My 4-Year Journey with a Low-Pitched Hum That Disappeared on the Same Dates, 2 Years Apart

[Ellie_b]

I've been dealing with tinnitus for four years now. It started in 2021. At the end of June 2022, it suddenly stopped. For the first few days after it stopped, I experienced a slight tinny echo in my ear, which eventually faded. I thought the tinnitus was gone for good, but on September 17th, it came back.

It was gone for almost three months! The tinnitus persisted through the rest of 2022 and all of 2023. Then, at the end of June 2024, it disappeared AGAIN! This time, I experienced the same slight tinny echo for a few days, but the tinnitus stayed away... UNTIL (you guessed it!) September 17th. What on earth is going on?

Some background information:

• Tinnitus description: It's a low hum, rumble, or buzz around 50-80 Hz, similar to the sound of a fridge humming or a truck idling. It stutters like an engine, and I can feel a slight vibration in my ear.
  
  
• Stops with movement: Shaking my head or making quick movements makes it stop. Sounds within a similar frequency range also stop it temporarily. When the external sound ends, I get a second of silence before the buzzing returns.
  
  
• After showers: The tinnitus stays away for several minutes after a shower. Plugging my ears also stops it. Air travel makes it go away for a few hours or even days.
  
  
• Triggers: It started due to stress and postpartum anxiety, along with visual snow. Things that make it worse include lying down, extended periods of talking (possibly due to stress from social situations), and a few times when I was painting the ceiling (perhaps related to looking up or neck movements).

Why does it disappear in the summer? Summers here in Canada are warm and sunny. I travel back to my home country in July and August, so it's a busy but very happy time for me.

 

[Furetto]

My guess: A combination of stress, cervical, and TMJ-related causes.

I say this because you mentioned it started after a stressful situation and that mechanical stimuli seem to pause it somehow.

It seems there are some similarities between how inner ear myoclonus and your tinnitus manifest. You feel a vibration, which suggests it's objective tinnitus.

Stress might be causing muscles to become more tense, and once they reach a certain threshold, this triggers the sound and twitching. The muscles could already be tense due to cervical or TMJ problems combined with stress.

What I would do: Investigate your neck and TMJ for tension, inflammation, neck protrusions, or bruxism, and try stretching or relaxation exercises for your neck, shoulders, and TMJ. I can suggest some exercises that helped me if you're interested, or you can consult a physical therapist.

At the same time, work on reducing your stress with mindfulness exercises twice a day, massages, hot baths, and supplements. Do this consistently for a month and see if anything changes.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor; my opinion is purely guesswork.

Good luck and sending love from Italy!

 

[M_i_A]

Hi @Ellie_b,

I experience the same low-frequency tinnitus. You mentioned that yours started postpartum—did you have an epidural or spinal anesthesia during childbirth? For me, it began after a CSF leak caused by a poorly administered epidural during labor.

 

[olu]

Hi,

It sounds like you might be dealing with a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issue. I would recommend exploring this further, as you might find at least some relief. Start by finding a good physiotherapist and an orthodontist or dentist who specializes in TMJ disorders. Seeing an orthodontist, in particular, can be very helpful.

I initially thought my tinnitus was noise-induced, but after reflecting on my past and observing how it behaves, I realized that TMJ problems were the primary factor, with noise only contributing to it and resulting in chronic tinnitus.

I'm currently in the process of evaluating my TMJ issues, which include joint and facial pain, Eustachian tube dysfunction, tinnitus, and sometimes MEM or TTTS symptoms. I'm not necessarily doing this to eliminate the tinnitus, as I admit that I don't believe medicine can fully help me at this stage. However, I want to address the TMJ problems to at least alleviate the symptoms somewhat, and who knows—maybe I can even achieve some degree of relief.

The results of my first CBCT scan, ordered by my orthodontist, were quite surprising. It showed that one of my joints had been severely damaged in the past (the orthodontist even mentioned it looked like it was broken). Interestingly, this is also the side of my head where my tinnitus is louder.

When my TMJ symptoms are severe, I experience pain, discomfort, and a strange feeling of fullness, especially after prolonged talking. The only time my tinnitus is a low hum is when my ETD is at its worst. These symptoms tend to come and go.

I am wishing you all the best.

 

[Ellie_b]

What I would do: Investigate your neck and TMJ for tension, inflammation, neck protrusions, or bruxism, and try stretching or relaxation exercises for your neck, shoulders, and TMJ. I can suggest some exercises that helped me if you're interested, or you can consult a physical therapist.

Thank you for your reply. I have spent many hours at the chiropractor, with a masseuse, and undergoing acupuncture, focusing on my neck and jaw because I also thought that might be the issue. These treatments did help, but they never completely eliminated the problem.

Something that confuses me is that, in addition to the mechanical aspect of shaking my head to make the tinnitus disappear, it also goes away when a similar frequency noise is near me. As the noise gets closer or louder, my tinnitus starts to stutter and then switches off completely. So, I am lucky that it can be masked, but it's very odd.

did you have an epidural or spinal anesthesia during childbirth?

Hello, and thank you for your reply. My births were drug-free, so I did not receive any epidural or anesthesia. Has your tinnitus improved since it started?

It sounds like you might be dealing with a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issue.

This was my suspicion as well, and I do experience some pain on that side of my jaw. However, what makes me think it could be something else is that my tinnitus disappears when I hear a similar frequency sound. As the sound gets louder or closer, my tinnitus starts to stutter and then completely switches off. When the noise stops, the tinnitus starts back up again after a second or two of silence.

 

[Furetto]

Thank you for your reply. I have spent many hours at the chiropractor, with a masseuse, and undergoing acupuncture, focusing on my neck and jaw because I also thought that might be the issue. These treatments did help, but they never completely eliminated the problem.

The problem might improve with time. Even if the treatment is effective, the body still needs time to return to normal. Do you have a routine for stretching and strengthening your neck muscles, as well as relaxing your TMJ? All the treatments you've mentioned (chiropractor, masseuse) seem to be passive. I suggest incorporating an active daily routine.

Something that confuses me is that, in addition to the mechanical aspect of shaking my head to make the tinnitus disappear, it also goes away when a similar frequency noise is near me. As the noise gets closer or louder, my tinnitus starts to stutter and then switches off completely. So, I am lucky that it can be masked, but it's very odd.

This is very common for everyone. Right now, I have 20 dB crickets that completely mask my tinnitus in a completely quiet room. However, I could be in the middle of a busy street and still notice it more.