Teen's life turned into a nightmare after her friend's stepfather punished her for using phone

Cindy Redmond, 14 years old, never expected to suffer from permanent, excruciating pain in her ears after her friend’s stepfather blasted an air horn in her face because she was taking a phone call at the dinner table.

Redmond was allegedly seated at the table in her friend’s house, and at the time she answered the call, they were waiting for the food to be served.

The stepfather was supposedly annoyed that Redmond was still talking on the phone, which made him blow an air horn in her face.

According to the teenager, the incident led to a disturbing pop in her head and crippling pain that never died down.

THE DIAGNOSIS

Four days after the incident happened, the pain kept on persisting, and Redmond was taken to the emergency room.

For about six months, doctors claimed that she had an inner ear canal infection, and they prescribed her with Tylenol coated in codeine.

Since the pain was still present, Redmond and her mother approached many doctors in specialized fields. They finally found an answer when they met with an occupational therapist, who had recognized the cause and effects and diagnosed Redmond.

In a nutshell, the sounds that most people find as normal are too intense for Redmond, and they cause her ears a great amount of pain.

THE AFTERMATH

Redmond’s condition took a toll in her way of living. Since then, she has been forced to isolate herself at home and stay in a quiet room. She has since been home-schooled, missing family gatherings, and she might never experience going to concerts or parties without a cure. Getting a job seems impossible so far as well.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, Redmond said that she constantly feels pain on a level of six, but even a short time of exposure with a high-pitched sound could send her suffering in agonizing pain for hours and hours.

In addition, if Redmond is exposed to prolonged noise, it takes mostly two days for her to recover.

She shared, “For her 14th birthday she wanted to go to the aquarium. Twenty minutes in she was sobbing from the pain.”

Laurie expressed her worries that her daughter might not have a normal life since a cure is yet to be invented.

THE RESEARCH OR LACK THEREOF

Not much is known about Hyperacusis. Up to this day, it is still considered a poorly studied condition.

So far, experts believe that the rare phenomenon is caused by severe damage to the nerves in the inner ear or perhaps by neurological damage.

There is also no surgical cure for Hyperacusis. Physicians advised Redmond that the best treatment is 100 percent exposure to sound.

Redmond has been subjected to wear a special earpiece that is like a hearing aid and can produce white and pink noise for sound therapy. Although, Redmond suggested that there have been no significant results just yet.

While hearing loss is hard for everyone, it is most especially hard for young children and teenagers.

Not only does it affect their ears, but losing their hearing also affects their performance in academics, their social life, their self-esteem, as well as their vocational preferences.