Right Ear Spontaneously Became Numb & Tinnitus Got SUPER Loud!

[Dreamer]

Hi all,

I just had a really horrifying experience. I was lying in bed, watching a cartoon at low volume on my phone, when out of nowhere my right ear went numb and my usual high-pitched tinnitus skyrocketed to a catastrophic volume. I do not know if it is important, but I was lying on my right side when this happened.

I have been experiencing an unusual amount of tinnitus fluctuations recently, but nothing like this. I think it has mostly returned to baseline, and the numbness only lasted for about a minute, but this is still incredibly concerning.

Does anyone know what this could be? If you have any knowledge, please let me know as soon as possible.

Scarlett

 

[Dreamer]

Bump.

 

[Nes]

I get similar sensations all the time when I am lying in bed. Usually, I can feel my tinnitus cutting in and out before it happens, so I have a chance to get up. But if I do not, I get the piercing tinnitus, which can last from 10 seconds to a few days. The longest it lasted for me was two days, on and off. In my case, my guess is that it is just somatosensory tinnitus, tinnitus related to neck and jaw movement.

What you experienced could be what is called SBUTT (sudden brief unilateral tapering tinnitus). It is very common in people who have tinnitus, and usually, it is nothing serious. My personal theory is that it is related to neck and jaw muscles, especially if they are tense.

If you lost hearing and it has not returned during this episode, consult a doctor as soon as possible.