Low Pitch Ringing/Hum Went Away After Using a Mouth Guard and Regular Jaw Massage

[Mika]

I've posted this on many other threads, but I also have a loud low-frequency hum. It started from out of the blue in the Summer of 1996. I also have a high-pitched hissing that started a few months earlier, but that rarely bothers me. The humming has gotten so bad over the years that I've considered suicide.

When it first began, I had every medical test known to man performed (MRI's, hearing exams, dental, etc.). I even went to an orthodontist who stuck his fingers in my mouth and squeezed various parts of my soft palate while asking, "Do you still hear the hum?" (I did). But of course, no one could find any abnormalities. In 1999, I reluctantly got on an antidepressant (Effexor XR) as I couldn't cope anymore. Within a few weeks, the humming disappeared. I assumed it was all psychosomatic and not physical. But the silence only lasted about a year before the hum returned one morning. I tried other ADs, but none worked. I eventually got on Lexapro and stayed on that one for almost 15 years

Up until March 27 of 2022, I had been hum-free for nearly four years. But then it returned and sent me into absolute depression hell. As I write this, I've been on a newer AD (Pristiq) for about a month, but I've felt no changes.

I don't grind my teeth, so it's unlikely a mouth guard would be beneficial.

My hum also stops when I shake my head in a sideways motion. Sticking my fingers in my ears or cupping my palm over them creates the seashell effect. But when I remove my fingers, the humming is even louder.

The biggest mystery for me (in addition to what's causing it) is why it will go away for years and then return for no apparent reason. I can have a full life when it's gone, but when it comes back, everything changes. I feel vulnerable, trapped, and full of dread. Trying to sleep at night is nearly impossible. I can also FEEL the hum in addition to hearing it. It's a horrible vibration, the kind you feel when riding on a prop plane.

I suppose it's similar to people who have cancer and manage to beat it after chemo and other treatments - there's always the fear that it will return. With tinnitus, there is no approved treatment. That's where part of the helpless feelings come into play.

I also have had a low frequency hum for 2 years now. It sounds exactly like there´s a faint sound of a car engine somewhere outside near my house. The sound stops when I shake my head, and returns in a second when I stop. The hum also goes away or the volume goes down to minimum after a night out drinking alcohol. So basically when I am hungover. Then it slowly starts again after 1 or 2 days. Crazy?

When the hum started I had a lot of neck problems from working with computer along with tension headaches. I got Amitriptyline medication but it made the hum very loud and I stopped taking it. I also have numbness in forehead and face from time to time and a neurologist thought it is tension headaches (neck tension). I have done everything I can from exercising 4 times a week to going to massage countless of times in a couple of years. And yet this crazy hum continues, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter. Starting to think it is from bite and the jaw muscles because I am running out of ideas...

 

[Rb86]

If it's any consolation, I too have the low end that comes and goes, and goes away when shaking my head or the right noise frequency cuts it out. Humming or talking stops it but it returns instantly when I sstop. Frustrating but comforting that we all have this exact same thing. Clearly there's a solution out there as we all have the same mechanical defect to have this.

Anyway, good luck everyone. Stay busy and engaged.

 

[Albapv]

I have heard a tinnitus in my left side since April, it started with a flu, but my ENT suspects the jaw and neck.

The symptoms are as you describe, only the buzzing is sharp and soft. I've started physical therapy and I'm going to the dentist. I am definitely going to try the heat and daily massages. In two weeks I have noticed a little improvement, but the buzzing is still here. I still have hope...

Curiosity: if I stretch the muscles on the left side of my neck, my tinnitus softens.

 

[Ben Winders]

Interesting (or coincidental) fact: Just got off a flight (I haven't flown since I got my tinnitus, too scared to aggravate it) and the ear that hums the most (right) was the only ear that was clogged/popping, during flight.

(My Eustachian tubes should be ok, after lots of testing).

 

[Rb86]

Interesting (or coincidental) fact: Just got off a flight (I haven't flown since I got my tinnitus, too scared to aggravate it) and the ear that hums the most (right) was the only ear that was clogged/popping, during flight.

(My Eustachian tubes should be ok, after lots of testing).

When I do the Valsalva maneuver, my left ear - the one that hums, is the first one to clog up.

 

[Nanarchist]

My tinnitus started end of April -- had a virus that gave me such intense chills, I woke up and my teeth were clenching super hard. Saw an ENT and she said it was the teeth grinding(after doing a hearing test). Started doing heat, arnica cream, and massage, and got a night guard. Tinnitus went away after several weeks of this routine, so I stopped the heat, arnica, and massage and was just sleeping with nightguard. Well, just a heads up -- nightguard protects your teeth, but you can still clench/grind with it in your mouth. So tinnitus came back. Was so loud yesterday, then I spent the whole day doing a heating pad on my face as much as I could, arnica cream, massage. Today -- barely a sound. Just the faintest sound of static in my right ear. Also mine isn't low pitched, it's high pitched. Interestingly, while it's caused by teeth grinding, mine does seem somewhat sensitive to noise, so I'm also diligent about hearing protection now. Wore earplugs to the bowling alley the other night. Sharing in case it's helpful.

Oh and still recommend a nightguard for clenching/grinding -- you can lose your teeth, and I do think it helps with this problem as well. It's just not necessarily going to work by itself, even once you've gotten the problem managed. I'm probably going to use heat and massage regularly forever.

 

[Joe Cuber]

Tinnitus went away after several weeks of this routine, so I stopped the heat, arnica, and massage and was just sleeping with nightguard. Well, just a heads up -- nightguard protects your teeth, but you can still clench/grind with it in your mouth.

First of all, congrats, that's great you got your tinnitus under control. My dentist told me I clench my teeth in my sleep (no grinding) and got me fitted for a mouth guard. I stopped using it because, like you, I started clenching it. I have a couple of questions for you: Do you still wear your night guard along with doing the heat, arnica, and massage? And where do you apply the arnica--on your gums?

 

[Nanarchist]

First of all, congrats, that's great you got your tinnitus under control. My dentist told me I clench my teeth in my sleep (no grinding) and got me fitted for a mouth guard. I stopped using it because, like you, I started clenching it. I have a couple of questions for you: Do you still wear your night guard along with doing the heat, arnica, and massage? And where do you apply the arnica--on your gums?

I still wear the nightguard, as I have signs of damage to my teeth and figure I should protect those. Fun fact: I used to write website copy for dental offices, so I would write all the time about how clenching/grinding can make you lose your teeth and such. Also, prior to getting fitted for the nicer nightguard from my dentist, I used this one recommended by my ENT. Tbh I think it might have worked better for the ringing because it was bulkier, so less able to clench. But it also made me sleep with my mouth open, so lots of dry mouth/irritated throat. But a humidifier helped that. Been thinking of going back to it to experiment and compare now that I have the hypothesis it was better.

The arnica goes on the jaw, particularly the joint area right in front of my ears, and then a little bit in the ear canal. This was the recommendation of my ENT. I figure that the cream is helping and also massaging it in is its own benefit.

Lastly, I grabbed a jade roller to help me massage my jaw. Not sure if it's better than hands, but it helps keep my fingers from getting so tired.

OH! And I don't know how long you've been taking steps to address the clenching, but when my ENT told me what to do she said it would be at least 2 weeks before I saw improvement. It actually was a little longer, but since she told me that I just did the things every single day -- heat, cream, massage, nightguard -- and eventually realized my tinnitus was turning down. So patience is key.

I hope this helps!

 

[Joe Cuber]

Hey thanks for all the info, helps a lot!

Fun fact: I used to write website copy for dental offices, so I would write all the time about how clenching/grinding can make you lose your teeth and such.

That is hilarious. I bet if we paid attention to ourselves, we'd find that we do this more often than we think.

I stopped wearing my night guard because I kept salivating. I suppose I should try a little harder to get used to it. My dentist told me I'd stop salivating, but I haven't tried regularly enough. I also stopped because I found I was clenching on the night guard like you. Do you still grind/clench on it?

 

[Nanarchist]

Hey thanks for all the info, helps a lot!

That is hilarious. I bet if we paid attention to ourselves, we'd find that we do this more often than we think.

I stopped wearing my night guard because I kept salivating. I suppose I should try a little harder to get used to it. My dentist told me I'd stop salivating, but I haven't tried regularly enough. I also stopped because I found I was clenching on the night guard like you. Do you still grind/clench on it?

I can't always tell? Clues tell me probably -- like jaw soreness showing up, waking up with my ears popping, ear pain, and the tinnitus getting louder. The other day I woke up and it was super loud, even after sleeping with my nightguard on. Spent the whole day putting the heating pad on my face regularly and massaging -- next day the tinnitus was gone. Which makes me think the heating pad/massage relaxed my jaw and I didn't clench over night.

 

[Joe Cuber]

I can't always tell? Clues tell me probably -- like jaw soreness showing up, waking up with my ears popping, ear pain, and the tinnitus getting louder. The other day I woke up and it was super loud, even after sleeping with my nightguard on. Spent the whole day putting the heating pad on my face regularly and massaging -- next day the tinnitus was gone. Which makes me think the heating pad/massage relaxed my jaw and I didn't clench over night.

Do you have a history of your tinnitus coming and going? I ask because mine fluctuates day by day (some days present, some days absent). I thought I was doing something to make it come and go, but it turns out, that's just the way mine behaves.

 

[Nanarchist]

Do you have a history of your tinnitus coming and going? I ask because mine fluctuates day by day (some days present, some days absent). I thought I was doing something to make it come and go, but it turns out, that's just the way mine behaves.

Mine is so new, it's hard to tell. But when it first appeared, it was constant. I had a virus that caused me intense chills, and the chills lead to intense clenching, so that appears to have been the onset. It was constant, unchanging, for about a month all together? Then when I started addressing the TMJ problem, it became variable for a bit before completely subsiding for a time of a couple of weeks. It was totally gone EXCEPT if I got anxious -- so let's say me and the spouse started having a tense discussion, suddenly it would appear. Then it would go away again.

Then I started taking Lexapro -- which I didn't know could cause jaw clenching! It also increased my nervousness overall, which increases my tinnitus. So I stopped taking it and it's been a couple of weeks since I stopped taking it. Since then the tinnitus has been more variable, and does both seem to respond to things I do and have somewhat a mind of its own. But evidence does suggest that it responds to me managing my TMJ problem.

 

[Joe Cuber]

Yeah I have to agree with you, it looks like you have a strong correlation with TMJ. I spoke to an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus about somatosensory tinnitus (since I can modulate mine when I chew and move my neck around), and she mentioned that tinnitus often is multifactorial. So perhaps yours has a TMJ factor and an anxiety factor.

 

[Nanarchist]

If anyone finds it useful, these videos are working wonders for me:

Physical Therapy Exercises for TMJ Relief

Massage for TMJ Relief

Massage for more immediate relief, physical therapy for more long-term relief. Having to do the massage several times a day, but it's simple and only takes a tiny amount of time. Doing the physical therapy a couple of times a day -- reminder physical therapy only works if you do it consistently for several days or even weeks.

 

[Mika]

When I do the Valsalva maneuver, my left ear - the one that hums, is the first one to clog up.

Same here.

 

[pc1]

I can't always tell? Clues tell me probably -- like jaw soreness showing up, waking up with my ears popping, ear pain, and the tinnitus getting louder. The other day I woke up and it was super loud, even after sleeping with my nightguard on. Spent the whole day putting the heating pad on my face regularly and massaging -- next day the tinnitus was gone. Which makes me think the heating pad/massage relaxed my jaw and I didn't clench over night.

Whereabouts do you apply the heatpad?

 

[MasterRudd]

Thanks for this thread! I'm new here and new to tinnitus! I snapped my jaw (a very loud click when I opened my mouth while yawning) a few days prior to my tinnitus onset. I'm now 3 weeks in. I do think it's got a little quieter. I believe I have also noticed a correlation with my jaw and neck movements.

My dentist has given me exercises today and I'll see a physio for my neck and shoulders/posture.

 

[Jsteezy]

Hi All,

I'm here to lend some possible credit to the theory that the low hum could be caused by jaw clenching/teeth grinding.

I first experienced the hum in May of 2020. This was right after COVID-19 started so I was plenty stressed, and I remember physically feeling pain in my jaw around this time from clenching. The hum lasted for a month or two, and then seemed to stop after I moved. Shortly after I moved, I got Invisalign (which means I was essentially wearing a mouth guard 24/7). My dentist at the time also confirmed that I had been grinding my teeth. Once I was done with my Invisalign, they give you a retainer (which is basically a mouth guard) to wear only at night.

The hum was completely gone for over two years. Then in December of last year, the hum returned. But I had also been really lazy about wearing my mouth guard at night. It lasted for a few weeks. I immediately started to wear my guard again every night, and my friend who is also a doctor gave me Botox in my jaws. The hum went away.

Fast forward to a couple of nights ago, the hum has returned. This came immediately after I was on a business trip for over a week where I never wore my mouth guard. Also, this is right around the time the Botox should be wearing off.

Now, I can't say for sure whether this is all just a big coincidence (it very well could be!) but at least for me, the issue seems to be related to my jaw. I will be wearing my guard every night, and will also try to get Botox again to see if that helps.

And for anyone reading this who is dealing with the hum, I'm sorry, I know it's terrible. But at least for me, this has been something that has gone away for long periods of time, and perhaps it will for you as well.

 

[twa]

Hello everyone!

I felt the need to share my story, which is similar to so many that I've read.

Symptoms:

• Low pitch ringing or hum around 80 Hz in my right ear.
• It would come and go but could last for months at a time 24/7.
• It felt like a vibration or rumbling engine in the distance.
• It was very distressing and stressful.
• Low frequency sounds would mask it.
• If I put my finger in my ear it seemed to go away.
• Earplugs not so effective.
• Mine was somatic. Could make it louder or less loud by moving my head/neck or jaw certain ways.
• I noticed it would sometimes settle down at night. Sometimes I'd wake up at 3:00 am and it would be gone. It was so great I couldn't get back to sleep. I would enjoy the silence. As soon as I woke up in the morning and stood up it would reappear faintly, but then get worse as the day progressed. I couldn't hear it at work or outside usually, but at home in the quiet it would be maddening.

I explored many causes.

At first I thought it may be ETD. I went on corticosteroids, but they didn't help. Maybe made it worse.

I had a hearing test. Some high frequency loss, but that would be expected at my age of early 50s. No detectable low pitch frequency loss.

I went to physiotherapy as I suspected tension and stress in my neck maybe a cause. Nope.

I went to an ENT, who said basically I had to live with it. I suggested an MRI. At first he dismissed the idea but then said what the heck, let's rule out something serious. The MRI did not discover anything serious.

I thought maybe it was Meniere's disease and cut down on salt. Drank a ton of water. No effect.

I suspected food allergies but got tested and that wasn't it.

Finally I went to the dentist to see if I was clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth.
He said I was clearly grinding and subconsciously clenching throughout the day. He said my jaw movement to the right was limited even though I didn't notice. My low pitch ringing was on the right.

He suggested a professional mouth guard for nights, and to regularly massage my jaw muscles.

I had the guard made and wear it every night. I massage my jaw muscles with my hand while driving or whenever I think about it.

I haven't heard the hum in 3 weeks and fundamentally believe it's jaw related.

The dentist said the muscles in the jaw can sometimes clench and irritate nerves close to the ear.

I am telling you, go see your dentist. My life is back to normal, and the silence is wonderful. I was a nervous wreck thinking I'd have to live like this for the rest of my life. Funny enough, I have a science background and yet the last thing I suspected was actually the cause.

Do you also have regular tinnitus? I started having the same low rumbling humming last week.

Hi All,

I'm here to lend some possible credit to the theory that the low hum could be caused by jaw clenching/teeth grinding.

I first experienced the hum in May of 2020. This was right after COVID-19 started so I was plenty stressed, and I remember physically feeling pain in my jaw around this time from clenching. The hum lasted for a month or two, and then seemed to stop after I moved. Shortly after I moved, I got Invisalign (which means I was essentially wearing a mouth guard 24/7). My dentist at the time also confirmed that I had been grinding my teeth. Once I was done with my Invisalign, they give you a retainer (which is basically a mouth guard) to wear only at night.

The hum was completely gone for over two years. Then in December of last year, the hum returned. But I had also been really lazy about wearing my mouth guard at night. It lasted for a few weeks. I immediately started to wear my guard again every night, and my friend who is also a doctor gave me Botox in my jaws. The hum went away.

Fast forward to a couple of nights ago, the hum has returned. This came immediately after I was on a business trip for over a week where I never wore my mouth guard. Also, this is right around the time the Botox should be wearing off.

Now, I can't say for sure whether this is all just a big coincidence (it very well could be!) but at least for me, the issue seems to be related to my jaw. I will be wearing my guard every night, and will also try to get Botox again to see if that helps.

And for anyone reading this who is dealing with the hum, I'm sorry, I know it's terrible. But at least for me, this has been something that has gone away for long periods of time, and perhaps it will for you as well.

Do you wear a soft or hard mouthguard? The hard plastic guard looks uncomfortable to sleep in.

 

[MindOverMatter]

@twa, I've used a mouth guard (hard), custom made by my dentist (I'm on my 3rd or 4th now), and they are not hard to sleep with.

2 weeks and you will get used to it.

 

[MindOverMatter]

@twa, how is your low, rumbling humming now, and did you try out a mouth guard?