Random Tinnitus Increase Overnight

[jmasterj]

Hey all,

I have had very mild tinnitus since around 2012. They are guessing it came from acoustic trauma. I have always had ear wax trouble in my left ear and when I would lay down and my ears were full they would snap and cause ringing in the ears. That is only my best guess since this happened once and that is when the ringing never stopped. I did have a hearing test and it showed minor hearing loss in my left ear, where I have the tinnitus.

I have been living with my tinnitus fine and never had to mask it or anything when I slept, but I woke up about 4 weeks ago and the ringing increased and also has occasionally been pulsating especially when laying down. I went to an GP and they said I had fluid in my ears and a lot of post nasal drip. They had me take Benedryl for a week and that didn't help so I went on amoxicillin. I just recently was able to see an ENT and he didn't see anything wrong and wanted me to get a ultrasound for a carotid artery and a hearing test. I am still waiting on those getting scheduled. He said based on those tests he may look at ET, which I am assuming he is talking about Eustachian Tubes. I did also have a CT scan recently and my sinuses now appear to be clear.

I do occasionally wear headphones at low volume, which I now know is a no-no and have never been to a loud concert and have worn ear plugs around loud instances (lawnmowing, etc.). I listened the same sounds I was listened to in the headphones and measured and the decibels were always 60 or well below.

The evening this happened I bit into some vegetables and there was something hard and it really hurt and messed with my jaw. I had some soreness for a few days and now I am getting an occasional clicking in my jaw. I saw a dentist and he looked at my teeth and didn't see any cracks, but he is not a TMJ expert. Do you think this has something to do with it? Should I see a TMJ specialist?

The other weird thing is that it seems that my tinnitus is fluctuating way more. When I walk it goes up and down. When I talk or chew it goes up and down. I don't remember this sensation from before. I could only modify it if I really clenched down on my back teeth, jutted out my jaw, or pushed hard on my front teeth. Thanks for reading and any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jmasterj]

Well I think I might try a chiropractor route since I did have some severe neck strain and pain prior to this on set while I wait for the ENT appointment.

 

[Kelvin]

I am 100% sure there is a link between jaw, neck and Tinnitus...for some people.
Mine started after seeing a dentist, and after many years of neck and shoulder pain.
I just wish I knew what it was
Best guess is...that tense muscles in the jaw and neck have an effect on nerves or blood flow in the ear area.
Its just weird.
A relaxed neck and jaw will probably help, so a gentle and understanding Chiro is worth a go.
My Chiro couldn't affect my T unfortunately despite trying hard.
I can also change my tone ( as can many ) with odd jaw movements and muscle tensing etc.
I hope you get some relief or learn to notice it less.
I think we all want some peace from Monster T

 

[jmasterj]

Thanks Kelvin. I figured it was worth a go. It was just such a random increase. I just woke up one morning and it went from a 2/10 to an 8/10 and was pulsating. That night I actually woke up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break and it was fine, but now when I woke up. The only variable I can think of is that the evening before I bit down on something hard when I was eating and it kind of racked my jaw up. The thing that worries me is that today marks week 4 with the increase. I think the weird thing for me is that it modulates up and down when I walk and chew. Before I could only get a change when I opened my jaw very wide or pushed hard on my front teeth. Now it occasionally switches ear to ear when it has been always left ear. One day I got up in the middle of the night and it was totally gone. I did have a sinus infection but that has since subsided by looking at a recent CT. Maybe it will just take some time to get back to its normal after that. Who knows?

 

[jmasterj]

I just wanted to so a quick update if it were to help anyone else. I went to the chiropractor and he said that my C1 and C2 were very much out of alignment and did some work on them and wants me to return today for more treatment. A few hours after the first treatment I felt like I did have some relief, so here is hoping. The strange part is that when I can sleep I wake up with pulsating tinnitus then it goes down to its normal tinnitus just at an increased pitch.

Also, without getting into the details my girlfriend has been going through some personal issues and has been rather pushing me away. We are still together and everything it has just been a hard month or so. Now that I am thinking about it this may have been when the increase kicked up. Do you think that this could all be stress induced? Even for almost five weeks now? I have had several other stressful times in my life since my onset of tinnitus. I would say all work related, but never really at a personal level.

 

[jmasterj]

Just updating again. Went to the Chiropractor again today and he thinks my neck is getting better. We talked about some emotional stress issues it have outlined about and he thinks that is playing a role in this. I really hope and pray that with the Chiropractors help and trying to alleviate my stress levels this will go down. I am really having a hard time this time around. I felt that my life was going really well and was starting to think about an engagement and I didn't think about my T at all anymore. Of course this has to come around and bring me down. I am also still waiting to get into an ENT, but that isn't for another few weeks.

Again, I don't expect any sympathy. I am just sharing my process if it helps others.

 

[jmasterj]

Well. I haven't updated for a few days so I figured this would be a good time. I saw the Chiropractor and my neck is doing much better. I have one more appointment with him. I am still waiting on my ENT appointment on the 24th of October.

I am really struggling with sleep. As I stated earlier in this thread I had very mild tinnitus on my left side for about 5 years. I didn't take me long to habituate to it and I just lived with it. For some reason I woke up about 5 weeks ago and it was amped up to a 9/10 and I couldn't stop stressing about it. I haven't slept well for days. I ended up going to the ER and they gave me Xanax which has helped some. I think my anxiety is through the roof right now. I was getting close to the point of getting engaged and now my girlfriend is getting very frustrated with me, which I don't blame her. I am starting to worry that she may leave me.

I just don't know what to do anymore. When I walk my tinnitus goes up and down. I used to love exercising and going for walks. I just feel I no longer can. After I exercised yesterday my head was throbbing and it had horrible pulsating tinnitus. When I chew my tinnitus goes up and down. When I swallow my tinnitus changes. I am just so tired and anxiety filled I don't know what to do. I feeling like for the first time in my life I was in a really great place and this has brought me down and going to worry about everything I have worked so hard for.

 

[HearsToHope]

This sounds a lot like my story. I have acoustic trauma in my right ear, with accompanying tinnitus. For me, stress and anxiety will take the ringing from a 2/10 to an 8/10 almost instantaneously. I've had to learn and accept that this is just what happens for me and eventually the tinnitus fades into the background. Sometimes it takes a day or two. For me, chronic stress will keep the tinnitus going, even if the stress is at a "subconscious" level. This includes stress caused by the tinnitus itself. I can only find true relief if I address or adapt to the source of the stress and anxiety. I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and have been living with it for over 16 years.

 

[jmasterj]

Thanks for the response Hears...I am guessing that is my issue. I am probably just stressing over things that truly aren't going to happen and it is driving my anxiety through the roof. I can't let this beat me. I have too much to lose. I think if I could just sleep as normal I could get through this. I will get there. I don't really have a choice.

 

[HearsToHope]

I am probably just stressing over things that truly aren't going to happen and it is driving my anxiety through the roof. I can't let this beat me. I have too much to lose. I think if I could just sleep as normal I could get through this.

Getting a good night's sleep is a very important first step. I had to use the xanax as well for about three weeks to help me get to sleep. I eventually learned not to attach a fear or anger response to the tinnitus and now I can usually fall asleep even if my tinnitus is acting up. Three very important "mental" steps toward adaptation/habituation for people like us:

1) Accept the tinnitus, as difficult as it may be. Maybe it's related to something that can be fixed and maybe it isn't. Allow it to be resolved or habituated in its own time.

2) Learn to accept that anxiety is real and normal. Learn coping techniques. There are many cognitive-behavioral therapies that are effective. As you've pointed out, most things aren't actually going to happen. An interesting technique that is helpful for some people is to do a positive what-if scenario for what would happen if these things actually occurred. For instance, if your significant other were to walk. Yes, it would seem terrible in the short-term, but in the medium- to long-term you would meet someone else more compatible with your current situation. Approach the positive scenario with certainty. The positive scenario is more likely than the negative scenario, anyways.

3) Listen to your body and take care of it. Stress is hard on the body so you'll need more recovery and downtime than usual. Limit or eliminate stressful recreational activities for a while. Light to moderate exercise is helpful. Sleep deprivation is probably the biggest no-no.

Best wishes to you on your journey. In time you'll learn what works for you.

 

[jmasterj]

Well I have exhausted my options with the Chiropractor, but my neck is better. I have slept one day out of the last 5 so I am really struggling. Still waiting on an ENT next week. I still find it strange that I randomly am getting pulsating tinnitus and I still have a cold sensation in my upper left teeth. I drank some wine and had sweet and sour chicken last night and both of them caused a painful tooth sensation. I have already went to the dentist and he sees nothing wrong, but I am really thinking about a second opinion on that as that is the only variable that happened the evening before this started amping up. I bit into something wrong and it jacked up my jaw on that upper left side.

Anyone had any issue with tooth problems increasing their tinnitus?

 

[jmasterj]

Well, just another update. Ended up seeing a GP yesterday and she prescribed me sleeping pills. Sadly, they didn't help a lot. I should have only had to take one. I had to take two and I only kind of half slept most of the night. The GP consulted with an ENT and he said I should have had a MRI and MRV a long time ago and was wondering why it wasn't done sooner. I still have to wait for my ENT appointment next week.

It is just a strange one. Yesterday during the day I was feeling pretty good and felt like it had gone down to its normal level. I laid down in the bath and it amped up and started pulsating. Twenty or so minutes after getting up from that position it went down again and I was doing alright again. I went to bed and the loud pulsating tinnitus came back and woke me up. I walked around the house for a half hour and then went back to sleep. Woke up again with it horrible again and it is slowly going back down again. I hope and pray the MRI is able to find something. I also hope it isn't serious.

Again, just going through my struggle here if it helps anyone else with ideas.