One Hyperacusis Patients Story:
Oct 29, 2014

It was late winter of 2012; I was repeatedly getting sick with upper respiratory colds. I had a sinus infection, caught the flu that year, and even pulled my upper back causing a lot of stiffness in the neck.

I remember talking to my primary care doctor, "Something isn't right, I'm constantly sick this winter. I'm never this sick," I said in a very hoarse raspy voice. This time I was diagnosed with laryngitis.

Within days of losing my voice infection set in both ears and my right eardrum burst. I was running fever put on antibiotics and sent to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor, better known as an ENT Specialist.

By the time my ENT appointment came, I was already in the Emergency Room twice from the condition as I had extreme buildup of pressure in my head, migraine and I suddenly had severe hearing loss.

The sound of my own walking became unbearable, I strained to hear people talk, my own heartbeat was like a drum beating in my ears and the sound of my breathing was loud. On top of all of that I started getting dizzy and felt like I was going to blackout.

Two days before surgery tinnitus set in. For those who don't know what tinnitus is, it's a ringing, hissing sound in the ears. Many people get this related to jobs where they are exposed to loud sounds, it comes on over time. However, there was no such noise like that where I worked. My career field at the time was in office administration, promoting and marketing.

After the surgery, I knew something was wrong. I still wasn't hearing well, the ringing in my ears was still there and sounds hurt. It was as if everything I heard was ten times louder.

My doctor had no explanation for the symptoms; I was in pain and trying to work. My doctor released me for work and my first day back I got the scare of my life. A car almost hit me one block away from my work. I had the walk sign at the intersection; I must have looked five times because I just wasn't hearing things right. I was extremely cautious but knew something was wrong. I started walking across the street. One vehicle was in the left lane closest to me and I was in the blind spot of the car that came within a foot from hitting me.

The woman was shocked. It gave her a good scare as well as myself. She had been rushing to work and trying to make a turn on red. I called my doctor immediately. You won't believe what happened next.