Had Tinnitus in My Right Ear; Then It Started in My Left Ear After Eating a Jalapeño

Does anyone have a similar experience or any thoughts as to why a hot pepper may have incited tinnitus in my good ear? I was thinking that the hot pepper perhaps increased blood flow, which caused the tinnitus.

 

I think my tinnitus is affected by food sometimes. Hope it was temporary for you.

 

Greetings @Andrea Rings - I have never heard spicy foods causing tinnitus by increasing blood flow to the ears or areas around the ears. If blood flow becomes turbulent in the arteries and veins around the ear, this can cause pulsatile T, but I have no experience with that. On the other hand, poor circulation caused by things like stress, chronic poor sleep and insomnia, and anxiety can reduce delivery oxygenated blood to the ears that my cause hearing problems and T. Also, thicker, more viscous blood due to conditions like diabetes or PV/blood disorders can cause T and hearing problems over time as well.

If you are convinced that the jalapeño is the culprit, might be a problem with your Eustachian Tubes and inflammation that is the modality behind your new T - https://hearingwellnesssolutions.com/spicy-foods-cause-temporary-deafness/. Taking steps to reduce ETD and inflammation may help - https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/here-is-how-i-solved-my-tinnitus-—-new-protocols-and-supplements-to-try.6514/. If you have existing issues with acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD, spicy foods may be a trigger for it and this opens up another door to potential T and ear problems.

I have had issues with acid reflux in the past during graduate school when under high stress and ignoring my diet. I now have had luck with almost eliminating my acid reflux by adopting a more neutral diet, eating smaller portions, and losing about 1.5 stone in weight. Just a few considerations to keep on your radar.

Also, it is not unusual for T to move from ear to ear so you hear in one or both at different times.

 

Tinnitus often spreads to the "good" ear sometime during the first year after the onset.

Have you experienced any fading compared to how it sounded a month ago?

 

Hi, Bill.
My T began in my right ear on Aug 8 and then spread to my left ear on Sept 29. I didn't know that it often spreads during the first year. It was fading slightly a couple of weeks ago (with very brief spikes in the left ear last weekend), but when I developed a migraine yesterday, it became louder. I wish I knew exactly what to do to control the loudness. I'm trying to detect patterns, but nothing is evident so far. Thanks for asking. How are you doing?

 

@Andrea Rings Tinnitus and tinnitus going to other ear could relate to this article with migraine. Do you have any blood flow problems or thyroid problems? Have you had blood work done? What does your tinnitus sound like?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7816447

Too much sugar intake can cause a rise in blood sugar levels over time.
Too much salt gradually, but case studies say tinnitus can go to other ear or increase right after consuming too salt at one time. From case study - Rinsing mouth with water and too much salt increased tinnitus within one hour. Same study with rinsing mouth with too much salt caused tinnitus to go other ear within one hour.

Control of salt and sugar and other diet changes may lower your tinnitus.

 

What matters is the monthly trend and the global lows. What happens on any given day (including the inevitable setbacks) is irrelevant. If your tinnitus hasn't been relentlessly at the same level and you noticed some fading, it ought to continue to fade and, in the long run, you will hopefully get to the "can hear it only in quiet rooms, get bothered by it only during the time when one is trying to fall sleep" stage. This process might take a year or two... You might even get to hear silence again.