Trying to Gauge Whether My Tinnitus Is Treatable Based on My Description

Hi there,

Thank you so much for taking the time to check in with me here.

I'm trying to determine if the "flavor" of my tinnitus can be treated, and the reason I suspect the answer might be yes is because I can reduce the volume through various movements. Please review the exact characteristics of my tinnitus below:

• Present only in the left ear
• My left cheek is significantly more numb than the right; scratching it barely produces a sensation, except that it makes me feel "tremors" in my left ear, like an earthquake
• Smiling on the left side of my face is much more of a struggle than the right. When I attempt to do so, the muscles in my neck tense up a lot. Not at all the case when smiling to the right

Here's where it gets really interesting (and pertains specifically to the ringing):

• Chewing my food makes the ringing go up and down with the rhythm of my bite (louder chewing down, softer chewing up)
• Moving my head 90 degrees to the left/right causes the ringing to get significantly louder
• Firmly pressing on my left temple makes the ringing shoot WAY up in volume
• Yawning also makes the ringing shoot way up in volume
• retracting my jaw into my chest makes the ringing vanish almost completely!

I have suffered for 3 and a half years and have largely been unable to adapt to the noise in any way. However in that time I have become my own scientist of sorts, taking careful inventory of the ringing's exact nature as it pertains to my unique anatomy. I have explored NUMEROUS therapies both novel and traditional (stem cell injection, hyperbaric oxygen, etc.) and have basically tried every supplement under the sun as far as I'm concerned.

I currently wear a specially crafted orthotic (mouth guard) made by a well educated TMJ in my city, however after 6 months straight of wearing it 24/7 I have experienced no relief.

If you resonate with this post in ANY way, shape, or form I would absolutely love to hear about it. Who knows - maybe if your tinnitus shares similar traits as the ones described above we can work together to jointly identify a treatment that suits us specifically.

Thank you so much for your time, and have a wonderful holiday season!

 

Hi @Bennett Waisbren, your tinnitus sounds somatic in nature. Have you actually had stem cell therapy?

 

Hi! Yep, I actually did receive stem cell therapy last year, however it did absolutely nothing for me. I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that I had the stem cells injected directly into my arm, as opposed to in/around the ear (that was their call, not mine).

9 thousand dollars down the drain sadly

 

I have somewhat similar symptoms, though not as respondent to movement like yours, e.g. no effect from chewing or pressing my jaw down to my chest. I think our cases must have something to do with specific nerve inflammation. I will let you know how my treatment progresses.

 

@Bennett Waisbren, wow I am sorry to hear that. Have you tried electric dry needling? It sounds like you are a candidate for that. I am currently doing that with a physical therapist trained in somatic tinnitus. I recommend you reach out James Dunning who could locate someone hopefully in your area.

Somatosensory Tinnitus: Neurophysiological Considerations & Treatment Options

It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than stem cells and worth a shot.

 

How is the dry needling helping your tinnitus?