Tinnitus / Cochleopathy / Increased Brain Pressure — Is My Neurotologist Right About This?

Hello guys.

Since my neurotologist's recent diagnosis, this is really bugging me: He insisted that my symptoms (very mild hearing loss at both ears - mild tinnitus) came from a kind of "cochleopathy" (damage to the cochlea) that came from the inside. Meaning that somehow I got the genetic predisposition for increased pressure from the brain to do damage to the cochleas/nerves/whatever.

The tests he did were high frequency audiometry test and nystagmograph eye test to look for dizziness (for which I had some indications). As for the "increased pressure" part, he meant anything like intense stress, lifting a lot of weight, etc can cause this kind of damage.

He also suggested an antioxidant therapy (Vitamin A, D, Ginkgo Biloba, Zinc, Ribrain, Sibelium), which I'm hesitant to start because I'm quite fine now, tinnitus subsided a lot and is non-issue. I just take some vitamins B and C and Magnesium so far.

Even though I produce music and thought my tinnitus was from that, it seemed quite unrelated since I always kept the volumes low-moderate with very rare headphones' use and for the past 1.5 years I was away from gigs and loud stuff. Also, my tinnitus doesn't seem to spike from noise (or anything at all).

The dizziness part might be a clue here, even though it never bothered me so far.

So, anyone out there with such an experience? Do you think this is even possible?

Thanks a lot for reading and hope we all find the relief we long for!

 

This is a pretty new study that was just released in June 2021:

Hidden or subclinical cochleopathy in idiopathic subjective tinnitus: extended high frequency audiometry and otoacoustic emission

It suggests that there is often a case for high frequency hearing loss for cochleapathy and idiopathic tinnitus.

 

@Lukee, thank you for the response and share of that study! I have to say though, it doesn't reveal that much unfortunately. I mean we all suspect that tinnitus comes from a cause, but it's hard to find that cause in most cases...

I had an extended audiometry test (at different clinics) twice, 20 days apart: the first showed almost no hearing loss, the second showed a "gradual" mild loss at some frequencies (which resulted in the cochleopathy diagnosis). I don't know about the OAE's test, but the audiometry ones just seem so unreliable.

One thing that actually gave me hope, is that the neurotologist said that this (internal) idiopathic subclinical cochleopathy can most likely be fixed by all these regenerative treatments coming up in the future.

 

Like you I have the head pressure and other symptoms. I can’t tell if it’s all inner ear related or if there are other things at play.

 

@Lukee, to be honest, I haven't ever "felt" the brain pressure thing in my life (27 years old), neither was I aware that there was such thing as the brain pushing somehow the inner ear or so... Maybe a headache here and there, or "full head" feeling, etc but those happen to normal people too. But maybe it's a slight symptom that you can't notice? I don't know.

As for dizziness, I feel it a little sometimes but I thought it was just normal most of times.

Also, I read that your case is "Wim Hof Breathing Exercises", which I'm not quite sure what that is. Did that contribute to an already idiopathic condition? Is it at least going better now?

 

Definitely not any better. I have habituated to the tinnitus mostly but the other symptoms are still debilitating for me. I have hyperacusis, head and ear pressure and facial aches and pains, along with migraine type headaches and such.

I cannot say if there was any underlying issue but there are hundreds of people who have gotten at least tinnitus from the Wim Hof breathing, if not more than tinnitus. We don’t know why some people get it and most don’t but I would guess it has something to do with individual anatomy or underlying issues.

 

@Lukee, that sounds tough man, keep holding on! Help is in the near future.

It sucks big time when a treatment like that can cause so many problems to some people while working just fine to others. Shows how every one of us is different and same things can have such a hugely diverse impact on us. Guess this is why we still can't figure a way to treat this goddamn crap...

I personally am very cautious and hesitant about all the alternative/holistic/natural/whatever stuff, especially when they advertise so much (after a Google search)...