Acid Reflux and Tinnitus

[erik]

Great post Lady Di. It is interesting that there very well might be a correlation between anxiety and stress, emotions and T. These things can manifest itself into so many physical symptoms--everything from reflux to heart attacks to TMJ to migraines to tinnitus and a whole host of issues. Anxiety, panic, depression, emotions all seem to be a common symptom with many of these issues either indirectly or directly.

 

[Mooremaster]

Not sure if anyone can help me. I now have t after taking acid blockers but now when I stop taking them it intensifies my t big time. Gets louder and hearing is really sensitive. Any noises that are a little loud are almost unbearable. Can barely have a normal conversation without cringing my teeth. But when I start taking acid blockers again the sensitivity goes away and the ringing quiets down a bit. I was diagnosed with silent reflux. LPR I think is what it's called. Please. Any advice would help. I been taking nexum for about 5 months now. Don't want to keep taking it but I feel like I need to. Been off nexum for about 5 days. Symptoms are at is high now.

 

[MaryK]

Not sure if anyone can help me. I now have t after taking acid blockers but now when I stop taking them it intensifies my t big time. Gets louder and hearing is really sensitive. Any noises that are a little loud are almost unbearable. Can barely have a normal conversation without cringing my teeth. But when I start taking acid blockers again the sensitivity goes away and the ringing quiets down a bit. I was diagnosed with silent reflux. LPR I think is what it's called. Please. Any advice would help. I been taking nexum for about 5 months now. Don't want to keep taking it but I feel like I need to. Been off nexum for about 5 days. Symptoms are at is high now.

A lot of time has passed since your post. Have you found relief? My T is new and I'm thinking it might be caused by acid reflux.
For anyone who thinks their T is related to acid reflux, does the the finger drumming method work for you. Also I have an electric toothbrush and it gives me some relief. By any chance do you have one and do you notice the same?

Thanks!
Mary

 

[melbournejeremy]

I think there is no question that GERD/LPR can cause acid to flow up into the Eustachian tube and into the inner ear causing damage and infection in the cochlea and other structures and ultimately hearing loss, especially if you have a dysfunctional Eustachian tube to begin with - then eventually Tinnitus/somatic etc. Most people would have no idea that small amounts of stomach acid is making it's way into the inner ear. I would say eating before bed or laying down after a meal as many people do is something that should be avoided. Going on PPI can help the stomach sphincter recover and allow the inflammation in the throat/neck/ear to subside. The fullness many people complain about in their ears when they wake up may well in some situations be a result of GERD/LPR. Apart from the T aspect general inflammation of the esophagus can cause certain types of cancer like SCC from long term irritation. Just my two cents on the topic.

 

[rexington]

I was living in a mold infested cottage for 4 years before onset of symptoms which included bad tinnitus which led to medical testing to confirm mycotoxins in my body from black mold. After moving out had to seek alternative methods of natural healing and detoxing out the poisons inside me from toxic mold. 4 years later present day I am in better health then before mold sickness but tinnitus has never gone away, just subdues for awhile then erupts for a period. I have drawn a conclusion that perhaps I was drinking too much apple cider vinegar which was part of the protocol to cleanse the body and doing so has led to acid reflux reaching my ears which could be the cause of my T flair ups. My Chinese medicine doctor all along keeps telling me I had acid reflux by looking in my mouth. I couldn't figure out how or why because my diet was impeccable. I have realized now that I make mistakes, eating too late and close to bedtime foods that are healthy but high in apple cider vinegar, and drinking over 4 tablespoons a day of ACV during cold and flu season. My ears feel congested and crack and pop when I blow my nose, a CT scan of sinuses shows no abnormalities so far. After netti pot my ears feel like fluids have been loosened but not enough to completely clear or drain. So my recent T flair up as I'm writing could be due to all the Apple cider vinegar I've ingested to help keep flu away AND I was also under the assumption it could reduce acid reflux. I have stopped ACV past 2 days and using baking soda water mixture to level off acid build up. I now think I need an MRI to detect fluids in ear or get a fluid sample tested by my ENT ? I do physically know when I am feeling acid reflux and just so happens it's coinciding with a T flair up. My T is very high pitches in both ears but heavier on my left ear coincidentally I only sleep on my left side and back and I have read that if you favor a side of sleep that can lead to that E tube getting a higher dose of stomach acid. So here I am trying to figure out if excess stomach acid is getting into my ears and causing my Tinnitus ….

 

[Dan.L]

Gosh MT - if you can write all of that then your head doesn't hurt as much as mine

I get dizzy half way through reading it!

Please go and fill in the spreadsheet - I have added you for acid reflux already

Made some changes to the sheet. I would be nice to see people add the things that helps calm it the most. That way we would have a list of things to try that correlate with the reason of the onset. That way people are not trying things that doesn't apply to their "type" of tinnitus.

 

[Blodorn]

Well. This thread makes me wonder.

Before my tinnitus, I swallowed food and it got stuck in my oesophagian for 12h (or at least the feeling was here for 12h). My throat hurt for weeks. Maybe a scratch. Since that day, I'm a bit phagophobic and when I eat, my stomach burns. Anxiety I guess.

2 weeks after this incident and without eating any solid food, tinnitus appeared.

So the thing is; When my stomach gurgle or hurts me because of the hunger, my right ear gurgles as well (yeah I know, wtf). Like a bubble noise inside my ear. This noise never appeared when my stomach was quiet. This is a unique noise totally different from my usual tinnitus. And never had any bubble noise in my ear before my tinnitus, even after my incident.

Maybe there is a correlation between my reflux and my tinnitus?
Interesting

 

[Rb86]

I've had reflux for years. Ive taken various drugs for it, but mostly just OTC stuff like ranitidine.

I don't draw any correlation to tinnitus. I've had reflux for likely 10 years and tinnitus about 6 weeks.

I've been eating healthier and actually stopped my reflux pills for 4 days and have not noticed any spike in that regard.

I think reflux needs to be managed through diet, weight, eating habits etc, but I don't see a causation.

 

[Lane]

When my stomach gurgle or hurts me because of the hunger, my right ear gurgles as well (yeah I know, wtf).

@Blodorn -- Sounds like your experiences are stemming from your vagus nerve. The VN is the main cranial nerve that exits the brainstem, goes through the heart, gut, etc., and traverses the entire length of the torso, ending in the colon. But it branches out to other areas along that whole route as well, such as the liver, and other organs.

One of those branches is the "auricular branch of the vagus nerve". The VN is the same major nerve that passes through the stomach AND the ears, so in a sense, they're in constant communication. I've noticed that when my tinnitus gets louder, it can cause me nausea, and sometimes even a sense of being on the verge of vomiting. Others on this forum have mentioned they sometimes vomit when tinnitus becomes unbearable.

BTW, sometimes acid reflux actually has its orgins in the gallbladder. Sometimes a good regimen for cleaning out the gall bladder can clear it up. They're lots of GB cleanses that are described online, but I prefer a lifestyle that sort of naturally keeps the gallbladder in good shape. -- My best guess 90%+ of all gallbladder surgeries could be avoided.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Sounds like your experiences are stemming from your vagus nerve. The VN is the main cranial nerve that exits the brainstem, goes through the heart, gut, etc., and traverses the entire length of the torso, ending in the colon. But it branches out to other areas along that whole route as well, such as the liver, and other organs.

One of those branches is the "auricular branch of the vagus nerve". The VN is the same major nerve that passes through the stomach AND the ears, so in a sense, they're in constant communication. I've noticed that when my tinnitus gets louder, it can cause me nausea, and sometimes even a sense of being on the verge of vomiting. Others on this forum have mentioned they sometimes vomit when tinnitus becomes unbearable.

BTW, sometimes acid reflux actually has its orgins in the gallbladder. Sometimes a good regimen for cleaning out the gall bladder can clear it up. They're lots of GB cleanses that are described online, but I prefer a lifestyle that sort of naturally keeps the gallbladder in good shape. -- My best guess 90%+ of all gallbladder surgeries could be avoided.

Perfect at @Lane. Another possible association is vein and artery hypertension from anxiety that can cause non type tinnitus sounds within the ears.

 

[Lane]

BTW, sometimes acid reflux actually has its orgins in the gallbladder. Sometimes a good regimen for cleaning out the gall bladder can clear it up.

I've been on a celery juice kick the past few weeks (which I feel I'm getting good benefits from), and just now ran across some information on how it's supposedly good for acid reflux. It also appears to be very supportive of brain function and the body's stress response.@GoatSheep @Star64 @JohnAdams

From THIS ARTICLE:

Heartburn

Celery is an old folk remedy for heartburn, and AARP recommends it because of its low acidity. A study published in Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology included celery in a "low acid" diet prescribed to patients suffering from acid reflux. While their diet was beneficial, further studies are needed to determine celery's specific role.
​

Benefits of Celery Juice (From THIS ARTICLE)

Critical for healing chronic acid reflux
Fights autoimmune disease, including Hashimoto's, Lyme disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and every other autoimmune condition
Incredible for constipation and all digestive issues
Helps restore the adrenals
Contains mineral salts that are critical for the central nervous system
Helpful for depression, anxiety, brain fog, confusion, bipolar disorder, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), poor focus and concentration
Important for skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis
Flushes toxins and pathogenic byproduct from the body
Helps stabilize blood pressure
Helps eradicate strep bacteria
Fights Epstein-Barr and Shingles viruses
Brings down toxic liver heat
The ultimate gallbladder rehabilitator
Eliminates mucus
Restores bile production and potency
Celery's natural sodium draws toxic salts out of the body
Powerful weapon against SIBO
Inhibits viruses, bacteria, and fungus
Enhances the immune system
Helps repair damaged ligaments & bones
Highly anti-inflammatory
Powerful way to alkalize the gut
Celery juice raises hydrochloric acid
Supports and calms the central nervous system
Helps the liver produce bile
Has mineral salts are instrumental in the electricity that governs the body
Contains the building blocks for neurotransmitter chemicals
Helps heal and prevent gut rot
Helps repair damaged cells inside the liver
Cleanses the thyroid of viral byproduct
Bolsters production of thyroid hormone T3
Helps improve kidney function
Helpful for healing allergies
Powerful tool for brain health
Helps heal Crohn's, Colitis and IBS
Offers stress assistance
Strengthens digestion
Celery juice blended with papaya is an amazing gut tonic
Helps heal addictions
Improves methylation
Helps prevent gum recession
Provides essential mineral salts
Helps restless leg syndrome
Counteracts acidosis
Helps heal POTS
Hydrates on a cellular level
Helpful healing tool for every symptom and condition
Celery juice's undiscovered mineral salts break down pathogens' cell membranes, killing and destroying them
The cluster salts in celery are used by your white blood cells as both shield and weapon to go after viruses and unproductive bacteria
Helps to heal the liver
Enhances electrolytes
Has undiscovered mineral salts that act together as an antiseptic in the body
​

 

[spinnaker]

I am now wondering if acid reflux is the cause of my recent spike! And sound sensitivity!

Here is my recent history. I went to an ENT with a complaint of fullness in the left ear and my spike in tinnitus. I also complained of a drainage down my throat with at at least SEEMED to me as a layman that it was from sinuses.

She totally dismissed the drainage. I had significant hearing loss in my left ear but of course I am a stupid male and have not had my hearing tested in centuries so she had nothing to go on other than the significant difference to my right ear. She put me on a round of steroids and diagnosed me with possible Meniere's Disease. The steroids caused me to hiccup a bit but other than that no side effects. They also gave me a coarse voice.

I went back to get a second opinon from her colleague. He was such an a-hole. I asked about the drainage issue. He said it is acid reflux. But I was having no other symptoms other than the "drainage". I was not sleeping and not thinking well so I guess I did not express myself well. He got real ambivalent and said well if you are not going to take the medication I am not going to prescribe it. I should have asked more questions but just walked out.

I should have just listened to him because in the past 2 weeks, I am starting to notice the real effects of acid reflux. I have a burning and tightness in my throat. I am burping almost all of the time now. I should have said OK I will take the damn meds!

I go to a different ENT on this Friday. I just hope it is not too late and that I did not damage to my throat.

For those that have had acid reflux, how long did it last for you? The burning feeling has been about two weeks for me now.

I am just wondering if I had acid reflux way back from the first ENT???

Oh and the fullness? Finally diagnosed that myself. Hyperacusis. Which I mentioned to 3 ENTs. Not one of them considered it as an issue. I did some research and found your ear has a muscle that will help protect it from loud sounds. Sometimes that muscle over reacts and tightens. This causes the feeling of fullness... I noticed that the fullness only seemed to occur when there was noise. If I covered my ears or there was no noise the symptoms would go away.

And the other possibility is my acid reflux is a cause of the stress of my spike.

And I have been on Xanex which some say causes GERD and some say relives it so who knows.

 

[spinnaker]

My hearing in my left ear is going bad by the day. So is my right I am sure but not as noticeable.
The tinnitus has been increasing by the day as well.

Along with acid reflux which I have never noticed before. I have been doing a lot of reading and learned that acid reflux can cause hearing loss and there is such a thing as silent acid reflux.

The doc just recently prescribed a PPI which I had been on for a couple of days anyway. But it does not seem to help. Just gives me the shitz.

I would often wake up in the middle of the night. I always thought it was because I am an old guy with an enlarged prostate but know I think it was the silent acid reflux waking me up. And it makes sense that the left ear is worse than the right because I always felt more comfortable on the left side for some reason

I can't sleep, I can't eat. I can take it no longer.

So just a warning since it is too late for me. Look up silent acid reflux. Have yourself checked.