lot better once I realized magnesium was a huge issue in my ability to tolerate being in crowds.
Sometimes I also have a hypersensitivity to sound. Sounds literally hurt. For me this is often related to toxins. Inflammation often accompanies this symptom for me. Dealing with the toxins and inflammation help with this for me.
Hope you feel better soon.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
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stjohn,
You ask " . . .so when is it time to get it checked out?"
Now is the time.
Be sure to talk to your LLMD about all your ear symptoms. What is your magnesium intake daily? How much fish oil are you taking?
You will find some answers in these threads:
Hyperacusis (Sound Sensitivity) and Lyme Disease
Treatment tips and articles about hyperacusis (sound sensitivity) caused by Lyme disease.
not health environment for me; my hubby sounds like yours mentioned; he's deaf in 1 ear and ALMOST deaf in another. it's extremely hard on me/him!
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I know this symptom. It prevents my child from attending middle school. The noise is just too much and increases the headache that is also constant. Unfortunately, haven't found any meds that relieve the discomfort. Just keeping up with the babs treatment in hopes of eventual relief.
I wish you the best.
Posts: 170 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2008
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When I first became ill it was really bad. I put all the clocks in the farthest room covered by blankets and pillows because the tic of the clock would drive me mad.
Lots of noise and too many people talking distracts me and makes me dizzy, nautious, and unable to think.
I was diagnosed through neuropsych testing with attention problems, especially auditory.
On top of having sound sensitivity (hyperacusis) Our lyme brains also loose the ability to filter out those extraneous background noises.
We have a hard time keeping our attention on the what we should. Like a person having a conversation with us.
I have used earplugs to drown out sounds. I use the wax swimming ones so I don't completely block out everything. I used them grocery shopping, in the bank, anywhere the radios were loud.
I also can't listen to radios, and can only handle certain songs. With treatment it is getting easier.
-------------------- -Love and Gratitude Posts: 69 | From another planet far far away | Registered: Oct 2008
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
i'm taking mag, milk thistle, and other stuff.... but this drives me nuts....
even going to walmart during the week is sometimes more than i can handle. i have actually turned around and walked out because i thought it was too noisey....
and it's football season....arrrghhhh
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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The sounds of rappers, clinking silverware on plastic containers or regular plates/glasses, crunching chips or apples drives me absolutely NUTS!!!!!
...actually just got pretty ****y b/c my bf is eating an apple. I said 'can you finish the apple please!!!'
I've been like that for as long as I can remember. Than again, I've had unknown Lyme since I was about 7 or 8 years old....
so yea. Honey, I can relate!!!! I just feel bad for everyone around me during those times..
B/c the hulk rage starts to come out!
~The Green One~
-------------------- ...trying to be the coffee bean, not the egg. Posts: 420 | From East Coast | Registered: Jun 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
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Baking the apple a bit will soften the noise. Drizzle vanilla and dust with cinnamon and it's a gourmet treat. No one will know it is a protective measure.
posted
As far as I know, I don't have Lyme but I am very sensitive to noise. If I'm in a bookstore trying to pick out a book and they have LOUD MUSIC on, I can't concentrate and have to leave. Or if someone is wandering the store talking on their cell phone (GRRRR!).
I have found playing an Ipod with instrumental music helps me tune out the aggravating noises and lets me concentrate.
Posts: 984 | From San Diego | Registered: Nov 2006
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the best earplug to block out the MOST noise (i'm aiming for "total silence" which i know is impossible) but i really want it for times where i want to hear NOTHING. I don't mind being totally deafened.
thanks! [/QB]
Try the BOSE noise-canceling headphones, they are the best we have found so far.
I'm open to other suggestions too, if anyone has any...
Posts: 43 | From NY | Registered: Oct 2008
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randibear
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my husband insists on sleeping with the air purifier on. says "white noise" is suppose to help with sleep plus the air filter helps him, but the noise bothers me.
i can't wear those foam earplugs as they actually hurt my ears.
and when i do use earplugs, i get the tinnitus so bad i almost get dizzy....
i think i need my ambien to sleep.....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Keebler
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I also find this irritating, though. Not everyone with hyperacusis has the same reactions (and I do think lyme sets this group of patients even further apart).
Sometimes, it is not so much the noise but the low level vibration from the motor itself. Placing an air purifier on an insulating platform can sometimes help a little.
---
Lack of a good quality sleep is one thing that makes hyperacusis MUCH worse - even after just one restless night. Many couples find that separate bedrooms literally save their health so that they can get better sleep.
There's still always a place to cuddle when you are awake but for sleep, many find that is a very serious business and don't want to be disturbed.
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If a stressed liver is part of the cause, some medicines can make hyperacusis much worse - usually anything that employs the Cytochrome P-450 liver detox pathway.
[ 17. November 2008, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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posted
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John,
Have you been tested for Heavy Metals? that will also cause Hyperacusis.
You can try magnesuim to bowel tolerance and see if the increased dose helps - it may take a while.
Sadly, there is no earplug on the face of this earth that creates quiet.
You can always hear sounds as long as you are still breathing. Sound travels through the nasal passage and vibrates through all bones.
However, the white dense foam are far better than the soft foam.
Even custom made earplugs are not as good as I'd like, but you might consider those.
You can look at the Hyperacusis Network site for a new type called ZEM.
Good luck.
-
[ 17. November 2008, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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posted
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the BOSE noise-canceling headphones that JKM03 mentions are great for certain situation. I really like the newest model the Quiet Comfort 3 as i think they offer better padding.
This headset is unique. The ZEM works by directing sound away from the ears. Sonically sealed chambers act as an extension of the ear canal. They form a vacuum that pulls harmful sounds away from the sensitive ear anatomy.
Sound is uniformly reduced. Because sound (including the varying frequencies in the spoken word) is evenly reduced, the ability to understand speech in a noisy environment is fully maximized.
And at the highest, most harmful frequencies, even greater noise reduction is achieved. Safety is increased. Because the ZEM produces uniformity, conversation and other vital hearing functions are made easier.
The ZEM reduces low-frequency noise, the noise that masks speech and other important sounds or alerts. In other words, you hear everything you need to, while your ears get better protection than they've ever had before. The headset and shipping currently cost about $25.00.
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[ 17. November 2008, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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A mix of stuff from the web site and my notes from experience with both the QC 2 and QC 3. And, I've tried all the other brands of noise cancellation. Other than perhaps aircraft sets (which I have not tried) nothing comes close to be as good as the Bose models.
If your doctor prescribes this as a medical / hearing aid, you may be able to deduct the cost. Something to consider.
On-the-ear fit Earcups rest gently on your ears. More padding against sound. Better in the dentist chair than the QC 2 - but nothing stops sounds coming from the teeth - from inside or from bone conduction.
QuietComfort� 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling� headphones ($349.00) payment plan is quiet nice, stretched out over a year. Same total noise reduction benefit as QC�2 headphones--from an even smaller design
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I've had both the QC 2 and QC 3. Even with earplugs AND the bose set, I've still had the beeps at cash registers in grocery stores send me into a seizure. I've been asked not to return to my local store.
I've even used ear plugs with the construction ear muffs. Beeps at check out still go straight to ears - HOWEVER, these do muffle it a bit.
Also - on parking lots - the QC 2 or 3 help but will not be magic against all the car alarm ``burps''
Bus brakes or back up beeps on vehicles - some help but not at all enough for me.
This does very little against leaf blowers even if a block away. Very little. Construction ear muffs work better there.
Both models will quiet the refrigerator in your home or the air and fridge systems in grocery stores. They will both help with the store's music level, but not much at all if there is heavy percussion or a driving beat.
In a restaurant, the smaller set is less noticable (sp?) and either set will help with the sound of the air system, fridge and voices.
Neither helps very much with the sound of silverware on dishes.
For movies- this will help tremendously with sudden shifts in sounds. Deep bass vibration from your theater (or those next to you) will still come through and might add to nausea. But, truly, these are a wonderful protection for movies.
Still, don't expect them to work for the previews or commercials. nothing will. Wait outside until the movie begins and choose an aisle seat near the back to make a quick exit if you have to.
Remember sound travels through our skin, though our bones, through our sinus passages. Yet, a Bose set can be a life saver and give you some protection.
I find the Bose sets are GREAT in an airport and on an airplane (I cannot ride a bus) . . . great to lower the sound assault in public in general. BEEPS, however, are still tough.
You can use either model with or without adding music from a person player. You cannot however, listen to music unless the noise cancelation feature is on and that is too bad.
The noise cancellation feature, itself, is vibration coming at your ears. It can increase tinnitus. The QC 3 set is a bit stronger in that but it has more padding, so a better feature for me. It is also much smaller.
--
Ultimately, many who have gotten well from lyme say this part of it also gets better. There is hope.
Magnesium and B-6 - and fish oil - are the key supplements that can help along the way. Anything that helps decrease inflammation is good, too.
I've been using andrographis for a few months and notice some very positive effects. I have a ways to go but this is hopeful.
--
By the way, it is not so much that a person is irritated by noise but a person's nerve tissue is literally irritated - sometimes to the point of it being an assault. I find the distinction important when explaining to others.
I suggest not pointing the finger to you or your character but simply to the noise hurting your ears. It's a subtle difference but people are so quick to say a person is irritated. Having them say noise hurts your ears takes the blame off of you.
Have friends and family see the 9 minute video from the next post. That might help them understand what is it like.
Remember, too, that the kinds of noise we have with modern technology is unlike that of any other time in history. Even some hotels are designating some "quiet floors" - if you travel be sure to call and ask ahead.
Good luck to everyone reading this.
=====================
Many people who do not have lyme or hyperacusis are saying they need to find quiet, too:
The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, reducing noise pollution and increasing natural quiet.
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[ 18. November 2008, 08:03 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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posted
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In case you missed in in the Tinnitus thread . . . Some who have hypercusis also may have what is described below. I had a CT scan a few months ago that points in that direction. There are few places that evaluate this with the best tools. Johns Hopkins is the leader in research in this.
Not even all the ENTs in the country know about this.
Adrian McLeish's Rare Condition Led to Amplified Sounds Produced From Eye Movement, Chewing and More
By ALEXA DANNER - March 12, 2008
Imagine if every sound you heard reverberated right through your brain. . . amplified and distorted, echoing through [his] skull. . . The sound of his own chewing was maddening.
. . .McLeish described the reverberations of his voice as sounding like a cracked loudspeaker or "like somebody humming through a kazoo."
kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
posted
Randi, Not able to read what others wrote. But, I recall having that same thing going on in my brain and still do.
Sounds can really shut me down.
Ways I have learned to cope is to stay away from restaurants and stores and when I am in my power chair I travel on the backroads as the sound of cars going by is too much.
I also have tried ear plugs and what the people who shoot guns use...ear muffs to help.
But, the sounds are still there ....sometimes it brings out a different tone.
Even getting my hair cut doesn't work for me. I am thankful a lady cut my hair at home last time and cut it short.
it has lasted for several months.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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toby67
Unregistered
posted
OK, how about a windshield wiper on a dry windshield? AGHHHHHH!
I have to explain to my kids everyday that i can no longer do - or hear - two things at once... it's all just noise!
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oh man yes..... I truly thought I was loosing it. We camp in the cold weather to avoid crowds and if there was anyone else around it would drive me insane. Any little noise would send me into a rage.... friends commented on it and told me a needed to chill. Very hard on the self esteem when you cant understand why you are behaving so terribly. Liz D
Posts: 234 | From BC Canada | Registered: Aug 2008
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ukcarry
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posted
I too have noise intolerance, though the extent of it varies, along with all the other symptoms.
I find the radio particularly hard to handle [especially in the car] and also piped music in bars or restaurants: I often have to wear ear plugs or improvise with sticking screwed up tissue in my ears. I once managed to go to see an ABBA tribute band using ear plugs!
Posts: 1647 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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posted
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What fun - I used to be. ABBA, oh that sounds like a blast (so to speak!).
Most concerts will sell ear plugs if you forget yours. Kleenex in the ears is what I used to use - even when I did some woodworking - but my audiologist later told me it does not reduce decibel level enough.
I find this thread so very important. It's poignant, though, and has me thinking harder about what helps along the way of having lyme treatment being successful - and how to prevent this part of it.
We also need a world awareness to turn down the sound as so many suffer noise induced hearing loss, leading to increases in volume.
Especially with the holidays coming, this is one of the most isolating features of this condition.
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