Why Does Getting Cold & Flu "Cure" My Tinnitus?

[Fleegle]

So sometimes (not often) I get a cold or flu.

And my tinnitus gets really bad - really bad. But usually with really bad tinnitus and a cold and flu I am a few days later rewarded with a reprieve from the tinnitus. Only sometimes do I take medication for it, and then only some pseudoephedrine and paracetamol.

So what is happening here?
I might have a different tinnitus to a lot of people, but if you are like me then can you explain it?

But in the end the tinnitus returns

 

[JohnAdams]

Keep investigating. Maybe this means you have the ability to heal.

 

[Karl28]

Maybe it's an issue with your Eustachian tubes as when you're sick you're all blocked up - same with the tubes.

 

[leledany]

It could be the pseudoephedrine, in other cases it improves tinnitus. Search pseudoephedrine in the forum.

 

[Gabriel]

Maybe it's an issue with your Eustachian tubes as when you're sick you're all blocked up - same with the tubes.

I very agree with his theory.

I am STRONGLY recomming you to go see your ENT and ask precisely to check your Eustachian tubes, because hen you are sick, they actually close. And you can't hear tinnitus. which can mean they are too open normally, and this have a cure, which would mean, you could be cured for your tinnitus.
how awesome does that sound ?

 

[JohnAdams]

I recently had a cold and when I was getting over it my tinnitus was 100% gone. I didn't take anything either.

 

[Ryzen]

...why do medical professionals not bother to investigate potential leads like this?

 

[JohnAdams]

I have a cold right now and my tinnitus is totally gone. I even had mucus in my middle ear and it's not any worse.

There could be a treatment in this if anyone could answer why but this kind of thing is totally off the radar of tinnitus researchers.

 

[Kriszti]

I have a cold right now and my tinnitus is totally gone. I even had mucus in my middle ear and it's not any worse.

There could be a treatment in this if anyone could answer why but this kind of thing is totally off the radar of tinnitus researchers.

I don't understand either. When I have a headache, my tinnitus is lessened or absolutely gone. Unfortunately (I never ever thought that I would complain about not having headaches...) now my head rarely hurts, but tinnitus is thriving. Why aren't there researches using these kinds of experience?

 

[TheDanishGirl]

I had a cold about 1-1½ year ago, that made my tinnitus reduce to next to nothing. I woke in the middle of night during the bout and had 99% silence. How I savoured it. As the cold got better my tinnitus went back up to baseline.

I have had 2 bouts of cold since getting tinnitus and the second time it didnt have this effect on the tinnitus, sadly. If it did, I would wish for a cold more often, LOL.

 

[JohnAdams]

Yeah, what in the world?!?!?!?!

I still am still stuffy and I just plugged my ears and I have zero tinnitus. My tinnitus is gone. No ringing. No hyperacusis. Just a cold.

 

[JohnAdams]

Alrighty. I am almost recovered from my cold and my tinnitus is still GONE. As in G-O-N-E.

I am cautiously optimistic that it will stay gone but I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[all to gain]

Everybody now proceeds to go outdoors to try and get a cold.

 

[JohnAdams]

I thought I was getting better but I'm getting sicker.

 

[Agrajag364]

I don't understand either. When I have a headache, my tinnitus is lessened or absolutely gone. Unfortunately (I never ever thought that I would complain about not having headaches...) now my head rarely hurts, but tinnitus is thriving. Why aren't there researches using these kinds of experience?

That's so weird, I had a constant headache for years (not an exaggeration) and it went away once I got tinnitus. I preferred the headache. But it was weird.

 

[JohnAdams]

I very agree with his theory.

I am STRONGLY recomming you to go see your ENT and ask precisely to check your Eustachian tubes, because hen you are sick, they actually close. And you can't hear tinnitus. which can mean they are too open normally, and this have a cure, which would mean, you could be cured for your tinnitus.
how awesome does that sound ?

How does that make any sense at all?

 

[JohnAdams]

Yep, tinnitus is coming back.

 

[Gman]

I recently had a pretty unpleasant upper respiratory cold/flu thing, during which my T was pretty minimal. Not sure if it was coincidence or not. It went into my lungs, sinuses, ETs and pretty sure middle ear as they felt quite clogged at times. Blowing my nose gently would open both ETs, which is strange as one is usually stubborn. Maybe the cold caused some sort of swelling that is allowing the ETs to function more normally? Using nasonex makes my T worse too, which it really shouldn't, but maybe by reducing inflammation and swelling it somehow causes the tubes to not work properly. Seems counterintuitive though.

I had read about losing weight/fatty deposits in the face can cause ETD. I lost massive amounts to the point of looking gaunt during my PTSD bad times.

Like almost everything with this crap, it's so difficult to know what's happening and there's no one who can really help.

The previous cold before that made my T worse temporarily though...

 

[JohnAdams]

I recently had a pretty unpleasant upper respiratory cold/flu thing, during which my T was pretty minimal. Not sure if it was coincidence or not. It went into my lungs, sinuses, ETs and pretty sure middle ear as they felt quite clogged at times. Blowing my nose gently would open both ETs, which is strange as one is usually stubborn. Maybe the cold caused some sort of swelling that is allowing the ETs to function more normally? Using nasonex makes my T worse too, which it really shouldn't, but maybe by reducing inflammation and swelling it somehow causes the tubes to not work properly. Seems counterintuitive though.

I had read about losing weight/fatty deposits in the face can cause ETD. I lost massive amounts to the point of looking gaunt during my PTSD bad times.

Like almost everything with this crap, it's so difficult to know what's happening and there's no one who can really help.

The previous cold before that made my T worse temporarily though...

Tinnitus has nothing to do with Eustachian tubes, unless them being clogged is causing fluid to build up in the middle ear and block out sound. I'd say not a single person here has tinnitus that relates to ETD.

 

[Gman]

Tinnitus has nothing to do with Eustachian tubes, unless them being clogged is causing fluid to build up in the middle ear and block out sound. I'd say not a single person here has tinnitus that relates to ETD.

I don't believe I said my tinnitus is caused by eustachian tube dysfunction, but I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that they can't be a factor. There are so many interconnected muscles, nerves and so on. Inflammation, swelling, dysfunctioning can have real knock on effects.
Also tinnitus and hearing loss can actually be caused by a whole lot of things. Not just noise. Didn't you know that?

I don't have the answers, just describing what I experience. Ever since I had my worsening a few years ago, where I developed unhinged tinnitus, TTTS (fluttering and cramping kinds), hyperacusis, trigeminal nerve issues, PTSD, nervous system weirdness, my ETs have not been normal. ET functioning is via four muscles, including the tensor tympani, which in turn is involved with middle ear functioning. You can't look at things in isolation, it's a bit more complex than that.

You seem to be all-knowing. So what's your expert opinion on why colds sometimes cause tinnitus to lessen?

 

[Kriszti]

That's so weird, I had a constant headache for years (not an exaggeration) and it went away once I got tinnitus. I preferred the headache. But it was weird.

I had very frequent headaches from the age of 12, but not constant and migraines with aura like every month later on. It was bad. When I first got the aura, I literally thought that I'm dying or going instantly blind. But after a while, I could cope and sleep was an ally not a foe. So I would take my previous headaches over tinnitus in a heartbeat. (I haven't tried the constant headache, so maybe not that one.)
Maybe that's just my case, because people have headaches and tinnitus at the same time too, but I think there has to be a connection between the two. Or maybe just my brain is so shocked and occupied about ruining me with tinnitus, that it doesn't have time for headaches. My ekzema also stopped when I got tinnitus. Perhaps coincidence, but everything is so strange about Tinnitus.

 

[Yas]

Hello all,

I didn't want to put this in success stories because I know it's temporary.

My tinnitus has been nice and quiet yesterday and today, in fact, I barely heard it this morning. I almost forgot it excited. I currently have the flu and I'm wondering if it's because I'm SO sick that my brain is focusing on the flu and not the tinnitus?

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

 

[Yas]

Hello all,

I didn't want to put this in success stories because I know it's temporary.

My tinnitus has been nice and quiet yesterday and today, in fact, I barely heard it this morning. I almost forgot it excited. I currently have the flu and I'm wondering if it's because I'm SO sick that my brain is focusing on the flu and not the tinnitus?

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

I posted this as a separate threat and it seems to have been moved to this one. I just read everyone's comments.
How strange. I'll talk to my ent about this tomorrow!

 

[Gabriel]

How does that make any sense at all?

It makes sense because some people tinnitus are in fact "mechanical" meaning not from their brain but from the fact their eustachian tube are too open and this create tinnitus like sounds.

There are stories of people actually adressing this problem and seeing their "tinnitus" go away.