Tinnitus Goes Quiet When I Apply Pressure on the Ears

[GrodanB]

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.

 

[GrodanB]

I actually found someone who also has Patulous Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) and can affect their tinnitus by interacting with their ear, just like I can.

In my search for answers, I came across a condition called Patulous Eustachian Tube. This occurs when the Eustachian tube remains too open and doesn't close properly, causing a build-up of pressure in the middle ear. I'm fairly certain this is where my tinnitus is coming from, as I can change the pitch, noise, and overall sound of my tinnitus by moving my earlobes, performing the Valsalva maneuver, among other things.

If this is the cause, I completely underestimated how dangerous ETD issues can be. I used to think of it as just an annoyance, but now I realize my ears might have taken a lot of damage from airborne irritants and noise entering my inner ear because the tube won't close. I tend to inhale strongly through my nostrils during sleep apnea episodes, when my body jolts awake to get oxygen into my lungs. This combination of Patulous ETD and powerful air and noise going directly into my ear tubes is likely what's causing the problem. It makes sense that I haven't seen anyone with similar worsening symptoms, given that central sleep apnea is already quite rare, and Patulous ETD on top of that is even rarer.

I'm considering trying PatulEND to see if it helps—unless I opt for surgery first.

 

[yolo]

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.

I have exactly this in my right ear, and I've been wondering if I'm the only one on Earth experiencing it. I've had it since 2019, but it doesn't bother me anymore. It comes and goes pretty much all the time because it reacts to certain frequencies, like tooth clicking. Sometimes the tone is quieter, sometimes louder. Occasionally, it's completely off and only reacts to specific external noises (certain frequencies), but most of the time, it's just as you described. When it stops, it seems to "wait" before restarting.

For me, the tone is the note F , which actually helps when I sing a cappella . It's a pretty low-frequency note.

No expert has been able to explain what it is. Most just say it's regular tinnitus caused by noise damage, but I think it's something else.

My left ear has something similar going on. My ears are strange! I also have bruxism, and my jaw doesn't function properly, so it might be related to that. I'm not sure if I have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD).