Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rachel on December 14, 2009 at 12:42am

Yes! I have extra sensitive hearing and always have. I hate going to the movies because it's always so loud, I always end up with a headache. My friends all love to have their music blasting, but I just can't handle it.

You are not alone! Unfortunately I haven't found any good ways to lessen the pain.

Permalink Reply by Jaime Murphy on December 14, 2009 at 8:48am

I haven't had problems with loud noises, but in general I always feel like the insides of my ears or itchy or hurt. It has nothing to do with noises for me though. But I never thought about it maybe having to do with my alopecia....hmmm...Especially if I have a cold or something, I am always at the doctor thinking I have an ear infection, but usually they are fine.

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 14, 2009 at 10:42am

I don't have extra sensitive ears or eardrums, but I DO have fairly severe tinnitus. It's gotten much worse in the last 2 years since my AA went to AU. I now hear a constant high-pitched tone that keeps me awake at night and is audible to be even while listening to music or conversation. It's really annoying. I've seen audiologists who say there's nothing I can do. NO one connected it to my AU - I've never thought about it, but it has become a problem only in the last 2 years since I lost my hair. Anyone else have this?

Permalink Reply by Tuesday on December 14, 2009 at 1:24pm

I don't have tinnitus Mary but my sympathies to you - my dad has it. There are auditory hair cells that help transmit sound ... I dunno ... if they are made out of hair, it would seem to me logical that we alopecians would have issues with our hearing.

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 14, 2009 at 1:28pm

Thanks, Tuesday. I did ask one of my doctors about the possible effect of total hair loss on hearing, balance, etc, and he said that the cilia in the ear are not the same kind of structures as hair follicles. Really makes me wonder, though, since this tinnitus really came on at just about the time I went from being AA for 7 years, to being AU. Oh well, as I keep telling myself, there are WAY worse illnesses and problems I could have!

Permalink Reply by Lynn on December 14, 2009 at 1:38pm

Interesting that this came up. I've had au since i was 2. Over the years I think I've become "overly" sensitive to many things. Loud movies, music, tv, loud voices are more irratable than ever before. Sounds like scratching on plates and blackboard type- horrible sounds are absolutely intolerable for me. My ears have exzema inside of them, if i don't remember to apply a little cortizone cream to them they'll become flakey and very itchy.

I've often thought that I'm just plain hyper sentsitve to everything because of Alopecia. To bright light. To clothing scratching on my skin, or to tight. my skin is very sensitive to any kind of dryness. My mom couldn't get me to dry the dishes as a kid, I couldn't stand the feeling of the dry towel. Sometimes, I find that going to fast is hard for me as well. At the dentist I'm their nightmare client, my teeth are soooo sensitive to air temperature, water temperature you name it.

sometimes I wonder if I'm more delicate than the average woman who doesn't have Alopecia my age. I think I am. I have 4 sisters, I'd say I'm a little weaker and a little more sensitive than all of them.

Permalink Reply by Tuesday on December 14, 2009 at 2:51pm

This is all very interesting ... thanks everyone for taking the time to share your stories!

Permalink Reply by Tuesday on February 13, 2010 at 11:14pm

Update: scheduled for a hearing test this upcoming Friday. I figured out (self diagnosis) I have "hyperacusis". I"ll see what a specialist says ... whenever I can get one to see me! (I"m in Ontario - it takes ages to see a specialist when you have a non-specific non-emergency sort of issue.