Iam new here and anxious as to what is wrong.

[Owley]

Hi iam Owley. 🦉

I have had tinnitus since October it started 2 days after a gentle manipulation (no neck cracks) by a chiropractor. It may be coincidence.

I also have health anxiety and i got diagnosed with intracranial hypertension in 2004 but never had tinnitus just visual symptoms. My tinnitus is both whooshy and pulsatile (i thought it was both ears but now realise the pulsing is just in left or mainly in left) interestingly i cannot pop my left ear when i hold my nose and blow. Somedays i also get a hissing in both ears which i can hear above noise for example in busy restaurants etc. But thankfully its not there everyday and when it is there it is invasive and very annoying.

I saw an ENT dr in October which i paid for privately out of my parents inheritance. He arranged for a CT scan of both brain and neck which again i paid for. I cannot cope with the claustrophobia of an MRIas the radiologist reporting did question why i wasnt having an mri. I did not have contrast due to anxiety i would have an allergic reaction to it but now after googling symptoms i wish i had contrast and am now thinking of paying for a CT venagram just to rule out any clots blockages or dural fistula thrombosis etc which i have read about. I also saw a Neurologist privately.

The result is i got nowhere. The CT was normal apart from showing 2 signs of intracranial hypertension which were emoty sella and tortuous optic nerve sheaths. The radiologist did not know i had it in past so i was reassured he was good as he picked that up. He stated it would be prudent for me to have neuro opthalmology review as he feels i still have intracranial hypertension. The ENT/ radiologist says its neurologocial the Neurologist says its of ENT origin. The neuroligist sags my cranial nerves are intact and i dont have papiloedema but he did say i should be kept under review by neuro opthalmology as intracranial hypertension is a chronic disease. My gp refuses to refer me on the NHS as he says i have had a CT of my head and nothing is wrong.

The anxiety and fear of what it "could" be keep me awake and makes me feel anxiety of extreme levels. I cannot relax.

The anxiety of not knowing is worse than the tinnutus.

I wonder if pulsatile tinnitus is always bad news and sinister? I also hear rushing noise when i bend forward and the volume of my tinnitus changes in moving my jaw from side to side or jutting it out or turning my head.

I have been having reflexology to help with my anxiety over this which has been a godsend. Thats my story and iam happy to be able to talk to and share with others who understand.

Owley

[Michael8272]

Hi,some of your symptoms sound like my own, I have a mainly whooshing noise,everyday I get a noise that I can hear over everything. You say you can change your noise by bending over.i can do that also. If I move my jaw forward I can change mine.i'v had mri aswel and can back clear and ear looks good.you say you can't pop your ear when you hold your nose.my gp thinks allergys which is causing me sinus and eustation tube problems are what mine is and possibly tmj joint?

[Wringing1212]

Hi Owley,

Don't dispare, the specialists you are seeing are highly compartmentalized and until you see a doctor who has severe T, you won't find empathy or understanding of your condition. It's good you had a CT scan rather than an MRI. Most MRI brain scans are super loud, so if you didn't have severe T from hearing loss before the scan, you will have after.

It's frustrating to hear the nueraologists tell you it's early stage hearing loss and not connected to nerves, and in the same breath tell you it's manufactured in the brain. My brother had T and stenosis of c5 c6 and had them fused. It cured his T for 20 years. My sister had severe T as a child and now has no T and perfect hearing.

I've had stenosis of c5 c6 for 20 years and had T all the while. My audiologist told me then, it was early stage hearing loss and still today, my hearing was fine until a recent brain scan that caused hyperacusis. From that, I now have all of your whooshing etc. this was confirmed by all department heads and legal at UCSF. (A known risk of MRI)

So, don't worry, you may have multiple causes of T, that include your neck, and the science is on the brink of a breakthrough. Don't ever adjust your neck. It will make it worse.

Look up "flow states" on Wikipedia. Practice this until help arrives. For now, the radiologists wouldn't now what to look for.

Best wishes, but not for luck, for a cure.

[NicBTA Partner]

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum. Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk

takeontinnitus.co.uk

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call [phone])

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)