New To Tinnitus

My Tinnitus started a month ago in my left ear, it stated as a murmur and progressively got worse. I have been to an ENT doctor who has tested my hearing and done many MRI's (brain scan/ears and top of spine) My hearing is good, some loss of high end frequency but acceptable for my age (51) and MRI's are clear. The only issue is some spine degeneration at the top of my back which does cause me neck pain. My tinnitus is constant, very high pitched and extremely loud. Its very similar to the sound of a dentists drill. I have just finished several days on oral steroids followed by 3 days of intravenous steroids. No change. I can change the pitch and intensity of my tinnitus by opening my mouth wide. turning my neck to one side, pressing against the muscles below my ear. To my EMT's surprise I can alter pitch and intensity by pressing hard on the top of my head. The tinnitus is so loud I cannot mask the sound at night with soothing music even with ear phones. I had several nights with no sleep, became very upset and disoritenated so the ENT prescribed sleeping pills until we find a cure. Tried acupuncture which had no effect at all. I can only assume I have some physical issue, as I can manipulate the tinnitus sound at will. However nobody seems to be able to identify what is causing the problem. As MRI is clear, is there something we are missing? Robert

 

A very good question and one that you are highly unlikely to get the answer to as well.

 

Hi Robert,
Don't know the answer to your question, but if it's of any comfort, you're not alone. My tinnitus went from a minor high pitch squeal very much in the background for 40+ years to very much in the foreground and intrusive within the last 2 months. I'm also new to this site and have found these forums to be of much comfort and reassurance. Welcome.
Al

 

Welcome to TT. I am not a doctor, but since you can adjust T by moving your muscle and jaw, is it possible you have TMJ issue? Can you get a referral to see a TMJ tinnitus specialist in your area?

I can relate to your high pitched 'dentist drill' T. I have one too. In fact in my success story, I described my T like a dentist drill with 10 times the pitch. It is insane. I suffered from my ultra high pitched dog whistle T and severe H miserably. They floored me and my life was like living through hell on earth, because besides T & H, they also triggered relentless anxiety and panic attacks, as I was a victim of anxiety and panic disorder for decades prior to T & H. I never thought good life can be back. I even doubted if I could survive such sufferings. But today I live a normal and absolutely enjoyable life. I wrote my success story like many other members do. I listed many helpful points in my recovery. If you have the time, read this up.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/