Another (New) Tinnitus Sufferer — What I Have Learned So Far

[winnitus]

Mine started about a month ago. Faint, right ear only. It may have been because I was in a loud music venue, I am really not sure.

About me:
- 35 years old

- Braces - I wrapped up Invisalign braces about 6 months ago. The alignment is not great, so my back right molar (same side as tinnitus) hits first, leaving the teeth on the left side of my jaw not touching. As someone who is known to clench (not grind, I think) in their sleep, this is relevant I'm sure. I do, however, wear a retainer that acts like a mouth guard.

- Sinus Pressure - I have noticed a considerable increase in sinus pressure over the past month. (about the same amount of time I've felt the tinnitus. Once or twice I thought that sleeping only on my left side, letting all the sinus gunk run to the left side, helped with the right side's ringing... I'm still not sure that helps, but I think it does.


What I have tried
For those who are scared and looking for anything to help them get through, I have tried (and am still working on) these things with considerable (temporary) improvement.

1) with headphones (I genuinely experienced immediate, albeit temporary relief after listening to this for about 10 minutes. Right after I stopped listening, I had a different ringing in both ears, similar to the sound an old big screen tv made, but it faded quickly and the tinnitus was gone- it comes back, but even the temporary relief can give you hope when you feel like you're losing your mind)

2) https://www.tinnitustalk.com/audioplayer/ ("musical neuromodulation" seems to help me)


3) Note: I just tried this tonight after reading about TMJ and potential skeletal muscular causes:

I sat in my closet (because it's quiet and the clothes dampen sound, I can clearly hear changes in the ringing).

I stretched my neck up and down, then side to side. I pushed my jaw out and opened my mouth as wide as I could (much as this video instructs: ).

After all that stretching, I decided to try relaxing all the muscles in my head/face/neck etc. So, with a lot of focus (it's harder than it sounds) I slowly released all tension in all my shoulder-up muscles. Eventually I was relaxed enough that my body started to fall forward. To put it in perspective, my face was so relaxed that my mouth hung open and I even drooled, and my face became warm from all the blood rushing- I believe this level of relaxed muscles is key (though what do I know).

After about 20 seconds of my muscles being so relaxed that I was drooling on myself, and my neck began to ache from the weight of my hanging forward, I sat up and stretched my neck/upper back out as much as I could. The tinnitus faded considerably (e.g. easily 20% its normal volume).

Now, after drafting this post, and I went back in the closet and checked again, the tinnitus is back... but that's ok, we'll keep at it. I just tried the same muscle relaxation method, and once again, the tinnitus faded again (for a short while).

If anyone wants to try similar stretches/etc, it would be great to hear of your progress.

Maybe if I continue to do this, it will have a longer lasting effect. I may try hanging my head/neck off the edge of the bed next... the sitting and slumping forward was quite uncomfortable.

 

[winnitus]

Update.

Yesterday, I self-massaged my SCM (Sternocleidomastoid), focusing on trying to activate trigger points behind the ear and at the chest. This did not result in any immediate, but did feel relaxing as if relieving tension.

Last night, I tried the Zygomatic Maneuver ().

I'm not sure if I was doing it completely right, but I worked hard to massage/stretch the muscles there and thus far, my tinnitus has been 90% reduced. I continued hearing it immediately after, then went to bed. An hour later, and 20 seconds after my head hit the pillow, (and all the sinus sludge migrated from right to left side of my head) the ringing started to fade and finally stopped.

So, my current theory is TMJ exacerbated by sinus pressure.

I woke up this morning, and cannot hear the ringing.

I am working hard throughout the day to keep my jaw/face/neck muscles relaxed.

 

[Bill Bauer]

@threefirefour got rid of his T when he had a treatment for his TMJ.

 

[blissaliss]

@winnitus Love the name and so much gratitude to your posting. I'm at an ultimate low. I used to be a massage therapist and then a second grade teacher. Having the background of massage therapy I will use all your suggestions... being at an ultimate low now I am smoking and drinking constantly to maintain what I call sanity and of course everyone else calls a problem Not working at all. I had a bad accident years ago that knocked my back teeth and neck out. I saw an ENT and all I was told was I had a small case of TMJ??? She was robotically unempathetic to tinnitus.

I'd quote your entire message but I don't think that's necessary!

 

[blissaliss]

Wow! @winnitus Dr. Mandell pinpointed my issue. My jaw was broken and has very limited movement. I have sinus issues since a kiddo. I've done physical therapy to help many parts of my body but no doctor or ENT can even suggest the cause of tinnitus.

Thanks, I'm used to small prescribed exercises... I weigh 117 at 39 blah! I work hard but never work out Thanks for all of your post.

P.S. my jaw was broken in 2001. So I didn't even think of this... Of course

 

[winnitus]

@blissaliss Any update? I hope this continues to work for you! (I also have a high stress job, which I'm sure contributes to the tightness in my face/muscles)

Personally, I continue (just once or twice a week now) to massage the aforementioned muscles. I also still try to be mindful of clenching my jaw, relaxing as often as I can think about it.

I'm doing much better now, the ringing comes in every now and then (once a week?), but it's hardly noticeable, a far cry from before where it was significantly impacting my life and sanity.

 

[SillyMama]

Thanks for posting the suggestions. I have intermittent tinnitus that I think is muscle-related, and relaxation exercises are helping some. My ENT was completely disinterested, but my TMJ doc cares. He recently suggested a magnesium supplement to help calm over-tense muscles. I'm becoming convinced that my tinnitus is also affected by the muscles that connect the top cervical vertebra to the skull. (Upper cervical vertebra issues.)
When my tinnitus is loud, it makes my vision shaky, (which I first mis-interpreted as vertigo.) Now I'm wondering if the muscles are simply vibrating my skull.
Do you experience any vision/balance disturbance?

 

[winnitus]

@SillyMama You know, I have never connected the two, but I have to say yes.

I have occasional (once every 2 weeks?) and very brief moments of vertigo/disorientation. It's minor, and lasts no more than 1 second. I don't know what causes it, seems to happen entirely randomly (e.g. sitting, standing, etc)
I have never experienced changes in vision, nor any correlation between tinnitus and my eyes.

Quick update: I continue my facial massaging and intentional relaxation (focused mostly on the muscles in my face via the Zygomatic Maneuver) and my tinnitus is still far better. I rarely even notice it anymore.

 

[SillyMama]

@winnitus The "vertigo/disorientation" that I experience is always synced with my tinnitus sound. I am now 100% convinced it's from upper cervical muscles. I think that the magnesium supplement my TMJ doc suggested *is* helping. My symptoms are currently minimal.