How Can One Know If Her Tinnitus Is Caused by Hearing Loss or If It Is Somatic?

[Julia]

I have a little hearing loss. But I think it also can be somatic cos of my tinnitus sometimes stops compeletely (as I was exercising hard in the gym) for months and sometimes it is really loud for months. Also it becames louder as I yawn or move my neck or jaw.

I really don't know how to get help. I wonder if anyone in Finland knows what TMJ is... And how to know what causes my tinnitus.

 

[Nonna]

I have a little hearing loss. But I think it also can be somatic cos of my tinnitus sometimes stops compeletely (as I was exercising hard in the gym) for months and sometimes it is really loud for months. Also it becames louder as I yawn or move my neck or jaw.

I really don't know how to get help. I wonder if anyone in Finland knows what TMJ is... And how to know what causes my tinnitus.

In my opinion tmj is a really tight muscle near the tmd joint. The jaw muscle and temporalis muscle can create a knot above the cheek bone near the ear, and on the cheek. Massage is the best way to cure tmj is my opinion. Most people swell under the ear on the jaw when they have tmj.

 

[linearb]

"Somatic tinnitus" probably isn't (at least in most cases) a different phenomeon from "hearing loss induced tinnitus".

The vast majority of people with tinnitus can impact it through muscle contractions (Salvi 1981).

A current theory is that loss (even slight loss) of auditory input in susceptible individuals causes other sensory data to "cross over" into audio perception. This video goes through this in detail: