Neurosensory Tinnitus That Can Be Modulated by Somatosensory Route?

Hello dear companions of misadventure,

First of all, I'm sorry for my English. I am French and our syntaxes are different, I will do my best.
I introduce myself. I'm Thomas, 23 years old, I work in the police force and I am a law student.
I admit that this introductory message is accompanied above all by an exposition of my case to which I am looking for answers.

I come here today to outline my "particular case" and see if people with similar issues can tell me more about this.
I don't like to ask for nothing in return, but I no longer have a choice.

I have tinnitus related to sound trauma, however I can modulate it by touching a specific point on my chin. I do not have the impression that it is a TMJ disorder as I will explain later, it is this point that intrigues me.

The health system in my country is bad and I have never had any response regarding my tinnitus.
I know you are not doctors, but I trust people with this disorder more than contemptuous doctors who don't even listen to me.
I had tinnitus while serving my country, and my country is not even helping me, I have to admit that you are my last hope to learn more.

I don't want a quick fix, I just want to understand what is happening to me, it will help me a lot.

I will explain my case:

As a teenager, I had several sound traumas, not very serious, having left me with mild tinnitus.

3 years ago I had a heavy operation of the jaw, I still have titanium plates and a lesion of a nerve at the level of the chin (very sensitive with a slight loss of sensitivity). However, this operation did not leave me with noticeable tinnitus.
So far all was well.

In August 2020, someone shot in my direction, in a closed room. It was a blank bullet but it blew my ears off, I was in real pain, the fact that the room was closed increased the violence of the sound.
From there I had rather violent tinnitus, I was treated with cortisone, it reduced the tinnitus a little but nothing more.

At the moment I have 2 tinnitus sounds, mainly in my left ear. One is "sssssssss" and another that sounds like a sizzle.

The one that sounds like a sizzle I can modulate and make it disappear completely.
What works 100% is moderately pressing my chin (on the side), where my nerve is damaged from the jaw surgery.

I can move my jaw in all directions to modulate the tinnitus, for good or bad. But the only thing that removes it 100% is lightly pressing on that part of the face.
Even though I exert enormous pressure on my jaw, I only achieve a satisfactory result by pressing gently on a very precise point.

This makes me say that it is more of a nervous problem than a TMJ disorder.

I understood that it was possible to have tinnitus that can be modulated without having TMJ disorder.
The facial nerves could stimulate the auditory nerve following damage to the ear, which could explain that this tinnitus can be modulated by titillating the nerve in question.

The fact that the only way to relieve this tinnitus is to press on an extremely precise area (notably on a damaged nerve) leads me to think that it is more of a sensorineural tinnitus with somatic modulation than a real disorder of TJM.
In addition, this tinnitus that can be modulated appeared after my sound trauma, which leads me to believe that it is linked to the destruction of my hair cells.
My jaw has never changed since my operation, I find it hard to see a TMJ disorder emerging from nothing at the same time.

I know that many of you are learning a lot about tinnitus. I read studies going in the direction of my theory, but not being English speaking I did not understand everything.

I wanted to know if theoretically it was possible to have tinnitus that can be modulated without having a TMJ disorder?

I imagine that I am not the only one to have this case.
I am not waiting for medical expertise, just feedback if possible.

Normally it's up to a doctor to do this job, and believe me, I've seen a lot of them for nothing.

Like many, I hope to see treatments in the next few years. I remain realistic, but understanding what is happening to me will help me enormously.
I will be infinitely grateful to those who can enlighten me, really.

Thank you,

Thomas

 

Hi Thomas... I hear you (pun intended).

The relief you are experiencing by pressing on your chin is similar to rubbing your belly when you have a stomach ache. The cell bodies of the nerves that react to skin sensation of your face carry signals of touch faster than neural impulses that cause the tinnitus.

You are blessed, indeed, if you can temporarily find 100% relief with the lightest touch!