I have too many different noises to count, but two of them are completely unique compared to the rest, and I haven't found anyone else with a similar experience. There is one sound in each ear, and whenever one of them gets louder in one ear, the other one worsens within a few days, no matter what.
The tone in my left ear goes on and off. I can tap on my ear or skull or click my teeth together a few times, and it can go completely silent. If I stay still, the silence can last for up to about 10 seconds. However, it can also go "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP" indefinitely, sounding completely stable if I remain still. When I quiet the sound by tapping my teeth together, I can hear several micro-beeps with the same tone, only much quieter, as if the noise is trying to restart, and then it returns to full volume seconds later.
The tone in my right ear is more stable. It's a medium-high pitch that doesn't fluctuate like the one in my left ear. However, I can also make it quieter by pulling on my ear or applying pressure, though to a lesser extent than on the left side.
I believe these noises were caused by ear irrigation back in 2019. From what I can guess, high-pressure water hit my eardrums and caused damage. Since then, the sounds have worsened over time, regardless of what I do. But because they don't behave like regular noise-induced tinnitus, I'm hoping that if I can identify an underlying issue, I might be able to make them go away.
Certain actions, like burping, make both of these noises extremely loud for as long as there's pressure buildup in my throat or mouth. Interestingly, this only affects these two specific noises, not the others I hear.
The most consistent discovery I've made is with earmuffs. If I tighten the earmuffs by pressing the band firmly, the tone in my left ear almost disappears completely, and I don't need to tap my skull or click my teeth. The right ear also becomes quieter, but only slightly. I have no idea why this works, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the pressure in my middle ear and my Eustachian tubes. I have severe patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), which means my tubes remain constantly open. Maybe by tightening the earmuffs, I stabilize the pressure in my ears. I'm not sure.
Also, does the pressure caused by burping affect the Eustachian tubes? Another strange thing I've noticed is that these noises get permanently worse every summer, multiple times a year, but rarely during the winter. I feel like there's an explanation for all of this, and I wonder what would happen if I finally fixed my ETD through surgery or something similar.
If anyone can offer guesses or insights into these strange tinnitus sounds, please share.
The tone in my left ear goes on and off. I can tap on my ear or skull or click my teeth together a few times, and it can go completely silent. If I stay still, the silence can last for up to about 10 seconds. However, it can also go "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP" indefinitely, sounding completely stable if I remain still. When I quiet the sound by tapping my teeth together, I can hear several micro-beeps with the same tone, only much quieter, as if the noise is trying to restart, and then it returns to full volume seconds later.
The tone in my right ear is more stable. It's a medium-high pitch that doesn't fluctuate like the one in my left ear. However, I can also make it quieter by pulling on my ear or applying pressure, though to a lesser extent than on the left side.
I believe these noises were caused by ear irrigation back in 2019. From what I can guess, high-pressure water hit my eardrums and caused damage. Since then, the sounds have worsened over time, regardless of what I do. But because they don't behave like regular noise-induced tinnitus, I'm hoping that if I can identify an underlying issue, I might be able to make them go away.
Certain actions, like burping, make both of these noises extremely loud for as long as there's pressure buildup in my throat or mouth. Interestingly, this only affects these two specific noises, not the others I hear.
The most consistent discovery I've made is with earmuffs. If I tighten the earmuffs by pressing the band firmly, the tone in my left ear almost disappears completely, and I don't need to tap my skull or click my teeth. The right ear also becomes quieter, but only slightly. I have no idea why this works, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the pressure in my middle ear and my Eustachian tubes. I have severe patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), which means my tubes remain constantly open. Maybe by tightening the earmuffs, I stabilize the pressure in my ears. I'm not sure.
Also, does the pressure caused by burping affect the Eustachian tubes? Another strange thing I've noticed is that these noises get permanently worse every summer, multiple times a year, but rarely during the winter. I feel like there's an explanation for all of this, and I wonder what would happen if I finally fixed my ETD through surgery or something similar.
If anyone can offer guesses or insights into these strange tinnitus sounds, please share.