Very Strange Case of Tinnitus

[ring a ding]

I am a 66 year old male that got an ear infection last June 2015. I am healthy, normal weight, no high blood pressure etc, etc. The ear infection cleared up but I ended up with tinnitus in my left ear. It sounds like air hissing out of a bicycle tire but at a higher pitch. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy as it is annoying, distracting, and almost impossible to get a good nights sleep. Plus there is the anxiety that it will get worse. The weird part is that it comes and goes on roughly a 24 hour cycle. One day I don't have any symptoms and the next day it comes on like gang busters. Back and forth day after day. Another symptom is that if I flex my jaw muscles at the back of my jaw there is a crunching and cracking sound coming out of my left ear. I don't have TMJ. Also I live at a moderate high altitude at around 4,100 ft. above sea level. When I traveled down to see relatives at sea level all the symptoms disappeared. Four days later as I was driving home the higher I got above sea level the symptoms came back. So there is some connection with my tinnitus with atmospheric pressure. Higher atmospheric pressure --------no tinnitus. Lower atmospheric pressure----------tinnitus. Why? Who knows.

I went to an ear specialist in Mammoth Lakes, CA.. (7,100 ft asl and my tinnitus was roaring). The doctor examined my ears and found impacted ear wax covering my eardrum. He removed the wax, my hearing improved slightly, but unfortunately my tinnitus didn't go away. He didn't seem interested in any of the above information about altitude and atmospheric pressure or the fact that it comes and goes on a 24 hour cycle. It went in one ear and out the other. No pun intended.
Now I have discovered another strange thing. If I wear a wax earplug in my left ear I don't get tinnitus. Also wearing the ear plug I can't induce those cracking and crunching sounds in my left ear. At this point I don't have a clue what is causing this.

Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on??? I have told others about this and all I get are stares as if I'm wearing a tin foil hat.

 

[Aaron123]

The crunching and cracking when you flex your jaw muscles sounds like possible TMJ issues. Does flexing your jaw affect your tinnitus at all?

When you change altitude, do your ears pop? I'm wondering if you might have some Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

I have no idea about what happens with the ear plug.

 

[Richard zurowski]

Tinnitus comes with all kinds of noises. Your not the only one to experience different sounds. How are your sinuses it could be the problem.

 

[Quiet please]

When I visit family in Naples, Florida at a higher elevation than where I live, the T gets quieter. When I retire, I'm moving there.

 

[just1morething]

When I visit family in Naples, Florida at a higher elevation than where I live, the T gets quieter. When I retire, I'm moving there.

My parents used to live in Naples in the winter months. I liked it down there when visiting. The noise is a big problem for me right now, so I haven't traveled much lately. I thought Florida would be a lower elevation being it is flat and just above sea level?

 

[just1morething]

I am a 66 year old male that got an ear infection last June 2015. I am healthy, normal weight, no high blood pressure etc, etc. The ear infection cleared up but I ended up with tinnitus in my left ear. It sounds like air hissing out of a bicycle tire but at a higher pitch. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy as it is annoying, distracting, and almost impossible to get a good nights sleep. Plus there is the anxiety that it will get worse. The weird part is that it comes and goes on roughly a 24 hour cycle. One day I don't have any symptoms and the next day it comes on like gang busters. Back and forth day after day. Another symptom is that if I flex my jaw muscles at the back of my jaw there is a crunching and cracking sound coming out of my left ear. I don't have TMJ. Also I live at a moderate high altitude at around 4,100 ft. above sea level. When I traveled down to see relatives at sea level all the symptoms disappeared. Four days later as I was driving home the higher I got above sea level the symptoms came back. So there is some connection with my tinnitus with atmospheric pressure. Higher atmospheric pressure --------no tinnitus. Lower atmospheric pressure----------tinnitus. Why? Who knows.

I went to an ear specialist in Mammoth Lakes, CA.. (7,100 ft asl and my tinnitus was roaring). The doctor examined my ears and found impacted ear wax covering my eardrum. He removed the wax, my hearing improved slightly, but unfortunately my tinnitus didn't go away. He didn't seem interested in any of the above information about altitude and atmospheric pressure or the fact that it comes and goes on a 24 hour cycle. It went in one ear and out the other. No pun intended.
Now I have discovered another strange thing. If I wear a wax earplug in my left ear I don't get tinnitus. Also wearing the ear plug I can't induce those cracking and crunching sounds in my left ear. At this point I don't have a clue what is causing this.

Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on??? I have told others about this and all I get are stares as if I'm wearing a tin foil hat.

That seems strange. At least you get relief at sea levels. I should fly south to a southern state and see if it helps me. I have a loud hissing like you atm. Sometimes it changes. I was trying neck injections but my confidence is low on that "fixing" my noise. I've read muscle spasms in the neck can cause hissing. ENT's say sensorineural hearing loss caused tinnitus.

 

[Quiet please]

My apologies; I wrote elevation is higher in Naples, Florida when I meant to write lower.
What is wrong with me? Oh, I have 24-7 Tinnitus and cant differentiate between high & low. LOL