Why Does Tinnitus Spike?

I know that sounds like an almost rhetorical question, as that's mainly what most T sufferers talk about and experience and dread. But does anyone, or is it even known why spikes occur at all?

From a minimal layman's common-sense perspective, if you have a certain level of damage to your ears, whatever the reason, be it noise or ototoxicity or what have you, you would think one's level would stay the same, provided no new damage occurs. So why does T spike around loud noise? Is new damage occurring? Forgive me if this has been covered and is a dumb question. Because if it does spike, even a little, it seems as if it usually comes right back down again.

If there really isn't much of a certain answer, it just goes to show how little understood T really is.

 

You're absolutely right... unfortunately, I think it is questions like these that reveal how little we actually know about tinnitus. I'll say that the thing that has caused my tinnitus to spike pretty faithfully was a poor night of sleep. On the other hand, a good night of sleep could often make it better, if not better then at least "normal".

Certain things that I have never found to affect my tinnitus are things like salty food, caffeine, alcohol, etc. I mention that because some people report these as causes for spikes. Oh, stress does it too.

I think this might be one of those things where you can ask 5 different people this exact question and it wouldn't be at all surprising if you get 5 different answers.

 

Just as MattK says, it's pretty random. Too little sleep has so far not affected me. Neither has salty food or coffee, although it's a good idea to reduce those anyways. And alcohol

For me my T spikes after I've been somewhere noisy, sometimes even if I protect my ears.

 

Indeed. And you weren't under stress, nothing? LOL! Yours truly must have been a random case of 'idiopathic' T with no known cause.

I can't say that I'd ever had a spike, other than maybe stress. But I've been around loud noise and have it be unaffected, and then it would seem to get a little louder for no hard and fast reason, nothing that I could readily attribute it to. Can the wind against my ears when riding a bike do anything? That's maybe the only thing I could say somehow it got a little louder, but that's just a guess. And it's nothing that jumped out at me.

 

I know this is a old thread...... My T has spiked bad for the first time in a while, has made feel sad and worried again.

If I think that my T is getting worst and worry about it....! that is normally enough to cause a spike. Also I play electric guitar and for some reason that causes me to worry about the volumes I play at even at very low volume, which cause a spike.

 

That's a good question.

Without looking at "why" it happens, it's likely that Tinnitus goes up and down like everything else in your body (whether there's an obvious reason or not). Its just that the sensitivity or "volume" is cranked up to a point where you can now notice and hear that it's happening.

So another question might be, "Why is the brain turning up the volume, and how can we get it to turn down?"

 

I get spikes in the night time. Any ideas? Thank you.

 

only thing that seems to cause spikes is hyperacusis....as long as the volume is at a normal volume i am ususally fine....if i hear a high pitched sound like a loud clap that might cause a spike but as time has gone on it doesnt seem to be the case anymore either

 

Tinnitus spikes because it doesn't like whatever your doing. Stressing out? Your ears will ringing like hell. Haven't been sleeping lately, you ears will tell you that. If your around a loud sound, your ears will definitely tell you it doesn't like it. Think of it as a guard. It's trying to help you out.

 

Dehydration? Someone told me that dehydration can causes Tinnitus to spike. Three days ago I had the runs, bad, and my tinnitus spiked the most it has ever spiked. I drank a lot of Gatorade, the next day it was slightly better, yesterday is was perfect but too day it's gone back up.

 

This really depends on the cause of T. If your T was triggered by long-term anxiety, additiobal stress will naturally cause it to spike. If problems with back that affect nerve system, physical stretch or anything tjat affect your muscle system can cause a spike. Like alcohol. Problem with inner ear? Loud sounds etc. Problem is in many cases source is unknown so treatment is unknown and causes are unknown.

 

Exposure to loud noise makes it spike for me ..be it a door slam , car honk . Music etc etc .
It just sucks but I avoid All the loud places and walk out of any event that's loud.

xposire t

 

What is a spike of tinnitus?

What is its pathophysiology?

If this is not a new damage to the auditory hairs, then the reason is in the brain ?!
The cause of spike is in the limbic system and in the auditory cortex of the brain. Do you agree?!

 

For me, back pain, headaches, make it louder. Also if someone annoys me.

 

Since we do not know whether there is a common pathophysiology for the majority of tinnitus sufferers, we certainly do not know what the pathophysiology of spikes could be.
Definition spike: Temporary increased loudness sensation of tinnitus.
Of course, perception can also play a role here.

 

What do you mean by perception?

 

Apart from the occasional fleeting tinnitus mine has not spiked in 4 years of having it.

 

Compare: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-perception-vs-actual-volume.23509/

 

Ok , got it. Good information. @Tinniger . First time I read about that.

 

I only get noticeable tinnitus when: coffee= the stronger the coffee the louder the T, stress =P

I have the opposite problem in the area of noise: Loud noise actually lessens my T (WTH?). If I don't expose myself to at least some regular noises I perceive my T more...but if I go outside and expose myself to regular every day sounds (not crazy loud sounds)...my t gets lower in volume.