Texas woman: Tinnitus and a 'life of misery' 5 years after MRI

Kathy McCain, a former secretary in the Houston-area, can’t tolerate the sound of birds chirping and hears constant ringing in her ears—a condition known as tinnitus. Her “life of misery” started five years ago after an MRI for lower back pain, she said in a PeopleHealth report.

She wore earplugs and protective earmuffs during the scan, but when she awoke from a nap that day, her ears felt “full” and “sore,” and were ringing loudly, McCain notes in the interview. Then, during a trip to the store, regular noises became deafening. Voices were piercing, refrigerator noises were amplified, and metal shopping carts were unbearable.

“I feel as though I am being attacked by sound,” Kathy, 66 told People. “No doctors or audiologists are able to help. I am practically a recluse. I live a life of misery.”

She suffers from the sound sensitivity disorder hyperacusis, which she described in the report as “amplified hearing,” along with tinnitus.

Because of her condition, her and husband, Rod McCain, have insulated their house with double-glazed windows. When Rod vacuums the house, Kathy sits in the car.

Her story comes on the heels of a study published in Radiology that found post-MRI hearing may be impacted even if a patient is wearing the recommended ear plugs or ear muffs.

“Patients are rarely informed of the significant risk of auditory destruction from loud MRIs,” said Bryan Pollard, president of the nonprofit Hyperacusis Research, which funds research into noise-induced pain, in the story. “People don’t even understand the importance of protecting themselves from noise in general. What’s more, ill-informed doctors may order an MRI for patients with hearing problems clearly caused by noise, in which case they will be worsened for no reason.”