I have combined
hyperacusis with tinnitus. I've always had the tinnitus, I got the hyperacusis after a botched MRI when the ear plug in my left ear fell out. I toughed it out, not realizing that I was getting permanent hearing damage. (The MRI wasn't necessary, making it worse.)
The short version of hyperacusis is that it makes regular sounds seem ridiculously loud and painful. I can't go to movie theaters, sporting events, or have loud music playing. Right now, I'm wearing headphones, not because I'm listening to music, but because my "clacky" keyboard is too loud. (Yes, I need a new quiet keyboard, obviously. I simply want to purchase one when I get a new Mac.) This is also why I am very careful about what computer gear I purchase, because it needs to be quiet.
On the opposite end, the accident made my tinnitus worse, meaning that I need some sort of sound going in the background so that I'm not distracted by that infernal hiss. The new
Background Sounds feature in macOS Ventura has been a huge help, in that regard.
I was diagnosed with hyperacusis at the audiology department of my state's top university. The treatment for both hyperacusis and tinnitus is an expensive ($5,000 USD) listening device that plays specialized tones masked within music. The treatment usually lasts a full year with a typical daily listening time of 6 hours per day while wearing earbuds.
It sounds easier than it actually is, because real life gets in the way of using such a device on the regular. I regret doing it, because I was down $5K and the device's battery eventually died, out of warranty. I also managed to re-injure my ear, setting back my progress to day zero, which is where I am now.
If you have better discipline than myself, then give it a go. If not, then save the cabbage and don't waste your time. The unfortunate fact is, until better treatments are available, there's not much that can be done. You could see if any of the big universities in your area have an audiology department for an evaluation, because that's what an ENT is going to tell you to do.
Looking back, I don't think it was worth it, but that's entirely up to you to decide. What little encouragement I can offer is that while you never get used to it, you just deal with it. It took me about ten years to just roll with it. I wish I could be more help, but I've been on this rodeo before. Regardless, you have my sympathies, because I'm living it right now.
