Effervescent Tablets Dissolving in Water/Surf-Like Tinnitus?

Hello, I'm reaching out to members of Tinnitus Talk to consult some further information about the nature of my own tinnitus issue. The first time I noticed a background hum in my ears was around 2018 after a loud concert, but it's very possible that I might've had it before to some degree and I just paid no notice to it. I have it in both ears, but it's more noticeable in my left. I've had two-three audiometry tests done not finding any objective hearing loss (beyond the standard for my age). I have a long history of mild cervicocranial issues related to a computer-centric sedentary life that I've sort of "gotten used to". The tinnitus isn't an overwhelming issue for me, but it certainly has its days when it's in the forefront and quite annoying.

What I find a little unusual is that the tinnitus not one continuous tone, more like a hum with little peaks and valleys, and by far the best way I can describe it is as that sound that effervescent tablets make as they dissolve in water. These peaks appear to correlate with my blood pulse, but they're much milder than the pulse itself, they don't really "hit" like an arterial pulse, more like a smooth, surfing ebb and flow in frequency. It has louder and quieter days, and I've noticed it's usually worse in the evening, and when I clench my jaw real hard, it peaks the tinnitus' frequency. Interestingly, it tends to temporarily soften itself after I listen to music that's highly dynamic and chaotic (e.g., Dillinger Escape Plan) while music that's very monotone and droning (e.g. new age ambient) tends to exacerbate it - as if there was a "tuning fork" in my ears that gets reverberated by the monotone resonance.

I happen to take NAC unrelated to this issue and while it did help me otherwise, I can't say that it has made any difference on the tinnitus itself.

I've recently encountered a person who's had a suspected tinnitus from some jugular vein issue, and now I wonder whether that couldn't be my own case as well (possibly secondary to the cervicocranial syndrome, e.g., stiff muscles and so on)?

 

Wow, I didn't get tinnitus from noise exposure (well, that I know of...) but you've described the sound/rhythm of mine perfectly. I've talked to doctors about it and they ask if it's in time with my pulse and I've always been like "kind of...?" Yeah, it's like a smoother ebb and flow. I've been describing the sound as, the sound of pouring sand, or the sound of mixing rice with your hands.

I also have a computer centric/sedentary life just because of my work. Before the tinnitus I exercised pretty regularly to try and combat that, but ironically now exercise seems to exacerbate it so I feel like I can't... it sucks.

I have regular neck aches and pains - lately I've been seeing possible improvements on my tinnitus, but just this week I realized that days where I experience more neck pain precede days where my tinnitus spikes up again.

Maybe cervical spondylosis?