8 Years and Continuing to Get Louder

[John B95]

I'm new here and hoping for a little guidance. My tinnitus is only in the right ear, a very high pitched electronic sound that has steadily gotten louder since March 2007 when it started. I saw a specialist at University of Miami who could not find a cause and said, I'm treating a symptom, not a disease that I can find. He gave me large doses of Prednisone, a steroid that you start in higher doses and then lower each day until the prescription runs out. The first few days the tinnitus stopped then gradually came back as the dosage of Prednisone got smaller. I have had 2 MRI's revealing no abnormality. The sound increases if I clench my teeth telling me it may be related to my jaw. The only possible cause I can think of is that I took several blows (punches) to the right temple when I was mugged in December 2006. No broken jaw but lots of swelling for several days. The tinnitus started 3-4 months later. The University of Miami specialist told me the good thing about Tinnitus is that it usually subsides over time. Sadly not the case for me as it is getting louder as time passes. At this point I can hear it even when I'm in a noisy environment, which was not the case when it started. I just moved to the Las Vegas, NV area and wonder if anyone can give me any advice or a name of a doctor they would recommend. I appreciate any comments you can provide. Thanks. John

 

[Aaron123]

What type of specialist did you see? ENT? Have you talked to your dentist about TMJ issues?

Given the change with clenching (which isn't uncommon) and the jaw issues from the mugging, you might want to find a specialist in jaw issues (if you haven't already), though I am not sure which specialty would be appropriate. I might start with my dentist.

 

[Mark Beehre]

Consider seeing a maxmillo facial consultant and getting a CAT scan.

 

[LeQuack]

Same for me, had it for ten years now and it was really mild at first, I almost never noticed it and even when I did it did not bug me. Now it's a can of worms, it's everywhere.

 

[glynis]

See if you can se a maxillofacial specialist.
My ENT consultant sent me to one.
Had a few tests and jaw movement checked and jaw widening checked and a mouth guard made and some advise ......lots of love glynis

 

[John B95]

Thanks to all for the advice. I'll be looking for a maxillofacial specialist. Funny, I've never heard of that before.

 

[Mad maggot]

Sorry for your suffering. I'm almost eight years into my T too and the sound of your T seems similar from your spdescription only mine affects my vision and balance as well. I suggest you see a myofacial surgeon and have good X-rays of your skull and jaw taken. Three D would be good! Also a TMJ specialist might be able to help. But do your research - many claim to know about TMJ but aren't much use at all. Find a good'un. Sorry I can't suggest anything more but I'm wearing a TMJ splint and X-rays showed skull deformities not just with my TMJ and I suspect my problems at least may be exacerbated if not caused by the skull bones. Sounds like you had a rough experience and possibly damage to your bones has resulted in your T or it may have made a problem that was already there, worse.

 

[John B95]

Thanks so much and best of luck to you.

 

[Blero]

Im going through the same thing as you @John B95 . 8 years and getting louder. I got T when i was 14. Three months ago it got louder to the point where i hear it over loud events. It also gets louder when i clench my jaw. Good Luck, Keep us updated.

 

[John B95]

Just an update. I saw a Maxillofacial specialist and was greatly disappointed. I had hoped there might be a surgical procedure they could do to adjust the jaw so the noise would stop but after doing an X Ray he said it looked normal and wanted to make a mouth guard for me to sleep with and suggested I get something to create "white noise". I don't see either of those things helping as I can be in an extremely noisy environment and still hear the noise so a white noise machine is definitely not going to drown out the noise in the ear. Going to try an Otolaryngologist one more time although I had no luck with them in the past. Thank to all for your input.

 

[glynis]

Hi John,
The maxillofacial specialist will only do surgery in bad cases .
I have had jaw problems 34 years and wore a mouth piece all the time in my teens by a Maxillofacial specialist and seen by a maxillofacial specialist again and had a jaw guard made in my 40's and just been referred today to go see a maxillofacial specialist again as my dentist was shocked how bad my jaw has got cracking and crunching when open my mouth so might be boutox or surgery this time .
I know this is only for my jaw and not my tinnitus .
The guard holds my jaw in place and when it's in at night I'm ok but in the day it's bad so wearing my guard all the time now .
He might decide make me another mouth piece I had to wear all the time through my teens rather than go down the surgery route .
Don't be to disheartened and understand how you feel .....lots of love glynis

 

[Sailboardman]

Same with me, clenching my teeth, jutting out my lower jaw, pushing on my chin all make my T louder.

I wear a night guard as well, which has done nothing for my T.

I have substantial hearing loss in my right ear, which is the cause of my T. The other stuff is just an added annoyance. Lots of nerves and muscles run into a thing called a ganglia box, located close to the jaw and ear canal. Anything can go wrong in there.

 

[I who love music]

I had two bite guards made about 20 years ago. They warned me not to leave them on the nightstand. The dog ate both of them.