Post Nasal Drip Causing Rumbling Tinnitus?

[meemil]

So, I've had chronic post nasal drip for over a year now with no clear reason. It might have been a leftover of an infection I had. Last summer I developed a very low like 80 Hz rumbling mainly in my left ear, but is in both ears. It just was there one morning I woke up.

Now I've tried lots of stuff and what seems to help the most is steam inhalation. After that I have no rumbling at all in the quietest room but it comes back after 15-30 minutes.

Hearing is normal in 125-500 Hz low range.

Any ideas what to think about this?

 

[meemil]

Nobody experienced anything like this? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mister Muso]

I've had low frequency rumbling tinnitus for 12 years. Two tones, between 50 and 80 Hz. I also have post-nasal drip but I've only been aware of that since the past few months - however I've had nasal congestion all my life so I may have had the drip as well without realising what it was.

The onset of my tinnitus and hearing loss was clearly noise induced, but that's not to say these other ENT-type things aren't a contributory factor.

I've been trying steam inhalation which helps generally but I've not noticed it ever "switching off" the rumble. Actually when I hear a human voice, the rumble stops whilst the person is talking, and resumes again immediately afterwards. Weird.

 

[MRItechssuck]

Is your tinnitus usually a low rumble? It sounds like you have mild tinnitus (good for you) and anything that makes you hear less (a cold, an earplug, etc.) will let you hear your internal sounds more.

 

[meemil]

@Mister Muso

Yeah, 50-80 Hz sounds about right. Was your rumble noise induced as well? That's quite interesting as low frequencies should be the hardest to injure. I have a feeling that mine is mechanical and somehow linked to eustachian tubes and constant inflammation. How well have you habituated with it?

@MRItechssuck
I do have slight chirping, and sometimes mild tones around 1000-3000hz as I have a slight cookie bite hearing loss. Also annoying episodes of fleeting tinnitus pretty much everyday. Interestingly, the rumble seems most troublesome.
Btw. Your username scares me as I have MRI next week haha.

 

[MRItechssuck]

Well you know now... I did not... MRIs are loud. I "thought" I did research on them... I knew about the strength 1T... 1.5T, 3T... don't have metal... may be claustrophobic, but d@mn if I never saw one mention how loud they can be.

I'm sure I would have zero tinnitus had I only been offered earplugs, or was given an emergency button, or if the tech had heard me call out to stop... all those things you are aware of, so you will be fine I'm sure.

 

[Mister Muso]

@Mister Muso

Yeah, 50-80 Hz sounds about right. Was your rumble noise induced as well? That's quite interesting as low frequencies should be the hardest to injure. I have a feeling that mine is mechanical and somehow linked to eustachian tubes and constant inflammation. How well have you habituated with it?

I just became aware of it after experiencing the loudest explosion I have heard in my life, which was a pyrotechnic blast at a rock concert in 2007. I think they can be up to 150 dB. It was a "boom" rather than a bang or a pop, hence lots of low end decibels, and I experienced temporary deafness and ear pain for half an hour afterwards during the concert.

I basically had habituated to it after a period of time, but since getting high-frequency tinnitus last year I don't know but it seems have either got worse, or else I am just more aware of it. I would happily trade my high-frequency tinnitus and hyperacusis though, in return for keeping the low frequency hum.

 

[Deniseh]

@meemil

Read with interest your comments in inflammation/ETD/post nasal drip causing your tinnitus.

I think you could be right about that, I have a low rumbling almost nasal sound in my left ear that is somatic (I think) as it can increase/decrease and even go away at times depending on the position of my neck and shoulders.

I also have ET problems and a constant drip which I think comes from inflammation surrounding my wisdom tooth. The thing is that I very rarely have the typical sound associated with tinnitus i.e. the eeeeee sound.

No idea what to do with this low tone as it's not terribly loud but it's very intrusive

 

[meemil]

@Deniseh

Thanks for replying!
I'm still not completely sure if mine's because of post nasal drip, but it seems like long term inflammation in sinuses causing chronic post nasal drip might be a cause. I've had a weird infection for over a year now with post nasal drip that doctors have no clue about. The rumbling started in midst of all this

Have you noticed any effect with exposure to sound? For me, the rumbling seems a bit reactive especially to lower frequency sounds.

 

[Deniseh]

Hi @meemil

My rumbling sound seems to have a life of its own . One minute it's droning away the next it's vey much in the background and I've not done anything to aggravate it lol.

I do find it's mostly lower in the morning and some if not most morning I wake to it either not there or very quiet, sometimes depending on how I lie or stretch my neck it goes away as well unfortunately it always comes back.

I recently had Sudafed max because I was going on a flight and wanted to reduce congestion in my ears and felt this lowered my tinnitus as well but not sure if this is a coincidence.

I do agree with you that if your tinnitus isn't noise induced then it could be to do with inflammation in and around the jaw/mouth/ear area I just don't know where to start with fixing it

Denise x