by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
There is some interesting tinnitus research going on into the mechanisms that cause tinnitus, and the mechanisms that keep tinnitus “running” once it occurs.
Researchers have noticed an emerging pattern associated with tinnitus. Exposure to loud sounds leads to cochlear damage and hearing loss, even though this damage is often not clinically detected. The result of this decreased sound input to the brain leads to hyperactivity in certain auditory circuits in the brain which results in what we call tinnitus. (1)
One piece of research that caught my eye looks at a way of suppressing this noise-induced tinnitus.
Researchers know that a number of different areas of the brain are involved in processing sound, including tinnitus. One such area of the brain is called the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN).
Scientists have discovered that tinnitus (or at least some kinds of tinnitus) is associated with hyperactivity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus. In other words, the DCN cells fire impulses even when there is no actual sound being received. We perceive these sounds as tinnitus.
Now they are looking at ways to suppress this abnormal hyperactivity. In recent experiments on mice, researchers “took a close look at the biophysical properties of tiny potassium gene channels, called KCNQ channels, through which potassium ions travel in and out of the cell.” (2)
They found that mice with tinnitus “have hyperactive DCN cells because of a reduction in KCNQ potassium channel activity. These KCNQ channels act as effective ‘brakes’ that reduce excitability or activity of neuronal cells.” (2)
Thus, the idea is to find ways to increase KCNQ channel activity, which would automatically decrease the hyperactivity of the DCN cells. The result should be reduced or eliminated tinnitus. This sounds good in theory.
However, at present, research is focused on the new anti-epilepsy drug, Ezogabine (Retigabine). Ezogabine (Retigabine) enhances KCNQ channel activity. Current thinking is that by injecting the drug during or shortly after exposure to loud noise, the KCNQ channel activity would be increased and thus prevent tinnitus from starting.
“The KCNQ family is composed of five different subunits, four of which are sensitive to Ezogabine (Retigabine).” (2) Dr. Thanos Tzounopoulos of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and his collaborators “aim to develop a drug that is specific for the two KCNQ subunits involved in tinnitus to minimize the potential for side effects.” (2)
I wish them well in their endeavors, but knowing that humans have over 70 potassium channel genes, and that KCNQ genes have a wide range of physiological attributes, I sincerely doubt that they will eliminate all (or even most) side effects. I fear that a drug that increases KCNQ activity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus might also increase activity in other, unexpected calcium channels, thus producing serious unwanted side effects.
For example, Ezogabine (Retigabine) has a long list of side effects including dizziness, drowsiness, vertigo, confusion, slurred speech, tremor, memory loss, gait disturbances, double vision, blue skin discoloration and eye abnormalities. Who knows what other side effects are still to be discovered? I don’t want any of these nasty side effects. How about you?
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(1) Middleton, Jason, et. al. 2011. Mice with Behavioral Evidence of Tinnitus Exhibit Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Hyperactivity Because of Decreased GABAergic Inhibition. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 108. No. 18, pp. 76017606.
(2) Scientists Find Mechanism That Causes Noise-Induced Tinnitus and Drug That Can Prevent It. May 27, 2013. Science Daily.
i have tinnitus in very high pitch after receving a temporary hearing loss now my hearing quite ok but my tinnitus carry me
Hi Vishwa:
What caused your temporary hearing loss? How long did you have it? How do you know you have all your hearing back? Did they test you in the high frequencies above 8,000 Hz? Since you have high-pitched tinnitus, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have significant hearing loss in the range of maybe 10,000 to 20,000 Hz. and that could be why you still have the tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
I have tinnitus after a cotton got stuck in my ears and the ears then felt clogged with no ringing. Then I had put some water in my ear hoping the cotton would slide out but the water caused the tinnitus. I then went to doctor the cotton got removed but the ringing is still there. do you think it’s PERMANENT
Hi Bob:
When you put the water in your ears did you use a syringe and force it in? if so, that could be the cause of the tinnitus. The force of water hitting the eardrum can mimic a loud sound and thus cause tinnitus. I can’t see just letting water drip in your ears as causing the tinnitus.
There is no way for me to tell whether your tinnitus is going to be permanent or not, but personally, I think it would be temporary.
Cordially,
Neil
I was using the chop saw at work cutting thin metal. 6 days later I still notice I have ringing and my hear does not seem as good. I was wearing ear muffs but later read that having the arms of my glasses tucked under the muffs can decrease how well they work. I bought better ear muffs and have combined them with foam for a little added protection. I simulated the noise while wearing the new protection . I used a decibal meter I bought and it showed it was around 106.5 dba . I was just wondering is it possible for things to heal or improve after 6 days ?
Hi Jim:
Typically, if you have ear trauma from loud noise, it takes 2 or 3 months for things to get more to normal. The tinnitus can go away quite quickly but there is still underlying damage that needs time to heal. Even then, there can be permanent damage.
Cordially,
Neil
I ran a Emergency Diesel Generator on a Submarine for a few years off and on out to sea.I have had this high-pitch ringing in my left ear ever since. I also worked in construction building houses and commercial framing and dry wall, lots of high debs. The ringing has only gotten loader higher pitched and moved to other ear too. Not to mention the extreme hearing loss.
My idiot friend played music too loud in a car. After that exposure one of my ear is ringing for 2 days now. I am scared as hell if its permanent or not
Hi Bilal:
Probably it is temporary, but it could be permanent if you have exposed your ears too often to loud sounds in the past. I’d give it a week or two and let it fade away. Ignore it which will give your brain permission to let it fade away. If you worry about it, it typically won’t fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Sir I have tinnitus for past 3 months during diwali cracker burst caused tinnitus i went to ent specialist and done oae test it showed normal ear cells functioning and audiometry test slight variation at 35 for 8000 hz. doctor told it will go gradually i don’t have any hearing loss i can hear normally but still light buzzing sound in my ear especially during night time please let me know still how many days it takes to recover
Hi Manjunath:
Everyone is different, so there is no set time for your ears to recover.
Actually, you DO have a hearing loss. You have a 35 dB loss at 8,000 Hz and likely much more hearing loss in the even higher frequencies.
Typically, your tinnitus will fade into the background, but it may never completely go away–especially since you have some degree of hearing loss now.
What you need to do is completely and totally ignore your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life. If you focus on your tinnitus (to see if it is still there), it will just get worse over time. So ignore it and get on with your life and let it fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your reply sir but oea shows normal ear cells functioning my first audiometry tests show under 4000 it was 40db loss and after and at 8000 it showed 45 last week i have done audiometry test after 2 months it showed it came upto 20 db for 4000 and now 30 db for 8000hz my sound had also reduced upto 70% let me know it has chances to recover soon.
Can a ear infection make it seem like tinnitus i seem have ringing both ears but right ear seem little worse it more where the ears are covered try to sleep but its crazy the ringing os worse after laying down amd wake up i stand up and seems fake away right ear dose hurts do have app get it looked at. But u no when u search google it says brain tumors and all that. Tried ear ring otc but seen there nit good to use but i didn’t think tinnitus made ear hurt to could ear infection be heard both ears ? Heard tinnitus can last few weeks then go away or longer but it hard not think about it when trying sleep if i try ear plugs i just here it worse
Hi David:
Ear infections can cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse.
Since your tinnitus bothers you more at night when you lay down to sleep, the best treatment is to have some real sound in your bedroom such as a fan running to help reduce the contrast between silence and your tinnitus. Even better is to listen to water sounds–waves on the beach, babbling brook, waterfalls, rainfall, etc. These sounds do two things–first they also reduce the contrast between silence and your tinnitus, and second, they are naturally soothing sounds so help you relax and thus fall asleep.
You do NOT want to wear earplugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there.
I have had tinnitus for 2 months now since having a loud sound shoot from my headphones when plugging the 3.5mm jack into my laptop. I have been on rinexin, mometasone and prednisolone (I got the oral steroid after a month had already passed..). The ENT thought it was allergies and my tubes were swollen due to the lower pressure in my right ear but I’m convinced it was noise induced.
I have been emotionally and mentally wrecked by this for the past 2 months, poor sleep. The sound resonates with tap water flowing and is loud enough that I hear it over most things. My home environment is also pretty quiet so I have heard it most of the time for 2 months (so my brain has probably locked in it too..).
I’m 23, not really sure if there is any hope for me or if this is probably permanent now. Going to request to see an audiologist but would like your advice on what I can do or should say to my ENT that I’ll be seeing on Friday. Hopefully youll see this by then. Thank you
Hi Joseph:
What happened–the volume was turned way up and you didn’t realize it when you plugged the headphones in? That could have certainly given you an acoustic shock of which tinnitus is one of the side effects.
Taking steroids after 30 days is normally a waste of time.
What did the ENT think you were allergic to–acoustic shocks? LOL
Eustachian tube dysfunction is another symptom of acoustic shock–and a very common one I might add.
Has your tinnitus come down in volume since the incident or is it still the same level, or has it been getting worse?
Your ENT hasn’t helped you so far and I don’t seem him helping you in the future. HE obviously doesn’t know a thing about treating tinnitus.
Most audiologists don’t know much about tinnitus either–apart from turning the sound generators on if you have hearing aids with sound generators. You haven’t mentioned having hearing loss, so I doubt you’ll get much help there either–unless you go to an audiologist associated with a tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic. Those should be able to help you.
But you can help yourself–you don’t have to give up hope. If you have trouble sleeping because of your tinnitus, try having a fan running in your bedroom. Or listen to a source of white or pink noise, or fractal music or various water sounds. You can download sounds tracks from the Internet. Keep the volume low, but loud enough to hear. This won’t get rid of your tinnitus, but will reduce the difference between the volume of your tinnitus and silence so your tinnitus won’t seem so loud and bothersome. Then just ignore your tinnitus.
When you focus on your tinnitus, you just make matters worse. So focus on the loves of your life and thereby ignore your tinnitus. When you don’t get emotionally involved with your tinnitus, that gives your limbic system permission to turn the volume down and your tinnitus will fade into the background in time. There it won’t bother you anymore. This is becoming habituated to your tinnitus.
I explain all this (and much more) in my book “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”. You can get and download an ebook version of it at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
Cordially,
Neil
I have been doing some research as I have been diagnosed with Cochlear Meniere’s but by discarding other possible causes of my sudden deafness ear.
It all started in January this year, I had been in Amsterdam for new years eve, of course there were lot of fireworks and for sure I was exposed to loud sound, but I didn’t feel anything the following days.
When I came back to work on 7th of January I realized that some of my colleagues were talking but I could not hear them well. I plugged my left ear with my finger and then some of the voices were really hard to hear.
I went to the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic, as I heard you need to act quick when it comes to sudden hearing loss. They made the hearing test, the curves show that for sounds under 1000Hz the intensity in db was between 50-60.
I got 10 days of oral cortisone, with no success. Then 4 treatments of intratympanic cortisone, not improvement either. The sepcialist ordered a CT, nothing was found, but I think they only looked at tumours and finally and MRI was ordered but nothing found there (not really sure what they look at). I still have hearing loss, tinnitus, aural fullness and for some tones I experience double hearing, hearing distortion like diplacusis monauralis (this is really annoying). As I haven’t experienced vertigo yet, CT and MRI didn’t provide the root case of my hearing loss, and most of my symptoms seems to be only cochlear symptoms, I was diagnose with Cochlear Maniere’s, and that was it.
I’ve been at the audiologist and got an ear aid to see if it helps with the double sound.
I guess I still have endolymphatic hydrops, but recently it doesn’t seem to fluctuate, it is alwas there. Right ear was my good ear before, as I already had tinnitus on my left ear after a overseas trip when I had a cold (Have hard time to balance the presure). As the double sound bothers me and now I feel a mild dizziness as I have just been on a boat, I wonder if rinexin would help descongetion the area?
Note: I try to eat with less salt, I have diuretics, I take one a day sometimes. drink plenty of water as well.
Thank you
Regards
Carolina
PD: sorry for the long mail
Hi Carolina:
If you really do have cochlear hydrops or Meniere’s disease, the solution is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) and have your C1 and C2 vertebrae precisely aligned the way they are supposed to be.
If you want to learn more about this, read my comprehensive article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/
You can find one of these special kinds of chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” tab.
If you don’t really have Meniere’s, then you’ll need other treatment.
You may not really have Meniere’s, doctor’s use this as a diagnosis of last resort at times. For example, if you had a cold or virus, it could produce similar symptoms. Furthermore, Meniere’s causes periodic episodes. You said that you have a constant condition. That would not be Meniere’s.
Are you really congested, or does it just feel that way? This makes a big difference in treatment. If you really are congested, then Rinexin may help. If not, it won’t.
Note that if you really do have your C1 and C2 out of proper alignment, that could also affect your Eustachian tube function.
Therefore, if it were my decision, I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor first and see what he says. Then, once you know you are properly aligned, see what symptoms you still have that need “fixing”.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there, few days back on a video call, my friend who was standing beside me and I was sitting screamed very loudly. He was very close to my ear. For a few seconds I got very startled and immediately after that I started having stabbing pain in that ear,pressure and fullnessin the ear.The constant ringing sound (tinnitus) started after that. I haven’t been able to sleep well either. The ringing is high pitched. Can a scream very close to the ear cause permanent damage to the ear? Will the tinnitus be permanent ?
What should I be doing?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Rebecca:
You have suffered acoustic trauma that has developed into acoustic shock syndrome. Some of the symptoms are ear pain, tinnitus, hyperacusis, hearing loss, feeling of pressure/fullness in your ear, etc.
You may have some hidden damage to your hearing, but the ear pain and tinnitus should go away in time. It will take time–several weeks to several months–for your ears to return to normal. In the meantime, protect your ears from loud sounds so they can “heal”.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil, I experienced a similar situation to Rebecca 2.5 months ago. I was at a holiday event with my partner. The music was so loud on the dance floor you couldn’t hear the person next to you so at one point she was trying to tell me something and had to scream in my ear for me to hear it. I immediately felt a sharp pain in that ear and since then I’ve had a hissing sound in that ear. I’ve also noticed that certain sounds and words have ring associated with them now in that ear. In particular high pitched voices and ‘s’ sounds. However it seems this ring only happens when the volume of these sounds is above a certain level and I’m in an environment where sound can easily bounce around. I saw in the comments above you mentioned noise trauma can hurt the eustacian tube. Do you think that could be a reason for the sort of distortion I’m hearing? Is 2.5 months too long for that to be a possibility? I saw an audiologist and an ENT to get my hearing checked and everything looked fine so they weren’t very helpful beyond that. I’m just surprised that someone yelling in my ear could give me issues like this. I’m a 32 y.o. Male with no other health issues and I don’t take any medication for anything. Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.
Hi Mike:
That’s all it takes–a sudden loud sound aimed at your ears and you can have permanent damage. When you go anywhere that the music is so loud, you need to wear ear protectors or you risk getting hearing loss and tinnitus and possibly hyperacusis.
And no one should ever shout/scream directly into your ear. That is almost a certain recipe for trouble.
When sounds have a ring attached to them it is normally the higher-frequency sounds that cause the most trouble. This is because loudness hyperacusis is kicking in as the sound level goes up.
Sound trauma does not hurt your Eustachian tubes physically, but causes the nerve that enervates it to become irritated and thus it sends faulty instructions to your Eustachian tubes so they don’t open and close like they should.
Your distortion is due to exposing your ears to excessively loud sounds causing these “downstream” side effects.
It can take a number of months or years for some side effects of noise trauma to go away.
When doctors and audiologists aren’t very helpful is because they don’t have a clue about noise trauma to your ears–unless it causes hearing loss. There are a number of other side effects they never think of. Besides, they weren’t looking in the right places. You can have hidden hearing losses that don’t show up on an audiogram–that’s why they are called hidden hearing losses in the first place.
You can’t abuse your ears and expect them to keep on working properly. What you need to do is give you ears a rest so they can recover, and whenever you go into noisy places wear ear protectors so more bad things don’t happen in the future.
For example, a good level to listen to music is about the same level as you hear people talking. Then you won’t damage your ears. When the music is so loud you have to yell to be heard tells you that it is already much too loud and you need to wear ear protectors or get out of that noisy environment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil I have some question in regards to new tinnitus/noises in the left ear problem
1)Since late December 2023 when i go to sleep i hear two types of noises in low volume left ear …….1) one goes like this it beeps pause for 3 seconds and beeps again it almost but not the same sounds like a Vehicle Backing Up Beeping in low volume 2) the 2nd one makes beep sound sort of like this beep,,beep….beep…beep..beeeeeep…..beep …..beeeeeep..beep…beep it kind of sound like wind whistling through a window ….can listening to music might have cause it, it wasn’t that loud to the point my ears were hurting, will those two new noises go away with time and resting ears? , it has been bothering me especially when i sleep ?
2) i had Hyperacusis in november 2022 from dental work loud noise exposure. did not start to feel better from noise sensitivity till march 2023 will loud noise exposure from past make the situation im having worse?
3)i looked online from the noise situation i am having and the only thing that comes up is morse code tinnitus ,however i does not sound like a morse code or typewriter , is this noise that i am experiencing a different form of tinnitus?
4) i don’t have any hearing problems because i am able to hear noises of people locking up garage fence from across the street, or hearing ambulance from far away, is it good that i am able to ear well?
5)i have a moderate form of tinnitus where it makes a low volume hissing sound from nov 2022. will it get worse due to this?
6) i don’t currently experience hyperacusis symptoms like i did last year but sometimes my left ear spasm when dishes or spoons are clanking
7)can ears act up during the winter
Hi Jonah:
I’ve already answered you under the “Typewriter Tinnitus” article, but I’ll expand on it and answer your questions here.
1. I think you have a form of typewriter tinnitus. What changed in the week or so before you began noticing this beeping tinnitus? Often that gives a clue. For example, did your neck, shoulders, jaw get tight from doing something? Or was it listening to loud music? If it was from loud music, it’s possible this tinnitus will fade away in time. Also, giving your ears a rest from louder music is a good idea as they heal.
2. When you get hyperacusis, in my opinion, your ear always remain more sensitive to louder sounds to some degree–so you don’t want to expose them to loud music or other loud sounds in the future. They should be able to stand ordinary sounds with no problem. If the sounds are too loud for your ears, then wear ear protectors for the duration.
3. Typewrite or Morse code tinnitus has a variety of sounds–some sound exactly like an old typewriter being used. Some sound like Morse code, while others are variations of the above. So don’t be thrown off by yours sounding somewhat different. I think yours is from the same underlying cause since it is basically an intermittent beeping sound. I think it is due to your cervical vertebrae or jaw being out of proper alignment and thus putting pressure on certain nerves or arteries.
4. If you want to know just how good or bad your hearing is, see an audiologist and ask for a “complete audiological evaluation”. You may have good hearing in quiet places, but have more trouble understanding speech in noisy places due to hidden hearing loss. It’s good that you can hear well–but an audiogram will show exactly how well you hear. For example, it may show you have a “noise notch” from listening to sounds that are too loud, or a high-frequency hearing loss indicating that you are slowly losing hearing.
5. It shouldn’t make a difference to your low-frequency hissing sound. It is common to hear more than one kind of tinnitus sound. I have 3 ones I hear–a standard one that is there almost all the time and then two others that appear from time to time and then go away.
6. Sudden high-frequency sounds are the most noticeable hyperacusis sounds. I think you still have a bit of hyperacusis left, or it may be recruitment kicking in if you have a high frequency hearing loss. Recruitment can often be confused with loudness hyperacusis.
7. Exactly how do your ears “act up” during the cold weather? Theoretically, cold weather shouldn’t affect your hearing as such. However, colds and congestion of your sinuses are more common in the winter time and that can clog up your Eustachian tubes giving you some degree of temporary conductive hearing loss. Is that the kind of thing you are experiencing?
Cordially,
Neil
1) it was probably from listening to music a little bit loud or for a long periods of time, if i rest my ears will the beep sound that sounds like a Vehicle Backing Up in reverse and the other one that does (beeeeep…beeep.beep,beeeeeeeeeeep) go away with time and rest ?
7) as of now i feel my ears a little bit full and sinus congestion
Hi Jonah:
The beep beep kind of tinnitus does not, in my experience, come from exposing your ears to loud sounds. But who knows? Each person is unique in their experiences with sound. If it is from loud noise, then giving your ears a rest from louder sounds is definitely a good idea–and hopefully, your tinnitus will fade away.
In any case, don’t focus on your tinnitus sounds. The more you do, the worse they get. Rather, totally ignore them and focus on the loves of your life instead. This gives you the best chance of them fading into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
1) Can impacted wisdom tooth cause it, i have an appointment to get it removed in late february 2024
2)can beep beep type of tinnitus be related to tensor tympani or ear nerves being overactive?
Hi Jonah:
1. I rather doubt it while it is just there, but yanking out a wisdom tooth, particularly if it is an upper wisdom tooth can result in tinnitus.
2. Yes, I believe so since all these conditions can arise from the same source–certain vertebrae being out of proper alignment and thus affecting either nerves or arteries.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil thank you for taking your time i have a few questions to ask
1) will taking magnesium everyday help with the beep beep tinnitus?
2) can listening to music a little bit loud for long period time may have cause overactive ear and typewriter tinnitus?
3)it took me about 4 months to recover from hyperacusis /noise sensitivity/ tensor tympani from November 2022 to march 2023 can it be the same for morse code tinnitus were the beep beep tinnitus goes away?
Hi Jonah:
1. Probably only if you are deficient is magnesium. But taking magnesium is a good idea. I take it myself every day for good health.
2. I wouldn’t expect it to. But it could cause “regular” tinnitus over time if the sound level slowly destroys your hearing.
3. It would sure help to know the exact cause of your tinnitus. Then it would be easier to answer your question. As a general rule, you can habituate to your tinnitus over time. However, if your kind of tinnitus is caused by a pinched nerve or artery, then treatment to fix the underlying problem would be the way to go. Then, I believe it would fade away in a few weeks or less.
Cordially,
Neil
3)are you referring to the beep beep tinnitus.? im not sure what caused it i started to noticed it around late december 2023 can it be posture related from using laptop? will using a posture corrector help with it
4)if its a pinched nerve how long will it take to heal?
Hi Jonah:
I believe that your beep-beep tinnitus could be a result of poor posture causing your cervical vertebrae to get out of proper alignment and thus pinching some nerves or arteries. That is why I suggest you see an upper cervical chiropractor.
I’m not familiar with “posture correctors”, but if it get vertebrae back into proper alignment, it could help. However, I doubt it will help if your C1 and C2 are out of proper alignment. That typically takes specialized upper cervical chiropractic treatment.
If you have a pinched nerve that is not damaged–just “pinched”, once the pressure is off it, the symptoms can go away within a day or two. If the nerve fibers have been pinched so long that they are damaged or dead, they may regenerate in time, or never.
Cordially,
Neil
3) for question 3 i meant to say morse code tinnitus for that one i don’t know if it was caused by listening to music loud or probably from using laptop or brushing teeth a little bit to fast
Hi Neil i am going to have a referral to a chiropractor in february i have a couple question for tinnitus
1) is there a relation between TTTS and morse code T
2) i have a low volume tea kettle tinnitus left ear ,and mild morse code T is it possible it will go away/fade with time and rest from loud sounds? does loud noise trauma from past make it worse?
3)have you heard of Susan Shore tinnitus treatment, is it legit to treat tinnitus ?
4) is the mild tea kettle tinnitus reactive tinnitus?
Hi Jonah:
1. There could be because both can be due to a hyperactive trigeminal nerve, that is why seeing a chiropractor would be my first choice for treatment.
2. What do you mean by tea-kettle tinnitus? A whistling sound or a bubbling sound or what?
It is possible it can fade away in time.
I wouldn’t say noise trauma from the past makes it worse as such, but your ear could be “weaker” as a result. Thus, tinnitus/hyperacusis could kick in at a lower level from current noise trauma as compared if you had never had noise trauma in the past.
3. Yes, Susan Shore’s research seems valid for certain kinds of tinnitus. Because the neuromodulation technology uses somatosensory nerves, if you already have somatosensory tinnitus, then I don’t see that it will work for you. But if your tinnitus was the neurophysiological kind (from noise, drugs, etc.) then it could work for you. I think your tinnitus has a somatosensory component so I wouldn’t be too hopeful that her technology will work in your case.
4. I don’t think so. Reactive tinnitus is tinnitus that gets louder as the noise level gets louder. It has nothing to do with the sound of your tinnitus. Rather it is a combination of tinnitus married to loudness hyperacusis.
Cordially,
Neil
thanks Dr Neil
for tea kettle tinnitus ii kind of sounds like a whistling sound, is it possible it will fade or disappear with time within 6 months or more, i think it was cause by listening to music a little bit loud for long period of time
also i did had noise trauma in the past in november 2022 with hyperacusis and mild tinnitus like a static sound
Hi Jonah:
Tinnitus from noise trauma can fade in time if you work on habituating to it so it no longer bothers you. You can then find hours go by without your being aware you even have tinnitus.
You need to protect your ears from loud sounds in the future, or else your tinnitus can become worse and permanent (although you should still be able to habituate to it).
Cordially,
Neil
will it take around 6 months or more to fade away?
Hi Jonah:
I can’t tell you a specific time-frame because so much depends on your psychological (emotional) makeup. For example, if you focus on it, it may never go away. If you totally ignore it, it may fade away in a few weeks or months.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil I have some question about tinnitus from Late December 2023
1)My Morse code T is still the same , My T that makes intermittent whistle noises /low volume whistle chirp sound has been lowering in volume, does that mean it will continue to fade away with time and rest within weeks/months?
2) Morse Code T stops when i contract ear muscles then continues , why is that?
Hi Jonah:
I think you are correct that your whistle tinnitus will continue to fade away in time, BUT that requires that you basically ignore it and don’t focus on it.
Since you typewriter tinnitus is remaining the same, I suspect you have not yet treated the basic cause as explained in my article. When you contract your ear muscles, you are temporarily activating muscles, nerves, etc. that are causing the typewriter tinnitus (a kind of somatosensory tinnitus) so they have to do what you want, but when you relax them, they don’t have any specific job to do and go back to typing away.
Once you discover what is “pinching” or otherwise affecting these particular nerves and get the pressure off them, this tinnitus should stop too.
Cordially,
Neil
will the chirping low volume whistle noise also fade away?
Hi Jonah:
I answered that in the first paragraph in my previous reply.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil
Since last i chatted with you i have been doing well except for yesterday. Idiot Sibling had an argument with someone and put a loud noise using smartphone that made a continuous loud beep noise it wasnt high pitch but it was bothering me so i moved to the kitchen thinking it wasn’t going to do anything to me probably like 9 feet away from me i just have a few questions
1) My ear feels mild fullness but not the type of fullness you get at high altitudes, is it hearing loss or nerve related?
2) do i have mild hearing loss , i don’t have problems hearing soft sounds but my ear has been feeling weird after that continuous loud noise exposure
3) I read somewhere that eustachian tube closes when exposed to loud noise causing ear tube too close and feel full can it be cause by that ?
4) do i have temporary threshold shift? my ears normally make small pop sounds when washing dishes or but this time i did not hear it, or feel noise sensitivity, is it because of mild hearing loss?
5) Will taking Magnesium, B complex , fish oil , nitric oxide supplements help with healing process? I am 26 years old btw
6) Is there a connection with Hyperacusis and loud noise exposure that causes ear fullness, if so is it temporary?
7) I have a mild T, so far as of early Oct 2024 i don’t hear chirp Tinnitus that much , will this noise trauma ruin my healing process
8) My ears feel mild fullness but i am not experiencing distorted or muffled hearing is that good in my situation.
9) Does ear fullness decrease noise sensitivity?
Hi Jonah:
Here’s my answers to your questions.
1) If the sound wasn’t very loud, then it wouldn’t have caused hearing loss. So that leaves either Eustachian tube malfunction or nerve related. But both of these can be basically the same thing, because if your trigeminal nerve gets hyper-stimulated, it can mess with the normal Eustachian tube function as well as pull your hammer away from your eardrum–both of which could give you the sensation of hearing loss.
2. See No. 1 above. It’s basically the same question from a different slant.
3. I haven’t heard about that, but it makes sense because if you hear a sudden loud sound, your startle reflex kicks in to pull your hammer away from your eardrum. This is caused by your trigeminal nerve and since it also controls your Eustachian tubes, the message for your tensor tympani muscle may also be sent on another branch to your Eustachian tube causing it to close momentarily or for longer times if the hyper-stimulation doesn’t go away.
4. I can’t tell if you have a mild hearing loss. You need an audiological evaluation (hearing test) to know that. But if you are asking if you now have a TEMPORARY hearing loss from the sound event you experienced, it is possible per my above answers.
5. Taking magnesium and zinc supplements certainly is a good idea, but maybe all you need is a bit of time, and not worry about your ears either. Focus on other things than you ears while they heal.
6. Loudness hyperacusis can definitely be cause by noise exposure. Typically, I’d say loudness hyperacusis is temporary, but that so much depends on your mental state. If you are anxious about your ears and focus on them, that tends to make hyperacusis worse, not better. That is why it is important to focus on the loves of your life and not on your ears.
7. It can temporarily make your tinnitus worse–but again see 6 above for how long it may last.
8. I’d say so. Muffled hearing would be one sign of hearing loss.
9. If the feeling of ear fullness is due to Eustachian tubes not working properly, then if it is pushing your eardrum away from your hammer, you’d have some degree of hearing loss which means you are somewhat less sensitive to sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil Bauman thank you for your response
-Is the ear fullness related to hearing loss, is that why i don’t feel sensitive to sounds
-is the ear fullness related to nerves from noise trauma ?
-my hyperacusis doesn’t feel sensitive as it did before is it because of eustachian tube closing or hearing loss?
-Is there a chance that my hearing/ear fullness from left ear will improve?
-does hearing loss get rid of hyperacusis?
Hi Jonah:
Ear fullness can be related to hearing loss–with a sudden hearing loss, your ear can feel blocked because you don’t hear as well, so your brain thinks your ears are blocked or else it would hear normally, wouldn’t it.
Ear fullness can be related to noise trauma as per the answer above.
Probably neither–but due to your brain recalibrating your ears so you hear sounds at a more normal level again.
Yes, as your ear recovers from the acoustic trauma it experienced, things can return to normal, if there was no permanent damage to your inner ear structures.
No, just the opposite. Hearing loss can make hyperacusis worse.
Cordially,
Neil