Could Inactivity Be a Cause?

Hey everyone, I've been trying to figure out what on earth caused my tinnitus to appear suddenly almost two months ago. It only appeared in my left ear along with hyperacusis and ETD, and so far antibiotics and steroid sprays haven't really changed anything. The fluid in my ear won't drain, so a myringotomy might be necessary in the future.

Naturally I've been thinking "what was I doing differently at the time that might have caused this?". The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that I broke my ankle early july, and it forced me to become extremely immobile. I pretty much sat in front of my computer for 16 hours a day since then, and got the cast off around the time tinnitus arrived. Walking was extremely slow and painful, and only recently have I stopped limping.

Could my sluggish lifestyle over the past few months have caused this? Doing literally nothing all day must have slowed my heartbeat down to a crawl. Or maybe the nerve damage in my ankle might be screwing with my nervous system somehow?

I just wish this nightmare would pass already

 

Hi @Mr Worried

A number of of things can cause tinnitus to appear in the manner that you have mentioned. It could be related to ETD but the most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise/sounds. Before the onset of the tinnitus, did you regularly listen to music through headphones or attend places where loud music is played? Do you work in a noisy environment? Once loud noise is ruled out then something else is causing the tinnitus.

Michael

 

I've only been to one concert in my life, and that was back in 2007. I've never worked in a place that would be considered noisy, but I did listen to a bit of music through headphones in my teens (IE 8+ years ago).

If any of that were to be the cause, wouldn't the tinnitus have arrived much sooner?

 

The main ones I was concerned about is heaphone use and going to clubs concerts etc. With headphone use, tinnitus can come on gradually and if you haven't used them regular before the onset of tinnitus and not been going to venues where loud music is played, then I don't think exposure to loud noise is the cause of your tinnitus.

This will need to be investigated at ENT if the tinnitus doesn't settle down on its own accord. As I've said a number of things can cause it including ETD. If you would like to click on my "started threads" and read my article: Tinnitus, A Personal View, you might find it helpful.

Please have a word with your GP who will probably refer you to ENT for tests on your auditory system. Tinnitus can go away and many people do habituate to it in time. More is explained in my article.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Thank you for the help

Getting a referral to an ENT was my next step now that the steroid sprays and antibiotics did nothing, so I'll have to wait and see what they say about it.

 

It doesn't appear that ankle nerve damage is the cause. There's only one medical report that I can find with any relation to the ankle. If states: Remote avulsion fracture with arthrodesis on the right ankle with sciatic radiculopathy then tinnitus.

There are reports of sciatic issues causing tinnitus, but those are typically related to the spine and disc. Be careful with computer use posture where neck should not be bend forward. Lack of or over use of muscles and getting muscles spasms in back and neck could cause problems. I'm ringing very hard tonight as about a hour ago, I got a neck spasm.

I don't know enough about ETD, medication use and your noise factor experiences to comment.

 

It can take quite a while for the fluid to drain. Sometimes longer than 1-2 months. Hope you feel better...