Right-Sided Low-Frequency Tinnitus: Suspected Vascular or Somatic Origin with Vacation-Linked Relief

[daniel12345]

Hi everyone,

I've had low-frequency unilateral tinnitus in my right ear for five years, and I believe I'm narrowing down the possible culprit to two main possibilities: either vascular or cardiovascular in origin, or somatic. I hope this post helps me get closer to solving my tinnitus and that it may also be helpful to others. I'm definitely looking to connect with anyone who has similar symptoms. Thank you in advance for any ideas, suggestions, or possible solutions you may have.

Symptoms:

• A steady, low-frequency buzz or hum in the right ear
• Fluctuates in intensity between 0 and 5 (5 being the worst), but typically stays in the 2 to 5 range constantly
• I can physically feel the buzz or hum, unlike a high-pitched tone
• Sometimes turns into a drumming sound with physical exertion, such as getting out of my car and walking into my house
• After jogging, the sound often lessens when I re-enter my home, suggesting a connection with heart rate
• A constant feeling of fullness in the right ear
• The right ear does not pop
• The right ear canal feels tighter than the left when I insert my finger
• Pain near where the cervical spine, sternocleidomastoid, jaw, and ear meet, especially when I move my head forward and backward in the lateral plane
• The tinnitus is easily masked by low-frequency sounds and often stops when the refrigerator or AC turns on, or even by the sound of my own breathing when it's at a low level (0 to 1)

Improvement Patterns:

• About an hour after swimming, I sometimes experience 30 minutes to an hour of quiet (rated 0 to 1)
• The tinnitus significantly improves or even disappears when I go on vacation, especially when I swim daily or multiple times per day, avoid phone and computer use, go for long drives (around 10 hours with my head upright and steady), and practice intermittent fasting
• When I follow all of these behaviors, my symptoms usually lessen after one day and may disappear entirely after two
• On longer vacations, the fullness in the ear goes away, the tightness in the ear canal resolves, the ear pops normally, and inserting my finger feels equally loose in both ears
• When the tinnitus is at its mildest (0 to 1), turning my head side to side often leads to complete silence (0) for a few minutes shortly after

I believe this may be either a cardiovascular issue, such as a venous hum, or a somatic type related to neck tension or strain—possibly from poor posture due to prolonged computer and phone use. The fact that avoiding screens and maintaining upright head posture provides relief supports this theory.

Unfortunately, I can't live in a constant vacation state without screens, but I do save money specifically to take breaks and experiment with what helps.

Does anyone else experience something similar or have any insights to share? Thank you again!

 

[Jambo]

Hi @daniel12345,

I am just wondering, you said your hum is constant. Mine is constantly present as well, but it basically comes and goes every few seconds. It is not in time with my heartbeat.

Would you say yours sounds like a subwoofer in the distance?

Also, are you sure it worsens due to physical exertion, as you describe when getting out of the car? Or does the car ride itself actually make it worse for about 30 seconds?

For me, short car trips increase the hum for 30 seconds to a few minutes. However, long car trips lasting several hours will actually make the hum disappear for hours or even part of the day.

Looking forward to discussing this with you further.

 

[Nes]

Hello @daniel12345, do you have any TMJ disorder? I ask because I have the exact same symptoms, and I'm quite sure mine comes from my jaw.

I have a hum in my right ear, sometimes accompanied by the feeling and sound of my own heartbeat. When I clench my jaw a lot, the sound becomes very loud. When I stay relaxed, it is almost non-existent.

The fact that you do not experience it while on vacation makes me think you are more relaxed during that time, which likely means less tension and, as a result, no sound.

 

[daniel12345]

Hello,

@Jambo, yes, my hum is constant, with some variation.

I've always described it as sounding like a subwoofer that is constantly vibrating.

Short car rides make it worse for me. As soon as I get out of the car and walk into the house, it feels like drums banging away. But interestingly, long drives, eight or nine hours, actually make it better than it has been in a long time. I don't think that's just because I feel relaxed while on vacation. This supports the theory that it's partly triggered by low-frequency noise, and possibly also by neck strain, which might be relieved when my head stays upright and steady for a long period during a drive.

If I fast, do a full hour of neck stretches, and then go for a long swim, I may get an hour of quiet afterward. That tends to be my lifestyle on vacation. I also use my phone and computer far less, which again suggests that neck strain could play a role. The last time I experienced silence for nearly an entire vacation, I avoided all computer and phone use, fasted, swam daily, and most of those two weeks were quiet. That was two years ago.

@Nes TMJ issues are a major suspect. I have pain right at the point where my jaw, the area behind my ear, and my neck meet. It worsens when I move my head forward and backward on a level plane, kind of like the motion a chicken makes when walking.

However, I don't know whether the root issue is:

1. Injury to my cervical spine
2. Strain in the sternocleidomastoid or other neck muscles
3. Jaw or TMJ dysfunction
4. A vascular or venous hum

Or it could be multiple factors working together, and I still don't know which one is the main cause.

What exactly are your TMJ issues, and how do you manage or relieve them?