Fluctuating (Reactive) Tinnitus Questions

[Liesel]

1) How long have you had tinnitus?
5 months.

2) Has it always fluctuated?
Yes.

3) Do you think your fluctuations are somatic in nature (neck, shoulders, back, TMJ issues)?
Probably. TMJ issues resurfaced soon after tinnitus began.

4) Do you think certain foods or some type of food additive (ie. MSG) causes your T to fluctuate?
I haven't noticed. Even coffee doesn't seem to affect it.

5) Does noisy environments cause it to react and fluctuate?
Very rarely.

6) Does stress or worry cause your T to fluctuate?
Oh man, does it! I had a stress free two weeks at the end of summer, and my T was nearly gone. Back to school, it's nice and high again.

7) When you get headaches is your tinnitus usually louder?
Haven't noticed.

8) Do you think your T actually fluctuates throughout the day or could it be constant and you perceive it to fluctuate based on how you are feeling at any given time, your emotional response or reaction to it in certain situations?
It actually does fluctuate. Certain activities cause my T to lower, or temporarily disappear (!!) without fail.

9) Do you have any hearing loss?
Audiologist says I have very minor high frequency hearing loss. So little my hearing is still "normal" and not considered a candidate for my tinnitus.

10) Has these fluctuations improved over time?
They've evened out since I started school again. Probably because I haven't been able to escape stress at all!

 

[Haru]

I wanna ask something after seeing "reactive tinnitus". Apart from my normal T sounds, I hear a beep whenever there's an outside sound or when I make a move. Part of my T reacts directly to sound. Like a door gets shut, it goes "beep". I breathe deeply or move my arm, it goes beep. I click the keys on the keyboard, it goes beep. Anyone has that kind of thing?

My answers: I've had tinnitus in my right ear for two months now. It has always fluctuated. It reacts to loud environments and sleeplessness a lot. I noticed a difficulty in hearing even if the doctor said my hearing test is normal. Other than that, my T reacts to car rides. It hasn't improved at all.

 

[caffclifton]

Hi @Haru - I get this beeping sensation in certain situations, when i plug my ear it stops but when i un plug its back again. usualy when im listening to the radio in the car or in a crowded area.

Does this still happen to you?

 

[magicman909]

1) How long have you had tinnitus?
Started in June'14, them went away. In march of 2015. I took a nasty fall skiing & it returned a few hours later.

2) Has it always fluctuated?
Yes. Used to be 1 good day, 1 bad day. Started acupuncture & noticed some improvement, but in retrospect, I think it just relaxed me. Now its fairly random... some good days, some really bad days.

3) Do you think your fluctuations are somatic in nature (neck, shoulders, back, TMJ issues)?
Yes. After the skiing accident I had & continue to have pain in my neck & shoulders.

4) Do you think certain foods or some type of food additive (ie. MSG) causes your T to fluctuate?
Never noticed, but had bacon earlier & things got a little noisy. Will watch my Nitrates.

5) Does noisy environments cause it to react and fluctuate?
Only when its "on", it will seem worse.

6) Does stress or worry cause your T to fluctuate?
Maybe, cause when I get very calm, things get quiet.

7) When you get headaches is your tinnitus usually louder?
I think my T causes headached.

8) Do you think your T actually fluctuates throughout the day or could it be constant and you perceive it to fluctuate based on how you are feeling at any given time, your emotional response or reaction to it in certain situations?
It starts out at a certain level & is always worse right before bed.

9) Do you have any hearing loss?
Minor.

10) Has these fluctuations improved over time?
I have periods where I totally forget about it, only to be reminded a few days later.

Erik, on another note, I've read many of your posts. You are extremely knowledgeable & a calming influence. Thank you.

 

[Natalie Roberts]

I am curious to how many here have fluctuating (reactive) tinnitus as I do or perceive that I do. If you do, please answer a few questions? You can just copy the questions and add answers to each. Thank you ahead of time.

1) How long have you had tinnitus?
10 weeks
2) Has it always fluctuated?
Yes
3) Do you think your fluctuations are somatic in nature (neck, shoulders, back, TMJ issues)?
No
4) Do you think certain foods or some type of food additive (ie. MSG) causes your T to fluctuate?

Haven't noticed a correlation as of yet .

5) Does noisy environments cause it to react and fluctuate?

Yes absolutely

6) Does stress or worry cause your T to fluctuate?

100% yes

7) When you get headaches is your tinnitus usually louder?

Don't know

8) Do you think your T actually fluctuates throughout the day or could it be constant and you perceive it to fluctuate based on how you are feeling at any given time, your emotional response or reaction to it in certain situations?

I believe it fluctuates

9) Do you have any hearing loss?
Supposedly mild hearing loss in one ear
10) Has these fluctuations improved over time?
I get more fluctuations meaning more good days then bad now.

 

[Dmitry]

1) How long have you had tinnitus?
4 years

2) Has it always fluctuated?
Difficult to tell, I think it fluctuates in daily cycles - loudest by night. However occasionally it can be really quiet.

3) Do you think your fluctuations are somatic in nature (neck, shoulders, back, TMJ issues)?
No

4) Do you think certain foods or some type of food additive (ie. MSG) causes your T to fluctuate?
Yes, I tend to notice that it diminishes during a bodybuilding diet + creatine.
Alcohol increases my tinnitus, but also makes me "forget" about it.

5) Does noisy environments cause it to react and fluctuate?
Yes definitely, but only spikes and not that significantly.

6) Does stress or worry cause your T to fluctuate?
Yes - anxiety makes my tinnitus louder.

7) When you get headaches is your tinnitus usually louder?
No.

8) Do you think your T actually fluctuates throughout the day or could it be constant and you perceive it to fluctuate based on how you are feeling at any given time, your emotional response or reaction to it in certain situations?
I believe it is based more on emotional response for me, however it still fluctuates slightly.

9) Do you have any hearing loss?
Yes high pitched hearing loss (only hear up to 15000-16000khz (non official tests)

10) Has these fluctuations improved over time?
Can't really tell, I've tried to not pay much attention, however very rarely I can get these huge spikes for no particular reason either in one or both ears that last from 30-60 seconds.

 

[Tinniger]

1) How long have you had tinnitus?
8 months

2) Has it always fluctuated?
I always had better and worse days

3) Do you think your fluctuations are somatic in nature (neck, shoulders, back, TMJ issues)?
I suspect the fluctuations are somatic, but unsure

4) Do you think certain foods or some type of food additive (ie. MSG) causes your T to fluctuate?
It seems to have no influence, but unsure.

5) Does noisy environments cause it to react and fluctuate?
Noise seems to have no influence

6) Does stress or worry cause your T to fluctuate?
Stress seems to have no influence, blood pressure has no influence

7) When you get headaches is your tinnitus usually louder?
I do not have headache.

8) Do you think your T actually fluctuates throughout the day or could it be constant and you perceive it to fluctuate based on how you are feeling at any given time, your emotional response or reaction to it in certain situations?
Perception may play a role, but it is not enough to explain.

9) Do you have any hearing loss?
Mild at high frequencies, not much worse than age related.

10) Has these fluctuations improved over time?
No