Tinnitus and hyperacusis are frustrating, sometimes debilitating conditions that negatively affect quality of life. Both conditions involve the perception of sound in the ear, are usually caused by another underlying cause and are treatable. Since both tinnitus and hyperacusis pertain to background noise and your ear’s perception of the background noise, the two conditions might seem very similar, but they are in fact very different.
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is characterized by phantom noises in a person’s ears. This noise is often described as a ringing, buzzing or humming, and it comes from no external source. It’s a very common condition, affecting 25 million Americans.
There are many conditions that can cause tinnitus, including but not limited to:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Loud noise exposure
- Ear injury
- Head injury or trauma
- Ototoxic medications
- Cardiovascular disease
What Is Hyperacusis?
Hyperacusis is a type of sound sensitivity. Hyperacusis causes a physical reaction in the body to background noise, and for those with severe hyperacusis, background noise can cause physical pain. People with hyperacusis perceive it as unbearably loud, even noises that others perceive as normal, such as people chatting in a restaurant or cars driving on the freeway. Hyperacusis is much rarer than tinnitus, affecting one in 50,000 adults.
Can I Have Both Hyperacusis and Tinnitus at the Same Time?
Yes, you can. There’s a strong correlation between hyperacusis and tinnitus. Remember: tinnitus is caused by another underlying condition, and sometimes hyperacusis can be one such condition causing tinnitus.
How Can I Find Relief?
Both tinnitus and hyperacusis can be effectively managed with sound therapy, or acoustic therapy, which uses white noise and relaxing sounds to mask the condition or habituate the brain to the sound. People with tinnitus and hyperacusis have also found relief from wearing hearing aids, which can block out background noise, and some models even have sound therapy settings for tinnitus and background noise masking. Call Rancho Santa Fe Audiology today to learn more about these systems and how they may benefit you.
