Tinnitus Spike After an Increase in the Consumption of Eggs?

I am having a spike. The only thing that changed compared to last week, is that I had increased my consumption of eggs. I am still not sure whether chicken eggs can cause tinnitus to spike. I couldn't find much on this forum. The only thing I found was
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264778/

Not sure what to think.

 

Please don't go down this route @Bill Bauer I once did and it made my life miserable. Spikes happen for various reasons including stress. It will soon be gone. Please read the post below.

Food, drink and tinnitus

Many years ago when I first got tinnitus, I wanted to learn as much as possible about it. I believed acquiring the right knowledge and being proactive was the best way forward in finding a cure. Like many people new to the condition I was desperate and going through a very difficult time. My appointment to be seen at ENT for the first time was six months away and it couldn’t come soon enough. Whenever I could manage it, I read books on tinnitus and it wasn’t long before I learnt certain foods and drinks could make it worse.

The advice given was to keep a food diary and over a period of time, slowly omit certain foods and drink from one’s diet to see if there was a reduction of the tinnitus, and if there wasn’t reintroduce them. One of the main concerns was to avoid excessive salt and where possible reduce its intake. Cut down on red meat and avoid dairy products. Limit the use of sugar and refrain from drinking anything containing caffeine. It would mean missing my regular cup of coffee first thing in the morning but it would be worth it since I was on a mission and determined to succeed.

Alcohol was best avoided. I wasn’t a regular drinker but enjoyed a glass of wine or brandy occasionally. Surprisingly, with the onset of my tinnitus I found a glass of wine during the evening helped to relax me. Everywhere that I went I had my notebook and pen writing down everything I eat or drank. At first there was a lot of enthusiasm but as the days and weeks passed this began to wane.

Constantly reading the ingredience of every food item bought at the weekly shop can get tedious after a while, especially when there was no noticeable reduction in my tinnitus. I began to feel miserable and at times felt life wasn’t worth living. Having to cope with raging tinnitus and hyperacusis on one hand and monitoring every morsel of food and drink that passed my lips on the other. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience.

I missed my regular cup of coffee because the caffeine free substitutes weren’t doing it for me. After enduring this for five weeks I decided enough was enough. I put my notebook and pen away and returned to my normal eating and drinking. I now looked forward to having a sirloin or ribeye steak without thinking is this going to increase my tinnitus, or eating a sugar coated jam doughnut or having yoghurt. One can easily be drawn into a world of paranoia over such issues if they aren’t careful. I became less stressed and I was no longer plagued with headaches, which can be a symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

The result was no difference in my tinnitus or hyperacusis. Although they were still intrusive I felt life was more tolerable and I wasn’t constantly monitoring them to see if there was any reduction or increase as a result of what I eat or drank.

There are many books on food, drink and tinnitus and the Internet is awash with this information. My advice to anyone that is new to this condition and wants to pursue this route then please do so with caution. In the early stages tinnitus can be very stressful and emotionally draining. Do you really want to put more pressure on yourself considering what I’ve mentioned above?

It is true that some people are allergic to certain foods and drink and the preservatives within them. Therefore, it’s important they be aware of what they consume. I had taken no such precautions before the onset of my tinnitus other than to eat and drink in moderation.

Michael

 

Maybe it's the cracking of the eggs it can be very loud like cutting nails

 

This kind of thinking is certainly not helpful, and will lead to stress and paranoia if one isn't careful and make tinnitus worse.

 

I am so sick an tired of people blaming eggs for all of their problems.

 

If I had to guess, I am under less stress than usual.

I have had three eggs per day for three days in a row. My plan now is to stop eating eggs, and assuming the spike settles, resume this diet and see what happens...

It didn't sound too bad to me, but for all I know, it could be the cracking.

I would gladly blame something else. I increased my consumption of eggs because I figured out I could cook scrambled eggs in my microwave. It was so convenient. I wish I could think of anything else to blame this spike on.

 

Did it impact your cholesterol? I would think changes to blood flow could impact tinnitus.

 

I hear you Bill. Three eggs a day is too much anyway. I have one or two per week.
Hope the spike settles down for you soon.

Michael

 

For more than 10 years, my problem has been getting enough protein in my diet. I would combine one egg with enough egg whites to get 20-25 grams of protein (it is my understanding that a human body can't absorb more than 20-25 grams of protein at a time), and then eat this dish three times a day. Some recent studies had shown that eggs are not as unhealthy as we used to think. In any case, now I will have to switch back to protein powder (I am not sure how healthy it is to consume that), and to boiled fish (so much more hassle than cooking eggs in a microwave!)...

 

The last time I measured my blood cholesterol, it was low. Too bad I can't measure my cholesterol at home, like I can with blood sugar.

Me getting a spike after consuming 9 eggs in 3 days is consistent with me getting spikes after eating dairy foods.

 

I think just about any food can cause a spike, depending on the individual. I also believe the quality of the food can make a major difference. Are you eating commercial factory farm eggs, or eggs from free ranging chickens that aren't exposed to the large amounts of pesticides, etc. that are normally sprayed around factory farms? Could make all the difference in the world, since tinnitus can react pretty violently to various toxins entering our systems.

 

Commercial factory farm eggs...

I will consider switching to free-range ones.

 

It was a joke this time

 

Hi Bill, sorry for your spike. I hope it subsides for you soon.
Mike

 

Thank goodness as I was believing things were going just a little too far....

 

Actually food allergies can cause systemic reactions in the form of swelling and hestimine release. Whenever my mom ate chocolate or mushrooms her ear pressure got significantly worse with a few other bodily system adverse reactions as well.

When I found out the hard way that I was allergic to shellfish I had severe bilateral ear problems for about four days until all the facial swelling went down. The inner ear itching was something I will never forget. I forgot about that until now.

 

Hi Bill

Allergy to egg protein in adults is rare but certainly not unheard of. If you have found that these spikes continue after consuming eggs, could it be a hestmine release causing the spikes? Allergy testing if appropriate? Do you have any increased itching anywhere?

 

there is an article somewhere entitled, Histamine and Antihistamines What it is, How it works, and How it is related to Meniere’s Disease Symptoms

 

Thank you for alerting me to this possible reason for eggs being problematic. I was going to continue consuming egg whites (because up until now I thought the problem might have been cholesterol). If I end up getting spikes after consuming a higher than usual amount of egg whites, then I will know that it likely has something to do with an allergy to egg protein.

 

@Bill Bauer , @Finnigan could be right! But maybe don't give up eggs just yet? I definitely recommend every adult get tested for allergies. Allergied develop over time, even if we never had them as children. Most people are allergic to something yet don't have any clue about it. If you get tested you might be surprised with what you find.

 

Bill, for sure the spike is gonna go down. I doubt eggs or anything similar can cause permanent spikes. Maby you should have an allergy test to see if you can completely tolerate them? I take it you have been taking eggs with no problem? Surely it must be stress or something that is causing the spike.

 

It is a mystery to me why I am having a spike. But I am taking my own advice and, for now, assuming that it will pass.

I have been eating eggs in the past, but I ate less of them than I did over the 72 hours preceding this spike.

 

I just can't see the relation from one thing to the other... Hope your spike goes down soon!

 

It might be the increase in cholesterol that interferes (e.g., makes it 0.01% less efficient) with the blood circulation in the ear or brain.

Normally, I don't eat any foods that contain a significant amount of cholesterol.

 

That's just eggnorant!

 

Please do in any case!

 

Also quoting my own post to expound on this. Some years ago I randomly went to an allergist because of my chronic sneezing fits and was curious if I was allergic to anything. It was mostly for the curiosity though.

At the time I also had bad rosacea and bad cystic adult acne. I found out during the allergy test that I'm allergic to soy which can cause reddening and acne. Before getting tested, I never knew this dermatological health problem could be caused by food allergies.

After eliminating soy flours and proteins from my diet, I stopped getting adult cystic acne, my skin healed, and my coloration vastly improved. I've had acquaintances, women with rosacea, come up to me asking what 'skin product' I used to clear up my face.

Why, nothing at all! I started reading ingredient lists and stopped buying cheap food that uses soy as a cheap stand in for the real deal.

And to think, the alternative of slightly altering what I eat could have been accutane, a drug so strong and foul it has blindness listed as a potential side effect. Will it help people's tinnitus? Can't say for sure but eliminating things I'm allergic to has only done me good. (Though, I do cheat a lil without bad consequences Can't get away from sushi)

 

I normally like to eat foods that have cholesterol, as they generally taste good, and I think they're really good for me. From what I can gather, the whole cholesterol scare has been artifically manufactured, and Americans are paying a steep price for it. -- It's been documented that the elderly in nursing homes with dementia--generally speaking--have lower cholesterol levels than those w/o dementia. I think the brain is mostly made out of cholesterol, along with critical hormones, Vit. D, etc.

In my early days of tinnitus, I discovered that several egg yolks a day tended to make my blaring, out of control, mania producing tinnitus a tad easier to tolerate. In a sense, they became a comfort food of sorts (mixed in with brone broth and a touch of butter). Sometimes it was all I could eat, because the tinnitus had almost "ripped" away my appetite.

 

Which came first, the tinnitus or the egg?

 

Considering @Bam hits sustained 130dB I'd say eggs could cause many cases of hearing loss and tinnitus.