It's Been 3 Months with Tinnitus, Trying My Hardest to Relax Into It...

Hi Everyone, so nice to meet you all. Sorry this may be a bit long!! Want to give all the info. For years and years I've noticed I have a very low level of T that I noticed only at bedtime. It never bothered me and this was the only time I'd notice it. But about 3 months ago my T started getting much louder and high-pitched. Now I hear it all day long and it's started to stress me out, give me anxiety, all those wonderful things. I'm trying to figure out what is happening- Here is a little background: so about a month before the T got worse, I had a lower right wisdom tooth pulled, and it was a fairly difficult extraction. I also ended up getting a 'dry socket' in the extracted site, which is basically an infection. I also had minor surgery for something around this same time, but is unrelated. Anyway, after a few weeks the gum healed but I noticed the right side of my jaw would make a slight popping sound every so often, and also a 'sandy' or 'gritty' sound when I opened and closed sometimes. A few weeks later I got a head cold that lasted for 2-3 days. A week after the cold (and about a month after the tooth extraction) is when my T got to the point where it was high-pitched, sometimes pulsating, and all day long. Sometimes it's in one ear or the other, or both. My ears often felt full and that they needed to be popped but the ENT said nothing was there, and my eustachian tubes were fine. I noticed it also gets louder when I bend forward.

About two weeks after the T wasn't going away, I visited my first ENT that I mentioned above, who after a few visits and a hearing test said everything looked fine and I just developed T and had to deal with it. About two months after the T started I noticed my bite wasn't aligned, and my jaw was starting to feel tighter than usual. Went to the dentist who thought I needed braces (?!). I decided to visit a different ENT that was recommended by my parents (my mom has a lot of ear issues including T and major hearing loss). He did another hearing test, and said my hearing was perfectly fine as are my eustachian tubes. He said it was 'rare' to see T just from a short cold without hearing loss in someone my age (I'm 42, not exactly young). He seemed to think the T was related to TMJ that he thinks I developed after the tough tooth extraction. He had me take loads of anti-inflammatory meds and do jaw exercises for 10 days. When that didn't seem to help (and also screwed with my stomach!) he sent me to a jaw specialist who made a bite plate for nighttime and gave me stretching exercises and told me to use heat a few times a day. He also thinks I could have TMJ but he seemed skeptical that it was causing the T. I definitely have some inflammation still going on by both sides of my jaw some 4 months after the tooth extraction, but not sure if it's really significant enough to have caused the major spike in T.

I've started seeing an acupuncturist/Chinese Medicine doctor who has decided the T has to do with 'low energy' in my body. I've been getting acupuncture (mostly by my ears, hands and ankle) and he gives me various herbs. I've been seeing him for quite a few weeks, haven't noticed a huge difference.

Just wanted to share my story, see if anyone had any ideas or insight! I'm so happy to have found this forum. Knowing so many others are going through this is very comforting.

 

Look, im not that smart about T as most people, but... Just keep your head up.

 

Welcome to the forum. It does seem to be TMJ related from your description. But there are many other causes which can trigger or aggravate tinnitus, including but not limited to drug reaction or side-effects from ototoxic drugs, ear wax build-up, ear or Eustachian tube infection or ETD, ear drum injury, fluid build-up in ears feeling pressured or fullness, sinus infection & congestion especially with a bad cold, TMJ, TTTS, high blood pressure or blood circulation problem, loud noise exposure or acoustic trauma/shock, head trauma & injury, neck injury or muscle problems, hearing loss, Meniere's Decease, barotrauma from sudden change of air pressure such as during landing & taking off on flights especially with blocked nose causing failure to balance the pressure changes, slapping of the ears, deep grief for the loss of loved ones, untreated sleep apnea, extreme, extended stress, anxiety & panic disorder, etc., etc.

Your posting title suggestions a good approach, and that is to try to relax and not panic. Anxiety and stress are bad for T. So try your best to stay positive and relax while you are seeking help and advice. Give it some time. Hope you will be able to find the root cause of your T. Take care. God bless.