Unknown Tinnitus Cause — Please Help

[Doctronaut]

I started experiencing a constant ringing in my ears/head almost three months ago. Before this, I only occasionally experienced ringing in my ears but it always subsided quickly. It seems to have two components - constant high-pitched ringing in left ear + central? intermittent grasshopper sounds. The ringing in the left ear is louder than the stereo grasshopper sounds in my head. I cannot really seem to localise the grasshopper sounds. It may be coming from both left and right, right only or just central. Tinnitus has imposed much anxiety and also made it harder to sleep.I cannot concentrate well on my studies, struggle to find enjoyment in daily activities and lack motiviation in general.

My doctor first believed the cause to be earwax, but it persists even after clearing the ears. Then, she thought it may be caused by blocked eustachian tubes given that I get crackling sounds in the region at/near my ear canal when I move my jaw on the left side. Also, there was some redness/vascularisation of my left eardrum. Although using a nasal spray seems to have been partially effective in opening up my Eustachian tubes, the tinnitus persists without any improvement. I have been booked for evaluation by an ENT specialist because the cause and management is unclear. After evaluation by an audiologist, my hearing is normal and I have always exercised caution at using low volumes when playing audio from devices especially when using earphones/headphones. I have done some research and think that my medications finasteride and/or doxycycline may be playing a role via adverse side effects.

Do any of you have similar combinations of sounds or suspected causes? What were your experiences and evaluations by doctors? I appreciate any shared insights, ideas or advice. Thank you.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Hi @Doctronaut.

The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise and this includes the regular use of all types of headphones including headsets. The reason being, it's very easy to be listening to audio at too high a volume through these devices without realizing it.

On your profile it reads cause of tinnitus unknown. Although this is possible usually it's not the case. The fact that you have experienced ringing in your ears before and it went away, is an indication that you could have noise induced tinnitus. If you are a regular user of headphones, earbuds, AirPods or headsets. Listen to loud music through speakers or attend places where loud music is played. Work in a noisy environment then the tinnitus is probably noise induced.

Other things can cause tinnitus but I believe yours might be noise induced, especially if you regularly use headphones. Please go to my started threads and read the posts: The Habituation Process, Hyperacusis, As I See It. Please click on the links below and read the posts. My advice is not to use any type of headphones even at low volume, as there's the risk of making the tinnitus worse.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
Michael

New to Tinnitus, What to Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Tinnitus, A Personal View | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

[Doctronaut]

I would also like to note that I believe that my symptoms may also represent a TMJ disorder. Although I do not have any jaw pain, I have used Invisalign to realign my teeth which may have affected the TMJ. The crackling/grating/clicking sounds on my left could actually be dysfunction at the TMJ rather than eustachian tubes. I wear mouthguard-like retainers every night to keep my teeth in alignment. Compression of my auditory nerve at the TMJ is a reasonable possibility.

 

[Michael Leigh]

TMJ can cause tinnitus and is certainly something to consider. However, my advice is to review your lifestyle as this can give an indication of the cause of the tinnitus. If you work in a noisy environment or partake in shooting guns as a hobby. Regularly use any type of headphones including headset, then your tinnitus is likely to be noise induced, which is one of the most common causes of the condition.

I wish you well.
Michael