Partially Plugging My Ear Alleviates the Hum I Hear as Part of My Tinnitus

I have bilateral tinnitus, but it’s not a classic high pitched eee. I have lots of sounds with the most prominent being a loud hum in my left ear that’s continuous, similar to the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a finger on the rim of a wine glass sound (only in my left ear), a buzzing in my right ear that usually isn’t continuous but constant, and a wall of electricity behind all of it that feels like it’s in my head.

Today I’ve noticed that if I stick my finger in my left ear partially blocking out some sound but not 100%, it almost alleviates that horrible hum that I hear and almost feel. Earplugs don’t cause the same effect and similar to most people, make my tinnitus horribly loud. Pushing my Tragus against the ear canal also dampens the sound a bit (doesn’t alleviate it completely though).

What could this mean? I don’t think the hum is a distortion because I also get it in complete silence, it’s almost like my ear searchers for sound the moment I enter a quiet room. I still hear a weird buzzing sound with my finger at the opening of my ear canal. I will have to test it out with musician earplugs but curious to see if anyone here experiences anything similar.

 

Similar thread from a couple months ago:

If a Tinnitus Sound Goes Away When You Plug Your Ears, Is It Actually Tinnitus?

 

Hmm mine doesn’t go away with plugging though. It definitely gets louder with ear plugs but it’s like having it partially plugged reduces the sound a bit.

I’d describe it as like, if you put a speaker into a tin bucket, you know how it would sound amplified and almost echo-like? It’s as if the ringing is more broad and loud without my ear plugged and has an echo like quality to it.

Partially plugging helps but doesn’t alleviate fully, and fully plugging makes it really loud. If I put my ear against a pillow and fully block my ear canal it doesn’t have the same effect either.

This is my “acoustic” trauma ear. I felt something snap in there when my tinnitus first started to I can’t help but wonder if something is actually broken in there.

 

Search for threads about low hum/drone/vibration if you want. A lot of people have hum that behaves like yours. I am not sure what it means though and I wouldn't put fingers in my ear too much if I were you. One question. While you move your head left-right, does it stop for a second? And does it stop while you speak?

 

Yes I’ve definitely searched it but haven’t found much insight. I don’t stick my finger in my ear (small ear canals so I couldn’t even if I tried) but mostly just block the opening with the tip of my finger.

Moving my head left to right doesn’t do anything and the hum does seem to stop or gets drowned out with my voice.

 

I have a semi-pulsatile hum in my right ear that is like this.

 

Does it stop if you cover your ear with your palm, yawn, hum or if you are talked to?