Temporary Reduction/Elimination of Tinnitus When Sick?

[becomethesky]

Hi!

I recently had a pretty bad cold with fever and a painful throat. Had some pressure in my ears as well.

And the funny thing is that my tinnitus felt much better! It changed a little and reduced in volume. I couldn't hear the usual sounds in my right ear at all. There was some sort of rumbling there but it wasn't bothersome at all. To me it was as good as silence. It's not a coincident, this was the third time this year.

And now that the fever has gone down things are back to normal...

So I have a couple of questions. Have anyone else experienced this? And have you got any theories on what the reason might be?

Some background on my tinnitus here:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-for-almost-9-months-now.16859/

 

[JohnnyMx]

And the funny thing is that my tinnitus felt much better!

Hi!

This is maybe because your brain started to focus on your flu and fever symptoms. This is great, because for you, it tells you that working your mind and relaxing can take you to a better habituation.

Tinnitus does not bother me like it used to, and I can hear it over the TV, but for example, when my tinnitus is loud, but I have a headache at the same time, my brain focus completely on my headache and does not pay attention to my sound.

Regards,
Johnny.

 

[becomethesky]

This is maybe because your brain started to focus on your flu and fever symptoms. This is great, because for you, it tells you that working your mind and relaxing can take you to a better habituation.

Hi Johnny

You might be right, I've also thought of that. However, I was now actively listening for it and could barely hear anything. At least the sounds in my right ear. I could still hear my "sound 2" (high pitched sound in my head) but it was relatively mild. Something was different.

It could of course be due to a reduction in stress due to me focusing on myself and the fever symptoms instead of everything else going on in life. I'm normally quite anxious and stressed.

Or, it could be some sort of medical/biological reason that I unfortunately don't have the knowledge to say anything about. I'm very curious however

 

[linearb]

@becomethesky, I have noticed the same thing when I have a reasonable fever; it's interesting, other than that I don't know what to make of it. I am confident it's not just psychological because I went to the extent of plugging my ears in a quiet room.

Conjecture:
* the immune system is on full alert and producing inflammatory substances which are somehow impacting the tinnitus
or
* being sick causes alterations in hormone systems, which is somehow impacting the tinnitus
or
* my tinnitus is impacted by some kind of flora (in the gut? in the sinus?) which is partially killed off by a fever

Hard to say. Pretty interesting.

 

[becomethesky]

@linearb, it's very interesting indeed, and all those theories are definitely reasonable.

I wonder if it could be something worth looking into. At least two people with tinnitus are experiencing a improvement when having a fever... maybe they won't find a cure but at least valuable information might be gained?

 

[PaulBe]

Or the soft tissue swelling that tends to occur with colds and flu has a splinting or tamponading effect on whichever mechanism of tinnitus is possibly dominant for those of us who make this observation?

Research opportunity?

 

[linearb]

I unfortunately have a fever again and if anything my tinnitus is worse. Lots of sinus congestion, too.

My immune system hates this area...

 

[becomethesky]

Or the soft tissue swelling that tends to occur with colds and flu has a splinting or tamponading effect on whichever mechanism of tinnitus is possibly dominant for those of us who make this observation?

Research opportunity?

It should be. Something causes our T to go down and understanding the mechanism behind it could be a piece in the puzzle to cure tinnitus some day. Must be a better approach than trial-based research that's either hit or miss (mostly miss).

 

[becomethesky]

I unfortunately have a fever again and if anything my tinnitus is worse. Lots of sinus congestion, too.

My immune system hates this area...

Sorry to hear that! My tinnitus "sound 3" (my newest, fridge-like sound) actually spiked a little for a couple of days after the fever went down. Feels better today though.

 

[GoatSheep]

First time getting extremely sick since getting tinnitus. Currently have the flu. Tinnitus has been extremely low other than one several hour period with a fever of 103, where it ramped up considerably above my baseline. Over the past two days I have added a new dial tone sound in my right ear to my repertoire which sucks, but my main tinnitus tone is much thinner. Still hopeful this new tone goes away after all is said and done.

 

[tpj]

That constant feeling of fullness in my ears goes when I have a cold. Have no idea why that happens but the moment I start to get better, that horrible fullness is back. Tinnitus stays the same.