Tinnitus in Left Ear from Neck Problems?

I am re-introducing myself. I first joined this forum in 2015 after developing bilateral tinnitus. At the time, I did not know the true cause. I had attended a loud concert without ear protection a few days before but I was also diagnosed with bilateral fluid in my ears. I also had aural fullness in both ears. Needless to say it was horrible and I went into a terrible depression. I was put on Zoloft (gained 60 lbs on it ugh) and Klonopin to manage my acute anxiety. I used masking devices and a sound pillow to sleep - I even had a travel sound pillow to take with me when I had to travel for work. I brought sound machines to meetings at work. It was awful. I was lucky though, in that my ENT had a lot of experience with tinnitus and has tinnitus herself. She was very supportive. My hearing test was in her words “perfect.” She told me ears take a really long time to heal as long as the damage isn’t permanent and to give it time and to move on with my life. And try really really hard not to focus on it. So I was left with trying to cope.

This forum was a tremendous source of support and hope. Over time, I started not to notice it anymore. I stopped using sound machines or the sound pillow. I would say for the last almost 4 years it has been all but gone. I would have to struggle to hear it and most of the time I didn’t even bother because it was imperceptible. That is not to say that the first year or so wasn’t pure Hell. My tinnitus was all I could think about. Every day was a marathon just to get to the point where I could knock myself out and sleep, only to wake up and realize I was still in Hell. But I got better. I never had spikes. It was just way, way in the background or for all intents and purposes, essentially gone and I could no longer hear it.

Fast forward to this past Tuesday. I’m sitting in a quiet living room talking to my husband and all the sudden out of my left ear I had this weird noise. I thought I was picking up some sound in the living room but when I got up and moved to the dining room and the kitchen I realized that it was in fact my ear. And I was right back where I started. The excruciating anxiety and the fear. Because this is the biggest fear of someone who has / had tinnitus right. That once you habituate, it will come back or get worse? That was certainly my fear.

So I went to my ENT, who of course, wants to do another hearing test although he does not suspect that I have hearing loss because I have been very good about protecting my ears. And yes, I am aware of the hidden hearing loss that isn’t picked up on the hearing test. My exam was in remarkable. I actually thought I had fluid in my ear because I had the aural fullness again and pressure in the ear but the ear looks fine. He actually thinks that my problem is related to my neck/TMJ. He said he actually sees a lot of people in his practice who have whiplash and other neck problems and have had tinnitus as a result. Since COVID -19 , I’ve been working from home and have been ergonomically in all the worst positions possible. Additionally, I bought a special memory foam pillow and all it did was cause neck pain and give me headaches. It was very awkward to try to sleep on particularly because I’m a side sleeper. He has referred me to physical therapy. I spoke with my physical therapist yesterday who is seeing people on a limited basis. He too has treated people with neck problems and resulting tinnitus.

Has anyone had this kind of experience and success with physical therapy? Or does this sound like a spike that I just need to wait out? This is far more intrusive and louder than it was before and I can hear it over the TV in the room.

I would appreciate anybody’s insights.

Thanks so much.

 

HI @Forever hopeful

I remember you from way back and pleased to hear that you habituated for quite a while. The resurgence of your tinnitus can be caused by many things so will start off with the most common, since I suspect it was originally noise induced. Are you a regular user of headphones, headset or earbuds? If not then the tinnitus could be caused by stress. Since you have had a hearing test and no significant loss of hearing was detected, the tinnitus is not likely to be related to that. I suggest that you try to avoid quiet rooms even when the tinnitus hopefully goes away. Use low level sound enrichment.

A long habituation period of the kind you have had, to suddenly notice it return is usually (but not always) a result of exposure to loud sounds or headphone use, especially if the original cause of the tinnitus was exposure to loud noise. You have experience of tinnitus and that is in your favour. Therefore, I suggest you return to basics and see how things go. Please read my posts in the links below, just to recap on the things you already know.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

@Michael Leigh,

 

@Michael Leigh,
Thank you for your response. I don’t have any recent noise exposure and I almost never use earbuds. I did listen to the radio in the car that day for maybe 20 minutes. I keep it at no more than 50% as I follow all of the requirements set forth by the audiologist. I’d be surprised if it was noise induced as I would think it would affect both ears rather than just one and I would not have aural fullness. But you never know. Thanks so much for your support. I keep hoping it will simmer down. I am on the precipice of ordering a new sound pillow. Ugh!
Take care.
Danielle

 

HI @Forever hopeful

I agree with you that the tinnitus is not likely to be affected by sound. You are experienced and have taken good care not to expose yourself to overly loud sounds. I hope the tinnitus settles down but if it doesn't, I suggest seeing your ENT doctor again.

Best of luck and take care
Michael

 

In my experience, PTs understand and can explain how nerves that sometimes mess with the audiotory system run through a small hole in the neck. There are many muscles that can mess with proper alignment and allegedly cause tinnitus and ear pain. Try to find a PT specialized in stress. Going to one physio and hearing their take on it is a crapshoot, especially if they cannot admit they don't know enough about the subject. You'll probably have to do most of the work yourself.

That said though, I haven't met a single one with any actual strategies to alleviate it. It's been the usual: you're causing this yourself by being stressed. You're causing this by how you sit and move. They could be right, but they honestly don't seem to fully understand what they're talking about and play the "stress card" instead of admitting it. There are probably better physios in private healthcare systems.

There are many stretches to try on various youtube channels for tinnitus specifically. I did not have any luck with them but that means nothing.

I too got a spike from my new memory foam pillow after 2 hours of use.. It took some time to get used to it but now I couldn't imagine sleeping without one.

The body is a slow, slow ship to turn around in many cases. For me it's been a game of elimination: stopping activities that strain the neck. Trying new activites and observing effects. Not maintaining strength in the thick neck and upper back muscles I've developed for many years. Since I'm not sure what causes my ear problems I've experimented with different things for about a year now. My tinnitus has improved a lot but that could have been the case if I had done nothing as well..

 

@HeavyMantra,

Thank you so much for your response. I live in the US and we actually have a lot of private healthcare here. My physical therapist actually has a ton of experience in cervical and cranial conditions so I feel pretty good about that. And I feel good that my ENT actually picked up the neck issue rather than just dismissing me. I don’t know if it’s going to take care anything but it might help. I can feel my upper back and neck strain and tension in my TMJ joints. I move my neck either way and my joints crack as do my TMJ joints when I open my mouth wide. My ears pop constantly. I’m not really sure any of this is stress related but given the state of things in the world, it wouldn’t surprise me. I think it’s more physical than that. And that damn pillow killed my neck. Glad you like yours and that your spike was brief. I for me think it’s definitely more postural. I’m just praying it improves over time. Meanwhile, I am back to the maskers and the anti anxiety meds and probably another bought of depression.
Best,

Danielle

 

Hi @Forever hopeful -

I am in the process of recovering from tinnitus likely due to musculoskeletal misalignment and neuromuscular imbalance. After ~9.5 months, my tinnitus is under control and rarely peaks above a 2/10 now. The neck and jaw are definitely part of my problem and having thought most of my issues below in the lower body have been resolved, I now concentrate on the cervicothoracic junction (C7-T2) and associated postural problems (rounded shoulders and winged scapula). My posture was shot when my tinnitus started, but as things have improved over time and tinnitus comes and goes now. When I lean one direction or stay in incorrect postural positions, new sounds fire usually in one ear for a moment or two before going back down to baseline once I correct myself. Problems with C7-T2 can migrate up the neck and affect your C1-C2 and TM joints eventually. Depending on your overall health, the cervicothoracic junction may be worth exploring. General info video below.

Sue Falsone, Cervical Thoracic Junction:...

Also, if you have lots of tension in your neck and upper back, you might have lost the rotation and range of motion in your thorax and thoracic spine. If so, try looking into exercises to mobilize your thoracic spine. Another video below - the flight or fight position this guy describes in the first minute is a problem I had.

Thoracic Flexion vs Thoracic Spine Flexion

Plenty of stretches for both issues on Youtube or consult with your PT as you allude to in your earlier posts.

Best of luck,

-Oceanofsound26

 

Hi @oceanofsound26,

Thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it. This information is very helpful. I am looking forward to seeing what my physical therapist has to say. More importantly, I’m looking forward to the swishing/ring in my ear to die down. I have to keep reminding myself whatever the cause, I’ve been through this before and I will get through it again. I just wish it wasn’t so loud this time. Thankful it is only in one ear.

I am happy to hear that your T has decreased. Incidentally, even when I first got T, I would wake up sometimes and I could hear it and all I had to do was turn my head and it would stop. I wonder if there’s always been some sort of somatosensory connection there that I haven’t ever realized. I also noticed that if I pull my earlobe down and try to open up the air canal the T just goes away. But I guess I really can’t walk around doing that all the time.


All the best to you.

Danielle.

 

Hi @Forever hopeful -

Glad to hear you found the information helpful. Posture can definitely affect breathing.

What you reference here may have to do with some sort of facial asymmetries (which I have) which can affect breathing and respiration. Downstream effects can lead to poor gas exchange in the lungs and can eventually lead to issues with delivery of oxygenated blood all over the body. Comparisons of bloodwork at tinnitus onset and 8 months afterward makes me suspect I had/have some issues with this. Seems like the sphenoid and temporal bones are involved (both close to the ear and jaw) and may represent another frontier to explore and speak with your PT about especially because you have connected poor posture, neck problems, and issues with your TM joints. More helpful videos below.

The Right TMCC Pattern and Facial Asymmetries

Impact of correcting the cranium on seated...

Also, the vertebral and basilar arteries run through this region as well. A google search of sphenoid bone and respiration would yield more information as well.

All the best,

Oceanofsound26

 

My T just passed its first birthday: it was caused by a fall down the stairs, resulting in minor neck trauma. "Minor" in the sense that the rest of my body's functionality is fine, but mentally I've been in for a ride.

I'm mostly doing quite well these days though, and PT has been the first big step towards improvement. In the first months my T just kept getting worse, but once neck treatment started, it stabilized in the first two weeks and then started reducing over the next month. Keeping in mind that clear measuring of T can be hard (individual days could differ a lot), on average it went down from 9 to 2. Eventually I ended up with my current baseline, where T is noticeable in quiet rooms and when I go to sleep, but masked by everything else.

The exercises I used are described in this post. The videos are in Dutch, but the post contains a summary. I hope your T gets better again in the coming period

 

Hi@Tybs,

Thank you for your reply and I am sorry to hear of your injury. Glad PT was helpful. They think mine is both TMJ and neck related. Did you have aural fullness in your affected ear? I do and it is awful.

Best,

Danielle

 

I have seen that if u go to a chiropractor and get your neck cracked or whatever that it could help tinnitus! Might wanna do a little research forst but either way the chiropractor will help.

 

Hi@Nathan31301.

Thank you for your response. I have considered the chiropractor as well. The current COVID 19 situation is making it difficult to get care right now.

Best,

Danielle

 

I would be careful with chiropractors as it can go either way - make sure you do your research and only go to one who really knows what they're doing and does things gently. Also consider physical therapy before anything - I'm currently going to one who's going to start me on a very slow, gentle but steadily increasing muscle massage/adjustment treatment.

I'm also someone with a neck injury and horrible posture and I suspect most of my issue lies there.

 

If you are considering a Chiropractor, be sure to do your due diligence ahead of time as others have suggested. If someone offers free or discounted services beyond a consultation, AVOID them! They are most likely trying to drum up business for themselves. I went the Atlas Orthogonal route for awhile, but will be starting NUCCA here shortly. If you have pulsatile tinnitus, you may want to avoid upper cervical chiropractic work.

 

A couple nights ago I was wearing closed back over ear headphones for about 2 hours until I felt a pop in my left ear. All of a sudden the static that I've been hearing in my head for a while is a good bit louder. It seems like I can change it by moving my neck and jaw. Is this likely caused by hearing loss or maybe something in my neck that can be fixed?

 

Sounds similar to the static(s) I've had. Can be neck related, in which case it could heal by getting some treatment there. In any case, fair chance it will go back to baseline.