Acoustic Trauma Induced Low Hum Almost Completely Gone by Lowering Chin to Chest

I have static hiss (bilaterally) and (more bothersome) low buzzing tinnitus unilaterally in my right ear.

I've been dealing with this for 13 months now but only this last week, coincidentally, I found out that when I am sitting on my office chair, and the ear is buzzing at 10/10 loudness, upon bringing my chin to my chest the buzzing goes from a 10 to a 2.

How, on earth, does tinnitus caused by an acoustic trauma allow itself to be modulated like that?

I thought tinnitus from acoustic trauma were just neurons firing like crazy, inside the brain. How then does me stretching my neck to make my chin touch my chest change anything in how my brain is producing the phantom noise?

I really don't get that part, but maybe there is a logical explanation.

 

What do you think your acoustic trauma was?

A common thing with people on Tinnitus Talk is finding the nearest possible cause, sometimes a concert they went to a month ago. Sometimes having 6 beers in one night.

Are you sure the acoustic trauma was significant?

Some people go to hundreds of concerts and never get tinnitus. Think about fireworks usage etc.

Most people would say that sounds much more mechanical.

 

@Ben Winders, maybe theres a chance that this acoustic trauma affected one of the inner bones or muscles as opposed to caused permanent hearing damage? Therefore influenced by muscular or nerve interaction. I think whatever caused it, it is probably a better and less permanent situation than normal permanent tinnitus in the higher frequencies.

I think yours stops with your finger because your finger is creating a low noise, just like talking, moving your neck the fridge sound etc and essentially triggering the hairs/muscle/bone to have to react to that sound in a more normal way, then as soon as it stops having to react to something it continues with its spasm.

My drone comes and goes and has is in many ways the same as yours. I've mentioned before that during the periods where it's starting to happen, holding my neck in a different position can help bring it on/stop it.

Whatever this low hum is trigged by, it is different to regular noise induced tinnitus in the higher frequencies or at the very least influenced differently.

 

My experience is that the head position can alter the feel of tinnitus just as your environment can.

If you feel it’s better, then put on earmuffs and you might realise it’s just the same sounds you hear.

 

So you are saying that whenever I am able to bring my tinnitus down from 10 to a 2 by tucking my chin in, putting on earmuffs will bring it back to a 10?

I'll try to find out next time I am able to.

 

For many people (including myself), the head movement affects a lot the tinnitus volume, this is called somatic tinnitus. Mine increases by rotating the head to left/right and moving my jaw in front.

My hyperacusis and tinnitus are from acoustic trauma also.

 

Hi Ben,

A lot of people like Susan Shore suggest tinnitus is caused by overactive neurons in the DCN where somatosensory input occurs too.

I can intensify my tinnitus by any jaw movement or lip movement or by pressing on my face.

I also developed bilateral low humming after Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

On top of that I have a pulsatile hiss.

Not pleasant.

Hope yours improves.

 

Are you taking anything or doing anything to try and mitigate the humming sound or make it more liveable?

My low humming mostly stays away if I turn on low humming sound (YouTube is full of deep space sounds).

It's been a while since I applied this technique (I m sleeping mostly in silence now), but I used to have low rumbling sound on in my bedroom, which kept my low humming sound away during the day (residual inhibition).

I have no clue if this works for you as your tinnitus is not noise induced, but there is no harm in trying (don't put the sound too loud of course).

 

Do you still have the low hum in both ears? You said your pulsatile tinnitus was eliminated by Tenotomy, correct?

 

My tinnitus is similar, I have loud tonal tinnitus in my right ear, chronic 24/7 and on top of that I have a static "hissing" in my right ear that I can modulate with my jaw, and SCM muscles. The hissing is synchronized with my heart beat and I can stop the hissing my protruding my mandible or flexing my SCM muscles. I can also make my right ear make a "chirp" sound if I flex my right masseter muscle.

Have you found anything that works? I believe what we are deal with is maladaptive plasticity of the dorsal cochlear nucleus following acoustic trauma and noise exposure. I had tinnitus for years but it was severely worsened following a noise exposure and then I was left with the chronic hissing and ability to modulate. Any ideas friend?

 

Amazing, I tried this and it made my tinnitus volume even worse (much louder) when I push my chin to my chest but immediately decreased when I raise my head back up.
I will have to ask the specialist what this means. I believe I have pulsatile tinnitus because the mid pitch in my left ear and the high-pitched in my right ear seem to alternate volumes of every second or two. I thought my normal volume was unbearable. It has gotten considerably worse over the last year and a half.

Mine began with a blow to the back of the head, got worse after my COVID-19 vaccines, but was probably initiated from decades as a percussionist.

It certainly has stolen a lot of joy from my life.

Good luck with your struggle and thanks for sharing.