Tinnitus Gurus Do Not Exist...

Tinnitus can be anything from mildly irritating to devastatingly catastrophic.
Obviously we all fit in somewhere on the scale.

My own experience is twenty years of mild tinnitus.
Followed by five years of severe tinnitus.
Does this make me a tinnitus expert?
Well, yes and no.
I am an expert on my own tinnitus - ONLY!
Not yours, and not anybody else’s.

Other than my first sentence above, there are no universal statements that can be made.

Of course, being socially motivated human ‘beans,’ we would all like to help each other, comfort each other, encourage each other onwards with their struggle.
This, of course, is just what we should be doing - holding each other’s hand feels good.
I love it when people are kind enough to hold my hand.
(“Do unto others....” etc)

Even sharing our own individual experiences is a good thing as we may recognise similarities, and consequently feel less alone with this condition which is so isolating.
Nobody can hear what we hear, can they?
Nobody else truly knows.
Essentially we suffer alone.

It may be very tempting to set ourselves up, with our very limited (sole) experience, as a healer, a tinnitus guru, to save the community from further discomfort and pain; but I’m afraid that is unrealistic.

What we can do, what we should do, is offer suggestions as to those things that have helped us to cope better, in the hope that they might help others.

I did manage, under instruction from an eminent psychotherapist, to cure my TMJ pain.
This technique worked so well for me that I feel confident enough to pass it on.
I can not say / I would not say, that it will necessarily work for you, or anybody else.
So I offer suggestions without making any claims.

My daily practice of meditating in a warm bath has really helped me to accept my sounds in an atmosphere of deep relaxation, instead of hearing them and tearing my hair out.
I do thoroughly recommend it.
Would it work for you?
Of course I cannot say.
I hope so.

So whenever I read:
“I cured my tinnitus - and you can too,”
whether from a well meaning member, or from a commercially motivated therapist or a product promoter, I immediately recognise it as coming from a ‘would-be tinnitus guru.’

In reality of course - one does not exist.

 

Preach it brother!

 

Dave you could have started with the above paragraph. Our's is to help others with our anecdotal account(s).
You are right no gurus, no experts just individuals looking to share or seek help. Give hope!
.

 

Yes you are probably right Ken.

I decided to be a bit more circumspect because I have sometimes upset those members who brandish their “you can all be cured if you just follow my advice” statements as fact.

I’d rather avoid another ‘fray’ if possible.
You make a good point though.

Perhaps I’m getting faint hearted Ken?

 

Agreed @Jazzer . Well said.

I will never understand someone telling you what your tinnitus is or how you should feel. It’s ridiculous.

 

I believe if one has physical tinnitus, almost always the cause and reason can be found, but successful treatment may not be possible for certain injuries or where there's degenerative disease.

My second onset of tinnitus was somatic physical where I had several trauma reactions from just one dental experience. My radiologist said that muscle spasms while in the dental chair caused my C spine to straighten placing pressure on my C1 and C2. I also received a cut nerve within my mouth along with TMJ from having my mouth open for this long procedure. A very low speed drill was used. I did not receive more hearing loss from the procedure, but since I have - along with PT of several sounds.

Having a background in anatomy I did not think that this was the main reasons for my somatic nature, but forward head bending does spike my tinnitus. Beyond neck X Rays, I had several beam CTs and ultrasounds done. Nothing at first showed that I contributed to my severe somatic tinnitus. So I kept researching highly professional articles and medical journal and I found the main cause.

A medical journal mentioned that reduced blood blow in the ipsilateral vertebral artery when the head was both hyperextended and rotated will immediately cause somatic tinnitus which mainly happens in dental offices. So I had more testing and ultrasounds and still nothing showed. Then I started to tell the tech where to place the doper and for how long. Again nothing showed. I rescheduled for my fourth ultrasound as I found the way to properly test the vertebral and jugular vein and channels to the ear with tinnitus. Bingo - pulsating blood flow was noticed coming from both arteries to my ears as well as going to my thyroid. I collected from medical studies all the different types of PT sounds of condition and origin. My hum is from my thyroid and my thumping is from a small pressure of blood coming from these arteries to my ears.

So yes, there's are no guru's, but there's are some brilliant somatic physical researchers. It may take a lot of research reading that goes beyond basic internet junk that repeated over and over.

 

Is there a different kind?

 

Yes, it's partly about hemodynamics.

With having PT and sometimes also with somatic tinnitus there is a lot that needs to be considered that may have association to blood flow and tinnitus. Included is the C1 to the C4, cranial nerves, occipital vein, eustachian tube, auditory nerve, and the internal jugular vein which is near the tympanic membrane. The vertebral artery runs thru the C spine and injury to the C spine can cause injury to this artery and affect the nature of blood flow.

Also testing with tinnitus, breathing, lower level body position is important. Noise blocking headphones or plugs should be used.

https://sites.google.com/site/ultrasoundphysicshilton/hemodynamics

 

So some blood flow doesn't pulsate?

 

Very nice post, Jazzer.

Is your tinnitus (still?) severe?

I think your mentality is a good one and the way to (try and) help people with this.

There are two main problems we all have: 1) we don't know what helps unless we find something and 2) we can't hear or experience what anyone else does.

So, it's difficult to relate but we can relate on some level because we have some 'version' of the condition.

I'm done rambling now.

I just wanted to mention that I liked your post.

 

Actually, yes.

 

Thank you @PeteJ
Yes my ‘T’ has never receded unfortunately.
I had to give up my beautiful jazz life for fear of further damage.
I knew I was good - I had lyrical melodic stories to weave - but I am well remembered on the scene by hundreds of musos I worked with, which is something.

In a way my last post was a bit of a critique of those people who sometimes burst onto this scene with well-meaning insistence that we should all follow their lead back to pristine health.
Nobody actually has ‘the answer’ do they, or we wouldn’t all be stuck on this website.
Having said that, I believe we can modestly offer some coping suggestions that just might help a little.
There is a difference in that approach I think.
Thanks for your support my friend.
Dave x

PS - keep rambling Pete,
it’s all good stuff....x

 

Amazing to me that you actually traced the specific causes and resultant damage Greg.
Those of us with specifically noise induced Tinnitus would do well to remember there are various other drastic events that can cause this wretched ailment also.
I am sometimes guilty of this, I know.
Best wishes my friend.
I wish I could do more.
Dave x