I've had unilateral tinnitus for around 3 months now and I'm at a loss as to what the cause may be.
For reference:
I'm 29 years old.
Tinnitus started suddenly one night in bed and has stayed since!
Hadn't attended any loud concerts prior.
Wasn't particularly stressed in the days/weeks prior to tinnitus.
No hearing loss identified in tests.
MRI came back as normal.
No fluid in ears.
I took steroid spray for first 6 weeks but no change.
Tinnitus in left ear and on occasions appears in right.
Multiple tones mainly medium pitch. Main tone that's unchanging sounds like a distant morse code.
I can't modulate my tinnitus through jaw or neck movements.
Other symptoms that may or may not be linked:
Clicking and crackling when opening and closing jaw. No pain in jaw.
Left ear pops when jumping. If I press anywhere along my left sternocleidomastoid muscle the ear popping stops.
Weirdly - when I hum with my mouth closed for about 30seconds I notice my left ear feels really full and my tinnitus spikes for around 30 seconds afterwards.
Sway back posture. Job involves working at a laptop all day.
Tingling in left hand (although this is suspected to be from ganglion cyst in wrist).
Deviated uvula (deviated to the right - research shows this may be linked to vagus nerve issues).
Have always had neck pain and tight trap muscles.
ENT suspects ETD and has recommended daily nasal rinses. I'm currently taking Sterimar nasal spray but haven't noticed any change. I've taken sudafed and allergy medication for a few days but neither helped.
If anyone has had a similar experience to me or any helpful tips and advice I'd love to hear from you! I've always found this forum to be incredibly supportive and a great community.
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Alys34
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My tinnitus was triggered by music but when I saw an ear specialist recently he did comment on how some of the pain was in the area where a TMJ issue might be contributing. Do you know if you clench and/or grind your teeth in your sleep? See a dentist who specialises in Occlusion and/or a physio might shed some light on why this is happening. I have a really good dentist in London and know a physio who says they can help with TMJ related tinnitus. I have been too scared to have the dry-needling and Low Level Laser therapy she recommends but might try it is I keep getting worse.
Yeah I've whittled it down to either TMJ or ETD (or maybe even ETD caused by TMJ?!). I don't have pain in my jaw but I do notice the clicks and cracks when I open and close my jaw which could be an indication.
I don't grind my teeth as far as I know. But I was planning on going to my Dentist as my next step! I've even considered Osteopathy in case my neck and shoulders may be impacting it in any way as I've always held tension there.
There's so many different causes it's like finding a needle in a haystack!
it’s quite possible that your T doesn’t have a particular cause. A good book on the subject “tinnitus, from tyrant to friend” says it’s stress. Which I don’t necessarily agree with. Certainly mine didn’t have any particular cause, and it may not be profitable to keep searching. Searching makes you concentrate on the sound, which in itself makes it more prominent,
Its quite likely you will never be able to find a specific cause , my life with T improved when I stopped looking for one , stress levels went down and I started to not monitor the sounds 24/7 . I have a friend who had T , he had an MRI and they found a brain tumour about the size of a golf ball . They said that it must be the cause of the T , he had it removed in a huge operation that was a success (having a tumor like this is extremely rare by the way ) but it made no difference to the tinnitus whatsoever ,its still there un changed . The two things were un related so even if a physical problem is found ,fixing it is no guarantee to cure T . For jaw and neck issues I heard that sacral cranial head massage is good .
It's such a shame to hear about your friend's tinnitus but brilliant that the operation on the tumor was a success!
I totally agree that focusing on finding a 'cure' can hinder the habituation process. I'm still in the stages of looking for answers, but yes, once I've exhausted a few theories of what mine could be linked to my main focus will then be de-focusing!
Exercise has helped me a lot as well I do about 3 fitness classes a week , spinning , aerobics and boxing , takes your mind off it , reduces stress and anxiety and makes you tired so you sleep better .
yes I remember researching all possible "cures" . Especially in the beginning with the first T= 20 years ago . when I was on a mission to get rid of it. Spent a fortune on acupuncture and vitamin supplements.. In some ways it helped to keep looking and hoping the next vitamin/ action would be the answer. I cant remember how long it took but one day I didnt notice it anymore. Then 7 months ago I was given statins , took 5 and my T jumped out its box ( maybe i'm lucky its only one ear ) I was very depressed for a few months . But I'm mostly okay now. Radio and Earphone now glued to that ear. NHS hearing aides ordered.
Hi there I agree with Rosie tinnitus often seems to be a total mystery but it’s good you have an ENT on board helping guide you from a medical perspective.
While you are in this potentially temporary but often emotionally alarming I place I would recommend you spend some of your energy learning about taking your mind away from tinnitus. I know that is a lot easier said than done but if you can take the brains focus away from tinnitus it will become a low/non priority for the mind. Consequently the tinnitus becomes a lot less noticeable as the brain stops prioritising the sound - here are some things that really helped me do that.
An 8 week MCBT (mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy) for tinnitus on the nhs - do ask your ENT about this can’t say enough about how this treatment altered my perception and attention to my tinnitus.
Joining a face to face or online tinnitus group using the tinnitus uk support section . It may seem counter intuitive chatting about tinnitus with a load of people with tinnitus but it’s actually very helpful. Often other people with tinnitus who have been dealing with it a while have insights that I have found invaluable
Finally I found using a comforting sound at night (in my case a soft fan sound with the marpac dohm uno) to give me something other that the tinnitus to focus on. If you try this I would advise against using a sound via earbuds or headphones - try a speaker, pillow speakers or the self contained unit i used below
Thanks so much for your response. This is really useful to me. I'm still at the stage where if I can find and resolve a cause I'd love to do so. But yes, I'm also minded this can hinder my habituation.
I'll definitely check out all the links you've provided and thanks so much again for outlining some of the things that helped you. I really appreciate it 🙏
I thought I’d share my experience to see if it might help. I developed unilateral tinnitus in my right ear 4 months ago, started off extremely loud 10/10, had MRI all clear. Saw a dentist - I grind and clench my teeth at night (I wasn’t stressed but have done this for years) - got a better night guard made. Been seeing a chiropractor who said my neck and shoulder muscles were very tight. Also seeing a massage therapist who specialises in TMJ issues. Saw an oral and maxillofacial specialist who said my jaw is fine and I don’t have TMJ, but could see I grind/clench my teeth. But I’ve continued with the massage therapy because I felt it was helping and she noticed my muscles improving each time.
During this time I have taken zopiclone occasionally to help me sleep (dr only prescribed 14 tablets) each time noticing that my T would sound slightly quieter the next morning. After the initial 3/4 weeks of intensity it slowly got better but like a rollercoaster, one day quieter then next day up a notch, but eventually turned into a fizz more than a ring. Am now on 10mg Amitriptyline and after a week I stopped taking it to test and my T increased very slightly so back on it. So I think it’s my clenching of my teeth at night that caused the T (maybe straining a muscle close to my ear?) alongside my bad posture working at home all day and neck/ shoulder tension. My T is now a tiny fizz about 1/10. So I would definitely see a dentist and the chiropractor and TMJ massage definitely helped me. (Zopiclone and Amitriptyline are also muscle relaxants which may have helped with the jaw clenching).
This is really helpful. I have a feeling I may be in the same boat as you. As far as I'm aware I don't grind my teeth, but I'm definitely keen to get a Dentist to look to see if there are any signs of TMJ (particularly given that my jaw clicks and crackles when opening and closing).
Did you dentist refer you to your maxillofacial specialist or did you have to go privately? The wait list just for ENT was 2years for me so I went private in the end! I feel like I've hit a brick wall after seeing ENT though as they just said Eustachian Tube Dysfunction but didn't actually say what they thought was causing the ETD (I've heard TMJ can cause it).
In terms of your Tinnitus - do you find you can change the noise/pitch by moving your jaw and/or neck? I initially ruled out TMJ/Neck issues causing my tinnitus as I can't modulate the noise at all. I have noticed the sound itself changes quite frequently but not because of any Jaw/Neck movements as far as I'm aware!
I asked my Dr to refer me to an oral and maxillofacial specialist as I do have private medical through my work. My jaw doesn’t really click or crackle although if I stick my finger in my right ear and open and close my mouth, it clicks a tiny bit! But left ear doesn’t! I was not told that I had any ETD.
I could never change the sound of my T except from the very first few days - it came on intermittently and I could easily mask it with rain sounds at night, and if I moved my jaw and massaged around my ear the T stopped. Then a few days later it suddenly got louder and was a persistent high pitched ring. It was debilitating.
I’m convinced several things happened which brought it on - lost a crown on the right back tooth and didn’t get it looked at for months, stupidly bought a cheap mouthguard off the internet not moulded to fit my teeth plus my posture is terrible and always slouching over my laptop! Plus I am very lazy and did no exercise (currently changing that!). And on top of all that is the added pressure on my jaw and muscles of clenching my teeth and often have headaches in the morning. Chiropractor thinks it could be just an overload of all these things combined. He says he sees a new patient every 3 months or so with Tinnitus.
Also at night when it was bad I thought my other ear was joining in, but I don’t think it was!
Can I ask if your T is persistent? I have a possible TMJ issue and the specialist says it’s not usually persistent Tinnitus that arises from TMJ. My T has been persistent for over 4 months now. I had a brain scan that ruled out any auditory issues. I have had neck issues for years - but an MRI ruled out anything from the neck irritating any auditory nerves. Seems i’m stick with this constant refrigerator noise 24/7. Is your 1/10 fizz letting you live a full life? I do hope so!
Yes it has been persistent - if you see my earlier reply I’ve explained it in more detail and what I think is causing it.
Now that it is a very low level fizz I am able to live a full life. Still have to wear my headband with speakers (a lifesaver) at night as i find it hard not to focus on the fizz but only wear the speaker on my right ear. If you’d have asked me 2 months ago it would have been a different story! My stress response is very strong so even now if the fizz gets slightly louder I’m immediately on flight mode, feel it like a kick in the stomach, and have to really talk myself back down. I do live in fear it will return but I’ve made some changes and will continue with the chiro and massage therapy.
It started immediately after an op I had in March this year. Was like a helicopter sound which lasted several weeks persistently. Then changed to what I have now persistently in both ears - which is like a fridge sound. Possible TMJ issues caused by the op too. I get sharp, sudden spikes like a whistle being blown. Awful. I had hyperacusis immediately after the op too. I have exposed myself to continuous environmental sounds to combat that. The last 3 months have been the continuous fridge sound in both ears. Left is louder than the right.
Hello. It’s there persistently, 24/7. Much more noticeable when there’s quiet. So in the mornings and nights and in any quiet place at home. Sometimes clenching jaw increases intensity. Any head pressure increases it too. I dread getting a cold, flu, covid, etc as it apparently gets even louder. I literally just try to carry on with life as best I can. It’s difficult to manage when there’s kids needing looking after. They don’t care about relaxation, sound therapy, ear protection, etc. I make sure I am really tired so that I get at least 4 hours sleep a night. I’m 4.5 months in. Still don’t know what to expect. How are you managing yours?
Yes it’s frustrating- as soon as I would get up and go about my day, the left ear would stop! It was only ever at night. Have you tried the sleep headbands - a little expensive but have been brilliant.
Hi Alys34Sorry I cannot relate however it must be stressful trying to pinpoint the cause
I'm a new sufferer of an ear problem from loud noise so I am not an expert or anything just a fellow sufferer
However based on my intense reading on ear over the last 6 weeks. It could be due to some sort of hearing loss
You may not notice any hearing loss its called hidden hearing loss however over time we lose frequency and our brain try and pick them up causing ringing
That's why many older people get tinitus as there hearing is usually worse by then
From my personal experience of being exposed to a loud alarm the ringing started 5 days later
We're you exposed to something loud
Alarms, sudden noise through headphone etc
Maybe you forgot about it as it didn't give any symptoms initially
Apparently it can just happen randomly bot sure why
Anyway I dont know I just want to help and support as people have been very supportive on here to me
I’ve had a similar experience to yours. One day sitting out in my yard I started thinking I was heading the neighbors AC unit. I quickly found their AC wasn’t on. I went inside and could still hear it. I put in foam ear plugs to see if it would stop and sure enough it got louder and in my left ear. After a motorcycle trip a few days later, (yes I wear high protection foam plugs while riding RELIGIOUSLY), the ringing moved to my right ear and got LOUD. I quickly came down with a nasty ear infection, although far from the worst I’ve had and the ringing has been present since, for about 3 months now. It sent me into a bit of a mental health crisis for about a month as I was sure that I had somehow managed to destroy my ears. I’ve seen an audiologist, and have zero indication of hearing loss from previous baselines I had taken. My blood work is fine as well. I’ve been seeing a cranial(?) chiropractor for a couple months now and I swear every time I see him most of 5 T tones I hear totally disappear or get much quieter for a least a couple days. My doctor and I have narrowed this down to either TMJ or ETD. But it’s really hard to say what this is. It’s definitely stressful. But either my tinnitus is getting better, or I’m just not caring as much anymore. Unfortunately for the most part, I don’t really have any answer as to what caused this for me.
Hi - I'm so sorry it took me so long to reply! Your situation sounds so similar to mine. I've got multiple tinnitus tones too. It's great to hear that cranial chiropractor seems to be working for you. I've visited an Osteopath 3 times who claims the left side (my tinnitus side) is far more tense than my right and strongly believes my tinnitus is linked to my neck. Unfortunately I haven't seen much of a reduction post my osteopath sessions though so I may look into cranial chiropractors in my area! My ENT said mine was probably ETD but again this is just a symptom and doesn't give any indication of an actual cause! I really hope your tinnitus continues to get better for you. Please let me know how you've been getting on!
any reply is good :). It’s nice knowing I’m not alone in this age bracket dealing with this crap. Lately I’ve been able to at least listen to some music with air pods without noticing it much. It’s really nice.
I get to see an ENT in a few weeks. There’s only one around here and they were over a month out. Fingers crossed they point me to the right antihistamine or whatever.
Hi Alys34, I was wondering how you were getting on and if your T had improved?
Mine is now 1/10 and I started to see a physiotherapist today. Said the Sternocleidomastoid muscle can cause tinnitus. He said people working on laptops/desk workers tend to overuse these muscles which puts a strain on them and can cause tinnitus when overloaded, and the muscles that we should be using at the back of our necks get weak. So I have exercises to do and am having acupuncture next week 😬
Hi Jelly1234 - great to hear from you! So happy to hear your tinnitus has improved! Has yours improved to a 1/10 because you've started with Physio or was it already a 1? That's so interesting what they said about the sternocleidomastoid. I've narrowed the cause of my unilateral ear popping down to this muscle. I thought initially it was my jaw but I've noticed that even if I touch this muscle slightly when I'm jumping my ear popping stops! What exercises have you been given to do? I'd be really keen to give them a try myself! I'm also looking into acupuncture so let me know how you get on! I'll keep you posted myself!
It was down to a 1/10 already and I think all the things I’ve been doing have helped (chiropractor, jaw exercises, massage therapy). Also found some exercises when I stumbled across this website: Liebscher & Bracht.
I’ll try and describe the exercise- lying on my back, I put a small rolled towel under my neck and have my knees bent. Without moving my head off the floor I move my head downwards to try and see the top of my knees. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat this 5 times morning and night. My whole neck literally shakes with the effort because the muscles are so weak.
The next step is about loading the muscles to make them stronger - not sure what that involves. So this then starts to take the pressure off the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Ah fingers crossed the Physio will be able to resolve that final 1/10 for you!
In terms of the massages you were getting - were they standard massages or deep tissue/sports massages?
Oh yes I've come across that Liebscher & Bracht website - it's very good! I don't think I've committed myself enough go the exercises though. How often are you doing jaw and neck exercises?
Thanks so much for describing the exercises - I'll certainly give that a go!
My tinnitus was at around a 2/10 but since I've been self-massaging my sternocleidomastoid for the past few days it seems to have spiked it a little to a 4/10. I don't want to aggravate whatever's wrong but at the same time I'm hoping the spike means I'm hitting the right spot!
Thanks so much for all your advice I really appreciate it!
It was deep tissue massage. I found a lady who specialises in TMJ/jaw issues but she also worked on my neck and head and also the jaw muscles inside my mouth.
I tend to do some of the exercises a couple of times a day. My T has been a rollercoaster going from me thinking it had almost gone to it then ramping up again, so I think it is normal in the healing process for it to spike. My chiro always said it may get louder after treatment before settling down again.
This is so helpful thanks! I had a big T spike the past few days as I think I've overstretched my SCM. It all makes sense now if the poor SCM is already overloaded it's no wonder me forcing it to stretch may have caused my T spike! I've started doing gentle exercises for the deep cervical flexors (front neck muscles) which also seem to stretch the suboccipital muscles at the back. They're similar to what you describe with the towel under the head and looking at your knees. It certainly makes me realise how weak these muscles are! Pretty much as soon as I start doing them I notice my SCM muscle popping out to compensate for how weak they are! I'll keep you posted with updates!
I had my 2nd physio today and he worked on my neck and SCM and I’ve had a T spike for the rest of today! Earlier in the week it had all but disappeared, with the occasional buzzing now and again to remind me it was still there! I’m hoping tomorrow it will calm back down! I have to do the same exercises but standing against a wall, but not taking my head off the wall, which is a little harder. Wishing you luck and hope your T calms down soon🤞
Arghh sorry to hear about your spike! Hope it's settled down now. How have the exercises been? I've been doing some chin tucks and exercises like yours. It's so difficult to tell if they're helping or not haha! I know these things take time though. I'm just impatient!
Hey same felt same symptoms here.so bad that I decided to major in Kinesiology. Love the research part and think I can help.I would recommend doing a posture assessment. Lower cross syndrome and upper cross syndrome sound like it can be an issue for you.
I went to an Osteopath who said I have hyper lordosis and suspects I also have thoracic outlet syndrome? And yes I work hunched over a laptop most days so think forward head posture may also be an issue for me!
In terms of your questions:
No not an athlete - I do go to the gym pretty regularly but nothing major.
I had braces as a child and still wear a retainer.
No specific shoulder/upper back injuries that I'm aware of. I would say though that my neck has always felt quite weak and will ache even after a relatively short walk if I'm carrying a bag!
I was diagnosed with tos as well.. crazy.. I highly recommend following armoredheat on Twitter. Huge into physical therapy and Would provide a lot of context. Will do you wonders!
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