Low Frequency Tinnitus

I returned from an ~8 hour flight on Saturday and had ~2 days without the hum. The 8 days I was travelling I spent a lot of time outside and similarly didn't hear the hum for most of the trip. I travel somewhat frequently for work and have always been surprised that when I land and get to my hotel, I wouldn't hear the hum (only to come back within a day or so of returning home). For a while I thought the issue was my house (allergies?) until reading some of the posts on this forum and realizing the common theme was noise exposure.

I'd be curious what you have found is most effective at keeping the hum suppressed. Obviously you can't take an 8 hour flight or 3 hour car ride every couple of days and I'd like to keep any prolonged noise exposure to <70 dB (I'd find it hard to think I'm doing damage if the volume level is less than 70 dB).

I've recently started sleeping with a very low frequency (and fairly low volume) masking sound which does a decent job of masking my hum but I'm not sure it's providing any suppression effect the next day. I suppose I could try increasing the volume to 50-60 dB to replicate what Ben did, but I may try something similar at my desk during the day first. Have you found something that works well for you?

 

I haven’t tried anything to keep it suppressed in the way you suggest mainly because its wavering intensity changes what is required to surprise it. For me it’s quite manageable when it’s low, 35 dB may suppress it - then there will be times where it’s on for a week non-stop every time there isn’t 50 dB around me.

I guess in some sense it “spikes.”

When it isn’t spiking, sitting at a cafe, going to a bar once or twice a week, air conditioner during the day will keep it fairly low/off.

If it’s spiking, sometimes one of the bigger events in my list message will trigger it to drop back down, i.e. going to a bar (with earplugs), or a long flight.

When it comes to your suggestion, i.e. playing a sound <70 dB for 6+ hours a day, I’m not sure if that is super safe. Only because a few people’s suggestion is that kind of longer term exposure can be what causes this type of tinnitus in the first place, as well as other people with hearing damage and high frequency tinnitus seemingly affected by 70 dB. I’m not sure if I agree when it comes to low frequency tinnitus. Nobody has experimented with that besides Ben Winders who has disappeared. Mine has got worse and is in both ears now.

Until we work out the etiology and cause we can’t really say if it works the same way as normal tinnitus. After reading 20 research papers I’m almost certain it occurs from a similar system to spontaneous otoacoustic emissions or is at least related to outer hair cells and their amplification. I’ll post on this when I’m certain and have put together all the research.

 

I've similarly found that when it isn't 'spiking', noise levels at or above 35 dB can mask the hum. I'm still trying to figure out what inhibits the hum to the point where I don't hear it in <35 dB settings for hours or days afterwards - planes have had that impact most consistently, restaurants or long car rides are hit or miss.

Have you looked into Tonic Tensor Tympany Syndrome? My understanding is that the tensor tympani muscle contracts when talking, swallowing or being exposed to loud noises. I've read people on this forum say their hum briefly stops when talking or swallowing - is it possible the inhibition for hours/days is because the muscle stays tightened for an extended period of time post-noise exposure (which may have the effect of suppressing the hum)?

Any insights you can share from your research would be great.

Do you wear earplugs whenever you go to a bar or restaurant (or is there a dB above which you'll wear protection)? Have you found loud noises makes your hum worse?

 

I was hoping it wasn't tinnitus, but everything I read leads me to it. Mine is around 160-165 Hz hum/buzz/vibration.

Like many, certain things make it stop, such as:

- placing a finger in my ear
- certain noises at a high enough volume
- when I'm talking or someone with a low voice talks
- seems to increase intensity if my head is leaning forward, does not necessarily recede when leaning backward or lying down

The onset is a bit strange. I just recently came down with hyperacusis due to sudden hearing loss, and notice that the first couple days after a setback, there is no vibration. But after a few days when my ears recover, the vibration starts. It always begins a bit choppy, and slowly becomes a constant vibration. Some nights it will stay a constant, and some days it will slowly wean off. But the past couple days it's been constant (It's been 8 days since my last H setback, which is the longest I've gone so far).

 

Yes, please do let us know when you've got your research together! I'd love to have some answers to this weird tinnitus that we all seem to have. Thanks Benjaminbb!!

I went to the audiologist a few weeks back. They tell me that my hearing is totally fine and that they don't have any experience with the type of tinnitus we're all describing.

I got mine for the first time when I had COVID-19 and was being given an N-acetylcysteine (NAC) infusion for an accidental overdose of paracetamol (FYI: cold + flu tablets + panadol = too much paracetamol). But I had also been at a big Lebanese wedding the weekend prior with lots of loud music. So not sure which of the 3 is responsible - or maybe the combination!

 

Hey, sorry for the delay and long reply, I wanted to cover everything you asked.

Yep, I have considered TTTS or stapedius spasm in the early days but started to move away from it as it doesn’t appear to explain a lot of the unique traits/isn’t solved with cutting in nearly all cases I saw. In a way I’m sure many of us hope it would be that since we have physical access to cut it/it may change over time.

I think the suppression from loud noise is far more likely a temporary threshold shift (than long term muscle spasm unless you have any evidence?), which happens any time you are exposed to loud sounds, it happens at all effected frequencies and in the cochlea.

Here are some more reasons why I don’t think it’s tensor tympani/middle ear reflex related.

• Tensor tympani is generally known to create loud pops/clicking and low muscle rumble/roar (put a tensed fist to ear if you want to get an idea) - both of these can be stopped by cutting the muscle. However, there is close to zero success stories with cutting the muscles to stop the sub hum.
• The frequency pitch of the hum is seemingly stable, which spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and regular tinnitus generally are. If it were muscle tensing you’d probably experience a variety of speeds/frequencies/clear fluttering.
• The fact that some people experience amplification of quiet bass sounds suggest it is amplification related, which is mostly the responsibility of outer hair cells.
• Only bass frequencies or sounds with some bass suppress the hum. Sounds with bass EQ’d out do not. Possibly suggesting it to be isolated to a specific part of the cochlea(apex) either inner or outer hair cells.
• Tensor tympani reflex: Loud sounds in one ear are known to create an acoustic reflex in BOTH ears - however, with the hum, playing bass in opposing ear(headphones) does not stop the hum in the other.
• However, low buz/hum has been reported with the less popular “stapedius spasm”. So maybe something to look into there?

I rarely get temporary threshold shifts in upper frequencies when I wear earplugs (last 13 years) as they are easily blocked out. However, low frequencies remain far less protected by earplugs. So it’s quite possible we’re still able to experience some kind of threshold shift/inhibition there when going to loud places or a plane ride with 85-90 dB of sub for hours, maybe even some form of damage over time for louder volumes. Temporary threshold shifts last few a few days, correlating with our suppression experience for several days.

Is there evidence that suggests the tenor tympani also remains tensed after noise exposure?

From what I understand those two muscles are engaged based on volume signals via hair cells, the brain then sends messages back to the muscles with different ‘efferent’ nerves to create the reflex. so maybe there is a connection there, i.e. muscle flutters because its getting confused signals in the damage low freq cells, but likely not due to the stability mentioned above.

To answer your other questions...

I haven’t found that loud sounds make it directly worse, especially not in the days after exposure which is why it’s tricky. If anything is gets better/disappears temporarily. I know someone who said once he stooped caring and continued living his life it went away. Meaning he stopped avoiding sound and just continued on going out etc. which long term seemed to suppress the symptom.

Yes, I wear earplugs even in restaurants as I experience a distortion in one ear with sounds above 77 dB or so. And now I’m paranoid about bass so I even wear them on planes (eek). Otherwise no, I wouldn’t need them at that level.

I definitely wear them at a bar or club. Gotta remember that even if the volume is only 85 dB in a bar, someone is shouting in your ear at 100 dB AND dB(A) ratings don’t even measure bass, it’s excluded. So when you have a 95 dBA reading in a bar/club you’re probably being exposed to 105 dB of subs. Same goes with cars and plans which are significantly bass heavy. Even though low frequencies are vibrational and harder to damage, you’d think the fact we can’t protect them properly may play a role in all this? Then you’d also expect flight attendants to have this issue after 15 years which i haven't seen.

One part of me wants to believe that this isn’t related to damage at all, and feeding the ear low sound actually suppresses this weird symptom for whatever reason, which would be great it if it was simply the tensor tympani muscle. However, that feels like wishful thinking, we’ll know with more time I guess.

Based on everything I’ve read I believe SOAE better explain nearly all the unique traits of low hum tinnitus. I promise to outline the full theory when I have more time to finish reading up. The good thing is SOAE aren't usually associated with damage and also they are objectively audible by special microphone. So I might look into getting that tested. It is even mentioned as a cause for the TAO HUM people hear: reddit.com/r/TheHum/comments/qtd09w/what_is_the_hum_explained/

When I saw a guy who has researched the topic for years saying this, it really made me more confident.

Also, here’s an example of how earplugs don’t protect the low frequencies, which is scary to me and could be an explanation as to possible damage in the low frequencies at least for my personal case. Whether this damage be traditional hearing loss or mechanical. Low frequencies vibrate a lot and could potentially be moving something else. Could also just be a coincidence as it has long been thought near impossible to damage low frequencies significantly.

 

Thanks Benjaminbb, I really appreciate this detailed response. You've clearly done a lot of research. Based on your theory, do you think any of the current treatments in development could help with this form of tinnitus?

I don't have any solid evidence to support the TTTS theory, other than after I'm in a louder environment, my humming ear actually hurts (a dull ache) which I believe is the tensor tympani muscle contracting, and that seems to coincide with the hum being suppressed.

You mentioned that some people experience an amplification of quiet bass - one odd observation I've had is that when I stand inside my shower (turned off) which seals tight (the closest thing I have to a sound proof booth), the hum often lowers in intensity. Conversely, when I stand 10 ft away from my fridge when it's running, the hum gets much louder (and then immediately quieter when the fridge stops running).

In your opinion, would that confirm an outer hair cell issue (and therefore any attempt at wearing a mouth guard or working with a chiropractor likely won't produce any benefit)?

I've also recently noticed that wearing earplugs (Loop brand) does a decent job of blocking out the hum sound. Have you noticed that?

One thing that has been quite challenging to deal with is the fact that the hum fluctuates in intensity almost daily (sometimes hour to hour) which makes habituation more difficult. Other than noise exposure (which seems to help / suppress the sound), have you observed anything that either helps or worsens your hum?

Appreciate all your insights.

 

Hey, welcome to the club. Sorry that you're going through this too. May I ask a few questions?

What started your tinnitus 10 years ago? Did you have lots of noise exposure?

I'm assuming your new sudden hearing loss was random?

 

I'm starting to get used to the low-frequency buzzing and trying to learn to accept it. But it seems to be evolving in intensity day-to-day. Some days worse, some days better. Some days intermittent, some days constant. So I think my ears are still trying to settle in due to all the changes in the past several weeks.

My first occurrence of tinnitus was after an earwax irrigation. It was pretty mild at at high pitch, but it was new to me and kind of scared me. I acclimated to it after a few weeks without therapy. Doctors deny that earwax irrigation can cause tinnitus, but I'm positive it's the cause because I have to get my ears irrigated every few years (stupid sticky earwax) and whenever they do it with too much pressure then my tinnitus builds up.

Hearing loss seemed pretty random. I just woke up one day and noticed my left ear was sensitive to low-freq noises (cars, planes, etc). Then over the next few days my right ear started feeling full and muffled.

 

Wow yeah, super weird that you had two different symptoms in each ear around the same time.

Also interesting that the low sensitivity is a different ear to the hearing loss & hum.

You mentioned having muffled hearing, but a hearing loss at 150 Hz shouldn't affect the high frequencies.

Have I read that wrong? Or did the high frequencies improve from the medication?

 

The outer hair cell issue/spontaneous otoacoustic emissions is still only a theory. Until we have any solid evidence as to the cause, nothing is confirmed treatment wise. After all this could simply be regular tinnitus that acts differently because of the lower register it’s in. But I suspect we’ll find it’s not.

It never hurts to try those other things like the mouthguard. There could be many things at play that cause these things. Having some control and taking action helps the way you feel about it.

I haven’t had success with earplugs stopping the noise, doesn’t seem many others have either. When hearing that works for you, in relation to the shower/fridge it sounds like your hum is really related to amplification and other sounds being present. Lots of us seem to have very slight variations of the same symptoms re: amplification. So that doesn’t really mean much at this stage! It’s still in the same category.

I also have the pain and sensitivity like you, arguably nobody really knows what causes hyperacusis, but it commonly goes hand in hand with regular tinnitus. So it could simply be that. Either cochlea or Tensor tympani spam.

Besides everything we’ve talked about, there isn’t much that consistently influences it. It just goes away sometimes and sometimes it’s bad. The only thing for sure is that it always disappears for a few days or longer after significant bass exposure.

Agree that the hardest part to deal with is the fluctuation, so what I do is enjoy my life and not think about it when it’s gone/pretty low. And when it’s bad I tell myself it will be gone soon and just get on with things. If it’s upsetting me I intentionally spend more time outdoors and doing general activities that have background noise and that helps inhibit it for a while, evening it fades down again. I look at it like a slight disability/mental health issue that requires me to manage it or work less in the harder times.

It does seem to resolve for quite a few people. If it does turn out to be some kind of otoacoustic emissions, then they often resolve too, but can be anywhere between 2-15 years. You want to keep a positive mindset about this and just go on with your life til it does. There will be standout bad times of course but I think for the most part you'll be able to get on with things quite well.

 

I had no prior tinnitus or noise damage. For me it started after a lumbar puncture in February which gave me a CSF leak... I got many "side effects" --- especially with my ears. Hyperacusis, some hearing loss in one ear, everything sounded like coming out of a broken speaker, several different high frequency noises and this low-low frequency noise... The low-frequency noise is what still remains, the rest has resolved, but this is what's the hardest to live with...

 

The low-frequency buzzing is in the ear with the hearing loss.

I think the muffle may be part of hyperacusis. I'm not sure anymore, and I try not to think about it since it's very mild now. There isn't much I can do and I've already told the ENT about it.

 

I guess that still sounds like damage to the cochlea occurred or at least auditory nerve. All those symptoms are generally associated with damage.

Good way to be!

 

The doctors I've talked to think it should go away eventually since the rest has... Except two doctors that didn't really listen, they had me in their office about ten minutes and said well, if it's tinnitus, you're screwed, basically...

Doctors did an auditory brainstem response test and hearing was perfect... I was given 1 gr IV Solu-Medrol for three days in March for the papillary edema that was the reason the lumbar puncture was done to begin with and for about a week the noise disappeared and the rest of the month I had more good than bad days, where it was quiet and no vibrations in the ears, or hardly any. It's very frustrating knowing it CAN be silent... There are several in the CSF leak support forum describing the same side effects and very different outcomes. Some are well withing just the month, for others the different kinds of tinnitus is the last thing to get better, not seeing any change until maybe 6-8 months after their leak. And for some it never got better and it's been years.

 

Do they know how CSF actually affects the ears? Does it do something to the nerves, brain or directly affect the cochlea?

 

All of that. Cranial nerves can be stretched or pinched, since if you have a big enough csf leak (or they harvest too much) your brain will literally sag. So cranial nerves can be bruised. And it can affect the pressure in your ears. Also, those chambers in the cochlea contains CSF as well.

 

All we really need is a device we can put inside (or even on top of) our ears that imitates the sound (which is very mild) our finger makes when we put it in our ear. It stops the buzzing for most.

The device (if placed in ear) would preferably need to be some sort of ring that allows you to still hear properly (it's not nice running around all day with a plugged ear). It would also preferably not produce any actual noise but just wiggle around a bit against our ear canals.

Yes, for me at least, this would be less annoying than the actual buzzing. The mechanism here is that anxiety stems from the fact that i constantly realize that this is coming from inside my brain.

I have once described this mechanism to someone the following way: I would much rather have a bee in a little box glued to my ear, buzzing around all day, than having my actual buzzing tinnitus... Anxiety will be immediately lower if the brain can attribute the buzzing to something external, like a bee or a finger.

I'm currently looking to hire engineers to design a prototype.

 

Please keep us updated of any progress with this prototype.

I've found that wearing a silicone earplug in the buzzing ear muffles the sound somewhat, though not as effective as plugging the ear. I don't wear it often because I don't want to over-protect my ears (my sensitivity to sound has gotten worse lately). It would be great to have something to insert into the ear that neither produces sound nor blocks out sound, just softens or suppresses the hum/buzz (but maybe sound needs to be blocked for this to happen?)

 

Hello, I have the same, low-vibrating tinnitus in my left ear! Got mine one month ago after a 30 minute drone concert with some very low frequencies (while still wearing earplugs for half the show). Pretty much what everybody on this thread is describing: some days are better, some worse. The hardest time is at night when trying to sleep/when I wake up. Nothing seem to consistently reduce it yet, other than white noise.

I suspect that it's heavily anxiety related, and has something to do with the subconscious state, at least for me. I got mine at a pretty symbolic moment. A lot of friends were at that concert, with no earplugs, and they didn't get anything. It also doesn't really make sense that I'd get it in only one ear. I try to go online as little as possible.

 

I made the big mistake of going back to the doctors a second time after they gave me tinnitus the first time. I thought the doctor knew what he was doing. He assumed there was a fungal infection in my left ear and then prescribed me ototoxic ear drops for it. He even got a second opinion and she thought the same too. That right there should have been a red flag, but I was too clueless and stubborn to see it.

I would never have made this account and just moved on. Now I have a 580 Hz sine tone in my left ear, along with the original hissing. My dwelling place was silence. How am I supposed to focus now without freaking out over every little thing? It's the prospect of it getting worse that really gets to me. I already had two days of high-pitched ringing that began during the first few weeks after the increase. What if it comes back and stays forever?

 

Keep us updated

 

Please trust me when I say you'll be able to sleep with it, without masking even. Yes, even if you are a hyperfocusing, OCDing, anxious, high blood pressure wreck like me.

Give it time (took me 2 years). Some days my hum is as loud as a B52 bomber flying overhead... even with that your brain will adapt.

Just keep saying "it's not that bad, it's just a sound" (I know how stupid that sounds) as mantra, until your brain sort of believes it.

 

Before my reactive tinnitus stuffed everything up I used to be able to mask the rumbling hum with a basic £15 fan, although when it was really bad I sometimes needed my air conditioner. I woke up with it one day in 2001 after I had started to use earplugs due to a neighbour's dog barking at the postman at 7am every morning. Could be a coincidence. As mentioned in another thread, it eventually only came out when I had a cold, after being with me constantly at the start, but it is back to 24/7 since May when I got 2 other tones.

For what it is worth, I see a neurologist for other issues and he originally thought I might have a CSF leak problem but he changed his opinion when he spoke to his colleagues and looking at my MRI scans. I thought my brain scans looked a bit like I had Arnold Chiari Malformation, but then, I am not a doctor. It just looked like the stem was lower than most other people's.

 

It’s not usually the sound being blocked out that causes the hum to stop, it’s usually the sound being created from your finger inserted in your ear.

You’re the only case that seems to have a volume drop from silicone earplugs. If I wore them in silence, it would bring on the hum.

Maybe that is able to stop your hum a little due to the increase in internal sounds when exterior sound is blocked.

Regarding the volume change: are you sure it’s not just your perception?

For most of us, the hum is either on or off when it comes to external sound presence. It doesn’t usually lower in volume partially.

For example, I could be sitting there and hear the hum quite loud. Then slowly put on the tiniest bit of bass (quieter than the hum) and it will cut out completely as soon as it picks it up at all. Doesn’t lower in volume in parity with the increase if that makes sense?

So your earplug experience is an interesting trait.

 

I wouldn't say my hum is only on or off - there are definitely times when it's worse/better when measured in the same room. I thought it fluctuated for most people but I may be wrong about that?

I'm also not sure why earplugs help (and only silicone ones that sit outside the ear canal, it doesn't seem to work with the thinner plugs that are inserted deeper into the ear canal). When I initially got this hum/buzz, the sound of my fridge would mask it pretty effectively. Now the opposite happens - it either aggravates or amplifies the hum. I wonder if that could explain why earplugs help? It could also be because internal sounds become louder to your point. You think the quiet bass sound stops the hum? I always assumed it was just masking it.

 

Yes it fluctuates in volume for me, but not from/during other sounds that just depends on the day and how and how bad it is.

For me and what I’ve read in most posts is that the hum is literally interrupted/stopped by external sound (that has some bass).

I have seen a few people who just have it permanently without inhibition or this on/off thing. But from what I can tell most people have long residual
inhibition i.e. it can fully disappear for days after exposure. Or cut in and out during exposure.

So for example, when it’s bad for me, it can sound like anything between 30-50 dB. But I could put the heater on which is like 40 dB and the sound cuts out completely and is very obviously gone. The same if I were to tap/shake my head or talk. Then it fades back in 0.5 second.

 

Thanks Benjaminbb. I was wondering if you or anyone else with low frequency tinnitus (like @Ben Winders) think the Dr. Susan Shore device may be helpful for our type of tinnitus (assuming it works, I know they recently completed their Phase II trial)?

 

I’ll believe it when I see it!

I don’t know too much about the device and since there’s seemingly different kinds of low frequency tinnitus, it’s both hard to know the cause and whether this device would affect it. Since yours operates more like permanent regular tinnitus, it’s possible this could help you. If this device works in general, that is.

 

I would say mine behaves similar to yours in that it stops when I shake my head, swallow, clench my jaw or hear a certain type of low frequency sound. It can also sometimes be suppressed for a day or two after a flight. Given this is not how regular tinnitus acts, I'm thinking maybe this device is not as applicable.

It sounds like your condition has improved over time though - would you even seek out a treatment at this point if something became available or are you in a good enough place that it doesn't bother you much any more?