A Year Later...

[Joel31]

It has been about a year since I have posted in this forum. Maybe visited about 6 or 7 times within the year. I don't have anything positive to say about the condition.

Unfortunately, it seems as if my tinnitus has actually become louder. Here I am sitting in the car in my garage (ten times louder in a car at night with all doors closed).

Trying hard to cope with it, struggling a lot these days, but trying to find hope for the future. I have a lovely wife and and children that occupy my mind most of the day thankfully.

How has your tinnitus been over the past year? Better/worse?

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Joel31 Hi Joel. I read your posts from last year. You mention no hearing loss, but tinnitus increases when moving your head back and that your neck hurts. Does this still happen or any other physical changes or discomfort? Have you had any radiological tests on your neck done?

 

[Michael Leigh]

It all depends what has caused your tinnitus. Have you been examined at ENT? Exposure to loud noise is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Do you listen to music through headphones regularly or attend places where loud music is played?

 

[Joel31]

@Joel31 Hi Joel. I read your posts from last year. You mention no hearing loss, but tinnitus increases when moving your head back and that your neck hurts. Does this still happen or any other physical changes or discomfort? Have you had any radiological tests on your neck done?

Hello Greg, yes this still happens when I move my head back. Neck has been incredibly painful over the year also and clicks when I move my head front and back. I have swollen lymph's behind my ears, chin etc and bad sinus headaches. I can't think of anything else at current. I have been to the GP roughly 23 times in the past year. Regarding the T, they have always said there is nothing they can do, it's just a part of life. All doctors have said the same thing. In general "Deal with it". No radiological tests done, I am not sure how to ask for that.

 

[Joel31]

It all depends what has caused your tinnitus. Have you been examined at ENT? Exposure to loud noise is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Do you listen to music through headphones regularly or attend places where loud music is played?

No, I have never been examined by an ENT Michael. I was never referred to one. I never listen to loud music or visit clubs/bars. I'm really unsure what caused it. I haven't been to a concert since I was 16, and my tinnitus was not not that loud until all of a sudden last year.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Joel31 Swollen lymph nodes behind ears, chin and bad sinus headaches, and movement of head back and front is sometimes related to cervical compression of any of several neck muscles, activation of facet joints, nerve roots and sometimes the c spine. I would see a neurologist or a physical therapy doctor to perform a very simple hands on examination. X Rays will be needed first. A CT may be advised.

Your situation may be due to muscle spasms or just at some point twisting your neck. With no hearing loss PT therapy could really make a difference with your T. Every issue that you have is mentioned in this link.

http://www.natural-solutions-for-muscle-pain.com/sternocleidomastoid-muscle.html

 

[Michael Leigh]

No, I have never been examined by an ENT Michael. I was never referred to one.

You do not say which part of the world you live @Joel31 ? If you have had tinnitus since 2000 and never been referred to ENT for tests, I find this quite bizarre. Furthermore, if you never used headphones on a regular basis and still don't and don't go to places where loud music is played, it is most unlikely that your tinnitus was caused by "noise trauma" so this can be ruled out for now.

Many things can cause tinnitus, so it's important that you are referred to ENT for tests. Ask your GP to do that.

Best of luck
Michael

 

[Joel31]

You do not say which part of the world you live @Joel31 ? If you have had tinnitus since 2000 and never been referred to ENT for tests, I find this quite bizarre. Furthermore, if you never used headphones on a regular basis and still don't and don't go to places where loud music is played, it is most unlikely that your tinnitus was caused by "noise trauma" so this can be ruled out for now.

Many things can cause tinnitus, so it's important that you are referred to ENT for tests. Ask your GP to do that.

Best of luck
Michael

I live in Australia. I wrote 2000 on my profile because I couldn't remember when the first time I heard it. I had minor T as a child... I remember hearing the noise every now and then at night, but nothing that concerned me until I was 34 (last year). You are right, I should probably see an ENT. Only reason I have not as of yet is because no doc has referred me.

Thank you for your response!

 

[Joel31]

@Joel31 Swollen lymph nodes behind ears, chin and bad sinus headaches, and movement of head back and front is sometimes related to cervical compression of any of several neck muscles, activation of facet joints, nerve roots and sometimes the c spine. I would see a neurologist or a physical therapy doctor to perform a very simple hands on examination. X Rays will be needed first. A CT may be advised.

Your situation may be due to muscle spasms or just at some point twisting your neck. With no hearing loss PT therapy could really make a difference with your T. Every issue that you have is mentioned in this link.

http://www.natural-solutions-for-muscle-pain.com/sternocleidomastoid-muscle.html

That is very interesting to learn. I will take every word on board and see a doc tomorrow. Every time I have seen one, they don't do anything or refer me to anyone, so I will see if that can be changed ASAP. I appreciate your input!

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Joel31 When you mention hearing noise every now and then at night as a child, was that while you had your head to the pillow? If so use a small pillow under your neck at night. If you were born by C- section this could be the reason as to why you started to have a problem when you were young. I would ask your doctor for a neck X-Ray as well as it seems the clicking is what's causing the neck pain. I do think muscles including the SCMs are involved as well. Therapy should help. Tells us how things go.

 

[Joel31]

@Joel31 When you mention hearing noise every now and then at night as a child, was that while you had your head to the pillow? If so use a small pillow under your neck at night. If you were born by C- section this could be the reason as to why you started to have a problem when you were young.

I actually don't remember how I was lying haha... pillow-wise. I know at current, I cannot possibly have an ear on the pillow as the T is too loud. I wasn't born by C. I just remember last year around this time, I started hearing it incredibly loud all of a sudden. So I was sent to get the hearing test. The worst part about that was sitting in a sound proof tiny room. As you could imagine, in a sound proof room the T is insanely loud.

Something that troubles my mind at times is; How can someone who goes to bars/clubs and concerts regularly over years not have a single issue with Tinnitus? I have mentioned this in a previous post as well. My own mother, born in the 60's, a constant party-goer for years! And yes, still into the same scene. Yet when I mentioned Tinnitus to her, she thought I meant the fungus in your toes. She has no idea what I am talking about when mentioning a ringing in the ears. How can this be? Most of the posts on T are from ear trauma... deafness. Do some people have super hairs in their ears? Or do some people perceive Tinnitus differently. It's quite strange. I know this is totally of the point of my post, but it is an interesting topic for me.

 

[MBH]

I love being in my car with the radio on low, and I'm saying this due to I learned I can never be in quite anything. Because the minute i find myself in quite room I'm turning something on. I have alot of fans on. I also realize it is louder all of a sudden and I talk myself to listen to the fan. I have gotten used to T just like doc say deal with it. I've dealt with it. But have you looked into hearing aids with maskers I had to fight to get them I have no hearing loss. But I think they would be a help to you. Also, anxiety and it symptoms plays into it as well. You have to plan things to do so you can move along.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Joel31 I guess you are saying that you heard some tinnitus when you were young, but not exactly when. Your SCMs relates to your neck and all that you describe. Compare your list mentioned to those in the link to that I provided. Your SCMs mostly likely isn't causing your tinnitus. It's just secondary, but it may show a possible childhood injury, a fall or whenever. This is because you have clicking coming from your neck which is a disc. A person can develop arthritis at a young age from injury and if so then now it's becoming prominent causing increased tinnitus.

People tend to underestimate jaw and neck and certain diseases to tinnitus. These mentions can cause tinnitus on their own with or without hearing loss. They can also mess with two shared nerves and muscles of the inner ear so when exposed to noise tinnitus can happen easier.

Another possibility is that your present tinnitus has little to due with childhood. If may be posture or too much forward head bending.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear when mentioning 'head to pillow'. I was trying to ask if your tinnitus increased when laying down. If your tinnitus does increase when laying down then support is needed under the neck. I would still say to your doctor, can I have a simple x ray of my neck. Then I see a physical therapy doctor, but a CT may be requested beyond a x ray. Sometime a PT doctor will want to do their own x ray. Please write again when a plan takes action or anytime.

 

[JasonP]

Hello Greg, yes this still happens when I move my head back. Neck has been incredibly painful over the year also and clicks when I move my head front and back. I have swollen lymph's behind my ears, chin etc and bad sinus headaches. I can't think of anything else at current. I have been to the GP roughly 23 times in the past year. Regarding the T, they have always said there is nothing they can do, it's just a part of life. All doctors have said the same thing. In general "Deal with it". No radiological tests done, I am not sure how to ask for that.

This may be a long shot but does your tinnitus have a frequency that can be matched? If it's between 8khz to 12khz, I would suggest getting an extended audiogram. Most audiograms only test to 8khz yet the range of human hearing can be up to 20khz. If you have loss between 8 to 12khz you could get it corrected using an extended bandwidth hearing aid such as the Signia 7nx. The ambient noise then might "mask" some or all of the tinnitus.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Joel31 You mention in your first post of 2017 that your hearing test came back fine. I would see an ENT and audiologist again. One prior concern is moving of head and stretching neck causes your tinnitus to get louder. I asked you in my first thread post if anything has changed and you said no. You state that you do web design at the PC for 18 hrs or more per day. Focus needs to be on physical tinnitus, probably somatic as well as your ears.