I Can Double or Triple My Tinnitus Volume by Tensing My Neck

[Julia]

I've had on-off tinnitus for almost ten years and now I've tried some neck exercises that can even triple my tinnitus while doing them. It gets really loud when tensing my neck with exercises.

I have a normal hearing and the cause of tinnitus is unknown. It has been on and off, at best it was completely away for more than a year, but now it has been horrible again.

I don't have any neck pain or headaches but I do sit in horrible positions a lot of time every day when texting on my phone.

Could it be the key to my tinnitus? If it can be modulated by tensing neck so maybe it has something to do with neck muscles?

 

[MikeB1996]

Hey there, I got my tinnitus after going to a loud 12 hour rave (only arrived to stay for 6 hours) drink didn't help because I basically danced right beside the speaker.. Anyways when I turn my head to either side when I can barely turn more my tinnitus gets louder too.. I'm fairly sure everyone is like that but I'd like others to post if it happens to them.

 

[Aaron44126]

This is somatic tinnitus and it is fairly common... I've noticed that my tinnitus gets louder if I open my mouth really wide, and recently I've also noticed changes in the sound if I bend my head/neck a certain way (sometimes when bending down to pick something up).

I looked into this a while back and ran across this article that describes it in some detail. It looks like any number of things may cause somatic tinnitus. The article states that about two thirds of patients in a particular clinic could modulate their tinnitus with head or neck movements.
https://www.tinnitusformula.com/library/somatic-tinnitus/

My tinnitus is from ETD and I attribute this to just small changes in the Eustachian tube and middle ear area as my head is turned or stretched.

If yours is really from your neck muscles, you may benefit from a neck massage (I've read stories of that helping people) and just being more careful with your posture.

 

[Chezombie]

I've just discovered the same thing happens with me. Mine is so bad I cannot sleep at the moment, I moved my neck trying to get comfortable last night and it made my right ear (my Tinnitus ear) hurt, and I've just tried tensing my neck and yeah, it does get a LOT louder.

I have several muscle related issues linked to my 'unverified mystery condition' and I've just recently started getting jerks and spasms in my neck and shoulders, so I really wonder if this is why my Tinnitus has got worse at the same time these issues began?.

 

[Julia]

I also notice that my tinnitus is horrible in the morning. It's like my whole brain has a fire alarm on. In the evening it's more like a mild ringing in the ears but when I wake up it's all over my head. It's creepy.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Have you been using earphones since you got T? They could be making your tinnitus worse...

 

[PaulBe]

Julia, your presentation sounds identical to mine. I tense, it spikes up while the tension is on. I relax, its back down.....and the mornings.....dear God....I usually fit an earplug, and slowly let it out over the course of the morning, letting the sound in slowly. Mostly I'm OK after that until the following morning.