Ear Sensation / Unsure of Diagnosis / Rant

[Rosa_D_123]

Hi everyone,

Back again! When I first joined, I was a college student newly diagnosed with tinnitus. Now, I have graduated and started a new job.

My tinnitus had been stable and mild for about four years until a few months ago. Due to some bad decisions and unfortunate events, things have changed. What is worse, I do not know what is wrong.

For context, I had mild tinnitus until some auditory trauma a few months ago. Since then, I have been experiencing a very strange sensation that is hard to describe, but I will try my best. My ears have started pulsing in response to certain sounds and volumes. By pulsing, I do not mean pulsatile tinnitus, as it is not in sync with my heartbeat. This pulsing feels similar to when something hits your ear and it reacts, a physical whooshing sound with tingling. It happens when people talk to me or when certain shows with dialogue are on. It is worse at higher volumes, so I have to turn things down because the sensation becomes overwhelming.

I have also experienced some ear pain, though it does not seem to be directly related to the pulsing sensation. Occasionally, I get a feeling of fullness in my ear, but it is inconsistent. If I have someone on speakerphone, the same thing happens. Apologies if this is difficult to follow, it is hard to explain.

I have only come across one other post from 2017 describing something similar, but it had no replies. So, I do not expect many people to know what this is. My main reason for posting is to vent, put my thoughts into words, and get some of my worries out.

I told myself I would not isolate because of this. Before, I had plans to join clubs, meet new people, and maybe even start dating since I recently moved. But I have found myself doing exactly that, isolating, because I am too nervous to join any clubs for fear of making things worse. I still meet up with friends pretty regularly, so I am not completely withdrawn, but I still feel quite lonely, and this certainly is not helping. I already struggle with severe anxiety, and this has only made it worse. I am scared that one day I will become a hermit, unable to travel or go anywhere because of this.

I have not seen an ENT yet, but I did visit Chime, an NGO for people with tinnitus and hearing loss, for some CBT. The specialist I spoke to said he had not heard of anything like what I am experiencing but suggested that an ENT might be able to help. I am doubtful, though, since aside from that one post in 2017, I have not seen anyone else mention getting a diagnosis for this or living with it.

Thank you for reading this far. Again, I do not expect anyone to have answers, but if you have had a similar experience, I would really like to hear about it.

 

[Scruffiey]

It sounds like it could be TTTS—Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (not to be confused with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome).

TTTS is believed to be at least partially anxiety-related. Resting your ears and protecting them within reason until things settle down wouldn't be a bad idea, but I don't think you need to worry about a lifetime of full hermit mode just yet.

Make sure to maintain your social life, even if you need to let your friends know you'll have to stick to quieter activities for a while. Complete isolation won't help—mental health is half the battle when it comes to tinnitus and everything that comes with it.

If you experience pain or discomfort, don't try to push through it.

Oh, and I've found that sometimes placing a bit of cotton wool in the ear can help. It provides a little extra defense without cutting you off from the world. For me, it seemed to calm the thumping down a bit.

 

[mzrach03]

I have the same kind of vibrations in my ears. I think it is part of the hyperacusis, not the tinnitus, but I am not sure.

Everything sounds amplified, and sometimes I hear bass in my head and feel the vibrations.

I'm two months in after an acoustic shock.

 

[ErikaS]

This sounds like a case of very sensitive TTTS mixed with hyperacusis—essentially what others have mentioned above. You noted some auditory trauma, so think of it as a "hit" to an already vulnerable auditory system. Tiny muscles, nerves, and other structures are now overreacting to sounds, which is why you're experiencing these sensations.

I get similar sensations when I overdo it with sound exposure, experience high stress, or recover from a bad virus or illness that leaves me with fluid and congestion. My suggestion is to stay as calm as possible and remind yourself that your auditory system just needs time in quieter environments to rest.

Try to keep yourself occupied and distracted in low-level sound environments, but avoid overdoing it—your system is already "injured" and needs time to settle. As you've probably read, ears take a long time to heal, so patience is key.

Most importantly, don't fall into the trap of fearing you'll become a hermit. Managing this condition is often a process of trial and error—learning from your experiences and fine-tuning the right balance for your specific situation.