Low Frequency Tinnitus

[Username2153]

Hey, sorry for the delay and long reply, I wanted to cover everything you asked.

Yep, I have considered TTTS or stapedius spasm in the early days but started to move away from it as it doesn't appear to explain a lot of the unique traits/isn't solved with cutting in nearly all cases I saw. In a way I'm sure many of us hope it would be that since we have physical access to cut it/it may change over time.

I think the suppression from loud noise is far more likely a temporary threshold shift (than long term muscle spasm unless you have any evidence?), which happens any time you are exposed to loud sounds, it happens at all effected frequencies and in the cochlea.

Here are some more reasons why I don't think it's tensor tympani/middle ear reflex related.

• Tensor tympani is generally known to create loud pops/clicking and low muscle rumble/roar (put a tensed fist to ear if you want to get an idea) - both of these can be stopped by cutting the muscle. However, there is close to zero success stories with cutting the muscles to stop the sub hum.
• The frequency pitch of the hum is seemingly stable, which spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and regular tinnitus generally are. If it were muscle tensing you'd probably experience a variety of speeds/frequencies/clear fluttering.
• The fact that some people experience amplification of quiet bass sounds suggest it is amplification related, which is mostly the responsibility of outer hair cells.
• Only bass frequencies or sounds with some bass suppress the hum. Sounds with bass EQ'd out do not. Possibly suggesting it to be isolated to a specific part of the cochlea(apex) either inner or outer hair cells.
• Tensor tympani reflex: Loud sounds in one ear are known to create an acoustic reflex in BOTH ears - however, with the hum, playing bass in opposing ear(headphones) does not stop the hum in the other.
• However, low buz/hum has been reported with the less popular "stapedius spasm". So maybe something to look into there?

I rarely get temporary threshold shifts in upper frequencies when I wear earplugs (last 13 years) as they are easily blocked out. However, low frequencies remain far less protected by earplugs. So it's quite possible we're still able to experience some kind of threshold shift/inhibition there when going to loud places or a plane ride with 85-90 dB of sub for hours, maybe even some form of damage over time for louder volumes. Temporary threshold shifts last few a few days, correlating with our suppression experience for several days.

Is there evidence that suggests the tenor tympani also remains tensed after noise exposure?

From what I understand those two muscles are engaged based on volume signals via hair cells, the brain then sends messages back to the muscles with different 'efferent' nerves to create the reflex. so maybe there is a connection there, i.e. muscle flutters because its getting confused signals in the damage low freq cells, but likely not due to the stability mentioned above.

To answer your other questions...

I haven't found that loud sounds make it directly worse, especially not in the days after exposure which is why it's tricky. If anything is gets better/disappears temporarily. I know someone who said once he stooped caring and continued living his life it went away. Meaning he stopped avoiding sound and just continued on going out etc. which long term seemed to suppress the symptom.

Yes, I wear earplugs even in restaurants as I experience a distortion in one ear with sounds above 77 dB or so. And now I'm paranoid about bass so I even wear them on planes (eek). Otherwise no, I wouldn't need them at that level.

I definitely wear them at a bar or club. Gotta remember that even if the volume is only 85 dB in a bar, someone is shouting in your ear at 100 dB AND dB(A) ratings don't even measure bass, it's excluded. So when you have a 95 dBA reading in a bar/club you're probably being exposed to 105 dB of subs. Same goes with cars and plans which are significantly bass heavy. Even though low frequencies are vibrational and harder to damage, you'd think the fact we can't protect them properly may play a role in all this? Then you'd also expect flight attendants to have this issue after 15 years which i haven't seen.

One part of me wants to believe that this isn't related to damage at all, and feeding the ear low sound actually suppresses this weird symptom for whatever reason, which would be great it if it was simply the tensor tympani muscle. However, that feels like wishful thinking, we'll know with more time I guess.

Based on everything I've read I believe SOAE better explain nearly all the unique traits of low hum tinnitus. I promise to outline the full theory when I have more time to finish reading up. The good thing is SOAE aren't usually associated with damage and also they are objectively audible by special microphone. So I might look into getting that tested. It is even mentioned as a cause for the TAO HUM people hear: reddit.com/r/TheHum/comments/qtd09w/what_is_the_hum_explained/

When I saw a guy who has researched the topic for years saying this, it really made me more confident.

Also, here's an example of how earplugs don't protect the low frequencies, which is scary to me and could be an explanation as to possible damage in the low frequencies at least for my personal case. Whether this damage be traditional hearing loss or mechanical. Low frequencies vibrate a lot and could potentially be moving something else. Could also just be a coincidence as it has long been thought near impossible to damage low frequencies significantly.

View attachment 50884

Wow, thanks for the information. I suffer from a buzzing/vibration tinnitus that's easily irritated by low frequencies, like surround sound speakers. Higher frequencies I can stand a LOT better.

 

[Benjaminbb]

I would say mine behaves similar to yours in that it stops when I shake my head, swallow, clench my jaw or hear a certain type of low frequency sound. It can also sometimes be suppressed for a day or two after a flight. Given this is not how regular tinnitus acts, I'm thinking maybe this device is not as applicable.

It sounds like your condition has improved over time though - would you even seek out a treatment at this point if something became available or are you in a good enough place that it doesn't bother you much any more?

Yes, I haven't really had to deal with it for 95% of the last 3 months.

It started with a trip where I spent most of the time outside for 10 days, then when I got back I went out about once a week and the air conditioner was running in the distance for 5 hours a day. That's the only thing I can think that kept it suppressed or inhibited. To be clear, it doesn't appear in silence.

Fits with my theory that the longer it's suppressed, the harder it's to come back.

It came back after a night where I was at a friend's house and a girl was screaming all night, it came along with pain but was gone again in a few days.

Although I have had that bass amplification thing probably 20% of the time, where a car driving past outside sounds strange and louder. Seems to happen if I tire my ears or overstimulate them with music.

It's really hard to tell if I'm just experiencing temporary suppression during the summer or if it's actually disappeared for the most part.

Arguably I'm not doing anything too dangerous by going out with earplugs and you wouldn't expect a flight or night out to suppress it for a week or two.

Hopefully, its intensity has simply tapered off even temporarily. I'll be able to tell once the air conditioner is no longer needed for so much of the day. I'll keep you updated if that seems to be the case. My hum was 'on' most of the last 6 months before that so it could be a good sign that we can get large breaks from this.

 

[Benjaminbb]

Wow, thanks for the information. I suffer from a buzzing/vibration tinnitus that's easily irritated by low frequencies, like surround sound speakers. Higher frequencies I can stand a LOT better.

Do you have a reason as to why this could be?

Long-term exposure to loud noise or bass?

Did it come on suddenly for you?

 

[Mark Crawford]

I recently joined this club, unfortunately.

This post might be long and messy, which applies to my situation in general, so sorry about that.

Symptoms I have:

• Low frequency pure tone tinnitus, definitely under 100 Hz.
• It disappears (not masked, disappears) when external sound volume reaches some volume. Lower frequency sounds make the tinnitus disappear more effectively/earlier.
• After an external sound that made the tinnitus disappear stops, it takes half a second or so for the tinnitus to start again.
• The tinnitus will sometimes come and go during conversation, reappearing during gaps between words or sentences.
• The tinnitus can disappear for longer periods of time (minutes to hours) following a period of prolonged exposure to safe sound levels, for example a car trip or a shower.
• Shaking my head, like many have experienced, makes it disappear for half a second similarly to how external sounds do.
• If I bend down to pick something up, the tinnitus might get louder for like half a second.
• When I wake up it's sometimes not as loud as it usually is, but the second I sit up in my bed it gets worse.

Other things I've noticed which might not be related:

• I've experienced light dizziness since a few days after the onset. Additionally I have some nystagmus, where my eyes will kind of "vibrate" quickly back and forth for a split second. Never had that before and it only happens once or twice a day.
• It feels like I've got some pressure inside my head, mostly noticeable behind my eyes/nose, neck, and top of my head.
• I had two separate days last week where my tensor tympani muscle in my right ear was spasming every other second. TTTS?

Since my onset happened quite recently, I can remember what I did during the day:

1. It was a normal day until later in the evening.
2. I went to lie in bed for a bit so I could do some relaxation exercises and some listening exercises (I had mild tinnitus prior to this). The relaxation exercise involves tensing and releasing muscle groups in my arms, shoulders, face, and neck. The listening exercises involve just listening to soundscapes to take focus away from the tinnitus. I was doing the listening exercise using some wireless earbuds, with NC off (more about this later). Toward the end of the listening exercise I got some unusually severe fleeting tinnitus, which subsided after a minute or two.
3. Following that I felt fine and normal, though later in the day I ended up being quite stressed and anxious about some dental work I had scheduled for the day after.
4. When going to bed that day, I heard some low frequency rumbling which sounded like some road work outside, though when I went outside I heard nothing. After that I thought it must be something from the person living above me. The noise seemingly went away when using ear plugs, in addition to the sound seeming louder in some places in the apartment than others, which frankly still leads me to think the sound in question was external, though I could be mistaken.
5. After lying in bed hearing the sound for a couple of hours not being able to sleep I ended up driving elsewhere, though when I got there I could still hear the sound, and it's remained since then.

If anything I did that day caused it, I would assume it was the few minutes where I was stressing out about the dental work the next day. It's also worth noting I had an MRI scan done 3 days prior, which of course involves some loud sounds, including low frequency ones. I was obviously wearing earplugs and the noise never got that uncomfortable, even with some mild hyperacusis.

I mentioned above that I was going to mention noise cancellation (NC) on my earbuds. Well over a year ago when I bought the earbuds, I tried them out for maybe 30 minutes. The day afterwards my hearing had gone all wonky; external lower frequency sounds were boosted, and it was hard to hear where sounds came from. It sounded like sounds came from inside my head as opposed to externally. The situation fixed itself the day after and my ears were fine. I would assume that whatever caused that to happen is somewhat related to this low frequency tinnitus issue, and it's interesting (though anecdotal) how NC seemed to have triggered it in my case.

I don't check this forum often, so I might not immediately respond to quotes here. I have an ENT appointment soon.

 

[Username2153]

Do you have a reason as to why this could be?

Long-term exposure to loud noise or bass?

Did it come on suddenly for you?

Yes, all was well until I attended a concert but I didn't go very close to any speakers. I think my ears are just intolerant compared to others. Very deep bass from the concert likely damaged them.

 

[Della]

@Mark Crawford, just a hello and welcome from another long-suffering member of the club. Hang in there, and I hope you have a good visit with your ENT.

Best wishes,
Della

 

[Benjaminbb]

I recently joined this club, unfortunately.

This post might be long and messy, which applies to my situation in general, so sorry about that.

Symptoms I have:

• Low frequency pure tone tinnitus, definitely under 100 Hz.
• It disappears (not masked, disappears) when external sound volume reaches some volume. Lower frequency sounds make the tinnitus disappear more effectively/earlier.
• After an external sound that made the tinnitus disappear stops, it takes half a second or so for the tinnitus to start again.
• The tinnitus will sometimes come and go during conversation, reappearing during gaps between words or sentences.
• The tinnitus can disappear for longer periods of time (minutes to hours) following a period of prolonged exposure to safe sound levels, for example a car trip or a shower.
• Shaking my head, like many have experienced, makes it disappear for half a second similarly to how external sounds do.
• If I bend down to pick something up, the tinnitus might get louder for like half a second.
• When I wake up it's sometimes not as loud as it usually is, but the second I sit up in my bed it gets worse.

Other things I've noticed which might not be related:

• I've experienced light dizziness since a few days after the onset. Additionally I have some nystagmus, where my eyes will kind of "vibrate" quickly back and forth for a split second. Never had that before and it only happens once or twice a day.
• It feels like I've got some pressure inside my head, mostly noticeable behind my eyes/nose, neck, and top of my head.
• I had two separate days last week where my tensor tympani muscle in my right ear was spasming every other second. TTTS?

Since my onset happened quite recently, I can remember what I did during the day:

1. It was a normal day until later in the evening.
2. I went to lie in bed for a bit so I could do some relaxation exercises and some listening exercises (I had mild tinnitus prior to this). The relaxation exercise involves tensing and releasing muscle groups in my arms, shoulders, face, and neck. The listening exercises involve just listening to soundscapes to take focus away from the tinnitus. I was doing the listening exercise using some wireless earbuds, with NC off (more about this later). Toward the end of the listening exercise I got some unusually severe fleeting tinnitus, which subsided after a minute or two.
3. Following that I felt fine and normal, though later in the day I ended up being quite stressed and anxious about some dental work I had scheduled for the day after.
4. When going to bed that day, I heard some low frequency rumbling which sounded like some road work outside, though when I went outside I heard nothing. After that I thought it must be something from the person living above me. The noise seemingly went away when using ear plugs, in addition to the sound seeming louder in some places in the apartment than others, which frankly still leads me to think the sound in question was external, though I could be mistaken.
5. After lying in bed hearing the sound for a couple of hours not being able to sleep I ended up driving elsewhere, though when I got there I could still hear the sound, and it's remained since then.

If anything I did that day caused it, I would assume it was the few minutes where I was stressing out about the dental work the next day. It's also worth noting I had an MRI scan done 3 days prior, which of course involves some loud sounds, including low frequency ones. I was obviously wearing earplugs and the noise never got that uncomfortable, even with some mild hyperacusis.

I mentioned above that I was going to mention noise cancellation (NC) on my earbuds. Well over a year ago when I bought the earbuds, I tried them out for maybe 30 minutes. The day afterwards my hearing had gone all wonky; external lower frequency sounds were boosted, and it was hard to hear where sounds came from. It sounded like sounds came from inside my head as opposed to externally. The situation fixed itself the day after and my ears were fine. I would assume that whatever caused that to happen is somewhat related to this low frequency tinnitus issue, and it's interesting (though anecdotal) how NC seemed to have triggered it in my case.

I don't check this forum often, so I might not immediately respond to quotes here. I have an ENT appointment soon.

Very interesting with the fleeting tinnitus - mine started from a tail end of a fleeting tinnitus episode too. I was having these long loud bouts of fleeting tinnitus for a few months before all my symptoms started coming on. I had never had it like that in my life before. Like 70 dB or more and would take 30 minutes to fade. Always a different pitch.

On the day the hum started I had a 1 kHz fleeting tinnitus which is pretty low for fleeting tinnitus, it warped around in pitch then the soft hum started instantly after.

Then on/off loud hum started later. Pain 5 months later.

Re: noise cancelling. That's also quite interesting. Were you possibly just listening to something with a lot of bass?

 

[Mark Crawford]

Very interesting with the fleeting tinnitus - mine started from a tail end of a fleeting tinnitus episode too. I was having these long loud bouts of fleeting tinnitus for a few months before all my symptoms started coming on. I had never had it like that in my life before. Like 70 dB or more and would take 30 minutes to fade. Always a different pitch.

On the day the hum started I had a 1 kHz fleeting tinnitus which is pretty low for fleeting tinnitus, it warped around in pitch then the soft hum started instantly after.

Then on/off loud hum started later. Pain 5 months later.

Re: noise cancelling. That's also quite interesting. Were you possibly just listening to something with a lot of bass?

Yeah I also had more than normal amounts of fleeting tinnitus preceding the onset of this low frequency tinnitus.

And no, I don't think the noise cancellation situation was caused by a lot of bass, it happened a couple of times and both times after using noise cancelling earbuds. I also have a pair of noise cancelling headphones and it never happened with those, which is weird. If my current situation is related to too much bass then that would likely be because of the MRI scan that I had, which had some quite loud low frequency noise which earplugs obviously don't protect as well against. I'm not sure if that's related though as this happened like 3 days later.

What kind of pain do you have? Just normal ear pain? Or like pressure/fullness too?

 

[HeavyMantra]

Reading through this thread again. It's insane how specific some of these symptoms are, like it stopping and starting rapidly when talking or when other sounds of moderate level are heard. Exactly like mine to an eerie degree. Mine came in these insanely loud attacks though, like someone pushed a button. Because of the extreme loudness I could confirm that it was gone when vocalizing, not just masked.

My loud hum "attacks" have been completely gone for... I want to say a year? At least the loud ones where I had to instantly take a low dose of Mirtazapine to even begin to cope with or sleep through. The lower level of more prolonged hum is also gone since 6 months, or at least from my consciousness. I'd like to think this can give you hope. I never thought I would catch a break with my tinnitus, and with my normal tinnitus I have not...

When I had these "attacks" it honestly felt like this is something completely different from my normal tinnitus. I thought it must have to do with middle ear muscle spasms or ETD issues, but I saw some very interesting suggestions on other mechanisms in this thread.

I have asked many ENTs and PhD audiologists about this. None of them seem to think this would be different from normal tinnitus, except one who suggested vascular loops as a cause. That would not create a humming sound such as this though she said.

 

[Benjaminbb]

Yeah I also had more than normal amounts of fleeting tinnitus preceding the onset of this low frequency tinnitus.

And no, I don't think the noise cancellation situation was caused by a lot of bass, it happened a couple of times and both times after using noise cancelling earbuds. I also have a pair of noise cancelling headphones and it never happened with those, which is weird. If my current situation is related to too much bass then that would likely be because of the MRI scan that I had, which had some quite loud low frequency noise which earplugs obviously don't protect as well against. I'm not sure if that's related though as this happened like 3 days later.

What kind of pain do you have? Just normal ear pain? Or like pressure/fullness too?

In the ear that has the worse bass hum, i get sensitive to low or loud sounds.

If I make music louder for a while (above 70 dB) or use headphones for music, it can come on as a delayed pain which aches. Which is different to my other ear, which is sudden and fades quick more like regular hyperacusis.

It's quite hard to pinpoint the bass ear pain as it fades in and out. Sometimes the hum and pain seem completely unrelated, i.e. I can have pain without hum and hum without pain, so truly I do not know if they're directly correlated.

I don't really have any fullness on the bass ear. It does feel funny when it hurts but not that same as full blown fullness people get where it feels blocked or wet.

 

[Ben Winders]

Just something I'm doing at night that may help other people.

Sleep on your arm (see image below for illustration).

I'll explain (bear with me as it is a bit hard to explain and it sounds a bit loco but it works).

Most people with low frequency tinnitus can stop the humming by putting a finger in their humming ear. This is because of the noise the finger makes against the ear canal.

This can be duplicated by putting your bad ear (assuming you only have one humming ear) on your arm, but it has to be on the inside of the arm - the part that has the tendons and the veins pumping the blood.

The veins pumping the blood will also cause an extra noise that suppresses the humming.

Important to note is that just laying on your arm at rest is not enough. There needs to be tension on the tendons for them to make the noise (just like finger in ear works, but 'dead' earplug in ear does not work), so what I do is put my thumb underneath my middle finger so it gets "stuck" there.

This part is the hardest to explain as it only needs a bit of 'tension' to produce noise, and this can be done while trying to catch your sleep (it does not need much concentration or muscle to keep the thumb in the locked position, you'll have to see what works for you here).

That tension is enough for the tendons to produce a constant sound that suppress (most days) my hum.

You'll have to tweak your 'settings' a bit to see what works for you, but I like this better than having a white noise machine on.

I hope this helps someone - if only one person.

 

[Moby]

Just something I'm doing at night that may help other people.

Sleep on your arm (see image below for illustration).

I'll explain (bear with me as it is a bit hard to explain and it sounds a bit loco but it works).

Most people with low frequency tinnitus can stop the humming by putting a finger in their humming ear. This is because of the noise the finger makes against the ear canal.

This can be duplicated by putting your bad ear (assuming you only have one humming ear) on your arm, but it has to be on the inside of the arm - the part that has the tendons and the veins pumping the blood.

The veins pumping the blood will also cause an extra noise that suppresses the humming.

Important to note is that just laying on your arm at rest is not enough. There needs to be tension on the tendons for them to make the noise (just like finger in ear works, but 'dead' earplug in ear does not work), so what I do is put my thumb underneath my middle finger so it gets "stuck" there.

This part is the hardest to explain as it only needs a bit of 'tension' to produce noise, and this can be done while trying to catch your sleep (it does not need much concentration or muscle to keep the thumb in the locked position, you'll have to see what works for you here).

That tension is enough for the tendons to produce a constant sound that suppress (most days) my hum.

You'll have to tweak your 'settings' a bit to see what works for you, but I like this better than having a white noise machine on.

I hope this helps someone - if only one person.

View attachment 51743

Thanks for the tip Ben - nice idea! I'm going to give it a go.

I've got exactly the same type of tinnitus that everyone has described - low hum, turns off with other bassy sounds or when talking and shaking my head etc. - and would love to get to the bottom of it. I have recently felt a sensation of vibration throughout my body and so I'm doing some further investigations into some of the things I hope it's not being caused by, like Parkinson's and MS.

But I was just wondering if anybody else has either whacko wisdom teeth and / or a very deviated septum? I first noticed my hum come on when I had COVID-19 and I'm wondering whether it might have caused inflammation of the nerves around my sinuses / wisdom teeth (which go right up into my sinuses) and then has continued to play havoc since. Just throwing out theories! Does this fit for anyone else's experience?

 

[Simona]

I've been using the position @Ben Winders described above for some time now, and it actually helps me fall asleep reasonably peacefully.

@Moby, both of the circumstances you described actually applied to me: A very deeply rooted wisdom tooth (on the top of the affected ear) and a crooked nasal septum. The tooth was removed by surgery and then it was actually quiet for some time. Until I stopped taking the painkillers. And I had my nose-surgery about 1 year ago. I had silence about 1 week after the surgery there too. Unfortunately, then the hum came back with full force.

I don't want to destroy your hopes, the hum is different for everyone. I would still try everything possible. But after almost 10 years, I am close to resigning myself to it. I think I will never find out the cause. I used to think I could never live with it, but humans are amazingly adaptable.

 

[Benjaminbb]

I've been using the position @Ben Winders described above for some time now, and it actually helps me fall asleep reasonably peacefully.

@Moby, both of the circumstances you described actually applied to me: A very deeply rooted wisdom tooth (on the top of the affected ear) and a crooked nasal septum. The tooth was removed by surgery and then it was actually quiet for some time. Until I stopped taking the painkillers. And I had my nose-surgery about 1 year ago. I had silence about 1 week after the surgery there too. Unfortunately, then the hum came back with full force.

I don't want to destroy your hopes, the hum is different for everyone. I would still try everything possible. But after almost 10 years, I am close to resigning myself to it. I think I will never find out the cause. I used to think I could never live with it, but humans are amazingly adaptable.

Interesting story.

Over those 10 years, has it come and gone for significant periods of time? Or stayed the same?

Assuming yours also cuts out with other sounds?

 

[Simona]

Over those 10 years, has it come and gone for significant periods of time? Or stayed the same?

Assuming yours also cuts out with other sounds?

I have the same symptoms as most here. It has been a constant back and forth over the last few years: Sometimes it was quiet for days or even for several weeks, but then I had phases where it was constantly there day and night. Unfortunately, I have noticed that over the years there are fewer and fewer quiet periods. I have learned to deal with it, but the back and forth is difficult. In my head I constantly think that there must be a reason for it. But the search for the cause becomes exhausting with time.

 

[Benjaminbb]

I have the same symptoms as most here. It has been a constant back and forth over the last few years: Sometimes it was quiet for days or even for several weeks, but then I had phases where it was constantly there day and night. Unfortunately, I have noticed that over the years there are fewer and fewer quiet periods. I have learned to deal with it, but the back and forth is difficult. In my head I constantly think that there must be a reason for it. But the search for the cause becomes exhausting with time.

I can assure you there's a weird reason for it.

As mine came back a bit recently, I was able to get that renewed perspective again. I sat there as it flickered on and off like a switch, 50 dB of sub frequencies and back to zero by the second. That ain't how normal tinnitus works. I'm still certain it is mechanical in nature or some kind of feedback loop (although not muscular imo).

 

[Simona]

I just find it strange that we all have more or less the same symptoms and yet there doesn't seem to be a doctor in this world who can explain our particular form of tinnitus. Not even close.

 

[Benjaminbb]

I just find it strange that we all have more or less the same symptoms and yet there doesn't seem to be a doctor in this world who can explain our particular form of tinnitus. Not even close.

None have studied it. Doctors learn a very limited set of information on the ears. You'd need to really understand all mechanics of the ear to stand a chance.

At one point I almost reached out to an audiologist with all the information I've collected and studies read to get his perspective on what mechanism could be causing it (if outside of regular hearing loss and tinnitus causes).

I feel like if someone dedicated enough time there would be a few experiments and theories that could be explored. Maybe even a possible solution. I toned down my research because I wasn't affected for the last 4 months.

 

[Della]

I too have long been baffled by the seeming total lack of interest in solving this puzzle... especially since so many people suffer from the various forms of tinnitus. Just someone with a healthy curiosity... is that really too much to ask?

 

[Ben Winders]

I mentioned this before, but since we are discussing cause again, I think it's still mindblowing to read that:

When I wake up in the morning I have two "settings" my low hum puts itself in.

After an entire night of not having too much input, it seems my ears need to start up and by the slightest sound (girlfriend saying something or even me rubbing the sheets producing a "shhhhhhh" noise) my humming tinnitus will turn about 5x louder than baseline.

I can bring that 5x back down to baseline by swallowing once. That's it. It's like a gearbox.

Two things:

1) OR this thing really IS mechanical and me swallowing corrects something.
2) OR the swallowing also makes a noise that brings the louder 5x version back to baseline.

But again: what regular tinnitus does this. It's basically like an on/off switch (off being 'baseline', unfortunately).

 

[Thomas L]

OR this thing really IS mechanical and me swallowing corrects something.

If my Eustachian tubes are acting up and the pressure is uneven, I'd hear my buzz louder because my ears aren't hearing as well but swallowing (or any other way of opening Eustachian tubes up) would correct pressure and the ear drum would then work normally which would bring the buzz back to baseline since it'd get droned to more sound if that makes sense. I wonder if this is the same for you.

I don't think this is regular tinnitus since for me it can go away completely for days, I'm talking real silence, then comes back for days/weeks.

 

[Benjaminbb]

If my Eustachian tubes are acting up and the pressure is uneven, I'd hear my buzz louder because my ears aren't hearing as well but swallowing (or any other way of opening Eustachian tubes up) would correct pressure and the ear drum would then work normally which would bring the buzz back to baseline since it'd get droned to more sound if that makes sense. I wonder if this is the same for you.

I don't think this is regular tinnitus since for me it can go away completely for days, I'm talking real silence, then comes back for days/weeks.

I mean the fact that it turns on and off within seconds for some of us is a pretty good sign it's not regular. I think I might have had this longer than I first thought and have a vague memory that I had always assumed it was a neck muscle tensing - until it got louder.

 

[LisaW1]

Ah - the number #1 go-to YouTube video for low drone tinnitus sufferers. I have this on (at very low volume) during the night. If I don't have it on, the drone will start back up.

Important part here being: VERY LOW VOLUME. It seems enough to keep my brain busy not to start up the drone. Very strange. It is almost as if my ear/brain, when it does not get the low noise input, says "dang, he needs low frequency noise, let's start it up."

Hello @Ben Winders, I have been reading your posts and I think I have something similar. I was exposed to multiple gunshots 10 days ago while wearing ear protection (that apparently wasn't sufficient). My hearing was muffled also with hyperacusis for several days, and hearing loss in my left ear for higher frequencies, but it seems to have equalized with my right ear and went back to "normal." I was feeling good enough to go to the gym and lifted some weights (nothing crazy) 3 days ago.

When I woke up the morning after, I thought there was a car idling in the driveway. I went to the window to look. Nothing. It was my left ear that has been giving a low-frequency hum around 200 Hz. I am 95% certain it is *not* constant, as in the sound is not masked by other sounds, but it stops and starts. It is *almost* like my ear wants to constantly hear a sound in this range, whether external or internal. If not external, then it will ring by itself to generate this frequency.

It stops temporarily with the following:

- Eating, talking, my own humming, swallowing, chewing with mouth open wide, whistling, yawning, inhaling/exhaling sharply
- Listening to other sounds at a certain dB
- when someone is talking to me, but pauses in their talking will lead to the humming sound starting again

It gets louder when:

- I am in yoga downward dog position or anything with my head upside down

My ENT appointment is 5 weeks out but I am trying to get an earlier appointment.

I have done some light reading on tonic tensor tympani syndrome, and I wonder if this might be related to that. I was exposed to loud noise, and the muscle may be acting as a protection against future loud noises by contracting. It seems to be functioning normally with eating/talking and other activities that would normally tense this muscle. But I am not sure what is causing the low hum.

Do you have any similarities with this? Hope you are finding improvement in your condition.

 

[Ben Winders]

Hello @Ben Winders, I have been reading your posts and I think I have something similar. I was exposed to multiple gunshots 10 days ago while wearing ear protection (that apparently wasn't sufficient). My hearing was muffled also with hyperacusis for several days, and hearing loss in my left ear for higher frequencies, but it seems to have equalized with my right ear and went back to "normal." I was feeling good enough to go to the gym and lifted some weights (nothing crazy) 3 days ago.

When I woke up the morning after, I thought there was a car idling in the driveway. I went to the window to look. Nothing. It was my left ear that has been giving a low-frequency hum around 200 Hz. I am 95% certain it is *not* constant, as in the sound is not masked by other sounds, but it stops and starts. It is *almost* like my ear wants to constantly hear a sound in this range, whether external or internal. If not external, then it will ring by itself to generate this frequency.

It stops temporarily with the following:

- Eating, talking, my own humming, swallowing, chewing with mouth open wide, whistling, yawning, inhaling/exhaling sharply
- Listening to other sounds at a certain dB
- when someone is talking to me, but pauses in their talking will lead to the humming sound starting again

It gets louder when:

- I am in yoga downward dog position or anything with my head upside down

My ENT appointment is 5 weeks out but I am trying to get an earlier appointment.

I have done some light reading on tonic tensor tympani syndrome, and I wonder if this might be related to that. I was exposed to loud noise, and the muscle may be acting as a protection against future loud noises by contracting. It seems to be functioning normally with eating/talking and other activities that would normally tense this muscle. But I am not sure what is causing the low hum.

Do you have any similarities with this? Hope you are finding improvement in your condition.

Hi Lisa,

Certainly a lot of similarities.

Regarding your remark that you are 95% sure it is not constant: I had that in the beginning too. I described it somewhere in this thread (or in another one) as it was actually behaving like an old stuttering engine and then finally just stopping.

3 years in, that no longer happens. It is now constant.

Not saying that that is actually what is happening to all of us - I have read many stories of people that have it gone for long periods of time.

My buzzing gets louder too when I'm upside down, or - in my case - when I'm on my back.

Tensor Tympani is not causing this hum, in my opinion. I kind of wish it was, because then I would at least have the surgery option (with a risk of bringing in more hyperacusis, but there would still be a chance of getting rid of the buzzing).

Two reasons to assume it is not Tensor Tympani:

1) I was diagnosed by one of the leading Tensor Tympani doctors at Cambridge (this doctor also does a lot of the surgeries). I described my symptoms to him and he is saying that it's probably not Tensor Tympani.

2) My ear does flutter sometimes, that is - the Tensor Tympani - so I know how it sounds / feels and it is definitely something else than my regular buzzing.

My buzzing is definitely a brother/sister of my high frequency beeping and mild hearing loss at 8000 Hz... they both have the same cause (my acoustic accidents) - unclear why it sounds like a buzzing, nerve damage? Nobody knows.

How are you handling your new "friend"? Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Benjaminbb]

Hi Lisa,

Certainly a lot of similarities.

Regarding your remark that you are 95% sure it is not constant: I had that in the beginning too. I described it somewhere in this thread (or in another one) as it was actually behaving like an old stuttering engine and then finally just stopping.

3 years in, that no longer happens. It is now constant.

Not saying that that is actually what is happening to all of us - I have read many stories of people that have it gone for long periods of time.

My buzzing gets louder too when I'm upside down, or - in my case - when I'm on my back.

Tensor Tympani is not causing this hum, in my opinion. I kind of wish it was, because then I would at least have the surgery option (with a risk of bringing in more hyperacusis, but there would still be a chance of getting rid of the buzzing).

Two reasons to assume it is not Tensor Tympani:

1) I was diagnosed by one of the leading Tensor Tympani doctors at Cambridge (this doctor also does a lot of the surgeries). I described my symptoms to him and he is saying that it's probably not Tensor Tympani.

2) My ear does flutter sometimes, that is - the Tensor Tympani - so I know how it sounds / feels and it is definitely something else than my regular buzzing.

My buzzing is definitely a brother/sister of my high frequency beeping and mild hearing loss at 8000 Hz... they both have the same cause (my acoustic accidents) - unclear why it sounds like a buzzing, nerve damage? Nobody knows.

How are you handling your new "friend"? Let me know if you have any other questions.

Damn Ben. Sorry to hear it's constant now. How and when did that transition occur?

Do you still have louder spikes that turn on and off?

 

[LisaW1]

Hi Lisa,

Certainly a lot of similarities.

Regarding your remark that you are 95% sure it is not constant: I had that in the beginning too. I described it somewhere in this thread (or in another one) as it was actually behaving like an old stuttering engine and then finally just stopping.

3 years in, that no longer happens. It is now constant.

Not saying that that is actually what is happening to all of us - I have read many stories of people that have it gone for long periods of time.

My buzzing gets louder too when I'm upside down, or - in my case - when I'm on my back.

Tensor Tympani is not causing this hum, in my opinion. I kind of wish it was, because then I would at least have the surgery option (with a risk of bringing in more hyperacusis, but there would still be a chance of getting rid of the buzzing).

Two reasons to assume it is not Tensor Tympani:

1) I was diagnosed by one of the leading Tensor Tympani doctors at Cambridge (this doctor also does a lot of the surgeries). I described my symptoms to him and he is saying that it's probably not Tensor Tympani.

2) My ear does flutter sometimes, that is - the Tensor Tympani - so I know how it sounds / feels and it is definitely something else than my regular buzzing.

My buzzing is definitely a brother/sister of my high frequency beeping and mild hearing loss at 8000 Hz... they both have the same cause (my acoustic accidents) - unclear why it sounds like a buzzing, nerve damage? Nobody knows.

How are you handling your new "friend"? Let me know if you have any other questions.

@Ben Winders, ah my new "friend"... to be honest, I just broke down crying this morning and it is only day 4 of this new hum. I don't know how long-term sufferers do it. You all are so strong to keep going.

I am still in the "I can't believe it happened to me" stage. My thoughts keep going back to the day this all started. I wasn't actually supposed to be there that day. My cousin wanted to go on a different day so that's what we did. I am not blaming him. But I cannot stop thinking about "what if I wasn't there", what if I wasn't exposed to this awful sound. All I want is a time machine... is that too much to ask?

I have only been sleeping about 3 hours a night and then I feel awful the rest of the day. Someone said to try and distract yourself and keep on doing things that make you feel happy. For me, that is gardening, so perhaps I will try to do a little of that today.

I was able to get an earlier appointment for ENT next week. Unfortunately, this one does not accept my insurance but I'd rather pay out of pocket than wait another 4 weeks.

Do you have any links to videos that seem to work for you? I have searched many tinnitus white noise videos on YouTube, but their frequencies don't seem to help. I noticed that my hum will be constant through sounds that don't resonate at certain frequencies or at certain volumes.

 

[BrysonKingMe]

I also have a very low frequency tone in my right ear that I cannot hear when I plug my ear.

Along with a symphony from hell in my brain.

 

[Ben Winders]

@LisaW1, first things first. You are still very early. You need to make sure you cover all the things you can do after early onset or you might regret it later. Prednisone, intratympanic steroid injections etc… you need to call around to force yourself into an ENT appointment.

The fact that you are still so early means that there is a lot of room for improvement, so I see a lot of positives there.

—— in case your new uninvited friend decides to stick around for a longer time, although you won't believe me, it is still not the end of the world ——

1. You will be able to live with this. I inherited a hyperfocus gene from my dad, so I'm the worst type of person to get tinnitus as tinnitus is mostly about focus (my dad has tinnitus too and on antidepressants because of it) and even I am able to live with this. It took me about 2.5 years to learn how, but promise me you believe me when I guarantee you'll be able to smile again.

I've been through hell and back. I will save you the details, but it includes being rushed away in an ambulance with blaring sirens through Berlin (I was there on a business trip).

2. Don't compare today's volume to yesterday's. Part of the daily struggle with tinnitus is comparing, which makes you focus again. Please accept (and every time I use the word "accept" here, understand that I know it's very hard, but doable) that tinnitus will fluctuate, it's an intrinsic part of the disease.

3. You will be able to sleep with this. I used to have to sleep with a masker in my bedroom, most quiet room in the house. Now, I just lie there, with the buzzing. It's hard to explain and you'll probably only believe me when you've actually reached that point but after a while your anxious response to (what still is an annoying sound/feeling) diminishes. In the beginning you're like a squirrel staring into the headlights of a car: OMG OMG, OMG... but OMG!

Now I'm more like a more composed deer watching into headlights: oh yes, there it is , oh well, yeah, not fun, I guess I'll go stand somewhere else.

4. Keep busy. I'm currently building a garden shed by hand, with wood and everything. I do this because I have tinnitus. Before tinnitus I would have bought a ready made shed and have it installed by professionals. I want to be outside as much as possible.

A while back I went to the Polish/Ukraine border to help refugees. I did this because I have tinnitus, before tinnitus I would have never done anything like that.

While I was in Poland, I rarely had time to listen to my tinnitus (it was still there strong as ever, in my hotel) but I had so much other stuff on my mind that I didn't have time to listen and panic over it.

This is also a thing that helps: attach positive connotation to your tinnitus (again, I know it's hard), but it sort of "disarms" tinnitus: "I would have never done this, if it wasn't for this crappy condition that I have."

5. Don't feed your brain regret-cookies. Biggest part of my earliest struggles were me feeling bad about how I did this to myself. I was feeling so bad/guilty it hurt.

After a while your brain becomes addicted to this feeling. Like any other addiction.

Some moment in the day you suddenly feel a bit better, but then your brain is like "no no, that's not allowed, ... here, some bad thoughts to bring you down again" > brain satisfied.

I always thought my brain would be on my time, but I learned if you let it, it can destroy you.

A very simple technique that worked for me is loosely based on EMDR. Every time I thought about "OMG, I did this to myself and it's for the rest of my life", my brain was like a dog, expecting a cookie filled with regret and guilt, but in stead, I was forcing myself to imagine a 3D strawberry, looking at the strawberry in detail, spinning it around in my head.

After a while, my brain seemed to respond to it: "Hmm, I'm trying to make him feel bad, but in stead of a cookie, he is showing me a strawberry, this sucks" - it's all about neural pathways and trying to "reroute" them.​

I have a lot of videos on YouTube that totally mask my tinnitus, and they are different based on how loud it is that day. Important is to play it on a good speaker with a deep bass (I'm using a Google Home device - the big version).

I'll just call out the videos by name, so you can find them on YouTube.

I used to sleep with this one:
"Starship Sleeping Quarters | Sleep Sounds White Noise with Deep Bass 10 Hours"

During the day, this one covers up my buzzing on most days:
"Boost Your Aura" Attract Positive Energy Meditation Music, 7 Chakra Balancing & Healing"

On days when it's low, I can get away with just some jazz, cause it has a deep bass. I can still hear my tinnitus in the more quiet pieces though:
"4K Cozy Bedroom in Paris with Relaxing Piano Jazz Music for Sleeping, Studying"

Please don't flip out if none of those videos work for you. Tinnitus is very broad ranged and you ll probably need to find what works for you.

Last question: does your buzzing get louder/respond to anything high frequency? Like water running into the sink, MacBook fan blowing hard.

I have that - so that is, for me, the best proof that my buzzing is related to my high frequency hissing (that I have too) and my little drop on my audiogram at 8000 Hz.

You also mentioned Tensor Tympani: If you have the same as me, it is not that. Two reasons:

1) I was diagnosed by the leading Tensor Tympani Professor in Cambridge (remotely). He says my symptoms do not reflect it.

2) I sometimes have ear spasms, the inside of my buzzing ear starts to flutter, THAT is my Tensor Tympani fluttering, it is completely different than my buzzing noise.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[DeanD]

Hi all - unfortunately I also seem to be struck down with this low humming variety since the weekend.

I was already suffering from four weeks ago onset of severe reactive tinnitus due to microsuction which reduced my QoL down to zero for the past month, but on Saturday, whilst trying to be 'normal', and after everyone had told me to stop over-protecting my ears, I bent down to place a dish in the dishwasher but it caught against another plate and made a very high-pitched loud clink noise. It was on a rare occasion I wasn't wearing my ear protection.

A blinding flash of pain entered my right ear which howled for 10 seconds, then 15 minutes later my left ear howled for 30 minutes.

It almost immediately has left me with this low hum on top of the high-pitched screeching

It sounds really similar to everything here - and the Captain's Quarters video recommended on this thread is the only thing in 4 weeks to temporarily inhibit my reactive tinnitus (I have struggled to leave the house) - although I am unable to stop it by placing my fingers in my ear, by swallowing or by moving my neck.

I can though seem to be able to change the high pitch by - as strange as this sounds - wearing earbuds and headphones (so internally my voice sounds echo'ee) and eating something crunchy like a cracker. It appears the deep crunch noise reacts with the high pitch sound temporarily.

I did hear three distinct clicking sounds coming from the inside of my left ear. It only happened once, and I have never experienced this before. I don't know what that could mean.

I don't know if the plate incident has damaged anything. I took a hearing test after the microsuction (I have hearing loss above 1 kHz but this is unchanged since before the microsuction).

I am taking NAC, but not sure if I should also be taking Prednisone?

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@sakrt, have you tried any vestibular rehabilitation therapies? If you haven't, I can give you a couple of easy to perform home exercises.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy: Review of Indications, Mechanisms, and Key Exercises - PMC (nih.gov)

Most concerns below resolve/heal. When they don't, vestibular therapy can really help.

Sometimes conditions below can happen without temporal bone fracture. Fracture can be replaced with hitting head trauma.

The petrous portion of the temporal bone is pyramidal in shape and wedged in at the base of the skull between the sphenoid and occipital bones. It is not visible from a lateral view of the temporal bone. This important part of the temporal bone encloses the middle and internal ear structures, along with parts of the facial nerve.

High-resolution CT scans with bone algorithms are the standard in diagnosis of temporal bone trauma. Axial and coronal thin-section CT scans can establish fracture sites in some cases, and more than one-third of fractures detected by CT are missed by clinical diagnosis alone. In general, the fracture lines run parallel to the line of the blow delivered and extend through foramina, which weaken the bone. Fractures may be single or multiple and are classically referred to as longitudinal or transverse, although careful observation demonstrates that most are actually oblique.

Approximately 70 to 80% of temporal bone fractures are longitudinal, resulting from a blow to the temporal or parietal region of the skull. These fractures follow the path of least resistance, which usually leads through the petrosquamous suture line and continues anterior to the otic capsule. Involvement of the middle ear causes frequent hemotympanum and ossicular disruption. More frequent if there was ossicular disruption from birth. The facial nerve is involved in 15 to 20% of these fractures.

When dysfunction results from injury to the vestibular nerve or vestibular labyrinth, pulsatile tinnitus can later arise.

I would be careful as to what is placed in your ears. Foam earplugs used carefully may be OK. Noise blocking headphones when needed would be fine, but not super tight. Manual cleaning of ears when really needed.