Tinnitus Changes After Eating

[DownUnderInAus]

I have both pulsatile and everday tinnitus. I've noticed that after eating, my pulsatile tinnitus stops.. how odd..., I wonder if it's the act of chewing, swallowing or (just) having a full stomach. Any thoughts on this...?

[rabbits65]

Very odd indeed . I wonder if when your chewing and moving your jaw that you are unblocking the Eustachian tubes. Look I don’t know anything only what I’ve read up in my own desperate searches fir answers. Certainly it sounds like your clearing the pathway with the exercise . Good luck in your answers on here , I’m sure you will get more reply’s .

[DownUnderInAus in reply to rabbits65]

Thanks, I was also thinking that it might be the eustachian tubes, because (in addition to the eating) when I perform a valsalva, it also stops the pulsatile tinnitus.., puzzling?

[bridgeit]

Based on my experience, not professional expertise, it might be worth a trip to your dentist to have your temporomandibular (TMJ) joint checked out. If there's a problem with your 'bite', you could be over-exerting jaw muscles and, if so, probably grinding your teeth at night too (bruxism). This can both irritate existing and generate onset of tinnitus.

If your dentist gives you the all-clear, have a word with a good chiropractor and ask them to check out your masseter, temporal and occipital muscles for knots/tension. The masseter muscle is one of the strongest in the human body and the pressure it is capable of initiating on the jaw is incredible, more than 60kg of force between your teeth. If that muscle is being over-exerted, it can cause all sorts of weird head-related symptoms.

You might not have a problem with any of the above, but if you have got a problem, appropriate treatment/therapy might help ease your symptoms - and save your teeth.

All the best!

[DownUnderInAus in reply to bridgeit]

Thanks Bridgeit, I've had my TMJ checked out and I have been considering a trip to a chiro, I will have to do this. Rgds

[mmmgggsss in reply to DownUnderInAus]

Hello, I have pulsitile T in my left ear and I sometimes get the opposite effect. I will have complete silence and then when I eat I trigger it. It begins after about 5 minutes of eating often during my my meal. I have also considered the possibility that its either the chewing motion or something with my stomach acid kicking in to begin digestion. It doesnt happen all of the time but no doubt it happens sometimes, maybe 20% of the time I eat. I have tried to see if its certain foods ( like spicy things or carbonated drinks ) but I dont think so as it also happens with bland foods as well.

[DownUnderInAus in reply to mmmgggsss]

Thanks for the reply. Pulsatile Tinnitus certainly appears to be difficult to diagose unless some of the more obvious causes "jumps at" the doctors.