Is a Sudden Increase in Transient Ear Noise Cause for Concern?

Hi all.

I have been struggling with an increase in Transient Ear Noise, or Sudden Brief Unilateral Tapering Tinnitus (SBUTT) on top of my existing tinnitus. I have had chronic 24/7 tinnitus for nearly 3.5 months, and my understanding is that chronic tinnitus individuals tend to have more instances of this phenomenon (basically all noise disappears and is slowly drowned out by a shrill high-pitched ringing, akin to a flashbang, then recovers within 10-20 seconds.)

Everything I read online says SBUTT is benign. That even those without chronic tinnitus get them.

However, they get them maybe once a month. One resource said chronic tinnitus sufferers get them "twice as often." I've experienced it roughly 11-12 x in each ear (separately) this week so far. Has anyone experienced a sudden increase in this phenomenon, and has it led to a worsening of other tinnitus/health symptoms?

Scared,
Mike

 

Unfortunately I can't give you an answer, only that I experience the same thing almost every day.

 

I get the fleeting tinnitus in my left ear occasionally. There was one time it happened like 15 times in one day. If anything, the tinnitus in my left ear has only improved over time.

 

When I first got chronic tinnitus, I would get SBUTT a lot, multiple times a day sometimes, but it's really settled down over the last 2 years. I hope this information helps.

 

I get these fleeting tinnitus episodes from time to time, even many years back when I had mild tinnitus. As long as they keep fading away, I can deal with it. It does seem to happen more now that I have had severe tinnitus for over 2 years. It might be daily - I don't really track it. And I haven't associated it with anything else changing.

 

Sorry to hear that. I am somewhat happy that I am not the only one, though. I hope you are dealing well with it. It frightens the crap out of me!

It does. I think it's just such a weird thing that there isn't much information on it, and that bothers me. I am very much someone who likes to research and the lack of it for things like this is just baffling. I hope you continue to improve.

Thanks. I just have a (probably irrational) fear that it's some sort of sign of worsening. I am sorry to hear you've had to deal with it. I think the most frustrating part is I'll be doing a perfectly fine job ignoring tinnitus and then when it occurs it's impossible to ignore because it's so strange. Hopefully, in time, I'll get used to it, but I doubt it.

 

My tinnitus is still fresh. I've had it since mid-October, so I'm still struggling a lot with anxiety. It's very exciting for me that in these moments my grunt sound (electrical noise and hum) completely disappears and this very high, loud sound arrives. Then everything returns to baseline. I'm always frightened. But it also reassures me that the electrical buzzing has not yet burned into my brain and it can disappear, even if only for a few seconds.

I'm thinking of you and hope that we can deal with it better soon.

 

Same experience.

 

I think this phenomenon is a sign of both.

That is to say, when damage occurs; for example, when a hair cell dies, the fleeting tinnitus is the auditory system recalibrating for the loss.

Also, if healing occurs, the fleeting tinnitus occurs as a sort of test tone as the auditory system adjusts to suddenly hearing from a once dying hair cell.

Just my theory of course, no way of knowing.

 

I agree that this is possible. I'm definitely noticing improvement and I get occasional fleeting tinnitus. My left ear has healed the most and I get it more from that ear.

 

Since the start of my permanent mild tinnitus (+ several other ear issues like TTTS, MEM, etc.) 3 years ago, I have had a lot of SBUTTs. Like A LOT. I remember in my previous non-tinnitus life, I maybe had like 1-2 SBUTTs in a whole year.

Now I mostly get SBUTTs a few times a week, many times a week, a few times a month, but also several times a day sometimes. One day some months ago, I had like 7-9 in a row in the same ear that sent me to the ER. Fortunately, it all recovers within a little while.

I don't think they have affected my overall tinnitus or hearing in any noticeable way, apart from the panic and anxiety they cause coming up so suddenly and frighteningly. The thing is, sometimes they don't include blocked feeling in the ear and the disappearance of my other tinnitus so that complicates things...

 

Same. I'm sorry to hear you have to suffer it too. It's a double-edged sword because it both makes me suddenly aware and also makes me search for my tinnitus because I'm trying to "hear" anything again, and sure enough, it's there. Typically my tinnitus is lower in volume though when it happens, so I guess that is a positive.

Thanks for the input. It seems to have settled down over the past two days. I have no idea what triggers it.

Interesting. It's so nuts to me that nobody really knows what's going on with those of us with these conditions. There is some better research being done, but realistically, even in 2024, we're still in the relative stone age. I would think that my damage mostly occurred when my tinnitus began or before; it's so odd that it would point to damage, so I'd like to think "healing." On the other hand, I just can't see an evolutionary advantage of fleeting tinnitus. I think I've read that it may have to do with some sort of disordered brain signaling, which, from other studies, seems inherent in the case of tinnitus. Other sources seem to claim it's spasming of something like tensor tympani, and I do have loudness hyperacusis. My young daughter's play scream tragically causes a visceral negative reaction that I try desperately to hide, but I have just bought Loop earplugs for the ear impacted, and I tested today that it helps! I read that you need to expose yourself to noise for it to improve, but it only really happens with dishes or the daughter mostly, so I feel I can use it for those situations) / mild TTTMS which results in the stapedius reacting to certain sounds (glassware, knife on cutting board or clanking of silverware on ceramic plates etc.

That would be such a blessing.

 

This happens to me too. At first it used to concern me, but now I know that it's just one of those things that happen, and it gets added to the list of things I have no control over. Have no idea why it happens. As long as it doesn't seem to cause any harm or become permanent, no worries.

 

This has always been a personal theory of mine...

Also, partial blockage (micro-clot, cholesterol, etc.) which temporarily gets hung up.

 

Ah, I get SBUTTs quite a lot! (I do have tons of other ear issues - MEM/TTTS, many tinnitus tones - high pitch variants, crickets chirping, deep revving/humming I can hear and feel & pulsatile tinnitus, slight hearing loss, patulous Eustachian tubes, and sinus issues / ETD at the same time, which is weird lol).

I do get the regular SBUTTs that go quite quickly many times a day on average. It used to be just like once or twice a year (about 12+ years back before any ear issues), but I definitely have gotten them more and more as the years have gone on (with more ear issues). I do wonder why they sometimes go quickly for me, and other times stick around for hours with the muffled hearing and reactivity on top, I can’t figure that out at all. The body/ears are so fascinating and annoying at the same time!

I wish you the best

 

Thanks. My transient ear noise has stopped being so frequent for whatever reason. I still get it almost every day, but only once or twice per ear instead of 6-7x each ear. Also, I have noticed that overall, the trend is the actual sole tinnitus tone I hear is much lower than when it started, when the sole tinnitus tone was a much higher pitch. Just weird.

My ENT looked at me like I was growing a mushroom out of my head when I mentioned these things to them, so, I'm pretty sure they have no idea except to monitor it.

 

That's curious that someone would suggest fleeting tinnitus is the tensor tympani muscle spasming. These are very different from my experience. I have TTTS (tonic tensor tympani syndrome), which is from the tensor tympani muscle contracting and fluttering intermittently to noises from voices and typing, and sometimes thumping spontaneously with no external sound trigger. To me, the tensor tympani muscle contracting is more of a "feeling" of the eardrum fluttering at a low frequency, while fleeting tinnitus is a tone I only "hear," which I also experience occasionally and is very distinguishable from the TTTS symptoms.

 

I really get frustrated sometimes.

I have a cold I'm finally starting to get rid of, but today, it has been a transient tinnitus / SBUTT frenzy. It seems to have to do with specific neck movements triggering it honestly. It happens more frequently when it is overcast. (I know I sound like a nutter when I make those anecdotes, but it's truly baffling trying to pinpoint what the hell is the catalyst for increased SBUTTs).

I've had six each ear so far today.

 

The trouble happens when these SBUTTs become a consistent tone/noise. I'm not sure if it's caused by calcium, but they happen more frequently when I am taking a course of steroids for related issues, especially when the sounds are all off-pitch. I believe this won’t ever go away long-term, even if there is a short-term lull, but I am slowly and surely getting fed up with it. I don’t know how much more of this nonsense can be dealt with without going insane.