How much has my hyperacusis improved?

This article is essential for the purpose of this website, but for it to have the positive impact I seek, I could not write it until the right moment. That moment is when, after multiple changes in the hyperacusis treatment in search of the correct and optimal formula, I finally achieved a significant and stable improvement in my sound tolerance, allowing me to perform most activities a healthy person can do without hearing protection.

The aim of this article is, on one hand, to certify that the method used and described on this website for treating hyperacusis has worked and has allowed me to return to a normal life, and on the other hand, to give encouragement and hope to those who may at some point believe that their situation has no solution. To do this, I will compare some of the daily activities and situations that I could not tolerate when my condition was at its worst with those I can tolerate now, so that the comparison gives a clear idea of how much improvement is possible even starting from a very severe situation, and also provide concrete examples of activities that can be performed again despite having hyperacusis.

My sound tolerance threshold dropped to about 35 dB at its worst. With such extremely low tolerance, I spent almost three years isolated at home, deprived not only of any social activity but also of many daily activities that could be done at home. I went outside very rarely for fear of exposure to noise that might cause a relapse. I spent most of the day locked in a room, protecting myself from the attack that practically any imaginable noise could cause, whether from outside, neighbors, or household members, trying to entertain myself as best I could. Here are just a few examples of what my ears could not tolerate during that time:

• Conversations were very short, only a few minutes. I could not tolerate my own voice, and people had to speak to me in whispers.
• I spoke on the phone only when strictly necessary, always using hands-free and for a limited time.
• Showering, especially washing my hair, was a risky activity. I had to wait until my ears were in the best possible condition and do it quickly.
• Running water from taps bothered me. I had to protect my ears to flush the toilet.
• If I had to be in the kitchen while the refrigerator compressor was running, I had to turn off the fridge.
• Sometimes I could not watch television even at the lowest volume.
• I could not tolerate the noise of a computer, not even a laptop; I had to assemble a silent one. To use the keyboard, I had to press the keys slowly and gently.
• I could not turn the pages of a book or magazine.
• I could not draw with a pencil.
• I could not play my digital piano, not even at the lowest volume; just the noise of pressing the keys prevented me.
• Doors had to be closed very carefully.

I soon realized that continuous control of sound exposure and gradually increasing the volume and exposure time allowed me to improve my sound tolerance. However, lack of knowledge on the correct and optimal way to use this procedure, the difficulty of improving from such low tolerance thresholds in relation to the noise in my environment, and especially the psychological and emotional fatigue caused by numerous relapses, extended the recovery time for years.

Through trial and error, I refined the method, improving what already worked or correcting what was wrong. The most complicated part was figuring out how to properly handle relapses and avoid having to retrace much of the progress already made. This was the key to successfully treating hyperacusis, as it was what either caused stagnation or regression. Once this was discovered, my improvement accelerated significantly.

The tolerance I have now has been achieved over the course of a year, starting from about 50 dB. Here are some examples of activities that were once absolutely impossible and that I can now perform without hearing protection and without discomfort or relapses:

• Talking on the phone.
• Handling dishes.
• Playing the piano or acoustic guitar.
• Tolerating dog barking or children screaming.
• Using a vacuum cleaner or cooking with an extractor fan.
• Traveling by public transport (bus, metro, or train).
• Shopping in malls.
• Eating in restaurants.
• Walking down a busy street.
• Watching street music performances.
• Watching a movie in the cinema.

I estimate that my UCL (Uncomfortable Loudness Level) at the time of writing this article is around 95 dB. Regarding volume, there are very few everyday sounds that I cannot tolerate, although I still have limitations with exposure time in some activities and occasionally experience relapses that I must manage to avoid regression. However, by following the treatment described on this website, my sound tolerance continues to improve, although due to the increasing difficulty of exposing myself to higher volumes for longer periods, the pace of improvement is no longer as rapid as before. I believe that by continuing on this path, one day I will be able to tolerate even live music shows and other high-dB activities.