Tinnitus Transformed from Non-Somatic to Somatic?

Hello everyone!

I've been having tinnitus (multiple tones) due to a noise trauma that happened just over a year ago.

Strangely enough, I notice that my tinnitus that used to be non-somatic seems to have become somatic!
Indeed, for the past few weeks, when I open my mouth wide, the sound of tinnitus is tenfold.

Has this ever happened to people here before? Has this feeling diminished over time?

Thanks.

Kamil

 

Salut Kamil

I definitely have a somatic element going on. Can't say when it started, but it did not go away for me. As your tinnitus is still somewhat new, I suppose the brain is still trying to adapt. Susan Shore is developing a device that is supposed to help with somatic tinnitus.

Good luck.

 

Hi Bartoli!

Yes I know about Susan Shore's device. I've been on Tinnitus Talk for over a year.
Her trial is supposed to cancel at the end of 2021. So we're not going to have this device before 2022...

Good luck too.

 

Do you have tinnitus in both ears?

 

Both ears and in the head. Plus mild hyperacusis in the left ear. It's a terrible nightmare.

 

Do you have large intensity-variations from day to day?

 

I figured you knew about her work.
But it's not the only thing we can hope for.
For all we know, regenerative medicine may undo the changes in the brain linked to the hearing loss. I'm thinking visual snow, somatic tinnitus, hyperacusis,...

It remains to be seen, but at this rate, FX-322 may be with us before Shore's device.

 

Tinnitus in my left ear became somatic early February after about 6 weeks of not being somatic at all. All I have to do is press my cheek or scalp, and the volume increases in my left ear. Drying my face with a towel does the same thing. Turning my head to look at someone or something. It's awful.

 

Hey, I think I may be experiencing something similar. Mine mostly has to do with moving my neck or jaw. My theory is that I may have developed TMJ after my acoustic trauma because since I have tinnitus and hyperacusis (especially on my left side), this has led me to always clenching my jaw and listening for noises to see where I am at with my tinnitus and hyperacusis. I don't know if you have this too but I have pain and uncomfortableness on my left side of my jaw and sometimes my right. This is just my theory of course so I don't know if it's right, I am currently pursuing getting a night guard and seeing if that will help me. I think I also read about people developing TMJ after tinnitus and hyperacusis.

 

I don't know if there is something here that suits your situation. I just Googled this earlier when trying to work out why all of a sudden my left ear became somatic. Turning my head, pressing my cheek or scalp and scrunching up my eyes makes my left ear rev to 10/10. It makes me not want to turn and look at things.

Tinnitus: New evidence touch-sensing nerve cells may fuel 'ringing in the ears'

 

Hello,

I'm re-launching this topic with a question I can't answer.

Can somatosensory tinnitus, that we can modulate with movement of the mouth, jaw, neck, be reactive to the sound environment? Or simply reactive to tensions in the neck and head area?

Finally, can we have both, a more central tinnitus in the head due to sound trauma and, in addition, somatosensory tinnitus related to TMJ problems and chronic contraction of the neck, jaw muscle?

I ask this question because my somatosensory modulated tinnitus is more aggressive, reactive and does not decrease over time. And the tinnitus increases even after speaking in a low voice or whispering. I wonder if it is not the tension/contraction of the throat muscles when I whisper that accentuates this type of tinnitus.

I have hyperacusis and a TMJ problem.

Thank you for your help.

 

@Josh59, somatosensory tinnitus can be a separate tinnitus type or a subtype of subjective tinnitus, where cervical spine (neck) or temporomandibular (TMJ) area causes or changes a patient’s tinnitus perception. Besides somatosensory being a separate type, a large percentage of patients with subjective tinnitus can have secondary influence from the neck and jaw region.

Somatic tinnitus is related to the somatosensory system of the cervical spine and temporomandibular joint. It is associated with activation of the somatosensory, somatomotor, and visual motor systems. The loudness or intensity of this type of tinnitus can be changed by sensory or motor stimuli such as muscle contractions, eye movements, mechanical pressure on myofascial trigger points, or joint movements.

You could have both subjective and somatosensory physical tinnitus.

The hyroid bone or tongue-bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical vertebra.

Unlike other bones, the hyoid is only distantly articulated to other bones by muscles or ligaments. It is the only bone in the human body that is not connected to any other bones nearby. The hyoid is anchored by muscles from the anterior, posterior and inferior directions, and aids in tongue movement, swallowing and talking. The hyoid bone provides attachment to the muscles of the floor of the mouth and the tongue above, the larynx below, and the epiglottis and pharynx behind.

A neck X-ray may show if your TMJ is linked to your C spine. There's several ways TMJ can happen. It's reported that 23/1000 get TMJ from having mouth open too wide for too long when receiving dental treatment. I think that number should be much higher. Clenching teeth during sleep could cause TMJ.

If you have an idea as to why you have TMJ, I can give a treatment idea.

 

Hello,

I'm coming back to this subject of somatosensory tinnitus.

I would like to know if somatosensory modulated tinnitus can intensify and worsen over time because of the sound of everyday life and hyperacusis?

@Greg Sacramento had mentioned this phenomenon due to neuro-muscular tensions in the body, but I am trying to find out why for the last 7 years, their intensity and duration is much stronger? Is it due to my hyperacusis which has also worsened?

As a reminder, for the last 7 years I have had chronic tinnitus and hyperacusis which has progressively worsened (cause: before 2017 -> music too loud for years on headphones, but for the past 7 years I haven't gone to places with harmful sound environment.)

Thank you.