My Tinnitus That Was Cured Has Now Returned — Could It Be from Stress?

So, I got tinnitus a few years ago due to a bad upper respiratory infection. It took many months for it to go away but it did and I was so relieved!

Fast forward, in January of this year, all of a sudden tinnitus returned! Sometimes it's loud and there are days where it's almost gone.

I went to see an ENT and did a hearing test. My hearing is good in both ears according to them but they did remove a small piece of wax that was stuck to my right ear drum. I thought great, but tinnitus is still there!

If the wax caused it why do I still have the ringing and if the wax didn't cause it what could have?

I have had a lot of stress for the past 6 months and life changes. Any info is appreciated cause all of this is overwhelming and stress full. Thank you.

 

Sometimes when there’s a temporary threshold in hearing the brain picks up on it and generates tinnitus. If it’s gone once it may go again.

Lots of us have good gearing and no clue regarding the cause of our tinnitus...

Time will help you get used to it.

 

Hi @Gianni -- Sorry to hear how your tinnitus has returned; it must be truly discouraging. My best take on your situation is that the tinnitus return was probably not from the wax, but from the stress you're currently experiencing. Once you originally got tinnitus several years ago, it likely made you more susceptible to getting it again than if you had not had it to begin with. Stress is a known factor for many cases of tinnitus, which is why I think it's what's causing yours. There are lots of tips on how to lower stress, both on this forum, and online in general. -- I sincerely hope you can find a solution for yourself!

 

I am sorry you are going through this. Based on the information provided it sounds stress induced. I am curious as to what meds they gave you during your episode with a bad respiratory infection. I truly hope you get better.

 

My tinnitus is off the charts due to stress and anxiety... what supplements are helpful??

 

Could be worthwhile to do some daily neck stretching as well. Stress often accompanies sore neck muscles, which in turn can increase T. Mine lowered massively with a month of daily stretching.

 

Hi @Ctw -- Sorry to hear how intense your tinnitus is. I could make quite a number of recommendations, from exercises affecting structural issues, supplements to reduce anxiety, even energy balancing techniques of various kinds. Not knowing your personal orientation, I'll just mention a couple that work quite well for me.

1) A supplement called Inositol. It has such a remarkably calming influence on the brain, that it is often prescribed by non-conventional health care practitioners for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Here's a link to a pretty amazing article on how it became clear it could successfully treat OCD. -- LISTENING TO INOSITOL: CLINICAL NOTES

2) A couple of simple techniques that are VERY relaxing for me. -- This :37 second video shows two ways a rolled up towel or foam piece can be used for the upper thoracic area.

Thoracic Towel Stretch

For a really good complimentary exercise to this one, I feel the pelvis stabilization techniques described in this 5-Min. video (link below) really helped my lower back a LOT, and most likely helped my neck area as much as the towel exercise (I use foam instead of a towel). I think these two techniques work really well together.

Natural Pelvis Reset

Below is a link to a 5-min. video which goes into more detail on how to use a towel or foam piece to loosen up the upper back:

The Simplest and Most Effective Exercise For Thoracic Extension
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I think I'll add a third item to consider. Anxiety can sometimes be traced to a tight psoas muscle. Below is a snippet from an online post where a guy changed his life by addressing his own psoas muscle. -- I wouldn't be surprised if some people's tinnitus could be positively affected by various similarly simple stretches and exercises.
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"I had excruciating insomnia, and slept only a couple hours in early morning, and when I woke, it felt like my body had been through war. During the day, I could not focus on the simplest of tasks.

A few nights ago, I came across this post about the psoas muscle. I did more research, and learned that the psoas muscle is the primary muscular mechanism in the fight/ flight response (receiving orders from the amygdala), as the psoas muscle is what moves the legs to run. I noticed how much tension I carry in the psoas muscle, and that part of my pattern of CFS was tension in the gut, and difficultly breathing, all related to psoas tension.

I looked up some simple yoga stretches for the psoas, and did them before bed. The first night, I slept a full night, and woke reasonably rested. I think it may have been easy for me to begin to correct the psoas tension, because in my past life (before CFS) I was a highly trained athlete."

 

I remember you mentioning this before in relation to OCD. What would be the best way to consume it, i.e. powder form or tablet/capsule?