Constant Tinnitus, Jaw Clenching, and Head Pressure After Age 62 — Could It Be Cancer?

[AngS]

Hello. I'm 62. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed ringing in my head when I woke up. It faded as the day went on. This continued for a few days, but then it never stopped. The ringing is now constant.

My dentist has told me that I clench my teeth and have been doing so for many years. You can see the muscles in my jaw when I clench, and I have U-shaped gums on the teeth below my ears on both sides of my lower jaw.

Since the ringing started, I've felt off, with pressure in my head on and off, almost like being on an airplane, and sometimes like I'm on the outside looking in. If I tuck my chin inward, the ringing gets louder. If I look up or down, the sound changes slightly. I did go to a concert five days ago, which seems to have made it worse, although I can't say for sure.

I'm a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed 11 years ago, and I'm scared this might be a tumor. I've researched everything, but I don't have any other symptoms. I exercise regularly, including step and cardio classes, and I use a balance board. I can mask the sound with the radio or other background noise, and it doesn't bother me as much when I'm distracted. Still, I'm tired and sometimes feel like I have a headache.

I saw my GP today. They will order a hearing test, refer me to an ENT, and schedule a brain MRI. They told me that, given my current symptoms, they are not concerned. My blood pressure was normal. Then they added that it's unusual to have tinnitus without hearing loss or for it to last this long, which, as a worrier, sent me over the edge. My past MRIs and CT scans for headaches have been normal, with the last one a few years ago.

I don't take any medications, only Vitamin D and calcium. Do I have reason to worry that this could be cancer?

 

[GregCA]

Do I have reason to worry that this could be cancer?

Not really. There are plenty of root causes that could give you tinnitus.

You're doing the right thing by engaging medical professionals to help figure it out. There's a flowchart here that can guide you and your doctors along the way:

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/...5290c669360aad1f76_TRI_Tinnitus_Flowchart.pdf

Good luck!

 

[Sonia554]

It sounds like you might have somatic tinnitus caused by clenching. The fact that your tone changes with movement points in the same direction. Somatic tinnitus is often related to tight muscles and can sometimes be improved with head and neck exercises as well as relaxation techniques.

It's not unusual at all to have tinnitus without hearing loss or for it to last several months, or even weeks, so I'm not sure why they said that. There are countless things that can cause tinnitus. I wouldn't worry about cancer being one of them. There's about a 1% chance it could be a neuroma on the auditory nerve, but that usually causes tinnitus in only one ear along with other symptoms such as balance problems.

Doctors will almost always suggest an MRI if you mention tinnitus, but unless there's a specific reason to suspect a neuroma, it's usually more of a precaution for the doctor than something truly necessary. It may not be worth the money or time unless you feel it would really help calm your nerves.

I'd suggest getting a night guard for the clenching and looking up exercises for somatic tinnitus. I would start there before spending too much money on tests.

 

[BrOKeN_1]

It's not unusual at all to have tinnitus without hearing loss or for it to last several months, or even weeks, so I'm not sure why they said that.

Exactly. This doctor doesn't have a good understanding of tinnitus or its many root causes.

I don't take any medications, only Vitamin D and calcium. Do I have reason to worry that this could be cancer?

It's very unlikely that cancer is the cause in this case. I would suggest adding a Magnesium supplement and giving it some time before spending a lot of money on unnecessary medical tests. Don't let the noise rule your day. It can't hurt you, and hopefully it clears up for you. Best of luck.