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Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

nautil.us

21–30 of 51 posts

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#21
post #14

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. h…

Same, also getting drunk makes it worse for me.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#23
post #14

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. h…

Same here. If I clench my jaw or push it forward it gets much louder and more noticeable, especially on one side.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#24
post #14

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. h…

It's similar for me. I'm not sure if the tinnitus is the result of too many loud concerts / events, or constant jaw tension (TMJ). I've had it for about 5 years now, but it's generally pretty mild. I do notice I won't hear anything in the mornings sometimes so I suspect it's psychological, or tension related.

Two purchases have had a huge impact on my quality of life related to the tinnitus:

1. A pill case with some musicians earplugs on my keychain. Never feel like I need to decline an invite to a noisy place: https://www.amazon.com/Water-proof-Air-tight-Aluminum-Keycha...

2. The Bose qc20 noise cancelling earbuds - they don't go inside the canal, so they don't irritate or exacerbate the tinnitus, and for me at least the noise cancelling effect counteracts the tinnitus frequency.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#25
post #2

> Martin’s resignation in the face of tinnitus isn’t rare, perhaps because tinnitus remains poorly understood. No. It's because you go to the doctor and you literally get sent home without being helped in any way whatsoever. Well, he looks into your ear and maybe you get some useless medication. Just save the money and time and deal with it, that's all you can do as of today.

In the UK I got sent to ENT clinic, then a cat scan to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

Then, the doc told me they couldn't do anything, but if it distressed me there was counselling available to help you learn how to deal with it.

So while your experience may have sucked, they can do something, they just can't cure it.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#26
post #19
post #14

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. h…

weird... I don't have tinnitus, that I know of, but if I put earbuds in that provide a lot of sound dampening and clench my jaw muscles, it makes a pretty noticeable roaring sound, kind of sounds like the inside of an airplane.

I think that is just the sound of your muscles tensing. I hear it too when I clench my jaw muscles, at the same time I hear a louder version of my tinnitus. So at least for me they are distinct sounds.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#27
post #2

> Martin’s resignation in the face of tinnitus isn’t rare, perhaps because tinnitus remains poorly understood. No. It's because you go to the doctor and you literally get sent home without being helped in any way whatsoever. Well, he looks into your ear and maybe you get some useless medication. Just save the money and time and deal with it, that's all you can do as of today.

My doctor told me "You have no disease. You have a symptom of a disease." Which he honestly intended as good news. Then he sent me on my way with the guidance to relax and learn to live with it.

I remembered why, after seeing this guy once years before for another ent problem, I never went back to him.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#29
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does that contradict the quote? Maybe your doc sends you home with no help precisely because it is poorly understood and so they don't know how to help you?

Because the article makes it sound like Martin is an idiot who has a choice, he could at least try to understand it better, when really, Martin has no option other than resignating and sucking it up unless he's a brilliant doctor and neurologist and dedicates his entire life to this problem. The 'perhaps' is also completely out of place. How about some honesty: The doctors are completely clueless and can't do anythin…

That was not my reading at all; like greenshackle, I did not see any contradiction between what you quoted, and the point you made.

Re: Bad news and good news for tinnitus sufferers

#30
post #14

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. h…

Same, also getting drunk makes it worse for me.

Yep even just one beer will make it worse for me the next day.

Also running, the harder I run the worse it is.

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